Live: Feeder @ Academy 1

Feeder
Academy 1
13^th February 2011
4 stars

Feeder have had a mixed career, from the low points of the unfortunate suicide of drummer Jon Lee and replacement drummer Mark Richardson leaving to rejoin Skunk Anansie to creating their own label, Big Teeth Music, and over 20 Top 40 singles.

Academy 1 is packed of fans of all ages tonight, showing how diverse a range of people Feeder’s music appeals to. The setlist tonight certainly caters for any aged Feeder fan by incorporating most of the well-known hits and a few of their personal favourites from their 20-year career.

Opening with ‘Home’, from their most recent album, Renegades, which goes down well but it’s not until ‘Feeling a Moment’ that the crowd really get going. This sparks a few hits from their back catalogue that really show how Feeder have progressed as a band over a period of 10 years, playing ‘Pushing the Senses’, ‘Just the Way that I’m Feeling’ and probably the most well known song, ‘Buck Rogers’, which ignites a mass of jumping bodies that no one could refuse to join in with.

A man of few words during tonight’s show, Grant Nicholas only really breaks this by asking the crowd if they want to hear a new song, ‘Borders’ which has the feel that Feeder are still going strong and not differing from the formula that gained them such success.

The crowd requested ‘Just A Day’ by chanting the opening beat, which Feeder oblige, with people of all age singing along to the words. Feeder end the night on a cover of Nirvana’s ‘Breed’ that closes a great gig, and certainly show that after 20 years they still have the spark to put on great shows.

James Birtles