It’s only the beginning for Fickle Friends at London's Forum

The Forum is laid out in full technicolour glory tonight. For the big sounds, the big hooks and the huge glides that Fickle Friends champion, it’s a natural home. This is the sort of moment that confirms a seat at the top table; a grandstand look at what’s to come. It’s felt like Fickle Friends have been aiming for those big leagues for a long while now, and tonight is all about seizing the moment - they’re the pop band we need, and they're about to own 2018. Leaving their stamp at every moment, Off Bloom trade in the unique. A cocktail of pop blendings from a 21st century that has witnessed big punches and even bigger bangers - it feels so real yet so warm at the same time. The tropical taste which simmers off their every touch, it’s a distinctly modern take on pop that signals the next wave of superstars and influencers at the same time. With the trio on stage, Mette Mortensen is a powering voice that takes them through Major Lazer-tints (‘Falcon Eye’), strutting swagger (‘Shut Up And Let Me Walk’) and defiant “fuck with me if you think you have the chance” rawness (‘rockefe11a’). Mette strides across the stage, grabbing a packed Forum to jump and throw themselves into every note - and that universal connection makes them a shoo-in for something powerful in the year ahead. For a band who’ve only released a succession of singles and EPs, to headline such an established hall feels simultaneously eye-opening and natural. In every note and corking number to date, Fickle Friends have always shown that ambition, and The Forum feels like a moment where that vision finally gets to play out. It’s a winning concoction from the first dazzle of ‘Hello Hello’ and ‘Brooklyn’. With a swelling congregation in awe of every word, the bright lights and cinematic sweeps they echo are staggering - a band reaching that level where the dreams and songs they’ve crafted are bellowed back by thousands without hesitation. Rolling through the electric heights of ‘Sugar’ and fresh cut ‘Wake Me Up’, Fickle Friends grab at every second - Natti commanding the stage with an effortless ease that oozes a cut above the rest. They’re masterful at every moment, as witnessed with the shimmering, gorgeous moves of ‘Cry Baby’ or ‘Hard To Be Myself’ - it’s all amplified live, the feeling of a house party that spills into the biggest night of the year. Ticker tape reigns supreme as ‘Glue’ triggers pandemonium. Fickle Friends have already managed to capture a generation in its tracks; conquering The Forum feels like a step where any doubters are firmly put to bed. The soundtrack we’ve all been looking for, it’s not about looking a certain way or where you are in life, it’s about where you want to go. For many bands, this is the peak. For Fickle Friends, it’s only just the beginning. <em>Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett</em>