Fat Freddy’s Drop is internationally regarded as one of the world’s finest live draws. The seven piece band has navigated their way from the incubator of sunshine reggae through a colour-saturated field of soul psychedelia before swerving onto a desolate Detroit superhighway at night. It’s a sound that demands to be heard live, a potent mixture of jazz virtuosity and diaphragm-wrecking digital sonics.
These influences have not only been formed by the band’s individual predilections, but also experiences on the road: Fat Freddy’s appearance at Detroit’s Movement festival in 2006 was a watershed moment for the band, fuelled by hearing May’s, Atkin’s and Craig’s stark futurism ricochet off the cold concrete of America’s broken dream. This stoked producer DJ Mu’s love of analog techno, balancing and fusing vocalist Dallas Tamaira’s adoration of soul and reggae with the band’s collective passion for Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Rock, Disco, House, Post Punk and Balearic oddities.
For Bays studio album released in 2015, the 9-track LP was exclusively written and recorded at their studio in Kilbirnie, Wellington. Pre-Bays, Freddy's albums were formed almost entirely on the road; the songs slowly evolving live at festivals such as WOMAD UK, SONAR, Bestival, Lowlands, DEMF, Pukkelpop, Glastonbury, The Big Chill and Roskilde.
Stand alone concerts also feature heavily, with sellout mayhem ensuing at Zitadelle and Columbiahalle (Berlin), Alexandra Palace and Brixton Academy (LDN), Paradiso (Amsterdam), Vega (Copenhagen), The Coliseum (Lisbon), Henry Fonda Theatre (Los Angeles), Sydney Opera House, and Le Zenith (Paris).
In the past if a song made it on to the record it was because it had been road-tested beyond all endurance: at last count Fat Freddy’s Drop have delivered over 1000 shows in their career, clocking more than 500 appearances in Europe, 33 Australian Tours and over 300 shows in their homeland.
Not many bands have been so strategic in their approach to their long term career. Creating a blueprint with a global perspective, the band have consolidated their fan bases across Europe and the UK with high profile performances accompanied by slow burn albums that reveal more and more with every listen, priming the fan for the next live experience. It’s about the long game, a path that has come about by careful stylistic evolution, ever increasing production values and a live reputation that precedes their recorded material.
Fat Freddy’s Drop may have been around since the early Noughties, but they are truly the most modern of institutions. Independently controlled underground music that has sold in excess of three quarters of a million albums. Yet they are that rare thing: artists that don’t live or die on their last record’s sales. They are a clarion call of hope for the talented few looking for another way.
Fat Freddy’s Drop show that it can, indeed, be done.
Photo Credit: Jamie Leith
Band Members:
Chris 'DJ Fitchie' Faiumu (MPC, samples, effects)
Dallas 'Joe Dukie' Tamaira (vocals)
Scott 'Chopper Reedz' Towers (saxophone)
Toby 'Tony Chang' Laing (trumpet)
Iain 'Kuki Blaze' Gordon (keyboards)
Joe 'Hopepa' Lindsay (trombone)
Tehimana 'Jetlag Johnson' Kerr (guitar)
Mark 'MC Slave' Williams (MC)
REVIEW: Album Review: Slo Mo Submitted by ScarlettW |
24 Oct 2024 |
REVIEW: Gig Review: Fat Freddy's Drop @ Spark Arena, Auckland - 7/11/2020 Submitted by gabyignz |
10 Nov 2020 |
REVIEW: Gig Review: Fat Freddy's Drop @ Western Springs, Auckland - 18/01/2020 Submitted by BenRuegg |
24 Jan 2020 |
REVIEW: Gig Review: Fat Freddy's Drop @ Thames Racecourse, Thames - 28/12/2019 Submitted by LouClementine |
8 Jan 2020 |
REVIEW: Gig Review: Fat Freddy's Drop @ Neudorf Vineyard, Nelson - 09/01/2019 Submitted by jacquiew |
10 Jan 2019 |
REVIEW: Gig Review: Fat Freddy's Drop @ Opera House, Wellington - 20/09/2013 Submitted by tonymcdonald |
21 Sep 2013 |
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Shade
muzic.net.nz Admin Joined: 17/07/02 Posts: 5069 Location: Manawatu View Profile |
New album for Fat Freddy's Drop Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 3:32 pm |
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Shade
muzic.net.nz Admin Joined: 17/07/02 Posts: 5069 Location: Manawatu View Profile |
Freddy's Live At The Roundhouse: a two-part radio special Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:48 pm People of the world shake it loose with Freddy's Live At The Roundhouse, a two-part radio special broadcasting over the next two weekends on Radio New Zealand National Radio. Part One kicks off around 4.30PM (NZ time) this Saturday 28 March on Music 101 with horn man Sugar2Tone introducing the Australasian debut of Fat Freddy's Drop Live at the Roundhouse in London, the finale of the Big BW tour in December 2008. As Joe Dukie (pictured at the Roundhouse - photo by Eric Wang) told the people at the sold out finale, Freddy's brings the music from 'under a beautiful New Zealand blue sky' and he said 'we try and play from the heart at every gig'. Preceding the live recording at 4.00PM catch Fat Freddys Drop's guitarist Tehimana Kerr a.k.a. Jetlag Johnson talking about his solo album Defamation of Character. Part Two of Live at The Roundhouse plays at 4.30PM (NZ time) next Saturday 4 April, followed by a bumper edition at 11PM (NZ time) Friday 10 April. For more information, images and to listen online check: www.radionz.co.nz/music101 |
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Shade
muzic.net.nz Admin Joined: 17/07/02 Posts: 5069 Location: Manawatu View Profile |
Fat Freddy's Drop Off to Australia, March 09 Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:43 pm Presented by Niche Productions, the magnificent Fat Freddy's Drop return to Australia in March for a series of heart-stopping shows that could deliver the answer to the question on fans lips worldwide - is the album out yet!? For the past three years, the New Zealand band has been conquering the globe with a slow burning boil up of hi-tek soul, jazz and reggae, road testing new songs for the follow up to their record breaking debut Based On A True Story and fielding album requests from fans in Europe, UK, USA and Australasia. In 2009 Freddy is getting ready to pull the catch on the sophomore album Big BW and shake that 'shiverman loose'. Fat Freddy's Drop was last in Australia around New Year for Days Like This! festival in Sydney and they played at Pyramid Festival on Philip Island - until stage crew had to physically remove the musicians mid-set as rain and wind battered the stage. Freddy's legion on the tour in March features two fresh faces that have melded seamlessly into the already seven strong jam heavy band - the rhythmic Riki Gooch on drums and the rock with the baritone voice Rio Hunuki Hemopo on backing vocals and bass. Rio Hunuki Hemopo will also play opening support for Freddy's on the Australian tour. Joined by guitarist Justin 'Firefly' Clarke, his set will include tunes from his debut 12" vinyl release Wahine Toa that was produced with DJ Fitchie at the Drop in Lyall Bay, Wellington. The Drop studio by the Pacific Ocean is where Freddy's has been recording Big BW. To date two tracks have been let out the bag - The Camel (ft Alice Russell) and Pull The Catch. The release date for the full album is close - the crowds are ravenous. 'SEX MUSIC... I was seduced by Fat Freddy's Drop and now I cannot get them out of my head....Like a well-practiced partner, Fat Freddy left me wholly satisfied but with an appetite for more.' Holly Dicker, Pulp, UK In Concert March 2009 Thursday 19th Palace Metro - Melbourne Friday 20th HQ - Adelaide Saturday 21st Enmore Theatre - Sydney Friday 27th The Tivoli - Brisbane Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th The Great Northern - Byron Bay Ticket Info: Thursday 19th - Palace Metro - Melbourne Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au, Polyester City, Polyester Fitzroy, Greville Records, Missing Link, Oztix www.oztix.com.au Friday 20th - HQ - Adelaide Tickets: www.venuetix.com.au, venuetix outlets & B Sharp Records Saturday 21st - Enmore Theatre - Sydney Tickets: www.enmoretheartre.com.au, www.ticketek.com, 132 849 & ticketek outlets Friday 27th - The Tivoli - Brisbane Tickets: www.ticketek.com, 132 849, & Rockinghorse Records Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th - The Great Northern - Byron Bay Tickets: Hotel Great Northern, 02 6685 6454 & www.oztix.com.au.oztix.com.au> ph 1300 762 545 http://www.nicheproductions.com.au/ |
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BrockaLee
Joined: 21/08/05 Posts: 14 Location: Canterbury View Profile |
Fat Freddy's Drop fans Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:40 am Is there anyone else out there overwhelmed with the success of this wicked band? |
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Shade
muzic.net.nz Admin Joined: 17/07/02 Posts: 5069 Location: Manawatu View Profile |
Fat Freddy's NZ Tour July 2005: sold out, or close to it... Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:41 am Thanks to James Guthrie at NoiZyland for the following: Such has been the demand for tickets to the Wellington Fat Freddy's Drop show on Saturday 23 July, at Shed 6, that another show has been added on Sunday Friday 22 July. Get in quick, though, as this show is likely to sell out too. Aucklanders without tickets to Saturday 16 July at the Civic should already be scouring Tradme, as that show has also sold out, and the tickets for the gigs in Wanaka, Dunedin and Christchurch are going fast. Fat Freddy's NZ Tour: July 2005 Sat 16 July, St James, Auckland with Tha Feelstyle and OpenSouls Fri 22 July, Shed 6, Wellington, with Kora Sat 23 July, Shed 6, Wellington Thu 28 July, Town Hall, Wanaka Fri 29 July, Sammys, Dunedin Sat 30 July, Town Hall, Christchurch with Verse 2 |
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Shade
muzic.net.nz Admin Joined: 17/07/02 Posts: 5069 Location: Manawatu View Profile |
Fat Freddy's Drop Nominated For B.Net Awards! Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 3:41 pm Fat Freddy's Drop have received the following nominations in the 2002 B.Net Music Awards: * Best Live Act Shade muzic.net.nz |
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