Halflives Blow Fans Away at Their Biggest London Headline Show to Date [Show Review]

Linda Battilani, the mastermind behind Halflives, truly is an outstanding musician and lyricist, so it has always baffled me that she has not seen greater success. Regardless of this opinion of mine, Halflives played their biggest London headline show to date, Downstairs at the Dome in Tufnell Park, London on March 2. The venue itself is akin to a function hall in your local pub where you would see local bands, just perhaps on a slightly larger scale. Although I have views Halflives deserves a bigger following, I feel this deserved success is on the horizon. Having the opportunity to witness them live in such an intimate venue was incredible.

As the show started, Halflives stormed the stage to the sound of feedback and what appeared to be a blown amp. The band dived straight into “Everybody Knows It.” Right from the outset, Battilani had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand with the catchy pop/rock sing-along from her latest EP, ensuring the audience was clapping along, guaranteeing that this would be a Halflives party to remember!

After a few further great tunes delivered seamlessly Battilani addressed the crowd “Sometimes some things suck” she stated as she introduced “Everything Sucks”. “Tonight though, nothing sucks” she exclaimed as the funk guitar riff played and the tune kicked in and the fans were led in waves as the Battilani bounced across the stage demonstrating her star power. This was followed by the announcement that a new song had just been released. The crowd knew at that moment they were to get down with “Jealous.” The single that had been officially released just 24 hours before the show. The catchy, rhythmic tune was supported by a clap-based element of the tune the audience was all too willing to contribute to, ensuring that the all-important audience participation was present throughout alongside fans’ phone lights lighting up the venue.

“I’m joining you for this next one” stated Battilani. “It’s going to be intermit”! Climbing down from the stage Battilani made her way to the centre of the venue and delivered the emotionally driven, beautifully melancholy “One Bad Day”. Once again, the phone lights lit up the venue, but this time they were focused in a downward circular setup. From afar it was an incredible sight even though Battilani was not visible unless you were part of that inner circle which, I can only guess, was a transcendent feeling. Returning to the stage “One Bad Day” was followed by “Snake”, a tune that demonstrates Halflives diverse approach to music. Still on the slower side but drawing on elements of trance creating a hypnotic atmosphere throughout the venue.

After an array of further outstanding tunes delivered to perfection including “Rockstar Everyday”, “Oblivion”, “Crown” and “Mayday”, Battilani addressed the audience; “who’s been with Halflives since the beginning?” she asked. “Well, tonight we are burning down the house!” at that moment the crowd knew exactly what was about to occur. As the first notes of “Burn” emanated through the venue the crowd cheered, clapped and sang along to the chorus as the show began moving towards its conclusion. Halflives most popular tune was the icing on this particularly tantalising cake that was this evening’s show.

That said, it was clear an encore was to come due to the manner Halflives abruptly left the stage. As the audience chanted the band’s name, they returned to the stage and Battilani stated; “You want more?”. Halflives appeased the crowd’s demands for more with two further songs, “Victim” and “Dynamite” before thanking the fans for their continued support and taking a picture with the attendees.

As mentioned, I cannot fathom why Halflives have not been afforded more success, however, I do feel they are on the precipice looking forward to bigger things. Seeing Halflives in a venue such as the Dome was a gift I suspect will not be given again. As Battilani starts to garner more fans, the demand to see her live will require venues with much larger capacities; fans who were in attendance this evening will be able to look back and reminisce on that time before Halflives broke through to take the rock world by storm.

You can check out the Halflives website here.