Foals Live at the Marquee, Cork, 5th July 2016

Foals‘ frontman Yannis Philippakis isn’t one to mince his words. He’s previously taken pops at legacy bands headlining festivals. He outlined a need for a fresh blood – a not-so-subtle hint that bands like his own would be more suitable for the prime slots. At Glastonbury just gone, he gleefully called Chris Martin a “a wisp of piss in the wind” during an interview with NME.

His boasts and put-down aren’t neccessarily unfounded, having released some of the most critically acclaimed albums of the last decade. It’s reflected in their live presence, having previously sold out two nights at the Olympia Theatre, and this year, moving up to the 3Arena. Surely selling 4,000 odd tickets for the Marquee would be child’s play, right?

You’d think that, but you’d be wrong – the crowd is sparse, and lacks energy the closer you get to the peripheries. It’s a mood that lasts for the length of the concert, and ultimately marrs an otherwise decent show.

The set list is a carbon copy of their Glastonbury one, and song transitions will be instantly recognisable to long-time fans. Snake Oil, from most recent LP ‘What Went Down’, opens proceedings. The band’s driving force is their desire to put on shows that are intensely aggressive and raw, and this song signifies just that.

The strobe lighting for Olympic Airways completely detracts from the instrumental elements of the performance. Total Life Forever is far from flawless, but guitarist Jimmy Smith upholds the tale end of the track with some furious shredding.

Songs like Providence only go on to highlight the minimal crowd. It’s a feral track that is unable to reach its full potential confined to the marquee. At one point, Philippakis also forgets the words momentarily. Jimmy, again, takes centre stage, providing a tour de force of a solo.

“It feels good tonight, it feels good,” Yannis insists.

Launching into Cassius, a track they haven’t played live in five years, it’s as fresh and exciting as it was in 2008. Late Night stirs a reaction in the crowd, mimicking the percussion provided by Jack Bevan. Again, however, Yannis is thrown off, coming in to the song too earlier.

Foals end their set with a predictable triple threat – Inhaler, What Went Down and Two Steps, Twice. Prior to this, in an effort to rise the crowd, Yannis asks the crowd if they are ready. After attempting to drag a response out of them three times, he gives up. It’s a pretty abysmal sight to behold.

For a county that frequently cries out for a permanent mid-sized venue such as the marquee, it’s pretty depressing to see the poor turn out and reception for such esteemed international acts. One can only imagine what a kick in the face it was for such a vivacious live act as Foals. However, this, coupled with the several missteps in the night, don’t make this one of the band’s finest moments.