On Friday the 31st of August, Flight Facilities landed at Thebarton Theatre, supported from the girls in Haiku Hands. What followed was certainly a night to remember…
The first act, Haiku Hands, were phenomenal and had excellent synchronicity all throughout their short set. The four piece arsenal of girls danced and enchanted the crowd, while they continued to get antsier for the headlining act. Although they dressed to match and danced in sync, their individual personalities still shone through vividly while on stage. They were hypnotic with captivating dance moves and a high octane energy all throughout their performance, and it was well and truly an in-your-face show. Their vibe was great and their dancey hits really got the crowd going and in the mood to party. Their music and visual show was both explosive and addictive. They are certainly not an act not to be missed in future. They had won everybody in the audience over by the end of their set, even those who may have not been familiar with the girls at the start of the show. The room was about half full when they began playing, but by the end of their set, the room was packed with excited fans, awaiting the headline act.
Flight Facilities opened their set with their well-known hit song titled “Need You”. They took to the stage like pilots in their cockpit, which consisted of a large desk area with keyboards, synthesisers, sample pads, and a bunch of other whacky gadgets. They drove the music, while featured singers Owl Eyes and Ric Rufio entertained the audience up front. James spoke occasionally, addressing the audience, thanking the singers, and letting people know the direction of the music. James switched from keyboards to a Novation sample pad, to electric guitar, though I wish I heard more guitar sounds in the mix. It was very electronic for most of the set and somewhat lacking in organic sounds. At times the guitar sound packed a big punch, but for most of the time it just appeared a little too gimmicky. Hugo seemed very hard at work the entire time, jumping from gadget to gadget behind the flight desk, while James assisted and entertained the crowd in a more visual way.
The way they switched over vocalists was good and really diversified the show. Owl Eyes had a gorgeous voice and was captivating to watch and listen to, and Ric Rufio wowed the crowd with his stylish get up and immense talent, both interacted closely with crowd and kept the party pumping. Hugo and James would then do a solo piece or have an ambient moment with extra emphasis on the light show, then the next singer would come out. The light show was vibrant and intense, and the lighting matched the theme or the feel of each track.
Fans were in for a treat with favourites like ‘Crave You’ and ‘Claire de Lune’ being performed with precision to the wide audience of mixed age listeners from school girls to mums. They went crazy for the hits, but the audience didn’t slow, even for the lesser known tracks.
The light show on display was impressive and was controlled well behind a massive sound and light mixing desk, wowing the audience visually. At one point, Owl Eyes got the audience to shine all of their phone lights onto the stage, making the room light up like a sky full of stars.
The venue was well presented and organised, and the bar was as expected, at ten dollars a can of coopers. The merchandise for the opening act was somewhat lacking unfortunately, but other than that, the night was certainly enjoyed and a show to be remembered. Flight Facilities may have departed, soaring to other cities now, but I’m sure their fans can’t wait until they land again.
Review by Jonathan Matthews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flightfacilities/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/flightfacilities
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