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Frightened Rabbit consider themselves an indie rock band. Perhaps it is the tone of the acoustic guitar, the Scottish inflections, or the painful lyrics which elegantly straddle both poetry and the vernacular, but there is something so inherently folk about this music which is particularly evident when hearing it live. They are not just songs, they are painful experiences and raw emotions. Hearing them straight from the casualty’s mouth intensifies this tenfold.
A particularly emotive performance of ‘Poke’ was a definite highlight and having the majority of the audience singing along to ‘Keep Yourself Warm’ was, well, warming. At least the audience was kind even if the stucco plastering of The Duchess’ ceilings were not, as the band complained of sharp ceiling-related injuries on their Twitter page.
With The Winter Of Mixed Drinkshaving been released just three days prior to the gig, the set was a delicate mix of songs from all three of the group’s albums. However, despite having enough material, we were not offered an encore though many in the audience waited.
Having supported Death Cab for Cutie and releasing their new album in the US as well as at home, Frightened Rabbit are surely on their way for big things. If only one thing was clear from seeing them live, it is that they are a bunch of really nice guys. From a small Scottish town, they seem genuine, unpretentious and worthy of the greater fame that will no doubt come their way sooner or later.
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