London, O2 Academy Islington, April 11 2024
When Trophy Eyes began work on their 2023 album ‘Suicide And Sunshine’, they were preparing to take their final bow.
A Zoom call between the four members culminating in the decision that it would be their final album, the band’s fourth full-length record became a tribute to everything they had built. Fuelled by a period of deep inward reflection, along the way, Trophy Eyes found something.
Exploring snapshots of life and embracing the individual moments that make up the human existence – ‘Suicide And Sunshine’ served as a reminder of what it is to be alive. More importantly for the four people who created it though – it was a reminder of the importance of connection.
As the album approaches its first birthday, the fact that Trophy Eyes are still playing shows is a blessing. The fact that they’re playing them in support of their finest album to date? Well, that’s just the cherry on top. The stage at London’s O2 Academy Islington backdropped with the iconic image of a noose hanging from a palm tree, as bodies pack as tightly as possible into the 800-cap room, a buzz reverberates from wall-to-wall.
The atmosphere can perhaps be summed up in one word, and it’s a word that immediately springs to mind as the shimmering synths of opener ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ sound out – euphoric. The crowd surging as beach balls bounce over their heads and pointed fingers are aimed towards the stage, within just a few seconds of their time onstage Trophy Eyes prove that this is where they belong, and by their second song – the explosive ‘Figure Eight’ – vocalist John Floreani has already made his way into the crowd.
It’s a reminder that whilst there may be a stage here, nothing divides those standing upon it from those in front of it tonight. Rattling through songs made to be shared, with choruses that burst to life when shouted back by hundreds of voices, fan favourites ’27 Club’ and ‘Heaven Sent’ ignite the room, push-pits breaking out in what little space can be created on the packed-out floor.
With just an hour to rattle through over four albums worth of material, there’s little time for Floreani to chat, but halfway through their set the frontman pauses to reflect on their UK tour.
“This is show number six… throughout these shows, the rooms were packed out, but everyone just kinda stood there,” he shrugs.
“Then we came here…. And that was the best fucking thirty minutes I’ve had since we’ve been in the UK.”
It’s easy to believe him, and whether the room is jumping up-and-down in unison to uplifting anthem ‘Something Bigger Than This’ or grappling to grab the microphone from Floreani during ‘Suicide Pact’, there’s not a second of respite. Sweat beading upon foreheads by the time the latter drops, a deep sense catharsis radiates through the room, eyes welling up during a mass singalong of, “Aren’t you tired of hospital beds?”
The vocalist frequently pausing to take in the moment, the grin plastered upon his face is one of sheer joy, sprinkled with surprise. The room’s voices repeatedly overpowering his own, over a decade into their career, it’s proof that Trophy Eyes are at their best. With ‘Suicide And Sunshine’ cuts ‘What Hurts The Most’ and ‘Kill’ sparking some of the most raucous reactions of the evening, before launching into the album’s most reflective cut – ‘Life In Slow Motion’ – Floreani address the room.
“I’m often asked what I want people to take away from a Trophy Eyes show,” he ponders.
“I want you to be here and have a real experience… you’re alive right now.”
Eight-hundred voices screaming back a chorus of, “Everything is temporary”, it’s a stark reminder that none of this lasts forever, and a perfect summary of what Trophy Eyes is all about. A band who have come to symbolise the vitality of finding a light within the darkness – no matter how impossible it may seem – their shows are a celebration of the full spectrum of human emotion. Whether we’re united in our sadness or united in our joy, we’re all in this crazy life together – and everyone in the room can feel that connection.
A band who have sacrificed a lot to be where they are today, Trophy Eyes don’t take any of this for granted. Proven as crowdsurfers surge forward during the short-and-sweet bang of ‘Choke’ and the heartbreakingly anthemic ‘Chlorine’, Floreani making it his mission to high-five every one – no mean feat considering the amount of bodies being pulled over the barrier.
The infectious singalong notes of 2018’s ‘You Can Count On Me’ rounding out the evening before ‘Bandaid’ brings affairs to a triumphant close, tonight there’s no encore, no fancy stage antics, and no bullshit. An hour that passes by in a flash, across sixteen songs Trophy Eyes provide perhaps the most important thing any artist can – an escape.
A chance for all those present to forget about whatever was happening before they stepped foot into the room, it’s a night that showcases everything great about Trophy Eyes, and everything great about live music. As the lights come up and faces beam as setlists are placed into their hands, there’s no doubt that this is what it’s all about.
