Friendly Fires at Tolhuistuin

About Friendly Fires

Friendly Fires have always sat in an interesting spot: a St Albans indie band that sounds more like a late night dance floor than a guitar act. Built around the chemistry of vocalist Ed Macfarlane and guitarist Edd Gibson, their music pulls from German techno, shoegaze textures and classic pop in equal measure, with Carl Craig and Prince among their own named touchstones. Their 2008 debut got shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and went double gold in the UK, soundtracking everything from Nintendo Wii Fit ads to episodes of Gossip Girl along the way. After releasing their second album Pala in 2011 and going quiet for a few years, they came back with Inflorescent in 2019. A fourth album, Dig Deeper, is set for release in early 2027, so the band shows no signs of slowing down. Drummer Jack Savidge was part of the lineup through most of that run before departing in 2026.