Jake Mace
An inextinguishable sense of anguish runs through FEVER PEACH‘s compilation of their favourites among their roster of trademark half spoken-word half post-punk soft-rock bangers. This is only ever eclipsed by the side-splitting comedy and delightfully slapdash audience interaction that leaves you held tightly in their riotous, raucous choral embrace. It’s difficult not to want to join the cult of Fever Peach, which the band have deftly crafted in this rowdy, brass, but wholly introspective and bare-all tribute to a creative partnership that transcends genre and classification to become something new – performance art; headbanging, philosophical, unruly mayhem.
I first caught up with FEVER PEACH in the depths of the Caves at EdFringe last year – when I reviewed their show Intense Goblin Nightmare Woman. While I did recognise some of their songs from that show (as was to have been expected), I was pleased to see how adeptly the duo have whittled their craft even from then. They conduct the audience as a beastly orchestra, cajoling them into all kinds of antics and the delivering gut-punching, stark, majestic spoken word in the moments in between. It’s not clear which parts are the interludes and what’s the main drag – is it a comedy show? A music show? A poetry show? Who cares anyway? It’s ridiculous fun.
It might be too easy to suggest that this firebrand style of genre-defying punk-ness would lack depth. Thankfully, FEVER PEACH underscore every moment of wacky-ness with an unbridled sense of catharsis. They walk the line carefully of baring-all and letting-go, never slipping too deep into either, to allow the audience to find refuge, levity, and eventually poignancy in the atmosphere so deftly created.
Scott Redmond continues to deliver an effervescently charming, if slightly unhinged on-stage persona that effortlessly reflects on his identity – from a timely, reasoned and stark exploration of gender and its expectations through to exploring Romani representation, and discarding his native drawl to suit the surroundings of a university environment. The song Working Class Intellectual is a high note of the collection, underpinning an interrogation of classist societal expectations and how a relationship to canonical literature grounds you in between the idiosyncracies of your identity.
Andy Bullock unwinds Redmond’s lyrics and words with powerful, humming guitar melodies, then takes centre-stage in a series of songs involving looping, that see him bury layers upon layers of words and basslines into an untangle-able web. The pair have such electric chemistry, and such a distinct idea of how to balance equal doses of fun and lucidity into their work that creates a masterfully untamed feeling in the room. Visceral lyrics match foot-stomping tunes, leaving no corners of their identities untouched along the way.
The moments of comedy often involve meta-theatrical devices, such as questioning the audience’s loyalties or sympathies, interacting with them directly to court them into the band’s distinct vibe. Thankfully, all are inducted with equal degrees of care and chaos that makes the whole thing sing with verve, camaraderie, empathy.
Far from being ‘the pits’, this rich and riotous compilation will leave you thumping your chest in allegiance to all things sweet and peachy.
Recommended Drink: A Bellini, of course!
FEVER PEACH will debut their new work-in-progress show at Dundee Fringe next week. Tickets are available through the Dundee Fringe Box Office.
Phoebe Bakker
