The Fratellis, Jenny Broke The Window @ The Tivoli, Brisbane (03/04/2014)
After battling Brisbane’s notorious evening traffic I arrived at the surprisingly half empty Tivoli and caught the last couple of songs of Sydneysiders, Jenny Broke the Window. The four piece (which were joined for the final song by a fifth member who also appeared to be running late), provided a nice set of jangly pop tunes as the crowd slowly filtered in, and getting more than a few heads nodding along in time.
The wait for the Scottish trio was shorter than expected, with The Fratellis bounding onto the stage at the early time of 8:30pm. It was clear from the outset that this would be a lesson in the group’s new material with the majority of tracks coming from last year’s return after a brief hiatus, We Need Medicine. Early highlights included Whisky Saga and the tight rock ‘n roll jam of Halloween Blues. However the majority of the crowd were there for the back catalogue of well-loved tunes, and they came away satisfied with renditions of Lupe Brown and Flathead sounding as punchy and relevant as ever, getting the first few rows jumping and clapping along.
After reading recent interviews with the band, they had said their last tour of Australia had been the real breaking point that lead to their three-year hiatus. It was refreshing and great to see then, that they looked happy once again playing to an up-for-it crowd who had retained their love for what was one of the biggest indie breakout bands of the latter 2000’s. However, at the same time, it was disappointing to see the 1500 capacity venue barely half full, clearly a lot of fans have failed to keep interest in the Scots. But that didn’t matter to the ones in attendance, with a massive 24 song setlist showcasing every side to the band.
Babydoll was a big highlight for me, a really honest love song that has lost none of its charm, and Baby Fratelli sounding as excellent and hard-hitting as it did back in 2006. But it was clear the crowd wanted one song, and as the band made it back to the stage, they got it. Chelsea Dagger was a fitting climax to the night, and the one time the band was drowned out by the singing of hundreds of Australian accents putting on their best Scottish accents. Singer Jon Fratelli, was a ball of energy all night and has a real charm with his to-and-fro banter. His voice was also very impressive, hitting most of the notes of past hits, only faltering slightly when he was forced to sing down an octave in the final two tracks.
As everyone walked out of the gig after a 1 hour 45 minute set, still humming an assortment of tunes, it was clear they all left having gotten their money’s worth. Lets just hope that the word spreads that The Fratellis are back, and as great as ever, and they can return to our shores playing to packed venues next time.
Sebastian Betten
The wait for the Scottish trio was shorter than expected, with The Fratellis bounding onto the stage at the early time of 8:30pm. It was clear from the outset that this would be a lesson in the group’s new material with the majority of tracks coming from last year’s return after a brief hiatus, We Need Medicine. Early highlights included Whisky Saga and the tight rock ‘n roll jam of Halloween Blues. However the majority of the crowd were there for the back catalogue of well-loved tunes, and they came away satisfied with renditions of Lupe Brown and Flathead sounding as punchy and relevant as ever, getting the first few rows jumping and clapping along.
After reading recent interviews with the band, they had said their last tour of Australia had been the real breaking point that lead to their three-year hiatus. It was refreshing and great to see then, that they looked happy once again playing to an up-for-it crowd who had retained their love for what was one of the biggest indie breakout bands of the latter 2000’s. However, at the same time, it was disappointing to see the 1500 capacity venue barely half full, clearly a lot of fans have failed to keep interest in the Scots. But that didn’t matter to the ones in attendance, with a massive 24 song setlist showcasing every side to the band.
Babydoll was a big highlight for me, a really honest love song that has lost none of its charm, and Baby Fratelli sounding as excellent and hard-hitting as it did back in 2006. But it was clear the crowd wanted one song, and as the band made it back to the stage, they got it. Chelsea Dagger was a fitting climax to the night, and the one time the band was drowned out by the singing of hundreds of Australian accents putting on their best Scottish accents. Singer Jon Fratelli, was a ball of energy all night and has a real charm with his to-and-fro banter. His voice was also very impressive, hitting most of the notes of past hits, only faltering slightly when he was forced to sing down an octave in the final two tracks.
As everyone walked out of the gig after a 1 hour 45 minute set, still humming an assortment of tunes, it was clear they all left having gotten their money’s worth. Lets just hope that the word spreads that The Fratellis are back, and as great as ever, and they can return to our shores playing to packed venues next time.
Sebastian Betten