Feeder at the Hard Rock Cafe

Quintessential alternative rock band Feeder play an intimate, exclusive set for 150 lucky people at London’s famous Hard Rock Cafe, courtesy of Absolute Radio and Kerrang.

Starting the gig with Universe of Life from 2016 album All Bright Electric, they waste no time in getting into the spirit of things, with lead singer and guitarist Grant Nicholas’s vocals reaching high notes, keeping up with the pounding drive of the drums and bass guitar.

Insomnia is a more fast-paced track, harking back to their catalogue from the 90s, while Come Back Around is mellower, though still maintaining their signature sound and drawing comparisons with American rockers Foo Fighters. Eskimo, a recent classic, proves why they were named as Kerrang’s Best British Live Act in 2001.

One of the highlights of the set is the classic indie gem Feeling a Moment, which brims with optimism, making one feel like a happy-go-lucky teenager once again. Many people tonight have heard it live for the first time or after many years, which creates a sense of bittersweet nostalgia.

Though Figure You Out and Veins feel like an amalgamation of one long rock track for those not familiar with Feeder’s musical oeuvre, Just the Way I’m Feeling expresses a poignant sentimentality, marked by the high chords of the guitar. Two of the group’s most famous songs, Buck Rogers and Just a Day, pick the mood up again – sounding just as good as in 1996 – played with an unadulterated joy that gets the audience jumping up and down, and demonstrating Feeder’s ability to create a powerful anthemic sound in a small, intimate venue. The band are in high spirits, exclaiming several times, “C’mon London”, and teasing the crowd with the opening riff of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. Ending the show with a surprising choice from 1996 EP Swim, Sweet Sixteen, it nevertheless coalesces well with the other tracks.

With the evening’s performance Feeder have proved they have remained strong through the decades and still have new material to show their fans.

Selina Begum
Photo: Hard Rock Cafe

For further information and future events visit the Feeder website here.

Watch the video for Eskimo here: