If you’re in to indie music, are a couple, part of a couple, single, middle aged or under age and were in Camden on Sunday night, then you were probably at the Fratellis concert. The crowd tonight is massively diverse, maybe even the most diverse crowd I have ever seen. And what a great setting, the Roundhouses great scale, escalating the grandness of the evening, which sees the Glasgow boys take the English capital and cement their place as a substantial force in popular music.
Lets start with the opening band Sergeant. I walked in to hear them playing what I can only call bland, average, middle of the road, indie wank. I instantly retreated to the bar area for a beer and lovely view of the exterior areas of the building, courtesy of its largely glass based shell. So why you may ask, have I even bothered to mention this band? Well this is a pretty decent slot and I feel they must have done something well or known someone to get that slot and will commemorate that with a mention and leave it up to you to check them out and make your own opinion. I may have missed something, but probably not.
Now after sufficient lubrication I am ready for the main event. My attention is suddenly caught by the appearance of what can only be described as several bloody massive lava lamps, which have been placed poignantly around the stage. If I wasn’t going to get aurally stimulated tonight, then at least my retinas were in for a treat.
The set starts of with some solid playing, getting right in to the groove, getting the crowd moving and in fact didn’t never really seemed to lose them. The playing is very competent and has a great deal of energy and flare, sounding far more experienced than the 3 years gigging that Fratellis can accredit themselves with. There are lots of likeable elements: the vocals are easy listening and familiar without being cliché and the harmonies complement the dynamics of the tracks. The drummer is very powerful and his hard-hitting style gives the band a strong bass, if ever so slightly drenched in reverb. His beats almost getting up to a galloping speed at points, echoing almost a Motorhead style, before dropping in to a softer pop based groove.
How many guitar changes can you have in a set? Apparently, not enough. Almost every new song sees a new axe handed to the curly haired front man as he reaches for the ever so fashionable curly lead left at his feet after the detachment of the now redundant axe of yester-song. Overall the set is polished, with songs having enough diversity in them to keep you drawn in for the whole affair. Great vocals, riffs and chorus’s make this a well-rounded gig. But why play your best/most known track, Chelsea Dagger, in the middle of the set?
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Fat Freddys Drop - Live @ The Roundhouse
| Reviews 
The Fratellis - Camden Roundhouse 14/12/08
