Waiting for Incubus to come on, the packed out Festival Hall felt like an uncomfortable school disco. The cyclone-fenced sides of the venue were closed off and masked with a makeshift black tarpaulin, which seemed to have forced everybody to congregate in circles, muttering to each other in anticipation of the Californian five-piece.
They certainly came out firing, blasting an unruly Megalomaniac with plenty of conviction, but to a rather unresponsive and lackluster crowd. This was surprising enough, but even more shocking was that Incubus classic and fan-favourite, Pardon Me still didn’t seem to hit the spot. As much as the band soldiered on, their solid act didn’t seem to get the appreciation it deserved, which was reflected in their performance as it went on.
Crowd aside, Incubus hinted at revealing just how consistent they have been through their career, but unfortunately it also emphasised how weak their most recent album If Not Now, When? is. The newer tracks didn’t stand up to their older counterparts, and when scattered amongst vintage winners, such as Stellar and Warning, they diluted the whole show considerably, stripping it of the drive and power that is ordinarily expected.
Adolescents and In The Company Of Wolves drifted unconvincingly past and dragged on, and the album’s title track saw the rare sight of lead singer and heartthrob Brandon Boyd taking to the guitar as he wailed, “Don’t you feel like something’s missing here?” And he was right, there most certainly was. Singalong single, Promises, Promises was very listenable, but alike the others, it brought very little to the table and instigated a worrying thought: are Incubus at the end of their game and heading towards indie-pop mediocrity? I’d like to think not – because as disappointing as they were, the newer songs functioned as a tease, leaving the crowd yearning for some classics, and when they came, it gave a critical reminder of how Incubus are still a ridiculously talented bunch of musicians.
Anna Molly and Kiss To Send Us Off reignited a much needed spark in proceedings like a couple of lethal shots of tequila and the funky Are You In? transformed Festival Hall into a hell of a party. Incubus built on this, delivering Wish You Were Here and Nice To Know You in the only way possible, as the true modern rock anthems they are. Unfortunately though, it was a case of too little, too late – this school disco never really got started, and I was just longing for my parents to come pick me up.
BY CALLUM FITZPATRICK
LOVED: The cover of Riders On The Storm concealed within Are You In?
HATED: That there was nothing in particular to hate. I love a good moan.
DRANK: Pepsi Max, on the rocks, garnished with a bartender’s hair.
