Last night, Fozzy returned to London to smash out some good-time rock and metal jams in front of a packed out Underworld. We had a lovely time, but what did we learn from their latest (and greatest?) showing?
The Dirty Youth Still Have Potential
They’ve been working hard to bust their way out of the UK’s toilet circuits over the last three years and have strung together some hella good tunes in that time, and on the basis of tonight, Welsh rockers The Dirty Youth could still do great things. In front of an audience that ranges from excitable metal teens to mosh-ready hardcore kids to grizzled rock veterans and everything in between, the main support for the evening work their nuts/ovaries off to win over the mass majority of those in attendance, even throwing in a surprising but ultimately well-executed cover of Rage hallmark Killing In The Name to get the floor bouncing. Get some more big songs under their belts and stick them in front of the right crowd and who knows where they could go from here…
Fozzy Fans Are Fucking Nuts
Far from a gaggle of curious bystanders or bemused WWE fans with nothing else to do tonight (although shout-out to the guy at the back in the glow in the dark Ultimate Warrior t-shirt), Fozzy’s crowd are for the most part as dedicated as they come, with the Underworld floor becoming a swarming, seething (and, as we can attest from one particularly large fellow being very generous with his bodily fluids, fucking sweaty) mass of bodies from the second opening number Do You Wanna Start A War? hits. Pits open up immediately and are barely halted for the hour-plus that follows, growing particularly boisterous during recent single Lights Go Out and, most brilliantly, a manic cover of ABBA classic S.O.S. that causes some of the most ludicrous mosh-happy scenes this venue has ever witnessed.
The Band Work Just As Hard For It
Luckily, the five lads on stage are happy to give just as much back, with barely a static moment in sight as the quintet jump, bounce, dance and, we’re fairly sure at one point, pirouette their way around the stage in impressively perfect unison. This is a band evidently having a blast, and it’s safe to say that Chris Jericho in particular has his stage moves down to a T. You just can’t knock a man who so obviously grew up worshipping at the altar of DLR and the Starchild.
They’ve Finally Amassed Enough Legitimate Bangers To Fill A Whole Set
Undoubtedly helped by 2013’s Sin And Bones and last year’s Do You Wanna Start A War? being their finest efforts by a huge distance, tonight is further evidence that Fozzy have now written enough decent songs to more than justify their increasingly large following. From newer jams like Sandpaper, She’s My Addiction and One Crazed Anarchist to old favourites like God Pounds His Nails and Enemy, they’ve strung together an arsenal of tunes that ticks every box from thrash to cock rock and back again and, most importantly, are all shameless, simple fun. Cynics may baulk at such praise, but a deliriously happy Underworld crowd yelping every lyric in the set is hard to argue with.
Chris Jericho Has The Best Jackets In Metal
Look, we had to mention it, so here it is. His current one properly lights up and everything. We’re not quite so sure about the sequin tie, though. Sorry brah.
They’re Only Getting Better
Whatever their recorded output has offered through the years, Fozzy gigs have always been great value, but tonight really was a knockout, with an atmosphere, crowd and performance that would make this a serious shout for the best London gig of their entire career so far. Jericho’s decision to make the band his main priority is really starting to show now, with the fivesome having carved out an identity strong enough to pull them lightyears away from the novelty value tag their first few years smothered them with. And beyond everything else, put plainly, this was as fun as a Wednesday night in Camden Town gets. Where else are you going to see a circle pit for a fucking ABBA song?
