Florence And The Machine have certainly made an impression over the last two years – the radio station’s couldn’t get enough of the singles Dog Days Are Over and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) – and the debut album Lungs reached number one in the UK chart. I waited at The HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London to see if her live show was as good as everyone was saying. Twenty-five minutes after the lively and energetic The Drums finished their warm up act, Florence Welch finally made her way on to the stage. Dressed in a black netted outfit, with her almost trademark wing-like sleeves she appeared… from within a giant disco ball.

The stage looked exactly how Lungs sounded – unique, ornate and stunning. Birdcages were hung above the band – each with a lightbulb inside creating an unmistakable Florence And The Machine ambience. As Florence beat a jeweled drum that rested next to her microphone, the set opened with Howl and the room went crazy. After Between Two Lungs and My Boy Builds Coffins, she politely explains that for her next song she’ll need to take off her shoes – amazing black gladiator heels – and so she sits in front of the drum set removing them in what must be a difficult-to-remain-lady-like situation. She eventually returns to the microphone bare-footed, and Drumming Song begins. The crowd love her even more without her shoes on.

The reason for the bare feet quickly becomes clear – jumping and swirling across the stage would most certainly be a health and safety hazard in those heels. She spins around with the energy of every person in the room – she’s dancing how we all wish we had the space to. She tones down her jumping for Blinding, which she performs with a veil over her face and moving only her arms, as lights flash onto her, merging her netted dress with the shadow’s she casts across the stage.

Although only only one of the songs that she performed was not from the album, unlike some artists the sound and feel of each song was on a whole other level to the recorded versions. I’m Not Calling You A Liar had a twinkly offset, and felt very gentle, and the ambience the entire band created for Between Two Lungs was like none I’d ever felt before. When Girl With One Eye reached it’s theatrical, spine tingling crescendo I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in the room with goose bumps.

As though her powerful and delicate voice wasn’t enough, Florence’s manners were certainly out to please the crowd. After introducing us to her band, andapologising to the drummer for forgetting his name the night before, Ms Welch tells us all how good looking we all are, and the crowd laps it up. She encourages the standing audience to crowd surf, and shares with us that her favourite sight to see is a girl on a boys shoulders at a gig. It feels more like she’s talking to an intimate friend when she reveals to us that she always wanted a boy to put her on their shoulders when she went to punk gigs – but no boy ever did, and so she instructs every boy in the room that if they have a girl, they are to put her on their shoulders straight away.

She asks the room to dance with her – and how could we refuse? – she even shows us the move she wants us to perform, a simple pogo jump. Again and again and again. She advises however that the boys may want to put the girls down for this one… unless they think they’re man enough. And as she begins an energetic Dog Days Are Over, her final song before the encore, the entire room bounces with her and the air feels electric. She encores with You’ve Got The Love, and finally says goodnight for good. The audience leaves sweaty, and certainly with a lasting impression made upon us.

Written by Bee Pahnke, Photography by Mike McAdam