Brighton-based FUR brought their retro brand of indie rock for lonely hearts to The Bodega’s intimate stage for their debut Nottingham gig last week....
Support comes from local Nottingham group, Moon, who blend colloquial lyrics with psych-tinged slacker rock vibes – they’re rough around the edges and possess a tumultuous enthusiasm. The band features seasoned Notts-based musicians Sam Shaw and Megan Morris, who have both featured in a variety of musical projects over the past few years, notably including Sundaze and recent venture, Points of View. Moon are not dissimilar to the likes of London indie rockers, The Big Moon, and Melbourne-based, Courtney Barnett; splicing funky lo-fi guitar riffs with riot grrrl-esque vocals under an unrelenting psychedelic trance. You may think such a variety of genres packed into one set would leave it sounding clumsy and disjointed, but tracks such as Daisy Daydreams and recently released single Easy Life certainly disprove this theory.
FUR have racked up quite a sizeable list of achievements over the past year; including signing to London-based record label Nice Swan, solidifying their place on festival circuit line-ups, and touring internationally – all in between their non-stop UK gig listings. The band have bid farewell to former guitarist Harry Zwaig, welcoming Josh Buchanan in his place, and have recently expanded the group this month with the addition of James Hazel on keys.
As they take to the stage, it’s hard not to notice that everything about the band perfectly encapsulates retro revival; from their gloriously tousled tresses and effortlessly co-ordinated 60’s get-ups, to the gorgeous pastel green Gretsch drum kit and intricate Italia guitar. The anticipation builds as the crowd eagerly await the delivery of FUR’s trademark short-but-sweet melodies, accompanied by heavenly vocals oozing elegantly honest lyrics.
Jumping straight into introductory banger All My Dreams, the band immediately hypnotise the crowd into a swooning, swaying frenzy, playing with vigour and calculated precision. FUR don’t slow the tempo, rolling on with their vibrant setlist and treating us to some brand-new material. They kick off with most recent release, the gorgeously nostalgic bop Nothing (Until Something Comes Along), followed by their latest jangly masterpiece Trouble Always Finds Me, which made its radio debut on BBC Radio 6 Music earlier this month.
Following a seamless succession of tunes, FUR showcase the trials, tribulations and problem solving involved in live performances as they near the end of their set. Frontman Will Murray breaks his E string, meaning that a “very special edition” of the band’s concluding EP track now becomes Love Song for No On. Nevertheless, he proceeds with the solo, providing a delicate guitar track accompanied by room-filling lamentations that reverberate off the walls and send blissful shivers down your spine.
The Brighton boys are well en route to stardom, charming audiences along the way with their glittering catalogue of love songs, raking in streams by the millions. Catch FUR ASAP, or you’re likely to be fighting ticket touts outside of venues for a piece of the action.
FUR played The Bodega on Tuesday 17 September 2019
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