Live: Fat Freddy’s Drop

Academy 1

4th October

8/10

Fat Freddy’s Drop have created a unique sound that has carved them a niche among the descendants of reggae. While the improvised instrumentals have obvious reggae roots, the band is more soulful and orchestral than traditional reggae. It is completely distinct from its cousin dubstep, and the sound definitely has some elements of pop, but I am reluctant to use that word due to Boney M connotations.

The 7-man outfit is completely characterized by their live performances. Studio albums are born from improvisations on stage. Having seen the band two years ago at Outlook festival to the perfect backdrop of idyllic Croatian sunset over a crowded beach, I had high personal expectations. But I was curious as to how well their soulful reggae instrumental experiment would translate to a sweaty dark room in Manchester.

The simultaneous cult and mainstream appeal of the group is apparent in the complete mix of people that formed the audience. The only shared trait was enthusiasm and attempted soulful dancing (some better than others). This enthusiasm was exciting, but did create an unwelcome parallel with my Croatian experience, a dense sweaty heat generated from wriggling bodies.

The length of a Fat Freddy’s song (9 minutes, standard) makes for a short setlist, but the total of the show is so much more than the sum of its constituent parts. Each song flows seamlessly into the next with an interlude of partly improvised solos, so that each track is different with each performance. The live result is undersold by the studio recordings. Particular solo credit must be given to saxophonist Hopepa for tight riffs and tighter vests, and for his dancing – some of the worst and best on show for the evening, and a good reason in itself to buy a ticket.

This tour celebrates the release of Blackbird, out June, and the setlist was a pleasant surprise. Rather than leaning on material from Based on A True Story, the show featured mainly new songs and due to the magnetic delivery, new releases ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Mother Mother’, gained as appreciative a response as established hit ‘Cay’s Crays’.

To describe the performance as a gig is to completely undersell it, the evening was a musical experiment and the atmosphere created surpassed the venue.