Going unequivocally mad for Fred

Fred - Whelans | 4/5

It’s been a while since the wonderful Cork band Fred have played in Dublin – they’ve been on tour in Canada for the last few months – but the huge crowd in Whelans showed just how much this five piece band were missed.

From the minute they stepped on stage, following their excellently named warm up band The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, Fred infused the audience with their infectious energy and almost instantly had all present jumping about the place. The band themselves bounced about the stage to hits like their upbeat new single Good One and the energetic Keep Me Clear. The Whelans audience definitely reciprocated in kind and by the encore of Skyscrapers all present, including myself, went unequivocally mad.

If you haven’t heard of Fred yet you will soon. Their lively pop-rock breaks the mould by being both fun and emphatically upbeat without descending into a cheese fest. In Whelans, Fred were all about sharing their vibrant, crisp sounds, clever harmonies and catchy pop music with the audience. It is truly rare to see a band that enjoy performing as much as Fred seem to and this feeling definitely endeared them to all present; but most of all it was their skill as performers, their quirky music and fantastic personalities that made this an evening that everyone present enjoyed wholeheartedly.