My friend Jodie hails originally from Aberdeen so has followed Frightened Rabbit since they started back in 2003. And The Forum gig, which she naturally booked aeons ago, coincides with the release this week of their fourth album, Pedestrian Verse, their first on a major label.
Once inside, we were made to wait through two supports, firstly from Washington Irving – who engineered a solid rapport with a crowd-pleasing set – and then Canada’s Winter Sleep, rather lacklustre and – well, let’s be honest – forgettable.
Finally it was time for Frightened Rabbit, who plunged straight into old favourites from their first couple of albums, with vocalist Scott Hutchison pleasingly full of confidence, and looking like he was having a ball.
Hutchison’s songs are so full of depth, his voice so rich and warm, his delivery so charismatic, that it’s easy to hear the meaning behind every word. In an age of fad bands, revivals, and disposable pop, seeing a group play music that could easily be poetry was so refreshing. And despite the mid-size venue, it was as intimate as if he had stood up after dinner to do a few songs.
The crowd was full of loyal fans who sang every lyric back at him, something which he encouraged, at one point even joking: “Let’s try a harmony, if you’re ambitious? Well, of course you’re ambitious – you all live in London.” Quite.
And even the encore didn’t feel staged, with the band playing three songs before they left us merrily to walk home on an icy cold evening, as comforted as we would be after – what? – “a few glasses of mulled wine,” said Jodie, “or at least a nice shepherd’s pie.”
Do you fancy yourself as a reviewer? Email us 300 words on a recent play, gig or show of any kind and we’ll publish the best each Friday: info@kentishtowner.co.uk
Words: Aimee Allen. Aimee “loves living in KT” and works for a brewery.
