Fat Freddy's Drop, Hammersmith Apollo, London
Monday, 12 May 2008
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What do you call a sensitive Aussie? A New Zealander. Dripping with positive vibes, Wellington's finest dub/soul outfit do little to undermine such stereotypes of their homeland, nor, in an interminable two-hour set, do they suggest they are ready to capture the fame they enjoy down under.
Not only are Fat Freddy's Drop chart-toppers in the land of the long white cloud, this seven-piece collective provide a rainbow nation feel with their mixed, white, Maori and Pacific Island backgrounds.
Although named after a design for LSD tabs, the band are far from psychedelic, instead mixing a stew of laid-back dance genres, with the synthesised bass and electronic beats of band leader Chris "Mu" Faiumu providing a foundation for organic instrumentation and vocals.
All are interwoven in a series of jams lasting up to 20 minutes. Indeed, the band's first release, in 2001, was a live album, recorded at a venue in their home city. Since then The Drop have released one full-length album, 2005's Based on a True Story, and need to complete its follow-up.
Tonight, new material suggests an increased R&B influence and a greater emphasis on singer Dallas Tamaira, a far from commanding presence. Musically, there is also a nod to the electronic elements of contemporary Jamaican dancehall. At best, Mu provides a flexible backing for his outfit, in the first three excursions ranging from roots reggae, through gliding lovers' rock, to this crisper, modern sound.
Within a jam, though, he can end up doing very little, rather than mould and fold the space in the manner dub production demands. The slow, techno pulse of "The Nod" is a new departure, but a missed opportunity as he refrains from evolving its basic rhythm. Only on "Roady" does he provide a melodic base for The Drop to work on and only the three-piece brass section bring the night to life.
This trio play cleanly, with panache, but also economy. They also enjoy an easy rapport with the crowd. Graduates of the Wellington Jazz School, they at least suggest a lineage from skank pioneers The Skatalites, who themselves began as students in big bands.
