Another band, Thrice, who frequented Orlando on their tours were playing right next door to Friendly Fires that same night. Their show sold out well before that evening’s performance, and their fans waited in the rain outside the Beacham hours before the doors even opened. Meanwhile, no one was outside the Social, where Friendly Fires were playing. Although, once people started showing up and the band started playing, the dynamic totally changed in the venue. Disappointment turned into shock as the band were dumbstruck to believe they were being so well received.
Guitarist, Edd Gibson, 28, described the night the best when he said, “The pre-sales from the show were a little underwhelming, but the show was a pleasant surprise. I can’t believe we managed to sell out the place our first time here.”
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| Guitarist, Edd Gibson, 28, jamming with the crowd during their finale. Photo courtesy of DrunkCameraGuy. |
Singer, Ed Macfarlane, 28, who is known for his exuberant stage presence, had to deal with a stage much smaller than what he was use to back home – “The stage was so small. I just wanted to kick stuff out of my way so I could do my thing, but that did not seem very professional. But I loved playing here. The crowd was very welcoming.”
Despite the size of the stage, MacFarlane put on a fantastic show – even incorporating his signature dance moves while dodging instruments, amps, pedals and bandmates; and when the stage was too constricting, MacFarlane made the floor his stage and danced along with fans.
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| Singer, Ed MacFarlane, 28, in the midst of his signature dance moves. Photo courtesy of DrunkCameraGuy. |
Kevin Jacobs, 23, who came from Miami, Florida, just to see them, lived by one mantra at the show – “You have to send out good vibes from the audience to show that you’re having a good time because if you don’t, they won’t interact with you.” What Jacobs said proved to be true. From the very beginning, he danced with every ounce of his being and others took notice.
Jacobs took the band and crowd interaction to a whole new level when he stormed onto the stage during Friendly Fires’ encore song, “Kiss of Life,” and danced, and taking everyone standing in the first two rows of the stage with him.
Friendly Fires is a band who want nothing more than to connect with their fans. According to Gibson, they do not worry about the attendance of their shows, “At least if you pour your heart and conviction into it, it’s worth a try.”
The aspect the band wants to reach out to their fans is that they want just to have fun. “I think the main goal for our live show is that everyone dances and has fun,” MacFarlane said.
What they enjoy the most is being able to hang out with fans after the show. Being an extremely successful band from where they are from in the UK, it was apparent that they really did enjoy the time they spent with their fans here.
“It is harder for us to interact with fans back home because we play well larger venues. It was nice playing here where it’s smaller – it was very intimate,” Gibson said.
By the end of the night, the guys practically befriended those who stayed and chatted with them. They were very personable and caring – acting nothing like one would think typical rock stars would act.
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| Gibson showing thanks to a fan after the show. Photo courtesy of DrunkCameraGuy. |
This was Mildred Fererra’s, 21, first concert – “That was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. They were just… amazing. No words.”
Agreeing with her statement, there are no words to describe a Friendly Fires show. It is something that needs to be seen and experienced to be understood.
