Tuesday 2nd December 2008 @ Academy, Bristol
With Support From: Sergeant

A sold out gig in Bristol is usually a pretty good omen that you’re going to have a good night and tonight’s gig was no exception. Tonight The Fratellis will play to a packed and sweaty crowd of fans in the Academy.

But first we have to endure their support act known as Sergeant. Sergeant are a pretty disappointing indie band that unfortunately, did nothing for the crowd. The lead singer had about as much charisma and enthusiasm as a boiled egg. The rest of the band occasionally looked like they wanted to be there but only every so often. The songs were a pleasant blend of The Charlatans and Arctic Monkeys but were all pretty similar and executed with little passion.

Fortunately then, The Fratellis were on very soon after to liven things up. As the set starts, the roadies unveil many gigantic lava lamps all over the stage which get a big “oooooh” from the crowd - and rightly so, they were bloody huge! The band rushes onto the stage and blast into a couple of crowd favourites from their first album Costello Music. This gave the crowd a chance to wake up slightly but it wasn’t until the infectious Henrietta was played that the audience really started to enjoy the evening.

The Fratellis were a pleasant surprise to see live as they have a very tight live sound that easily mimics the energy of their recordings. Their songs are so catchy that even those new to discover the band can pick up choruses and chant along. A lot of the set was dominated by this year’s album Here We Stand which seemed to be welcomed as much as the old material. Of course the highlight of the set would always be the now legendary tune Chelsea Dagger to which all the football chanting, beer guzzlers wade through the indie kids to the front to make their presence known . . . bless ‘em.

So a good night was had by fans of all ages and even I was impressed by quality of performance (but mostly by the lava lamps and giant disco balls, pretty!). This band provide a good night to just let your hair down and shout a lot of catchy choruses which is never a bad thing.

www.thefratellis.com

Stu Freeman