Gig Review: Fat Dog Live At Electric Brixton
Fat Dog usually carry a restrained nonchalance that belies their canine namesake, but tonight sees the guard deservedly dropped for a moment.
A pensive looking man stands still on the stairwell. He surveys a sea of scalps bobbing in unison, conducted by a white coated man in a wide brimmed hat. A German Shepard is keeping time. The man stares into the space above the sweat, before softly muttering to himself, “why is everything so busy?”.
Most of the 1,500 strong crowd piled into the Electric Brixton know the answer to this question. Chances are this is not their first rodeo, given the combination of Fat Dog’s relentless touring schedule and the fact they are not a band you forget in a hurry. A reputation for charmingly bombastic live shows down the road at The Windmill has swelled to the point of signing for Domino Records and a summer full of festivals and a European tour on the horizon. Tonight acts as a chance to look back on a whirlwind past year for the band and a taste of what they are capable of in the future.
Morgan Noise provide a more considered opening to proceedings that acts as a lovely aperitif. Singer Morgan Wallace’s calm yet desperate musings sit beautifully atop music that ebbs and flows with little effort, bringing a sense of aching melancholy that lulls the audience in perfectly.
Gurriers give Wallace a brief break before taking up sax duties with a dose of Irish post punk that lives far closer to the Fat Dog wheelhouse. Delivered with a healthy dollop of charm by frontman Dan Hoff, they succeed in turning up the energy just the right amount for the increasingly swelling crowd pouring into the theatre.
Fat Dog understand dramatics. Before the show even begins we are treated to ‘O Fortuna’ (or The X Factor title sequence music to you and me) and a spoken word spiel from actor Neil Bell (you may remember him from the video for ‘All The Same’ or looking grumpy and growly in Dune). It sets the tone for a night that perfectly balances the line between the silly and the sublime. ‘King Of The Slugs’ is defined by this balance and makes for an ideal opening, setting a pace that barely relents over the ensuing hour.
It’s a joyous atmosphere throughout. Strangers waltzing through the crowd, young lads beaming with endorphins. A cover of ‘Satisfaction’ goes down even better than you would have imagined, whilst freshly released single ‘Running’ brings the night to a close with more than a tinge of triumph. Fat Dog seem to have zeroed in on how to inspire the catharsis that a night of perfectly curated chaos can create. Making this translate on a larger scale can lead to the magic getting lost on a grander stage, but their unique blend of energetic mayhem and treading the line between the serious and the not-so-serious, whilst not sacrificing earnestness, means they clear these hurdles with a brilliantly casual ease.
A band that earned their corn with the tongue in cheek intensity of their sets down the road have made a seamless transition to headliners, and it’s fitting the night ends at The Windmill. Fat Dog usually carry a restrained nonchalance that belies their canine namesake, but tonight sees the guard deservedly dropped for a moment. There’s a shared sense of celebration in the aftermath of a show that acts as the crowning point of their journey so far, and an indicator of the even brighter future that lies in wait.