Live Review: Glass Animals, Micra

Glass Animals are renowned for their electric, high energy shows but upon their return to Sydney, the energy seemed on overdrive as the British indie-psych-pop four-piece wowed a sold-out Factory Theatre crowd. 

First, a DJ set from Micra warmed up the slowly filling audience who were anticipating a big show from the headliners, back in Australia for the first time since the turn of 2017/18.

The Sydney duo mixed a range of cliched disco bangers as they cavorted about the stage, waving their hands in the air and trying to rouse a lukewarm crowd. The venue felt cavernous as the bass swallowed the nuances of the tunes.

After a short intermission, Glass Animals arrived with an explosion of vitality. It’s no wonder, given this is one of the first gigs the British band have played since their drummer, Joe Seaward, was severely injured when hit by a truck while cycling in Dublin over a year ago.

The band showed their pent-up energy in the opening track, recently released single Tokyo Drifting. While the vocals were almost inaudible, the intensity of the trap-infused drum line signalled the band was headstrong and ready for anything. Flashing cyan-coloured lights filled the space as a sea of phones illumined.

Glass Animals @ Factory Theatre. Photo by Angela Padovan.

The band changed tact, showing their versatility with the crowd-favourite, Life Itself. The tribalistic drumbeat triggered a collective cheer while the chorus saw the entire crowd joining in with a boogie and a laboured yet enthusiastic harmony. 

The next song was Black Mambo, which featured on their first album, Zaba. This was a slower song and left room for the PA problems to be amended, which they were in part. The vocals started to make sense and the levels felt more in line with the pulsating red and blue lights.

Glass Animals @ Factory Theatre. Photo by Angela Padovan.

The band moved from the older tracks off their 2014 debut to their outrageously popular 2016 release, How To Be A Human Being, with songs like Pork Soda - its raucous and absurd chorus, "Pineapples are in my head", masking its deeply pessimistic verses. 

Of course Gooey, the song that made the band famous, was a highlight of the night with the band leaving audiences fond and fun-filled memories until next time.