Fun Lovin' Criminals - Academy 2, Newcastle, 30/6/2011
by Kelly Smith
published: 26 / 6 / 2011
intro
Kelly Smith watches former Fightstar front man Charlie Simpson play an intimate, but brilliant show in one of his first solo performances at the Academy in Newcastle
Charlie Simpson, formerly of Fightstar, formerly of Busted (forever referred to as Charlie Busted by myself and my friends), has broken out as a solo artist and now allegedly finally found his ‘real sound’ – although, come on Charlie, you may ask, how many ‘real sounds’ does anyone actually have inside them? Well, frankly, when they are all as great as the sounds Charlie apparently has inside him, he could have a million for all I care. The only problem with Charlie is that he is extremely posh. I’m not being a class warrior here – I don’t mean that within itself, poshness is necessarily a problem. But at a gig, crammed in the corner next to the bar, behind a guy who won’t stop talking about how he took a shower in all his clothes last night, it’s not too easy to hear someone, even if they are on stage with a microphone. As a result, I heard little of what was said, including basically all of the titles of songs. So forgive me, but I don’t have the very specifics. I am, however, almost certain I heard the lyric “couldn’t feel our teeth” at one point, but this of course could be an amalgamation of Charlie and the drunk-shower guy. Debut single 'Down Down Down' is extremely popular with the crowd – unusually, the crowd tonight contains many more boys than girls, perhaps indicating that the fans he won with Fightstar are not about to leave him just yet. It’s already a Radio 1 hit, and the acoustic melody coupled with Charlie’s dreamy voice is enough to reach the teenage girl inside all of us, and make us want to get a poster on our wall again. Other highlights included a track from the EP Charlie released earlier this year as a preview to his upcoming debut solo album ‘Young Pilgrim’, as well as album track “Farmer & His Gun”, which to my ultimate and absolute joy happened to involve his guitarist playing a HARMONICA. I don’t know about you, but I don’t go to nearly enough gigs where there’s a harmonica involved. I felt like making a protest sign. The gig felt a lot more intimate than it probably was. Charlie Simpson has a gift of being able to feel the audience and deliver what they are waiting for. This time, he was much more subdued than I’ve seen him in the past – not unconfident, just demure. It suited him, the music and the crowd perfectly. Charlie’s voice sounds like sugar and honey live, just as it does on recorded tracks. Honestly, I’d go so far as to say this was the best I’ve ever seen him. He seemed so comfortable in his own skin it would have been difficult to deny him the achievement of reinventing himself yet again. From where I stood I counted nine checked shirts in the room. Charlie made ten when he came on stage, and this was only the first reason during the gig I decided that I properly, definitely loved him. His solo material might not light your world on fire – it’s neither as pop-punk as Busted nor as serious and heavy as Fightstar, but it is brilliant. I would urge you to go and see him, even if you haven’t particularly been a fan of his in the past. He will change your mind.
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview (2011) |
Peter Allison speaks to iconic hip hop/rock trio the Fun Lovin' Criminals about their fifteen year musical history and new triple live CD, 'Fun, Live, and Criminal’ |
live reviews |
Rock City, Nottingham, 3/3/2017 |
Dave Goodwin enjoys a nostalgic but not rose-tinted Fun Lovin' Criminals set in Nottingham |
Corporation, Sheffield, 4/6/2011 |
Plug, Sheffield, 18/9/2010 |
features |
Fun Lovin' Criminals, Dome, Doncaster, 1999 (2012) |
Peter Allison, in our 'Gig of a Lifetime' series, writes of going to see New York hip-hop/alternative rock trio the Fun Lovin' Criminals in 1999 for the first time at the Doncaster Dome |
reviews |
Classic Fantastic (2010) |
Vibrant-sounding first album in five years for the bestselling Fun Lovin' Criminals |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #5 - ‘We all have good intentions/ But all with strings attached’: Music and Mental Health Part 2
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Madeline Bell - Interview
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Jimmy Nail - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Deep Purple - =1
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Jules Winchester - The Journey
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart