The Fratellis Have A Sweet Time @ Kentish Town Forum

by | Mar 27, 2018

The Fratellis at O2 Forum Kentish Town (Paul Lyme)

The Fratellis have been a band I’ve always admired. They seem to have released album after album and I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every one of those songs. Their upbeat tempo can get you out of a rut and leave you feeling in a great mood. Whistle For The Choir was the chosen song for the first dance at my wedding. Fortunately my love for the Scottish trio lasted longer than my marriage! It was great to get the chance to catch them perform live again. I last saw them over ten years ago at the now demolished Astoria, so I was looking forward to seeing them in action after all these years.

The Fratellis at O2 Forum Kentish Town (Paul Lyme)

The show had sold out well in advance and the queues were building up outside the Kentish Town Forum long before doors. As expected, Chelsea Dagger was being sung before the support act had even had the chance to get on stage. After a fantastically energetic build up set from Black Pistol Fire, Offenbach’s Can Can began to ring around the packed out venue. It seemed strange, but everyone in the stalls were jumping and singing along. That’s when the fast paced night appeared to start to slow down.

The Fratellis at O2 Forum Kentish Town (Paul Lyme)

The Fratellis walked out on stage to huge cheers. A big beaming smile shone from frontman Jon Fratellis’ face as he waved back to the fans. They were clearly appreciating the love they were getting.  Opening with Baby Don’t You Lie To Me! the tune felt a bit slower than the recorded version. This seemed to follow throughout the night. While it’s great to see bands change up their songs for gigs, the whole set seemed to be a bit half paced, not quite the exciting speedy tunes I’ve become used to hearing.

The Fratellis at O2 Forum Kentish Town (Paul Lyme)

It was great to hear a selection picked out from their five wonderful albums, including recently released In Your Own Sweet Time. Despite only being twelve years old there’s a great feeling of nostalgia when Chelsea Dagger gets into full flow. That’s when everyone’s phones pop out ready to film a clip to look back on. It wasn’t until after the penultimate song that Jon really spoke in-between songs. Thanking the audience for their support over the past twelve years and commenting that although he says it every night, he really does mean it. Usually I’d complain that a band doesn’t have any interaction with the audience, but hammering through a huge twenty-three songs in their set was worth losing out on a bit of talk. Finishing up with their fantastic cover of  Runaround Sue, the night ended with everyone joining in for a buoyant sing-a-long.

The Fratellis at O2 Forum Kentish Town (Paul Lyme)

It’s a busy year for the rock band. After finishing off their UK tour, they head over to the US until returning back to European shores for festival season. With so much cracking material under their belt, they’re still worth going to see even if you’ve been out of the loop since Costello Music.

The Fratellis at O2 Forum Kentish Town (Paul Lyme)

Live review and photography of The Fratellis at O2 Forum, Kentish Town by Paul Lyme on 24th March 2018.

 

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000iT5F8J9d7Wo” g_name=”The-Fratellis” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”iptch” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_smooth=”t” f_up=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”640″ height=”480″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”FFFFFFF” btype=”new” bcolor=”#FFFFFF” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”sweep” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” bgtrans=”f” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” target=”_self” ]

The Jacques (Nick Sayers)

The Jacques Announce Riotous New Single ‘All The Other Sinners’ Ahead of Second Album ‘Make Repetition!’

London/Bristol alt-rock trio The Jacques are ramping up momentum ahead of their second album Make Repetition! with the release of their blistering new single All The Other Sinners — a searing, melody-drenched slice of chaos and catharsis out now.

Cam @ The Tabernacle (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Cam Captivates London With A Night Of Raw Vocals And Real Stories At The Tabernacle

In a sweltering Tabernacle, a somehow both vast and intimate venue, a sweat-soaked audience filled every seat for...
J.Fla (Press)

J.Fla Redefines Herself With Empowering New Single ‘Stellar Paradox’

South Korean singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation J.Fla has taken a giant leap into the cosmos with her newest release, Stellar Paradox, marking the start of a bold new chapter in her musical journey. Known to millions for her viral YouTube covers, J.Fla now turns the spotlight firmly onto her own voice with a genre-blending, emotionally charged original that paves the way for her highly anticipated upcoming EP, due in late summer 2025.

Chloe Qisha @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Chloe Qisha Closes The Rainbow Stage In Style At BST Hyde Park 2025

After a tempestuous afternoon that saw Hyde Park lashed by torrential rain and set times thrown into flux, it was Chloe Qisha who restored the calm — and then brought the fire — as she closed the Rainbow Stage on Sunday evening with a confident, emotionally astute set that proved worth the wait.

Lusaint (Jade Vowles)

Lusaint Captures The Ache Of A Sunlit Longing With New Single ‘Summertime’ Ahead Of ‘The Apothecary’ EP

Rising Mancunian star Lusaint has unveiled her latest single Summertime, a smoky, jazz-laced track brimming with emotion and understated power. Arriving in the wake of earlier 2025 releases Joking and Neon Lights, Summertime serves as the final preview before the release of her hotly anticipated new EP The Apothecary, due later this summer.

Tanner Adell @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Tanner Adell Brings Southern Sparkle To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In a festival often dominated by heavyweight pop, Tanner Adell’s mid-afternoon set on the Rainbow Stage offered a thrilling detour into rhinestone-studded country pop — with a Gen Z twist and plenty of attitude. On a stacked BST Hyde Park Sunday that saw Sabrina Carpenter headline the Great Oak Stage for the second time of the weekend, it was Adell who delivered one of the day’s most memorable performances before the heavens opened and drenched London in a biblical downpour.

Gracie Abrams @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Gracie Abrams Brings Intimacy And Surprise To BST Hyde Park 2025

Gracie Abrams, the rising pop luminary from Los Angeles, California, delivered a spellbinding set opening for Vermont’s Noah Kahan at BST Hyde Park on 4th July 2025. At just 25, Abrams has built a devoted fanbase drawn to her confessional lyricism and delicate vocal delivery — and her mid-afternoon set on the Great Oak Stage proved why she’s become one of pop’s most emotionally resonant voices.

The Royston Club (Sam Crowston)

The Royston Club Reveal Tender New Single ‘Cariad’ Ahead Of Anticipated Second Album ‘Songs For The Spine’

The Royston Club are stepping firmly into the indie-rock spotlight with the upcoming release of their second album, Songs For The Spine, set for 8th August. Following the Top 20 success of their debut, the Wrexham quartet return with soaring momentum: vinyl pre-orders sold out in minutes, streaming numbers rising, and a loyal, lyric-chanting fanbase that packs out venues across the UK.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing