FIZZ take London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire by storm
The talented supergroup tested their debut album on the London crowd.
Photo: Isla Kerr
Refreshing supergroup FIZZ took over O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire last Wednesday night on their The Secret To Life tour in support of their debut album by the same name. With support from Maya Delilah, it was the ultimate blend of dream-like fantasy and true musical talent. Fans donned outfits spectacular enough to be on stage themselves and energy levels were high from the start.
With a name like Maya Delilah, it’s hard to imagine the London musician having anything other than a harmonic voice. The buttery vocals and soft guitar that marked her peaceful set proved this perfectly. Maya’s equally groovy and stripped-back songs have elements of both retro pop and folk that make you feel like you should be dancing in the kitchen.
Rising to fame on TikTok throughout lockdown, Delilah is still relatively new to the live scene, therefore the beauty and size of the venue was not lost on her. Between the first few songs she very honestly said, “Fuck, there’s so many of you. This is mad”. With the performance Maya put on she’s definitely one to watch as she takes on more live shows in the coming years.
Before FIZZ even took to the stage, the crowd marvelled at their creative set design which included toadstools, lollipop-shaped lights, platforms and a winding road backdrop leading through green fields of fun fair rides. It instantly transported you to an environment reminiscent of a kid’s tv show or video game.
An automated voice — similar to that on album opener A New Phase Awaits You :-) — cut through anticipating cheers. It spoke of a malfunction on the FIZZ UFO ship and took the crowd through the stages of an emergency landing. Having touched down safely the passengers — dodie, Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown and Greta Isaac — ran on stage and burst straight into High In Brighton. A perfect opener which set the scene for a night of upbeat escapism.
All incredibly successful artists in their own right, they combine to make something unlike any of their own projects. Unafraid to be themselves while exploring new genres and characters, FIZZ are exactly the shake-up the music industry needs.
The band doesn’t always acknowledge who wrote each song and from what personal experience it derived from. However, before the start of I Just Died, Orla made it clear that neither she, Greta or Martin had booked a last-minute flight to surprise a guy they were seeing at the time. The audience and band members laughed as dodie playfully rolled her eyes and sang the opening lyrics: “Good Morning Chaos / Can I make you breakfast”. An (at times) operatic song, I Just Died makes light of a bad relationship all while boasting a clarinet solo and choppy acoustic guitar.
Martin took the lead in the fast and fun Rocket League, an ode to his love for the 2015-released video game where users play football with cars. This was followed by his optimistic track **it gets better, which had the crowd bouncing up and down.
A homage to the venue's iconic history was paid when Martin spoke of a conversation with his Grandad. Upon telling his relative of the upcoming gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, he affectionately recalled visiting every Monday with Martin’s Nan, when they were dating at the age of 22.
The friendship of the group was obvious as they exchanged supportive nudges. From start to finish the show felt like a party of their design that we’d all been lucky enough to receive an invite to. Taking turns talking and leading each song meant they all shone just as bright as each other and the collaborative side of this project was undeniable.
The heartfelt ballad You, Me, Lonely saw couples singing “I love you, I need to” to one another as flashlights swayed side to side. dodie’s own Lonely Bones was the perfect song to follow and maintained the subdued atmosphere, the crowd breaking it only to echo ‘La-la-la-la’ (clap clap).
Each song, whether it be from FIZZ’s debut album or one of the member’s own work, was sung word for word by the crowd. Magical to witness; this is a true testament to the community the group have built and the love their fans have for them all.
The reverie was interrupted by the indie pop sounds of Close One as Orla led the vocals with a tambourine in hand and tears were wiped from faces. Next came the fun classic Smile by Lily Allen which makes light of a sour relationship. The perfect cover for the band; elements of this song can be found throughout their work. They seem to have bottled the feeling it gives and sprinkled it throughout their own songwriting.
The Grand Finale felt like the final song you’d hear at the theatre and brought the same infectious glee. The group danced around stage in their incredible outfits.
Encore of title track The Secret To Life began with friends of the band sharing what they believed the secret to life to be. Jedward’s contribution of ‘jepic slay slay’ was met with laughter — which, undoubtedly, is part of what FIZZ value. dodie bounced around the stage with a bubble blower in hand before the whole group jumped down to the barrier to sing the final lyrics of the tongue-in-cheek hit.
An escape from reality, it was a performance that blended musical theatre with circus-like entertainment. FIZZ are so much more than an indie supergroup: they are friends, style icons and the future. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since and cannot wait to see what comes next from these talented musicians.
All images by Isla Kerr.