Hard-Fi

Saturday, Hi:Fi South Live Arena

Reggae basslines and little of originality emanate from tonight’s headliners, but it seems they are flavour of the month, and the packed tent is full of fans who clearly have a copy of their album. Three tracks in and they add a touch of ska to liven things up a little. The pit for the first time is bristling with photographers and hangers on jostling to see these NME darlings. But I still don’t see what the fuss is about. They murder a version of BAD’s ‘E=MC2’ and play a song where clearly they ran out of ideas repeating, “There’s a hole in my pocket” to the tune about buckets. Mindless or art?

“La La La” says lead singer Richard Archer and the crowd lap it up. No idea why it leaves me cold, so I go in search of food, still in range of their set. They rescue the set however with a song for everyone who goes out and trashes their wages cos there’s nothing else to do the anthemic, “Living For the Weekend” which I have to say is a top tune and has the whole tent moving arms in the air as one as lights play across them. A moment of Hi:Fi history. I just don’t get what makes their other tunes so successful.

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