The gig started with the Leeds based band Adult DVD who seem to get better every time I see them. Their production from synth to lead singer Harry Hanson interactions with the crowd definitely was superb! You can tell they are getting ready for 2025 festival season where they seem to be popping up at nearly every indie festival. They are definitely worth your time, plus they are a bunch of nice lads as I got a picture with them at the end of the gig.
In between acts, I remembered why I love a good solo gig in Newcastle and why I am in love with the post punk world (play on the lyrics from Fat Dog’s latest single, 'Peace Song'). As a girl, solo gigging can be a daunting prospect, but then you’re in a crowd of punk-loving Geordies, and you feel right at home. Chatting with people of all ages about beer, BBC Radio 6 and gigs, you remember that you are all there for one reason: to let your hair down and move to some great live music.
One key thing that stuck out to me was the audience participation with the gig. The moment came and all you could hear was the entrance song of opera and "woof!" chants filling the Boiler Shop. Starting with ‘Vigilante’, keyboardist Chris Hughes made his way into the crowd to rally up the mosh pit and I had to join in. Lead singer Joe Love continued this energy and the crowd created mixtures of mosh circles and lines, making the pit electric. Despite nearly losing my leather jacket and my glasses at points, it was one of the best mosh pits I’ve been in since coming to university. Plus seeing the number of girls in the mosh pit made me smile! Three songs that stuck out to me was their latest single ‘Peace Song’, ‘Running’ and unreleased track ‘Bad Dog’, as the crowd went insane including myself.
Overall Fat Dog at the Boiler Shop embodied what a proper rock gig night out is, from beer spilled hair, an electric mosh pit to set list collections. Fat Dog and Adult DVD are 100% worth your time if you ever get the chance to see them.