Arts concert review

The sounds of indie rock from Scotland

The Fratellis: a popular performance at Paradise Rock Club

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The Fratellis, an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland.
Tom Oxley

The Fratellis

Paradise Rock Club

Nov. 3, 2013

Rumor has it they sold out within the hour. As soon as they started their first song, it’s easy to see why. The Fratellis, an indie rock band hailing from Scotland, played this past Sunday at the iconic Paradise Rock Club as part of their We Need Medicine Tour, promoting their new album which came out in October of this year.

From start to finish, the show was jam-packed with energy — the crowd just couldn’t get enough. Though the sound of We Need Medicine is significantly different from their two earlier albums, Costello Music and Here We Stand, the band still hasn’t lost their talent for creating rock songs infused with other genres that get stuck in your head.

They kick-started the show with one of their more popular songs off the album, “This Old Ghost Town,” a mix of rock and roll with an infectious pop-infused chorus. They kept the crowd going with a mix of songs from their new and older albums, with songs such as “Country Boys & City Girls,” “Vince the Lovable Stoner,” “Whisky Saga,” and “She’s Not Gone Yet But She’s Leaving.” Of course, they made sure to let the crowd catch a breather by playing some of their slower songs too — “Whistle for the Choir” off the first album and “Babydoll” off their second.

The Fratellis made sure to stop every so often and show off their sense of humor in their Scottish accents, and at the same time recharge after all the guitar and drum solos. Their encore song was “Chelsea Dagger,” which was no surprise given its immense popularity. The crowd went crazy for this last, favorite tune: an appropriate ending to a fantastic show.