Francobollo @ King Tut's, Glasgow, 28 Oct

Francobollo's experimental touches brings freshness to a genre that can easily turn stale and make for an enjoyable and fun show

Live Review by Giulia Bottaro | 31 Oct 2017

Sam Bailey's pink 80s-style dress, held together by a strip of duct tape, slips down an inch every time the bassist moves. There, it is. The nipple comes out. We all see it. Still, he doesn’t care and keeps playing – looks like this Halloween costume hadn’t been planned too far in avance.

The performance tonight, complete with headbanging and the occasional scream on mic, doesn’t disappoint. Francobollo (Italian for stamp) deliver an enjoyably neat show, with a consistent mix of emotions. They tease with dynamics – moments of frantic indie rock are peppered throughout with synths and drum samples – and there are frequent transitions in tempo.

They stand close on King Tut's small stage, though individually are very much in their own bubble with little interaction throughout except towards the end. The overall result reveals a connection that doesn’t need communication, a silent teamwork. They get along well, together in their individuality. As musicians, Francobollo are all-rounders: they all sing and play the synth, and they surprise the audience when drummer Sean Bean (not that Sean Bean) and singer Simon Nilsson swap places for Radio, with the second guitarist Petter Grevelius on the microphone.

The lamps on stage and cosiness of Tut's certainly play a part in creating a flat party vibe, but it really just looks like four guys on stage just doing what they love. Their experimental touch brings freshness to a genre that perhaps can easily turn out stale, with their latest album – Long Live Life – making for an enjoyable listen at home and especially live.

http://www.francobolloband.com/