What a year it has been for M83. Rewind back 13 months to March 12th 2008 at the Forum. That night, the French outfit played second fiddle to local boys the Midnight Juggernauts, playing a set to help promote their soon to be released fifth record Saturdays = Youth. It was a set that was disappointingly met with an indifferent reception from the crowd. A year later, and on their second tour of Australia, M83 finally received the reception they deserved. The band played to a hugely receptive crowd, displaying how quickly things can change in the music industry especially on the back of a more commercially accessible record.

It was a disappointingly brief set, but filled with highlights. Unfortunately for punters heading to the gig to see M83, they were greeted with the news that they were playing first up at 9 pm and playing a shortened set. Having already played three V Festival sideshows with The Dø, and having had the main set at each performance, M83 showed their compassion sharing the love and letting their less distinguished contemporaries share the limelight, thus cutting their set back to an hour. It also meant that they lacked any warm up act, and thus opened their gig to a somewhat detached crowd.

The opening, a fantastic Run into Flowers, was met with a blank response. It was followed by *, a heavier track that overwhelmed the crowd who were seemingly not ready for such a weighty track so early on. It was not until the third track of the night Graveyard Girl that the bulk of the crowd showed any sort of enthusiasm for what was being played on-stage, which suggested that the majority of them were only aware of Anthony Gonzalez’s more recent compositions. This was once again evident with We Own the Sky, a song that translated so well live, and really got things going for the night. Teen Angst and Don’t Save Us From the Flames, both off 2005’s Before the Dawn Heals Us, the crowd were once again unacquainted by older material, but were still appreciative of it, with the response to each track getting louder and louder. Kim and Jessie and Skin of the Night were played back to back, both receiving huge responses from the crowd with a lot of deserved applause for female vocalist Morgan Kippy’s gorgeous vocals. A Guitar and a Heart was one of the tracks of the night, but was topped by the following encore, an extended version of Couleurs, which was nothing short of epic.

What was impressive was the mutual appreciation coming from the crowd and the band. Gonzalez and co were affable throughout and, at times, seemed overwhelmed by the crowd’s response, particularly the ovation at the conclusion of the set, which clearly meant something to the band. Though the crowd really didn’t get into the set at times, it was evident that had nothing to do with the music, but that it was a set you took in rather than responded to. One can only imagine that a late afternoon set at V Festival, with the fading sunlight and the outdoor setting, will be nothing short of mesmerising.

Playing to a thinned out, but still sizeable crowd, The Dø played a set that really highlighted the difference in sound of the night’s two performers. Playing with a great deal of energy, a constant changing of instruments and an impressive drum set up (looked like a primary school student’s attempt at building a spaceship), The Dø displayed that they were deserving of being considered more than a support act and grasped their opportunity to display their wares. Singer Olivia Merilahtin was captivating, with her gorgeous looks, obscure clothing and constant energy winning over the crowd. In the extended version of the The Bridge is Broken she flaunted her obvious talent and won over a crowd that gave her a huge response. Playground Hustle and the very popular On My Shoulders were other standouts in a set that, although very solid, did not suit the timeslot in this particular night. As good as The Dø were, putting a lesser known act after the night’s headliner was not the best idea, the crowd losing both energy and interest as the set progressed. Nonetheless, it was a hugely impressive performance by a band with an obvious future.