I’ll be honest, heading into the Octagon on Tuesday evening, I wasn’t in the best of moods. I know, boo-hoo for me, right? I’m not angling for sympathy here; I only mention this because I don’t think the medicinal qualities of Confidence Man have been fully explored – it is simply impossible to feel bad while at a Confidence Man show!
“Does it make you feel good?” sings Janet Planet. Yes, yes it does, Janet!
The ambiguous Australians rolled their electro-pop ‘party of the year’ into Sheffield’s Octagon Centre on a wet and windy Tuesday evening, and after an hour’s dancing to tracks that should require a permit they’re so catchy, all was once again right with the world (I’ve even forgiven them for calling us Leeds… twice!)
Before all that though, New York City-based trio Fcukers helped ease the (see: my) mood with an (almost) equally fun opening set.
Lead singer Shanny brings an enviable level of youthful exuberance and floaty vocals to her non-stop bouncing (honestly, it’s exhausting to watch), while the remaining band members, Jackson Walker Lewis and Ben Scharf, whip up pumping beats and basslines.
Dressed like extras from Human Traffic, Fcukers are unashamedly bringing back 90s dance vibes with a similar fervour to tonight’s main attraction, and they are the perfect warm-up before the Australians set the gaff on fire.
I’ve seen Confidence Man a couple of times before, but it’s my friend’s first time. Ahead of the show, I’m excited to see her reaction and predictably, within seconds of the opening bars of Now U Do, she’s lost in it all with the rest of us. Everyone is up for it. Everyone is dancing. It’s contagious.
What’s lovely about seeing Confidence Man live is that you have no choice but to leave your pretensions at the door. There’s no posing, no chin-scratching or appreciative nodding along – if you aren’t grooving, losing your shit, you really don’t belong. It’s joyful. It’s fun. And more than a little bit silly.
On stage, the four members have created their own surreal little world. From the vibrant visuals (shout out to the pigeons and badgers) to the synchronised choreography, risqué lifts and costume changes, vocalists Janet Planet and Sugar Bones, along with their beat-making goth beekeepers, are so unique a proposition that it’s otherworldly.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that all the pageantry might detract from the tunes, but nope, they’re all bangers. Even the instrumentals, which allow time for the costume changes, never leave a lull, and older tracks like Boyfriend (Repeat) and C.O.O.L Party sit perfectly with tunes from the latest album 3AM (LA LA LA).
Confidence Man are the most fun you can legally have and, for our money, one of the best live acts on the planet right now – off to start a petition to make them available on the NHS!
