Fun Lovin' Criminals - Bristol Live Music Review
Posted on: 2017-02-14
Our rating:
New York swagger from the Fun Lovin’ Criminals kick-started Bristol’s Friday night…
Music journalists like to categorise bands by genre, or at least to be able to compare a group’s sound to other similar artists, which makes Fun Lovin’ Criminals quite a challenging proposition. Their music is eclectic to say the least, encompassing as it does all manner of styles from hip hop, rock, blues, jazz, punk, funk and R&B.
More than 20 years of performing brings with it a certain confidence and assurance for any live act, and the FLC have it by the shedload. Huey Morgan - for whom the gig was rather local given that nowadays he is a Frome resident - is the consummate frontman, delivering the band’s focal point. He has an innate ability to make the crowd feel both a little in awe of a music legend and yet at the same time come across familiar and friendly enough to make it seem like you’re just spending the evening with a mate.
Multi-instrumentalist Fast - aka Brian Leiser - was also at his brilliant best, effortlessly switching between trumpet, harmonica and vocals, all while playing the keys and keeping on top of the band’s various samples.
However, the ‘man of the match’ on the night would have to be Frank ‘Uncle Frank’ Benbini. Not only is the band’s Leicester-born drummer an incredible showman in his own right but he had to contend with a broken snare drum mid-song. Despite what must be a nightmare scenario for any drummer, Benbini didn’t miss a beat even as his stage tech was replacing the drum right in front of him. On top of that, he proved Fast is not the only one who can multi-task, showing off his rap skills with aplomb during encore track ‘We, The Three’.
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Throughout their 90-minute set, the band mixed and matched music styles, opening with their signature song ‘Fun Lovin’ Criminal’, through old classics ‘Passive/Aggressive’, ‘The Grave and the Constant’, ‘Loco’, and ‘Smoke ‘Em’. Picking material from across their back catalogue of six studio albums, ‘Korean Bodega’, ‘Classic Fantastic’ and ‘Come Find Yourself’ were all welcome inclusions in the setlist, although not surprisingly, their huge 1995 hit ‘Scooby Snacks’ was a particular crowd favourite.
They finished with their cover of the Louis Armstrong standard ‘We Have All the Time in the World’ before returning for an encore of ‘We, The Three’, ‘Friday Night’, and ‘Big Night Out’. It was a fitting way to end what had been a suitably big performance. There can surely be no better band to bring the party at the start of a weekend… and anyone who doesn’t agree is probably better off at home with a hot cocoa and their slippers on.
Check out www.funlovincriminals.co
All photos by Martin Allen
Article by:
As a lifelong music obsessive, Martin brings his extensive journalism experience to bear on reviewing some of the many gigs that make Bristol's music scene one of the liveliest in the country. Originally from London, he spends his time following AFC Wimbledon, tormenting his children with Dad Jokes, and getting out to see as much live music, comedy and theatre as possible.
