Live Review: Foals, Warpaint

Opening act Warpaint are an absolute joy. Big enough to command their own solo show, the quartet have no qualms filling the support slot and deliver a punchy 45-minute set highlighting the band’s sublime, 15-year career. 

The lo-fi buzz of Stars, shoegaze-influenced Keep It Healthy, harmony-heavy slow burner Love Is To Die and art-rock bounce of Heads Up are all well-received by the buzzing crowd, but it’s the upbeat flavour of indie-dance hip shaker New Song that earns the band their biggest cheer of the night. One of the most underrated acts in the indie-rock world, Warpaint deserve more plaudits from fans and critics alike.

It feels like Foals are regular visitors to our shores these days, not that anyone in the packed Margaret Court Arena is complaining. Putting on a high energy show of math-rock indie bangers, Foals have the crowd engaged from the opening synth line of dazzler On The Luna.

Lead vocalist and frontman Yannis Philippakis proclaims it’s going to be “a spicy one” before launching into the hypnotic Snake Oil, complete with ‘80s-esque guitar riffs and erratic tempo changes. Performing a solid mixture of tracks from their five albums, Foals offer something for everyone. The jittery Olympic Airways and percussion-heavy Red Socks Pugie from their classic debut album, Antidotes, has older fans singing along, while newer cuts like the dynamic Exits and the intricate Providence showcase the band’s growth. My Number is the first real crowd pleaser and has the seated sections on their feet, while one excited punter whips off his shirt during Black Gold and launches it on stage, narrowly missing Philippakis, who acts like nothing happened.

While most of the band stay in the background, doing their thing surrounded by colourful strobe lights, the intriguing Philippakis is front and centre in black jeans and a short sleeve shirt flailing around like a mad man. Whether encouraging the crowd to clap along during the aforementioned Exits or entering the front of the mosh during Syrups, it’s hard to look away from the pint-sized frontman. He has a natural charisma, coupled with a unique singing voice that makes him hard to take your eyes off.

The underrated Sunday is used by many as a time to hit the bar, with most returning just in time for an epic rendition of Spanish Sahara. Bathed in blue and purple lights, the song sends shivers down the spine as Philippakis croons, “Forget the horror here/Leave it all down here.”

“Here’s a ripper off the new one,” Philippakis announces before the rock-infused White Onions. Inhaler starts slow before turning into a behemoth, sounding like Royal Blood getting it on with Death From Above 1979, causing the mosh pit to go absolutely nuts. Leaving the stage for a few minutes, Foals quickly return for the bombastic explosion of What Went Down before closing the night out with fan favourite Two Steps, Twice, their performance demonstrating why they remain indie darlings Down Under.