Late Of The Pier: Live @ O2 Academy Oxford

Late Of The Pier = Live At The O2 Academy Oxford, 16th February
By Ben Hawling

It’s around 9.30 on a freezing Monday night in Oxford, but inside the O2 Academy the atmosphere has reached near sauna like temperatures. This climatic shift is down to the body heat emanating from the masses of messy haired indie boys and girls who have gathered to witness the magic of Late Of The Pier on stage. After an exhausting, but crucial, 45 minutes of setting up, and the weak yet tolerable support from Surrey outfit Micachu, the band finally come on. The following hour is a lush blend of indie/electro/dance crossover tracks plucked straight from their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Fantasy Black Channel’. Key moments of the set included pop hit ‘Heartbeat’ and uplifting paranoia tinged track ‘Focker’. As the electrifying set drew to a close with their slightly extended version of album closer ‘Bathroom Gurgle’, one couldn’t help but feel that judging by the entire room of smiling bouncing fans, the cold outside would not last for long.