FICKLE FRIENDS | LIVE REVIEW

The Moon Club, Cardiff, Weds 3 Feb

As so many bands do these days, Fickle Friends made a name for themselves through the blogosphere and quickly caused a stir. The Brighton based five-piece got their biggest break when Jamie Oliver chose them as the winner of his annual Summer Jam Competition.

If you’re into the infectious pop stylings of Haim then you will love them. On the radio, their sunshine indie may seem inoffensive, but live is a whole other experience. The intimate setting of The Moon Club proves a perfect environment for their positive energetic sound; 80s style synths and rhythms bounce around the room with the equally energetic band and it’s near impossible to not pick up on that positive energy.

When the instruments fall silent and lead singer Natassja Shiner does a brief acoustic spot, the power of her vocals are brought to light. Soft and angelic behind the deep synths, on her own she has a full and well rounded vibrato.

Fickle Friends may still be quite fresh, and a little rough around the edges, but this seems to add to their charm. Their songs tend to fold into each other and many of them just sound like a slightly different version of the latter but this is not entirely a bad thing; they are cultivating a sound and trying to declare it to the world – or at least the UK for now. For You, Play and Swim seemed to be crowd favourites. All in all, they brought a spot of sunshine to a wet and windy February night.

words DENIECE CUSACK photos DAVID GRIFFITHS