Live Review: Confidence Man – 7th November 2024 – Brixton Academy, London, UK
4 min read
When you arrive to a show it is not too uncommon to see a queue of fans eager to get inside to catch their idols. What you don’t quite expect to see is a queue that wraps itself around two entire blocks, but that was the scene we stepped into when we ventured over to Brixton on Saturday night to catch Australian electropop outfit, Confidence Man.
Over a short period of 6 years, Confidence Man have established themselves as one of the most colourful and intriguing acts on the scene, as well as being one of the most talked about acts on the live circuit thanks to their energetic, choreographed dance routines and catchy hits that engage fans on a level that is very unique.
While the quartet – which is led by vocalists and fronting duo Janet Planet and Sugar Bones – started off with more eccentric, tongue-in-cheek hits like Boyfriend (Repeat), Holiday, Don’t You Know I’m in a Band and Out The Window, which were released across their first two records, with latest and 3rd studio album 3AM (La La La) they have leaned more heavily into electronic music with a nod to the 90’s party scene, so it was not surprising that this weekends pair of sold out Brixton Academy shows would be anything less than a venue transformed into one giant two-night rave.
As soon as our hour-long queueing in frozen winter temperatures came to an end and we found our places in the packed venue, over the course of 90 minutes we were treated to a visual spectacle and some of the most rapid dance routines we have seen at a live show in quite some time.
Most of the band’s latest record was touched on, opening the show with fully-charged new numbers including Now U Do and Does It Make You Feel Good?. The bands third and fourth members on keys and drums and dressed in their trademark black masked outfits provided a meaty instrumental backbone to the set as they played behind two giant spikey grey inflatables on each side of the stage and would only come out to perform a brief dance routine with Janet and Sugar mid-set but otherwise would remain as mysterious and anonymous for the show.
Janet Planet is the most striking on stage; gyrating and bending her way through songs like Control and the infectious Real Move Touch while dressed in an eye catching coned bra that glowed with multi coloured lights, displaying the flexibility and stamina of a true rave queen. Sidekick Sugar Bones is most impressive as he leads us through 3AM (La La La) highlight, Sicko while I Can’t Lose You had the singer reveal his toned torso to fans as he threw his jacket to the side of the stage and reveled in the deafening response from the audience who at this point were as super charged as we have seen a crowd at a show in years; the whole circle level of the venue up on their feet and dancing as passionately along with the band as the crammed standing stalls section of Brixton Academy.
While the new songs from 3AM (La La La) provided the rave heavy vein to Saturdays show, the bands earlier material were the glue that held the show so cohesively together and were the most celebrated of the night – if not for their familiarity, then for their catchy and camp quirkiness.
Amongst them was an early appearance of Toyboy, which these days is going by the name of All My People following its recent remix. Spoken word fan favourite C.O.O.L Party was a welcome addition and seemed rather appropriate for the night while Feels Like a Different Thing had fans phones held in the air as the pair busted some of the night’s most impressive moves on stage. It was Boyfriend (Repeat) and Holiday however, that felt explosive in the venue as the band did their regular encouragement of fans to crouch down and pop back up in unison during Boyfriend (Repeat) while every set of lungs belted eagerly (and drunkenly at this point of the night) back to Janet Planet’s ear-worm chorus and Sugar Bones’ verse lead on the bands signature hit.
Easily one of the best shows we have attended this year from one of the best acts to emerge in the pop scene for a very long time!
Setlist:
Now U Do
Does It Make You Feel Good?
All My People
Control
I Can’t Lose You
Firebreak
Feels Like a Different Thing
C.O.O.L Party
Breakbeat
Break It Down (On The Bassline)
Sicko
Boyfriend (Repeat)
Real Move Touch
So What
Holiday
3AM (LA LA LA)
