What went down at Dreamland?

Foals are one of the most legendary live bands of this generation in music. A bold statement, perhaps, but I honestly believe that to be the truth.

Travelling down to Margate on a wet day in November might seem odd, but the weirdest part of Foals’ new live experience was that it was played at Dreamland, a theme park on the coast.

Going on a few rides before the concert was a lot of fun (with the park only open to gig-goers); however, we were really here to see Foals.

Having headlined Alexandra Palace almost two years ago, they were returning to a much smaller venue, a roller disco room, to promote their new album. Opening with ‘Snake Oil’, the crowd excitedly opened up a mosh pit. As the drum beat came in, it felt like a boxing match. Ding ding, round five.

The mosh pits stayed active throughout the gig, with the energy of the crowd and the band never lapsing. Even calmer songs, such as ‘Blue Blood’ from Total Life Forever, caused mass singalongs with the entire crowd screaming along.

‘Give It All’ slowed things down. Some bands put in slower and more melodic songs to make the crowd think later songs are heavier. Foals do not; they do so to prevent the crowd fainting from the madness.

‘Providence’ from Holy Fire was a particular highlight for me. The crowd went mad, and an audience member even chipped a tooth.

The gig calmed down again with one of Foals’ greatest songs, ‘Spanish Sahara’; a melodic masterpiece which continued to bring the crowd closer together. The band really showed their skill with frenzy-inducing solos.

It was beautiful as the whole crowd sang, not just to the band but to each other. People hugged and emotion of the audience was overwhelming.

People kept dancing and moshing all the way up to, and including, ‘Inhaler’ from Holy Fire. The crowd danced and moshed harder than before. The band let rip with their instruments more than they had before. And then they left the stage; eleven songs and they were gone.

Obviously, they returned for an encore. Dedicated to anyone who “won anything in the roulette shop.” ‘London Thunder’ from the new album was played with more punch than on the record, with Yannis Philippakis (lead singer, guitarist) initially playing solo.

Foals finished with two of their heaviest songs: starting with the title track from What Went Down. Yannis crowdsurfed while still playing guitar, returned to the stage, and then went in again for another go. The crowd greeted Yannis almost like a messiah.

‘Two Steps, Twice’ built up slowly over eight minutes. The crowd was still wild, only now beginning to tire. Yannis had gone to the bar with his guitar, downing a shot in the process. The crowd reaches its climax and the concert finishes. Not one person left without a smile on their face.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Foals are quite possibly the best live band in the UK.