“And have I learnt restraint?” growls Florence Welch at the theatrical climax of her headline show at London’s O2 Arena. The answer, thankfully, is a resounding no.
Since Florence + the Machine released their debut album Lungs in 2009, the London group have brought together folksy storytelling, rock‘n’roll excess and a free-spirited flair. They’ve never done things by halves, which has made them one of the most reliably exciting groups in the UK, but 2022’s Dance Fever is perhaps their most ambitious record yet. A “fairytale in 14 songs”, Florence’s fifth album wraps intimate conversations about gender norms, anxiety and everyday joy around big, bombastic rock songs.
Two days into a celebratory ten-date UK arena tour last year though, Florence Welch broke her foot onstage. She finished the show, but the rest of the run had to be postponed. Doctors told her that at a minimum, it would take ten weeks for her to heal. And exactly ten weeks later, Florence + the Machine is back at the O2 arena to “finish what they started”.
The show may begin with a very deliberate, very controlled performance of “Heaven Is Here”, with a number of silver and white chandeliers creating an otherworldly atmosphere – but it isn’t long before Welch is dashing about the stage, trying to cover as much ground as possible.
Later in the set, plastic feet are thrown into the crowd as “prescient sacrifices” while any doubts about Welch’s ability to give this show her all are resolutely squashed when she runs around the entire arena floor, performing the fiery “Choreomenia” without missing a note. “You say that rock and roll is dead, but is that just because it has not been resurrected in your image,” the rockstar sings with a smirk.
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During early hit “Dog Days Are Over”, Welch instructs the crowd to put their phones away, explaining that this show isn’t for social media. “It’s about you, and the energy in this room.” When the chorus kicks back in, the entire venue erupts. Throughout the night, euphoric tracks like “Ship To Wreck”, “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” and “Hunger” ensure that there are no spectators in the room, with even the people on the vertigo-inducing balcony jumping up and down. Well, Florence + the Machine has always inspired a certain reckless freedom.
The menacing, post-punk-influenced “King” sees the stage bathed in blood red light, while in “Big God”, Florence performs from behind a veil, her shadow looming larger than life. Those theatrics give the night a sense of escapism but Florence + the Machine are at their very best when they’re as visceral and relatable as possible.
The rumbling “June” starts with Welch instructing the crowd to “hold onto each other” after a turbulent few years and taking her own advice, she’s in the front row, screaming the words into the faces of fans during an electric “Dream Girl Evil”. Elsewhere, in a tearful speech before “Morning Elvis” Welch admits she still gets stage fright and it’s only the energy from the crowd that keeps her going. “You have brought me back to life so many times,” she explains, leaving it all on a stage which, she tells us, is still stained with her blood.
Despite the many shades and shapes, Florence + the Machine’s Dance Fever show is a joyful celebration of resilience. “Dance yourselves to death,” Welch shouts at one point during the show. Who wants restraint anyway?
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