Fat Freddy’s ‘drop’ into Sydney with their new album ‘Bays’

By Deb Kloeden, Adelaide correspondent in Sydney

Review: Fat Freddy’s Drop Bays tour

Venue: Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 26th February

New Zealand band, Fat Freddy’s Drop, have been touring Australia to sold out crowds, sharing their new album Bays. I caught them towards the end of their tour in Sydney at the Hordern, a venue they have wanted to perform in for years.

The seven-piece soul/dub/reggae act kept the audience totally engaged, playing a mix of songs from Bays and plenty of all-time favourites from their previous four albums, including Blackbird & their first hit single, Wandering Eye. Well known for their 20-minute long jams and improvisations, the band took their audience on a high-energy journey for nearly 2 ½ hours in a hot, sweaty pavilion.

‘The Drop’ play an interesting mix of instruments including four brass instruments: trumpet, trombone, saxophone, & tuba; which is the key to the success of their depth & originality of sound. Joe Lindsay (“Hopepa”) who plays trombone & tuba, is the real entertainer of the show. He provided a lively, comic ‘dance’ routine, which included stripping off most of his clothes until he was just in his underpants by the encore.

There is a large Kiwi population in Sydney, so I am not surprised about the enthusiastic reaction from the crowd. I really felt like I was in New Zealand, where everyone seems to know everyone else. And ‘The Drop’ seemed equally pleased with the audience response, eventually returning for a long, medley of songs, morphing old favourites into an interesting mix which left everyone feeling completely satisfied.