Oasis aren’t the only band reuniting; Fairground Attraction are back together after a whopping 34 years apart. LeftLion caught their Royal Concert Hall show and discovered a reborn band working together in joyous harmony...
After rapid success in the late 80s and a number one hit with Perfect, Fairground Attraction found themselves in a high-pressure environment which quickly turned into creative disputes and the need for its members to explore new directions. Lead singer Eddi Reader went on to have a successful solo career, guitarist Mark Nevin worked on new material with Morrissey and the late Kirsty MacColl before starting out on his own solo ventures, and Simon Edwards and Roy Dodds both continued their musical endeavours as session musicians. After a health scare for Dodds and a hive of activity within the band’s active Japanese following, the band have come back together with an offer of brand new music.
Ivor Novello award-winning singer-songwriter Scott Matthews was the support for the evening, and did an excellent job of bringing the grandiosity of the Royal Concert Hall into a more welcoming, humble realm with his solo acoustic performance. He has a beautiful, rich tone to his voice that’s simply mesmerising, and he has the song writing chops and charisma that marry perfectly together to create a truly special performer. A particular highlight was My Selfless Moon – a poetic, emotive song which really showcased his gliding vocals and storytelling abilities. We also got a bit of a folky tease, with a little bit of help from a trusty old harmonica on one of his songs too. I’m sure many audience members will now have Scott Matthews on the radar if they didn’t already.
Fairground Attraction opened their headline set with a song from their brand new album Beautiful Happening. A Hundred Years of Heartache sees Eddi Reader delicately welcome in the audience to this new era for the band, as she sings about coming home and resting her head after a period of difficulty. This perfectly sets the tone for the evening, as the band come back together in joyous harmony after all those years apart. These are veteran performers, and despite all that time together, they fit like a glove as a group, supported as well by their touring members, Roger Beaujolais and Graham Henderson.
The setlist danced between old and new, and also featured a few cameo verses from some songs outside their discography. Judy Garland and Edith Piaf both received tributes, which felt particularly fitting in this theatrical setting. Eddi Reader is both a phenomenal vocalist and an excellent performer, and her overtly dramatic French accent was a lot of fun. While her range is a little lower as she’s aged, it’s still incredibly impressive and full of dazzling soul.
Roy Dodds blew me away with his talent on the shekere – an African percussive instrument which featured during the set. The speed at which he was playing it was simply awesome, and the stamina which must be required to keep that up and in time must be immense. It should come as no surprise that a band with a guitarron (acoustic bass) player in the core lineup brings with them some non-traditional instruments. It’s always a good time when an accordion is involved in my view, and who doesn’t love a good old fashioned glockenspiel, eh?
Of course, they played their smash hit Perfect and everybody was singing along as Eddi swung her lovely monochrome polka dot skirt around the stage. This wasn’t the only occasion though where the audience was singing along though. There’s always a risk at reunion gigs that fans are only really there to reminisce on the good old days, but there was a clear recognition from the audience members of the new material, and at no point did there feel like there was a preference for old or new in terms of audience reception. My favourite appreciative crowd member was a guy right on the end of the front row who danced about upstanding for most of the gig in clear jubilation. You sir, are brilliant.
That’s what’s so magical – the very clear love that exists between these performers. It’s clear that the forces that kept them apart have been fully defeated, which now all these years later has allowed them to blossom with a project that returning fans can really cherish.
Fairground Attraction performed at The Royal Concert Hall on 4th October 2024.
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