Music / Reviews
Review: Fat Dog, SWX – ‘A bed of howls and woofs’
A friend told me passionately “Fat Dog rock.” I went in blind and, after a cramming session listening to 2024’s album WOOF, I drank a bleary-eyed coffee and listened loudly to Running to hype myself up in preparation.
The energy was high: a sold-out SWX crowd crammed in early and eagerly to catch support act Y. Sometimes a band are made to support another and Y are the perfect act here. Their music is souped up, energised and complements Fat Dog in an algorithm kind of way.
The songs are sax-driven, funk-enthused, marching bass-in-your-face chaos rock. Each track combines a kaleidoscope of rhythms and genres. In Why, the sax intro loops as the band is electrified around it, prompting an early doors mosh pit.
Excitingly, the band will be at Bristol’s Outer Town festival.
Like a compere at a comedy gig, Y had us well-oiled and, importantly, people had found their space to dance. The barrier is filled with strong-bladdered fans who cling to retain the best spot for Fat Dog.
Frontman Joe Love screams “THAT’S FUCKING FAT DOG BABY!” over a bed of howls and woofs from the crowd.
Vigilante smashes the doors open and says this what we are. Fat Dog have an instantaneous, explosive stage presence with music that forces you to move.
Frontman Joe Love spends most of the gig glued to the barrier
Before I know it I’m crammed in, clinging to the barrier hoping for the best as the crowd forms a higgledypiggledy hexagonal circle pit behind me, people slipping left right and centre.
King Of Slugs is a seven-minute full throttle electrified-funk insanity of a track with a waltzing half-time break before it inevitably speeds up and the wall-to-wall chaos resumes.
Fat Dog: hyped for a reason, and on their way up
The WOOFS increase along with smiles as the set speeds on. Joe Love uses the barrier as his stage as the band kill it behind him.
Latest single Peace Song is an indie banger showing they’ve got it all covered. “I’m in love with the world so take it easy on me,” Love sings, within touching distance of the crowd. The song is as breezy and as poppy as Fat Dog gets, with a passionate singalong feel over a drumbeat that moves the feet.
The set finishes aptly with Running, as most of the crowd feel like they’ve just done a 10k and are a sweaty mess of excitement. Just as Vigilante is a great starter Running is the perfect set closer, as the band give us every inch of their energy with the crowd dialled up and ferrel. No encore, no need.
This was one of many sold out dates on Fat Dog’s tour and from this show, it’s clear why. See them next in Bristol at Dot to Dot Festival or miss out big time.
All images: Matt Barnes
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
