Fat and Frantic at Bush Hall

Monday July 25, 2011

By Elin Berta

On Friday night, an air of nostalgia filled the Bush Hall.

On stage was Fat and Frantic, the pop band loved by teenagers in London in the late 80s and early 90s. As part of a four-gig ’reunion tour’, the band  played at the Uxbridge Road venue two nights last week.

And the crowd? The teenagers are now all grown up, but still seemed to be enjoying their trip down memory lane for a night in Shepherds Bush.

The band, formed in 1985, was well-known then for their crazy live performances which featured the members – such as Jon Soper aka Fat – dressing in crazy, colourful shirts.

According to some of the fans in the audience, the band had just as much energy as they did back in the day, if not more. And I must say the band of middle-aged men on stage were quite energetic, especially since they have not been playing live regularly since 1992. And the colourful shirts still feature!

Nearing the end of the gig, the Christian band’s biggest hit - Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head - got an instant response from the crowd who started screaming along.

And when Jon, who is now a Churh of England clergyman, jumped off stage it pushed the crowd to a state of euphoria. And even thought the fact the chorus is sung in French (a side effect of the Hoover blow to the head, perhaps) it didn’t stop the crowd singing along.

And I must admit, even if the lyrics are a bit too nonsensical for my taste, I didn’t stand still while listening to Fat and Frantic.