A full hour before doors are due to open, a horde of fans are sat in wait, leaning against the grubby wall of the O2 Academy as they try to catch a glimpse of the band through the windows.
As someone who knows Fightstar as ‘that fit guy who used to be in Busted’s new band,’ I am bemused at this show of loyalty, but it’s no rare occurrence. ‘There are some people outside that have been to every show we’ve ever done’, bassist Dan tells us, himself looking rather incredulous, ‘I just don’t know how they do it.’
Fightstar have come a long way since their formation in 2003, but they still work hard to keep their fan base happy, or even to produce music at all. Their latest release, Be Human, required the bold step of creating their own label Search & Destroy. Even so, they aren’t naive about the increasing business difficulties of the music industry: ‘We’ve created a model which seems to be the way of the future for us smaller bands to be able to generate enough income to survive,’ they explain of their decision to self-fund the record.
I wonder if the band would consider a career change in accountancy as they explain their various money-making ventures, including most creatively their own iPhone application in which fans play ‘catch the milk’ as their album cover (which depicts a woman with the head of a cow next to a glass of milk) is brought to life. With the highest scorer eventually winning a guitar, you have to praise the boys’ originality in persuading fans to part with their cash.
There are also, however, creative advantages to self-releasing. Fightstar gained a lot of freedom by additionally deciding to coproduce Be Human themselves, alongside long-term friend Carl Bown, who plays guitar in support band Laruso. As Bown was able to offer them cheap rates, the group could afford to rack up seventy days in the studio, despite their low budget. ‘It was a shed. So we had creative freedom, but physical freedom…? Living so close to each other for all that time was crazy at times,’ jokes Dan.
But guitarist and vocalist Alex explains that this time spent working closely together was necessary: ‘because everything was done off our own back, there was no one there cracking the whip and it was up to us to self-motivate.’
The time spent perfecting tracks in the studio is audible on their new album, which sees the band diversifying more in their arrangements whilst maintaining their trademark dark atmosphere. ‘I think it’s just better, basically,’ says Dan, clearly proud of their latest achievement. ‘The ideas are more complex, but not just for the sake of complexity.’
This is particularly evident in the use of orchestral and choral layers on Be Human. Enlisting a sixteen piece string orchestra on such a low budget was no easy task, and the band confess to pulling a lot of favours to secure frequent Coldplay arranger Audrey Riley.
Their aim was to create a textured sound which has a cinematic feel, reflecting the four band members’ shared love of film, and they succeed in attaining this effect. It’s easy to imagine songs such as ‘The English Way’ providing the soundtrack to an angsty moment in an indie flick.
Achieving the same outcome live is less successful, despite their use of choral samples throughout the show. Instead they go back to their more conventional rock roots, striking poses and pulling faces as they hammer through an energy-fuelled set which has the crowd forming a mosh pit that fills almost the whole of the smaller Academy room.
While still incorporating the doom and gloom elements now expected from Fightstar, the lyrics on the new tracks performed also reveal a more uplifting tone, particularly in latest hit ‘Mercury Summer’. ‘We’ve all been in a happier situation than we have in the past’, Alex explains the inspiration for his brighter lyrics, ‘there are a few love songs poking about.’
Going by tonight’s show, Fightstar will only go on to get happier. The energy levels are high both on and off stage, and fans are clearly delighted at the band’s choice of an acoustic version of old favourite ‘Amethyst’ as an encore. After a brilliant first night performance, it’s highly probable they’ve added to their loyal fan base. Certainly my appreciation of them as a live band has grown, and not only because Charlie looks cute when his hair gets sweaty.
