Frightened Rabbit are a band who have come an awfully long way over their career and have built up one of the most dedicated fanbases I have ever seen. Tonight’s show at Concorde 2 brings some fantastic vocals, delicate levels of trance and folk, and above all, sounds which send the entire room on an emotional rollercoaster that no one wants to come to an end.

Upon arriving at the venue, I overhear conversations both ahead and behind me of different people discussing the band and their opinions on the new album. All are positive, however it strikes me most that a number of these people do not seem to know each other at all and have simply bonded over the band. It’s always a touching moment to see people being brought together through music and from the sounds of it, Frightened Rabbit have created more than a few potential life long friendships this evening alone.

Tonight’s support is Paws, an energetic bunch who are more than happy to bring their all to this crowd, their sound is reminiscent of classic garage bands, combined with tendencies of indie pop and just a tiny dabble of alt-folk. The overall effect is really engaging and laced with electric energy, supplying a terrific bassline for the rest of the evening.

Frightened Rabbit then enter a smoky and darkened room which is overlaid by the atmospheric introduction to ‘Get Out’. As soon as the chorus kicks in, strobes flash and screeches of guitars leak through the light whilst accompanied by some incredibly strong notes from vocalist Scott Hutchinson, who’s Scottish tinge meets the ear in a unique yet satisfying manner. As soon as the first track ends, it is clear that many are prepping themselves for the remaining anthems tonight’s set holds.

Scott soon tells us that Brighton almost feels as though it were a second home to the band. This seems to be true, as for many, this is not their first Frightened Rabbit experience. There is a distinct comforting tone to the evening and laughter is present throughout, the entire band are willing to make playful jokes at the expense of the others and even the crowd, one particular comment comes from Scott noting that, “No one in Brighton has a ‘real’ job!” because of the crowd’s enthusiasm for attending a show on a Monday night, goes down particularly well.

The band’s December tour is showcasing their newest album, Painting Of A Panic Attack, and with live performances of this magnitude, the album is done justice in every sense of the word. The new material is evidently from a different place than that of the older, emphasising more on slightly energetic vibes as opposed to far gloomier undertones. Nonetheless, each track includes the catchy and melodic ingredients necessary for any Frightened Rabbit number. ‘Death Dream’ offers a personal highlight for the evening, the softer piano building to a larger crescendo sends Scott’s vocals into an entirely different realm from the more frantic numbers. However the faster songs are not to be left ignored, ‘Woke Up Hurting’ bring choruses which are near impossible to not sing along to accompanied by drum patterns which instinctively force the feet to move.

There are a few aspects to tonight which fall short of the rest of the set, tracks which rely on heavy synth seem to unnecessarily drown out Scott’s vocals in parts and feel rather clunky in comparison to the incredibly intricate sound the acoustic numbers create, however perhaps this was a simple sound issue.

Overall, despite falling ever so short of selling out the venue tonight, Frightened Rabbit have put on an absolutely terrific show. Obvious parallels to bands such as Mumford & Sons are present, yet I would argue they not only exceed that of Mumford musically, emphasising on less cheesy lyrics but more on catchy choruses, but in terms of personality, this crowd have taken a definite liking to these Scottish lads and no one has come away feeling unsatisfied. When Frightened Rabbit do make their inevitable return to Brighton, they are sure to bring one of the best gigs, and strongest unique sounds of the year and are not ones to miss.
Ben Walker

Website: frightenedrabbit.com
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