The Fratellies
Despite the music industry being saturated with lad rock hedonists, The Fratellis sure know how to play to their strength, as they showed impeccably here at Manchester Academy. It’s painfully obvious that they’re a one-trick band- but ‘Chelsea Dagger’ still resonates with both lager louts and indie aficionados alike
The Fratellis have come under fire over the past few years for being simply uncool and lairy. And with over 1000 of their fans crammed into the sold-out Academy it’s no surprise that cups of piss are thrown around like a celebration toast. It’s widely believed as well that Manchester crowds are always ‘mad-for-it’ and tonight was no exception, unfortunately.
Since the release of their colossal debut album ‘Costello Music’, the three Scotsman have been thrust onto an awkward plinth, both on the outskirts of true mainstream adulation but also on the periphery of collective scenester admiration. Therefore they can make for an awkward live proposition, songs such as ‘Henrietta’ and ‘Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night’ stand up fine, but it’s the new cuts from ‘Here We Stand’ that struggle under the weight of an inverted pretension.
In fact it’s probably kind to say that they’re simply turgid slabs of pub rock layered upon a wall of three-cord, sub-Libertines nonsense.
Nevertheless, the kids in here absolutely love them, Jon, Barry and Mince Fratelli all pull the obligatory rock-star posturing and for 90 minutes they could be any music legends you care to mention. Judging by the response that is, not the music.
Only the rarely played ‘3 Skinny Girls’ and the over-played ‘Chelsea Dagger’ with its sensational terrace anthem quality and grand unification manages to manoeuvre around the tricky trap of pastiche.
As woeful their music can sometimes be, The Fratellis are a well-oiled pop machine that have arrived onstage fully formed and their band of merry men shtick so practiced that it only serves to annoy you further.
But it’s irrelevant. As hit and miss as they clearly are, they’re going to keep releasing albums, sound tracking awful British comedy films and selling millions. And despite what the reasonable man may think- the rowdy, lager-swilling crowd that packed out Manchester Academy are going to help them all the way to the bloody top.
Lee Anthony Sentino