Everything Everything triumph at London's Alexandra Palace on their own terms

If you put it all down on paper, Everything Everything headlining a venue like Alexandra Palace may seem like a pipe-dream. Constantly looking forward with their genre-busting directions, it’s a testament to their unwavering commitment to what they do that they stand at this moment. Over the course of just over a decade, they’ve weaved, dipped and rolled in every direction possible - building the sort of following that remains loyal no matter which unpredictable path they choose to head down next. With last year’s ‘A Fever Dream’, they once again stood apart - a record of fizzing energy, chilling beauty and electric eccentricity that ushered in a new era for a band who’ve refused to stand still and look back. It’s why tonight, on their biggest headline stage, there’s a feeling not just of celebration, but of achievement from a group so vital in pushing the boundaries at what it means to be an indie band in 2018. It’s an attitude reflected in those taking the stage before them. Pumarosa don’t do things by half measures, and even though they step out on stage first tonight, they treat it like a headline moment of their own. In ‘The Witch’, they have a debut album full of majestic swoops and panoramic vision, slowly building and blossoming in the measured turns it takes. Leading the procession, Isabel Munoz-Newsome directs the band with stunning ease - the likes of ‘Dragonfly’ and ‘Lion’s Den’ pushing at space with an emphatic sound that has eyes glued to the stage. It all plays perfectly, Isobel quite literally glowing with the surroundings for a set that proves just how dominant and unique they stand in a new wave of bands committed to the detail of magnetising sounds. As ‘Priestess’ erupts as one, Pumarosa prove their credentials - where they go next is bound to be essential listening. The last time we saw Sundara Karma, they were rounding out a mammoth 2017 with a crowning moment at Brixton Academy. As their first step into 2018 and what comes next, tonight is a sure-fire sign of a band thriving with confidence. It’s there for all to see when they open with a sizzling new track, sounding like a lost disco favourite from Saturday Night Fever - cowbell and all. They’re met with a heroes' welcome, cuts like ‘Explore’ and ‘Olympia’ bellowed back from a crowd throwing themselves into every hit, whilst ‘Flame’ sees Oscar drowned out by thousands. Everything feels bigger and more assured, a show growing with life before the eyes - with ‘Loveblood’ triggering euphoria. Returning for their next chapter with Ally Pally as their first stop, Sundara Karma aren’t playing around. Don’t be surprised if their own headline moment here isn’t too far away. From the first note tonight, Everything Everything are in control. It’s no surprise, with a reputation for bringing their tracks to new levels every time they step on stage. Their crowning moment focuses heavily on the band's latest work, with ‘A Fever Dream’ and previous album ‘Get To Heaven’ making up the bulk of their setlist, and it’s pretty clear why. Refusing to stick to the status quo and fusing experimental edges with a deep pop heart, it’s a ride that sees Alexandra Palace bowing to their every word. From the chilling opening glitches of ‘A Fever Dream’, they captivate - ‘Blast Doors’ blanketing in its feverish heights while ‘Run The Numbers’, live, is a beast that jumps between delicate vulnerability and gagging-for-a-fight intensity at an electric pace. That catalogue of soaring hits proves their undeniable legacy, seen in the faces of thousands turning to one another to roar along with the likes of ‘Desire’, ‘Cough Cough’, ‘Can’t Do’ and ‘Don’t Try’. Everything Everything have always looked to challenge, whether that’s in how out-there a pop track can be or how to command their own place in the landscape of British bands facing a changing world around them - they distill it into a mixture that sets them apart. ‘Put Me Together’ comes as a punch in the gut with its raw fears of modern life, ‘Ivory Tower’ fidgets within its own aura from a punk spit to insatiable pulls, whilst ‘QWERTY Finger’ sits as the only moment tonight where they look all the way back to their early days (“We never thought we would be playing this track in a place like this,” comments frontman Jonathan Higgs). What makes tonight so special, is that Everything Everything did this all without compromising on who they are as a band. It's reflected in a set that never sits in one place too long. It’s a rightful coronation for a band who’ve not just continued to grow, but one that holds such significance for so many. An encore that can go from their next bold step (the fizzing spins of ‘Breadwinner’ from their latest EP) to powerful art-rock (‘White Whale’) to clubland hedonism (‘Distant Past’) is a sure-fire sign that they’re unlike anyone else right now. Closer ‘No Reptiles’ sees Ally Pally drenched in glistening light, rising to one last boiling frenzy from a band who got to this stage by doing it their own way. For most, Alexandra Palace is the culmination of everything they’ve done. For Everything Everything, it feels like the inevitable next step in their unstoppable rise to becoming one of this generation’s most important bands. A pipe-dream? Everything Everything are much more than that. <em>Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett / Dork</em>