Victoria Park in London became the epicenter of all things indie on Friday, August 25, as The Strokes took to the East Stage at All Points East.
The festival series hosted several acts over the weeks leading up to the end of August, including headliners such as Stormzy and Jungle, as well as the electronic Mecca, Field Day Festival.
For The Strokes, fans from all over the country and beyond gathered to witness this iconic band’s return to the stage. However, what unfolded fell short of the transcendental experience that many have come to expect from such a seasoned group of musicians.
The band usually provide indie rock brilliance during their sets, with lead singer Julian Casablancas being one of the top frontmen when it comes to enigmatic presence. Their set at All Points East seemed to struggle not to flatline; the usual tidal wave of energy was missing in action as Casablancas mumbled through top hits from the band, such as ‘Last Nite’ and ‘Reptilla.’
The issues with the sound had fans taking to social media to complain, with a chunk of the crowd even leaving the festival earlier rather than continuing to endure the set. Those who remained could be heard chanting, “turn it up!” at the band.
That aside, The Strokes’ saving grace was the early material-heavy setlist they provided, which included songs mostly from their first two releases, 2001’s Is This It and 2003’s Room on Fire. Diehard fans persisted through any issues, screaming along the lyrics to the band’s most famous tracks—the tracks that made them one of the powerhouses of the indie scene. ‘Ode to the Mets’ and ‘The Adults Are Talking’ were the only songs from The Strokes’ latest album.
During the encore, where Casablancas dumped a red Solo cup over himself, the band played two more tracks from their debut. In true, nonchalantly indie fashion, he dubbed the city of London as “our second home or whatever.” You can’t get more blasé than that.