By their own admission, Frightened Rabbit are not your typical festival headliner and their Electric Fields headline pairing with Dizzee Rascal does make for a very odd couple.
The reason for this may be that, despite being one of Scotland's favourite indie collectives, they've always been viewed as a bit on the miserable side. They don't appear to be the feel-good vibes band you want at the top your bill.
Their set at Electric Fields immediately reminds people that, while they are a great band to listen to in the dark whilst having a cry, they also have plenty of uplifting numbers in their bag as well.
They open with the huge singalong 'Get Out' before a rollicking version of 'Holy' and follow this up with the anthemic choruses of 'Modern Leper', 'I Wish That I Was Sober' and 'Head Rolls Off'. It's immediately apparent that we're not in for a set of sulking-in-the-corner-thinking-about-your-ex-music; we're in for some throw-your-arm-around-the-nearest-stranger-and-sing-it-loud music. Which by and large, is festival-headliner music.
Drawing from a consistent back catalogue of five albums, Frightened Rabbit play near perfect renditions of anthems that rival anything from such festival favourites as Kings of Leon, The Killers and U2. The only difference is that their unmasked Scottish accents along with Scott Hutchison's raw, emotional lyrics makes the connection between the band and audience that bit stronger.
The reason for this may be that, despite being one of Scotland's favourite indie collectives, they've always been viewed as a bit on the miserable side. They don't appear to be the feel-good vibes band you want at the top your bill.
Their set at Electric Fields immediately reminds people that, while they are a great band to listen to in the dark whilst having a cry, they also have plenty of uplifting numbers in their bag as well.
They open with the huge singalong 'Get Out' before a rollicking version of 'Holy' and follow this up with the anthemic choruses of 'Modern Leper', 'I Wish That I Was Sober' and 'Head Rolls Off'. It's immediately apparent that we're not in for a set of sulking-in-the-corner-thinking-about-your-ex-music; we're in for some throw-your-arm-around-the-nearest-stranger-and-sing-it-loud music. Which by and large, is festival-headliner music.
Drawing from a consistent back catalogue of five albums, Frightened Rabbit play near perfect renditions of anthems that rival anything from such festival favourites as Kings of Leon, The Killers and U2. The only difference is that their unmasked Scottish accents along with Scott Hutchison's raw, emotional lyrics makes the connection between the band and audience that bit stronger.
There is a slight lull in the middle of the set and, considering the sets' omissions ('Backyard Skulls', 'The Wrestle', 'The Twist'), we believe it could have easily been avoided, but let's face it, you're never going to please everyone.
They close the set with 'The Loneliness' and 'The Scream', and everyone's singing along. Instead of the typical Scottish chants of "one more tune", it's vocal hooks from the two aforementioned songs that draw the band back out to close with their profanely devastating ballad 'Keep Yourself Warm'. Frontman, Scott Hutchison drops out to listen to the crowd belt out that "It takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm" acapella and watches as the crowd erupts at the end of the song.
Frightened Rabbit may never be seen as your typical festival headliner, but their ability to put on a great show, and their knack for writing songs that are equally euphoric as they are gut-punching makes a strong argument that they should be.
Grant Robertson
They close the set with 'The Loneliness' and 'The Scream', and everyone's singing along. Instead of the typical Scottish chants of "one more tune", it's vocal hooks from the two aforementioned songs that draw the band back out to close with their profanely devastating ballad 'Keep Yourself Warm'. Frontman, Scott Hutchison drops out to listen to the crowd belt out that "It takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm" acapella and watches as the crowd erupts at the end of the song.
Frightened Rabbit may never be seen as your typical festival headliner, but their ability to put on a great show, and their knack for writing songs that are equally euphoric as they are gut-punching makes a strong argument that they should be.
Grant Robertson
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