The Fratellis - Carling Academy, Manchester (25/11/2008)

If you proclaim yourself the greatest rock and roll band in the world, as the Fratellis did on Tuesday night, you are up against stiff competition. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles have all carried the by-line. Even if your tongue is firmly in your cheek when you make the claim then you find yourself judged against Spinal Tap and Bad News. In short, you had best be sure you can deliver.

Flushed with success from last week's Tartan Clef Music Awards, the Fratellis were suitably primed to add weight to their claim in front of a packed house at the Manchester Academy.

'Cuntry Boys & City Girls' opened a largely sing-along set that proved just how big this band have become in a relatively short time. However, the arrangements supported a view that, live, the Fratellis have grown up and away from the simplistic pseudo-Quo sounds that were evident on their million-selling debut album Costello Music.

There was a distinct retro feel to the evening that went deeper than the lava lamps and ink-blot light shows on the stage. Familiar riffs were laden with old-school compressor, wah and rotary effects that added technical intrigue to favourites like 'Doginabag' and 'Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night'.

At times, whether through practice or fatigue, Jon's voice took on a smoky edge reminiscent of early Rod Stewart which, when partnered with the rock and roll piano of Mistress Mabel, began to give the band a similar feel to '80s glam rockers The Quireboys.

But if the Fratellis were looking for a specific trick to cement their brave claim, then the defining rock band moment came with Mince Fratellis' solid and tireless drum solo during 'Got Ma Nuts From a Hippy'. The solid back beat and thunderous rolls delivered during this short interlude could have raised Keith Moon from the dead.

Jon, Mince and Barry may not be the Stones, nor are they the mighty Tap, but they were certainly the greatest band playing in Manchester on the night.

Rating: 4/5

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Published: 26/11/2008 at 19:21
Author: Joel Sacca
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