Music > Live Reviews
Frankie and the Heartstrings @ NAC
12/10/15
You know that Domino’s advert with the really catchy ‘oh, oh-ooh-oh-ooh’ backing track? That’s Frankie & the Heartstrings; a quirky Sunderland based five-piece with roots in the hazy mess that was the noughties’ indie pop scene. Their debut album Hunger hit the charts in 2011 and since then they’ve toured with the Vaccines and Kaiser Chiefs, founded their own record label and on a quiet night in October they found their way to Norwich Arts Centre.
At doors the venue was empty and anticipation was low. First support, Norwich’s Hello Bear, certainly suited the jaunty feel of the evening, but in all the wrong ways. As tedious and mundane as their hipster-esque appearance would have you believe, their 30-minute set was too much of an excuse to go and relax in the bar a bit longer. Tibetan Night Terrors, another local act, were better, livening up the small crowd with their upbeat, summery rock sound.
Normally when I find myself at a gig as poorly attended as the Heartstrings, it’s because, without beating around the bush, the band suck. But as to why this show was so empty remains a mystery to me, as it did upon their arrival to the stage. Summoning the crowd, if it could even be called a crowd, to step a little closer, they powered straight into Decency, the title track of their latest record. Next they played the disjointed sounding Possibilities, a quirky indie pop track reminiscent of Supergrass and the Cardigans, but not before calling out yours truly from the front row, apologising for making an Alan Partridge joke on Twitter that afternoon. Photograph set feet tapping and hips shaking with frontman Frankie Francis setting the example, springing around the stage flamboyantly. “Thanks for coming to see us” he said between songs, “We played in a church in Doncaster the other day and that was fucking shit! (…) We’re not used to playing venues this nice”. Guitarist Simon Hubbard adding light-heartedly, “We’re not used to having people watch us play to be honest”.
Tender gave the band an opportunity to slow things down and show off their stunning, almost choral vocals, gradually bringing more energy to the room which, although still pretty bare, had a strongly intimate buzz about it. Further down the line I Still Follow You did the same, Francis still exuberantly dancing, the rest of the band exchanging glances of enjoyment every so often. “I’ve never seen Norwich city centre”, Francis chirped, “I’m used to being chauffeured to the door of every gig”. “I remember having a wild night in Swaffham once” drummer Dave Harper added, to the audience’s amusement. Preceding Hunger came some entertaining ad-libs about clubbing, Sunderland and why no one has chips with curry down south, the song eventually getting a play after Francis seemed to realise “this isn’t a comedy show, come on let’s play a song”. This was the definite highlight of the evening, primarily because it was the only tune any attendees could sing along to but also as a result of the band’s infectious stage presence.
Closing the show with Fragile, Francis said a courteous thanks, the gig ending on a definite high. They may not be the most popular band in Britain, but without a doubt Frankie & the Heartstrings are one of the most entertaining, putting on a great evening by all accounts.