NEWS
EVENTS
Live Review - Frightened Rabbit at HMV Forum
Indie | Thursday 14th February 2013 | Thisbe
Going to a gig on your own is a bit like loaded speed dating. Except the first few questions aren’t how much money you’ve got in the bank, but how much encyclopedic knowledge you’ve retained over the 15 years you’ve been following said band, and with the examiner usually trumping you with a pretentious chronology that (strangely) pre-dates their formation…
Refreshingly, this is not the case at The Forum tonight. We’re all here to see Scottish folk rockers Frightened Rabbit, who have a fandom to be proud of, as down-to-earth as it is huge. And I needn’t have been nervous about riding solo; there are lots of us. One girl insanely, has flown over from Australia especially, whilst another whiskey drinking fan has work at 4AM – which to his evident inebriation seems is seriously gonna hurt. As becomes standard with all of my single-serving-friends tonight, the conversation takes about 30-seconds to turn into crude and witty banter. It’s a testament to a band that can cite ‘It takes more than fucking someone you don’t know to keep warm’ as lyrics.
Opening support-act are Washington Irving, also hailing from Glasgow, they are a tribute to Frightened Rabbit’s desire to stay true to their roots. They play a heartfelt set, which akin to their headliner big brothers possesses the same folksy homage and abundant energy. In addition to inviting listeners to hang out with them at the bar they describe ‘Frabbit’ as “the nicest people we’ve ever played with”, and as to antics on tour? “We’ve just been getting drunk with them”. So after Canadian Folk rockers Wintersleep have warmed up the swelling crowd with a polished set, it’s no shocker that Frabbit’s front man Scott Hutchison arrives with a ‘wee dram’ in hand ready to open up with ‘Holy’ from the current album. There’s a party camaraderie vibe to the show tonight, and as he introduces ‘Old Old Fashioned’ fans are encouraged to “grab a stranger and have a dance” after all, “A Frightened Rabbit show is the only place it’s legal”. Jokes aside, as the rest of the band leave the stage to Hutchison for an intimate rendition of ‘Poke’, it’s apparent how much his lyrics mean to the fans, and this one is definitely the biggest sing-a-long so far. Copycat beardy boys take one for the team chorusing ‘why won’t our love keel over as it chokes on a bone?’ making all of us girls melt a little bit with the candor. Although so raw, the lyrics seem to bring out the unashamed honesty of the heartbroken, perhaps that’s what bought us all here tonight?
Unsurprisingly there’s a military of Scots in the crowd tonight, and a lot of whiskey spilt but nobody really cares, we’re all having too much fun. The crowd goes wild for ‘Good Arms Vs Bad Arms’ and fan-favourite ‘Swim Until You Can’t See Land’ has everyone dancing, getting everything covered in Jameson in the process. It is a lighthearted show despite the wounded lyrics that connect its spectators, and as the band resurfaces for their encore, they expertly appease loyal and fresh fans alike. Pedestrian Verse highlight ‘The Woodpile’ is huge, despite old favourites getting the biggest cheers throughout for the most part. Before the evening winds up Hutchison, idol of the downcast declares ‘One last whiskey fuck it, we will be in London again, we don’t know when but hopefully we’ll see you there’, and if the hype around the new record is anything to go by, next time they’re going to need a bigger venue. Ringing out with vintage hero ‘The Loneliness and the Scream’. It’s a beautifully ethereal moment as the 500+ crowd harks the melody back at the band as they exit the stage.
A truly special show that manages to feel intimate despite the growing fame, much like getting pissed on mulled wine, it’s homely and warm. Frightened Rabbit are on the brink of mainstream success and unequivocally at the peak of their genius.
Pedestrian Verse is out now.
Listen on Spotify.
