Arriving at the recently refurbished Button Factory I prepared for the musical extravaganza that is Mob Fandango, by catching their funky support band History of Harry. The four piece, led by singer Richard Farrell, played a blinding set of funk, soul and blues infused numbers. Farrell’s gravely voice lent itself perfectly to the soaring deep funk of songs like “The Oddity” and “Supersplit”. The band showed an excellent depth of talent and musical knowledge with their influences weaved into multi layered instrumentals.
Multi-tasking on guitar and keyboard, Farrell has a playful stage presence, dancing and larking about with his bandmates. The audience were rooted to the dance floor, with female fans forming a full front row thanks to the easy charm and good looks of the band’s effervescent front man. History of Harry are one to watch on the Dublin music scene, with two gigs lined up for May and an appearance at Dublin City Soul Festival pencilled in. Check out their album, “Trainman”, available now at Tower Records.
Having enjoyed a very tasty starter I ordered another Stella and settled in for the main course. Mob Fandango are an accomplished 11 piece, taking in trumpet, clarinet, flute, sax and 5 vocalists, the musical circus has come to town. A melting pot of genres, the band play originals and cover everything from funk to soul, reggae and rap, putting their own spin on many classics. Starting off on the crest of a wave with an impressive instrumental intro, the Mob eased into their stomping set. First up was “Holiday Song”, where the band showcased their breathtaking range, followed by “Come on Now”.
Next was an epic version of their own “Ghetto Life” featuring the twin vocal talents of Danny Groenland and Keith Fennell. Lead singer, John Paul “Jazzy Nice” Malone, was MIA due to the Icelandic volcano, but his band mates more than made up for his absence by sharing the singing duties. Guitarist, Liam Duffy, took to the microphone for a luxurious take on Bob Marley’s “We’re Jammin” and his hypnotic voice proved to be quite the floor filler. This band are a sure fire audience pleaser – toe tappers need not apply.
Winners of the Dublin City Soul Festival’s Rising Stars award in 2009, Mob Fandango are a live sensation, with their multi-layered sound spilling from the stage and spreading the love. The band are alumni of NUI Maynooth’s Music Department and it is the fusion of their professional ease and musical maverick that make them such a hit. A haunting, reggae infused version of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t no Sunshine” was raised to the rafters by the addition of History of Harry’s Richard Farrell on vocals.
A big jazzy intro led us into “The Thought of You”, followed by an infectious rendition of Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie”. Keith Fennell wowed us with his intricate rapping skills on their own “Rock You Baby” and the two singers built up to a crescendo with Isaac Hayes’ “Soul Man”. The onstage electricity was tuned up a notch as the band gave their all to James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and then brought the tempo back down with Frankie Valli’s “Beggin’ You”. The Mob continued the mellow theme with a super powered “The People they will Dance”.
Announcing their final tune, the mirror balls were cranked up as the gang launched into a fantastically funky re-working of Michael Jackson’s “Bad”. A killer finale indeed as the dance floor came alive once again. The Mob Fandango experience is feelgood music at its best and if this gig is anything to go by then groove lovers should get on down to the Soul Picnic in May, where the band will be on hand to entertain once more. Check out their MySpace page, which features an EP of their excellent original material.
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