On the landmark day of their album release, we welcomed the talented Brighton quintet, ‘Fickle Friends’, to Nottingham’s very own Rough Trade for a small, stripped back showcase. Unlike their extravagant, palm tree ridden setup at their Rescue Rooms performance in October, the Rough Trade stage was simple and compact. Stepping out, the band were a picture of happiness, relief and nervousness, as Natti joked about having never played a set like this before, usually taking shelter behind a wall of noise and lights.
The proceedings began with a warming rendition of ‘Brooklyn’, the track from which the album received its title, much to the delight of the beaming audience. Although not the first time seeing Fickle Friends, I still found myself in awe of Natti’s incredible vocal talents. The five-piece then preceded through their brief set taken from their new album, with stripped back renditions of ‘Swim’, ‘Wake me up’, and ‘Glue’, the latter featuring only an acoustic guitar to complement Natti’s singing. Furthermore, the crowd pleaser ‘Swim’ is a testament to the rise of Fickle Friends. Having been first released back at the beginning of 2014, it was enjoyable to see the feel-good anthem still excite fans on what was such an important day for the five-piece.
Although an intimate show, there was a sense of great pride in the air: Fickle Friends have come a long way over the years. Having worked incredibly hard, both in and out of the studio, since being signed in the summer of 2016, Fickle Friends are deserved of all the praise and plaudits received as they target a top 10 position for their debut album.
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