Enigmatic New Yorkers, FCUKERS have taken the electronic world by storm in recent years. Consisting of Shanny Wise on vocals and Jackson Walker Lewis producing, the pair’s take on dance-pop meets indie-sleaze has made for a meteoric rise. Fresh off the back of their hit album Ö, supporting Tame Impala and LCD Soundsystem on tour, the duo have ventured across the pond now as headliners, with 10 dates across Europe.
We caught the sold out first leg of the tour at the 02 Forum Kentish Town, where a raucous crowd lived for every second. In a setlist that lasted 75 minutes and covered 20 of the band’s catchiest hits, FCUKERS showed us just why everyone is talking about them right now. From the offset they exploded onto stage with their debut single ‘Mothers’, a track that announced them to the world was met by screams of excitement and set the pace for what was to come.
Dressed in a blue tracksuit, Wise bounced around the stage with endless energy. Five songs in they dropped ‘if you wanna party, come over to my house’ in what was an empathic moment. With its dubby beat and nonchalant vocals, it was a track that was even better live, and full of the band’s personality. ‘Play Me’ followed with its infectious Drum and Bass sound before ‘I Like It Like That’ once again sent the crowd wild with bodies crashing into each other.
In and amongst the wild, party atmosphere there were wholesome moments, where the band exclaimed “This is our biggest headline show ever”. Whilst their emotive rendition of ‘Feel the Real’ showed the breadth of their discography and Wise’s vast vocal range. In the lead up to the show I had wondered how the duo’s lofi style would translate on stage. Accompanied on stage with a live drummer and a disc jockey, who’s scratching added inconsistent and new elements to each song, I was left thoroughly impressed.
With the endless energy fuelled by FCUKERS stage presence, the home stretch of the show was arguably the best part. With two of the band’s oldest tracks hitting the hardest. Breakbeat infused ‘Homie Don’t Shake’ shone bright, whilst closing track ‘Bon Bon’ oozed that addictive nostalgic garage sound. Both tracks served as a reminder of just how far they’ve come whilst staying true to their identity.
It was a night that was curated impeccably and I’d certainly recommend seeing them live. With a Summer that sees the band supporting Harry Styles and RÜFÜS DU SOL in Brazil and North America, everybody will be listening to FCUKERS before long.
Follow FCUKERS On Instagram
Words: Jake Wright
Photographer: Yazz Jansen