Francobollo, the Italian word for postage stamp, maybe it’s not quite as rock ‘n’ roll as Guns ’n’ Roses or The Clash, but it is the name of one of the freshest rising bands on the planet at the moment. Tonight, this Swedish four-piece brought their otherworldly sound to the Brighton shores and did so in great style, making for an evening of brilliant vibes, humorous personalities and most importantly, incredible live music.
Tonight’s local openers are The Family Chain and Mohit. The Family Chain hold a very traditional style of indie I haven't seen executed this well in a while, the reminiscence of The Smiths is very much present, even down to the vocalist’s passion when preaching his poetic style of strongly emotional lyricism. The band are a fresh addition to the Brighton scene and definitely have a strong enough sound which I can see being utilised well as they continue to grow. Mohit follow and bring a dramatically different vibe, the group specialise in long, instrumentally-led tracks which are capable of inducing intense dream states through their euphoric sound. The three-piece hold an incredibly interesting style which can only be truly appreciated in the live environment. They are definitely a band I would recommend getting down to see whenever you see their name on a line-up!
Finally, Francobollo are ready and straight away prove just why they are able to travel from the other side of Europe to bless this room with their truly unique music. The opening number, ‘Wonderful’ is everything you’d expect: intense, powerful and strange in the very best of ways. The band are all already throwing themselves around the stage and having a blast, frontman Simon Nilsson’s vocal tones are brilliant and bring together the perfect combination of strength with psychedelic vibes. The room are clearly eager to see the band and many can be seen shouting their lyrics back at them.
The talents are pouring out as the set is put into full swing. The guitar, drums and even bass all feel experimental in their own manner and each capture a different aspect to the band’s unique sound. Simon quickly makes the significance of their name apparent, if you don’t know Francobollo means postage stamp, it seems you’re not welcome here! The overall sound of the evening does come down to a pretty interesting mixture of jittered and jarring solos which hold an inherent creepiness, whilst simultaneously generating a juxtaposing welcoming feel, not something many bands can pull off this well.
Francobollo’s newly released debut, Long Live Life, seems to be sweeping the British scene by storm through its spontaneous style and raw feeling, both of which translate brilliantly into the band’s live performances. ‘Uso’ fills the room with some beautiful guitar work whilst the far harsher tones in ‘Radio’ once again see the band throwing themselves around the littered stage and the crowd can be seen bouncing along to the song’s grittier feel.
Tonight’s set is a little on the shorter side, however, has introduced the room to a band who definitely outshine their recorded counterpart. The passion and energy behind a Francobollo performance is brilliant from start to finish, the guys may be making their way over from Sweden to the UK, however I can easily see the postage stamp boys making their way all across the planet in the not so far future. A terrific band with a terrific sound that you may not know now, but as soon as you find them, you’ll wonder where they’ve been all this time!
Ben Walker
Website: francobolloband.com
Facebook: facebook.com/francobolloukA
Twitter: twitter.com/Francobolloland
Our review of Long Live Life: https://brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/music/2585-francobollo-long-live-life