Fat Dog at Scala: A Cultish Rock n’ Roll Fever Dream
Photo by Amy Russell
With new songs adding to an already established set list and their biggest headline yet, the sky's the limit for the South London band.
For the past year, Fat Dog have been the greatest band that nobody has ever heard of, playing to packed out, dedicated audiences across the London underground music scene. That is up until last August and the release of their debut single ‘King of the Slugs’ on Domino Records, a seven-minute long fever dream that knows no bounds.
Fat Dog Kicked off their debut headline tour with a sold out night at Scala, with its 1000 person capacity being the largest venue they have headlined to date. This was no mean feat for any new band, however Fat Dog made it seem like child’s play.
By the first song, the band had already succeeded in sending the crowd into a mass frenzy, singing along to every single lyric, as memorised from the multitude of recordings of their previous gigs online. Fat Dog continued to keep the energy going without fail, including the frontman, Joe Love, frequently jumping into the crowd to join the pit, and synchronised dance moves on stage coming from Chris on the keyboards and Morgan on the saxophone.
An interlude mid-way through only added to the madness that is a Fat Dog gig, with the band leaving the stage, only for keyboardist Chris to emerge, donned in a black cloak, performing an absurdist speech, signifying that new songs were making their maiden voyage onto the setlist, only furthering the excitement radiating from fans. Each new track was well rehearsed and a welcome addition to the roster, and will no doubt be recited off by heart by their audiences in no time. As their set came to a close, out emerged hundreds of sweaty, starstruck gig-goers riding the adrenaline high of an impeccably chaotic night.
A jewel in the crown of the London alternative scene, if not the crown itself, Fat Dog is far more than your average rock n’ roll band: it is a scene in its own right, a community of music dads and young headbangers, or even a cult affair. Considering that Scala was the kick off for their first major headlining tour of the UK, with only one single out, it can only be further and further up for Fat Dog.
The sky may not be the limit for the band, the limit may be even higher.
Edited by Lucy Blackmur, Music Editor
