Review of Feeder supported by Fatherson at The Ironworks, Inverness on February the 3rd, 2012, by Mark Allison. Photos by Thomas Bisset Photography.
Feeder (as Feeder, not the Renegades) arrived in the Highlands for the first time since their headline appearance at Belladrum in 2010 to play the Ironworks for a second time since 2008’s show which was a corker!
Support act for tonight was Glasgow band Fatherston. The four piece with occasional cello player were tight with plenty dynamics spread through their sound, influences including Snow Patrol and Foo Fighters could be heard, however, the two elements missing from their material was hooks and bounce-ability. If they can introduce more of that in to their own songs then they could be one of the best new Scottish bands for sometime.
It was more of a sombre start for Feeder. As the lights went down singer and guitarist Grant Nicholas with keyboard player Dean Deavall walked onstage and started the first of the new tracks for tonight, semi-acoustic number ‘Children of the Sun’. Once the atmosphere was set, it was show time. Taka Hirose and current session drummer Damon Wilson joined their band mates on stage and went straight into another new number ‘Oh My’. A more stripped back band and appearance with the absence of a second guitarist and a backdrop.
The main reason for this mini tour was to air new material from forthcoming album ‘Generation Freakshow’. Grant explained what had influenced some of the new material and added that the Ironworks was one of his favourite venues which probably contributed it to being one of the four tour dates.
New material on show tonight was new single ‘Borders’, ‘Tiny Minds’, ‘Sunrise’, ‘Hey Johnny’ (a personal favourite of this reviewer), ‘Idaho’ and ‘Generation Freakshow’ as well as the aforementioned opening songs. On the narrative of the new tracks, ‘Idaho’ stood out as close to Grant. It was about the earlier days of the band when they first toured the USA and how he spotted and eventually bought his valued acoustic guitar (used at the start of the gig) in Boise, Idaho while ‘Sunrise’ was about living in a big city and title track ‘Generation Freakshow’ was influenced by the riots that occurred recently in parts of England.
The one thing Grant had going against him all night was his guitar effects unit which seemed to fail on numerous occasions. However, the seasoned professional did not let it ruin either his or the audiences night and soldiered on regardless still putting on a great show. He even played a guitar solo again at the end of one of the new songs after it had cut out on him just so fans could hear it!
Along with hits ‘Feeling a Moment’, ‘Just the way I’m Feeling’, ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘High’, the set was powerful and had the crowd jumping up and down and singing along. In all a great evening with the only slight disappointment being that it seemed a bit short, at about an hour and twenty minutes.
(For any converts to Fatherson you can buy tickets for their headline slot at Ironworks via management@invernessGiGs.co.uk)
