Fightstar and brigade @ Warwick University

Gig Review by Michael Freeman - January 14th 2005

This is not a normal gig. I'm not talking about the rather mundane fact that it's part of of Warwick Uni's indie music club night, I'm talking about the inevitable circus created by Busted's split earlier today (really - get some perspective, people), and Fightstar's first gig outside of London. Unfortunately, it's impossible to gauge tonight's music with any real objectivity, as the crowd's reaction seems to have nothing to do with the tunes on offer, which is a shame, since I thought Charlie quit Busted so that he could spend his time concentrating on the music he loves. For the moment though, the hecklers and those who are here to be 'ironic' seem to have other ideas - I won't dwell on it, but let's just say when they start chanting "Charlie" and "Air Hostess" instead of "Fightstar", and scream when he takes his hat off (for fuck's sake!), you begin to doubt that they're here to expand their musical horizons.

As such, you have to feel a bit sorry for openers Brigade, even with Charlie's older brother as frontman (which confused the hell out of me when I missed the first song or two - thought for a moment we were going to be in for a very short evening). Thankfully, they manage to acquit themselves well, being both heavy enough to bring visions of Queens Of The Stone Age, but with the occasional hint of Placebo's swagger, meaning there's something for everyone. And with pretty much everyone here, they manage to get quite a few cheers of their own by the end of the set.

Let's make this perfectly clear - Fightstar are not Busted. Busted were slick, simple, choreographed (allegedly, says my lawyer), mainstream. Fightstar - hmm, not so much. Indie to the point of turning up with a broken amp, broken microphone, and no drumsticks, this is a grassroots launch. You also can't accuse them of just being Charlie and friends, since Dan on bass takes centre stage (think Colin Doran, only shorter), and vocals are shared between Charlie (who's voice actually has some bite to it - who knew?) and fellow axeman Alex.

The oft used Biffy Clyro comparison certainly holds true, with relatively quiet passages giving way to sudden slabs of noise and big choruses. Other lazy reference points include Taking Back Sunday, and the quieter bits of Finch, so it's a veritable post-hardcore jamboree, but at this early stage there doesn't seem to be anything to separate them from the pack (aside from the obvious). The songs sound good once they get going (not counting spontaneous bass/drum jams caused by initial equipment breakdowns), but the banter in between doesn't exactly exude confidence. Put it down to nerves - understandable given the situation.
Thankfully, Fightstar will be back in a few weeks supporting yourcodenameis:milo, so I suppose we can try again then. See you down the front this time.

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Fightstar and brigade @ Warwick University

Gig Review by Michael Freeman - January 14th 2005