Though regularly heard over the years, calls for HARD-FI’s return became particularly vocal during the 2020 lockdown, after Richard Archer staged a solo, livestream show for charity from his home. Now, they are back for good, and they embark on a full UK tour, including a date at Rock City...
When you think Hard-Fi, many indie fans immediately have an image that springs to mind; the iconic yellow CCTV camera from their critically acclaimed record all the way back from 2005; Stars of CCTV.
Despite the fact that their last major release was all the way back in 2011, Rock City was full of love for the band, who continued to ask the audience if they’d ‘still got it.’ I can confirm, dear reader, that Hard-Fi do in fact still have it.
Storm Babet failed to stop the indie lovers of Nottingham from showing up for the band’s great return, eleven years since their last tour. Looking around the room, it seemed like a good mix of returning fans and also younger ones who perhaps had discovered them during their hiatus, much like myself. My partner, a huge Hard-Fi fan, had never seen them before for example, being on the younger side of the audience demographic for the evening.
Bursting out of the gates with Middle Eastern Holiday, Hard-Fi smacked the audience in the face with some good old-fashioned fuzzy indie guitars and anthemic energy. Chants of ‘You Reds’ and ‘You Pies’ rang out throughout the venue as soon as the final chords rang out, as most indie gigs in the city manage to summon one way or another. As a Foxes fan, it’s not my favourite feature of gigs in the city, but it is an incredibly good metric for just how psyched the audience were, and also about the type of people Hard-Fi speak to. Their set list, a decade old, still resonates with the worries, concerns and issues of a 2023 audience. Hard-Fi are a humble band, grounded in reality – they’ll always have a home at noughties indie discos, and they’re responsible for a whole host of indie crowd pleasers that tackle relatable, every day issues.
Hard-Fi were here for a good time, and the audience was right there with them. Suburban Knights summoned an audience call and response that went on way past their performance of the track, bringing about somewhat of a reprise later on in the evening, for example. Hard To Beat had people punching the air with excitement, shouting right back at Richard Archer with full force. There is no question that there is a huge appetite for new music from the band.
Their encore saved some absolute gems for the end. Archer gave us a solo performance of Move On Now, which inspired a huge audience singalong. The rest of the band then returned to deliver, arguably, their two most iconic tracks, starting with the titular track from their debut, Stars of CCTV. The crowd did not at all hesitate to join Archer for the chorus of the ridiculously catchy single.
And then, the band wrapped up with a particularly easy sell for a Friday night in Nottingham; Living For The Weekend. This quintessential indie banger was the perfect cherry on top from a stellar return for the band, with the audience united in movement for the duration of the track. Living For The Weekend perfectly sums up what Hard-Fi do best – they bring upbeat, indie magic to end your work week right.
Hard-Fi performed at Rock City on 20 October 2023.
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