Combining indie-rock and post-punk influences of New Order, Talking Heads and Interpol, the ever-present White Lies maintain a fanatic fan base who were present in large numbers for their appearance at Live at Leeds.
They kicked off the set by immediately performing early career hits. ‘Death’ and ‘Farewell to the Fairground’ from their acclaimed 2009 debut album ‘To Lose My Life…’ instantly got the crowd moving. 15 years on, the expansive post-punk sound that became their trademark sounded as fresh as it ever did.
Is My Love Enough?
Next was more of a display of the synthesizer flourishes they added throughout their career. Firstly with the irresistibly catchy ‘There Goes Our Love Again’. Then with the disco-infused drums of ‘Getting Even’ from 2013’s ‘Big TV’. However the crowd reception for the fan favourite ‘Is My Love Enough?’ was even greater. The LCD Soundsystem – ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ influenced synthesised bass line got the crowd in the big top tent moving.
The synth-pop mood continued when they played ‘Hurt My Heart’ and ‘Tokyo’ from ‘Five’, followed by ‘Take It Out on Me’. There was a brief visit to their latest album with ‘I Don’t Want To Go To Mars’. The soaring guitar lead proved that White Lies have no plans to abandon their guitar-based roots any time soon.
To Lose My Life
After displaying their latest sound, they returned to the sound that thrust them into the mainstream with ‘To Lose My Life’. “Let’s grow old together, and die at the same time” was one of the shout along highlights of the whole festival line-up.
The set closed out triumphantly with 2011’s ‘Bigger Than Us’. It combined twinkly synthesised lead lines with yet another belting chorus.
As with most bands from the late 00s, White Lies weren’t able to sustain the levels of indie scene hype they received from their debut album. But in 2024 their fan base remains as dedicated as ever. And on top of this, they can still provide moments to dazzle die-hards and newcomers alike.
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