Wow, wow!
The Brixton sextet not only has just delivered one of the most entertaining and brilliant albums so far this year, but they are also living an idyll with their established audience on stage. He confirmed it with his visceral, vibrant concert in a Madrid hall packed with faithful eager to party, who received what they expected and more.
On stage, the most badass and playful bet of the Domino label is a very different creature, and this duality that some purists may raise their eyebrows, is for me part of its charm. Instead of coming out corseted by the electronic production of their recorded version, live they unleash themselves in the form of an organic disco punk collective with crazy Balkan band streaks, and delay crazy dub in Joe Love’s voice. The result is irresistible. A very serious prank.
Starting from the base of a magnificent rhythmic base – drummer from 1969, disco bassist -, Love and company – the sax and violin that underline the melodic details sometimes make one think of a slum version of Pulp (the youth, I say) -, the British unleash a storm of energy that destroys everything. Impossible not to move your bones and enjoy each note.
From the first minute, the frontman immerses himself in the crowd to be part of the party. And the songs accompany, well they do. The gems from the last album – “Go Fuck Urself”, “Cancel Me, I’m Tired”, “Call It What You Want”, the tender “Aliens”…- they rub shoulders without a problem with that badass odyssey that is “King of the Slugs” – the song that put them on the map – and other past material.
It was less than an hour of frenzy, with some stops on the sophisticated side of the group and without an encore, an ideal time for a group that has two albums in its backpack. This time there were no complaints. We had had too much fun frolicking with them.
The Madrid exhibition of Fat Dog showed that they are that sweet spot in the life of any group in which everything seems possible. An idyll between its members that makes them put everything on the table to return multiplied the energy they receive from the public.
We know that this honeymoon is not eternal. It will depend on the pace of performances, age and other unmanageable factors, whether the magic lasts more or less, but for now all that remains is to move your feet and head and respond to Love’s “woof, woof” with our “woof, woof! And leave for a few precious minutes from the boredom and filth of the world. The audience understood it, chanting spontaneously and several times to the bewilderment of the English: “Fat dog, fat dog!” Well, that: long live the Dog! Fat.
