When Fang Island are in town, you’re bound to have a good
time. The sunshine was out for the first time since the pre-historic age, which
seemed the perfect time to greet the Brooklyn party-metal trio. Formed in 2005 whilst
students at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, whose alumni
includes members of Talking Heads, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savy Fav and others, they
describe their music as “everyone high-fiving everyone” complemented with
stomping drums and metallic stadium-ready guitars.
Opening “The Illinois”, from the self-titled debut, got the
party started, before “Careful Crosses” and “Sideswiper” saw frantic head-banging
and delirious bouncing. “Sisterly”, from last year’s sophomore release, Major, got so heated it blew the sound,
literally! The band had to stop from a few minutes to fix the problem, whilst
vocalist/guitarist Jason Bartell organised an a cappella sing-along during the
wait. Once the sound returned, the band continued from where it had been
halted.
“Welcome Wagon” and “Asunder” contained the aforementioned
stomping drums and heavy riffs, whilst “Daisy”, probably their most famous ‘hit’,
saw the crowd singing along into the mic and moshing like hell. They returned
for a brief encore of “Davey Crockett”, which the drunken fans in the front
were yelling for all gig. Bartell was then carried off by the crowd as the hero
of the night.
It was an energetic, fun-filled show, where everyone did
indeed high-five each other!
