Michael Franti proved, yet again just why it's worth paying good money to go see him live.
From the moment he bounced onto stage to "Everybody on a move", the audience was jumping, singing, waving their arms and spreading the love with his music. Spearhead were as tight as a drum playing their mixture of soul, reggae and rock with applomb. As is his wont, Michael drifted into cover versions, dropping into Tainted Love in the middle of "All I want is you", leading the crowd in a chorus of "Our House" over another song and dropping into "In the Summertime" in time honoured style :-) He introduced two new songs as part of the set and had the audience singing them assuredly along with him.
The encores concluded with the magnificent "Yell Fire" with each of the band taking the opportunity for their short solo, before two unsuspecting fans were dragged fromt he audience and given guitars only to launch into the break from AC/DC's Back in Black, althought hey may have been miming with the guitarist playing it off stage ;-)
He was on stage for the best part of 2 hours and just exuded love from the moment he set foot on the stage to the moment he left, some 5 minutes later than the band, after he had shaken hands and posed for photos with his audience. Michael Franti wants you there to be part of his performance, not just to watch it - and each and every one of us were Rebel Rockers by the time we left, if we weren't already when we got there.
His performance was all the mroe remarkable given that a few short weeks after, he was rushed to an emergency room with a ruptured appendix that he had been carrying for months.....! The show must go on and next time Michael Franti is in town I'll be there!
O2 Shepherds Bush Empire @
- London @
- Sat 27 Jun 2009 @
Favourite moment: When he told us that he had just heard that for the first time in his 21 year career, he had had a record get into the american billboard Top 40 :-) @
Opening act(s): Charine Anderson - very good with the crowds, great voice and gorgeous! Prefer seeing her as a singer with Spearhead though ;-) @