Music review: Jon Fratelli, King Tut’s, Glasgow

Jon Fratelli has form capturing the rowdy jubilation of a night out in his native Glasgow, and the mass singalong to the leisurely saunter through The Fratellis’ favourite Whistle for the Choir was indicative of where this Friday night capacity King Tut’s crowd was at.

Jon Fratelli

Music review: Jon Fratelli, King Tut’s, Glasgow ***

Fratelli himself was in the more reflective, melancholic frame of mind which hits in the wee small hours, and this solo show was primarily a showcase for the more subtly crafted material on his new solo album, Bright Night Flowers, such as the country rock lope of Evangeline or the urban romanticism of the title track.

On record, these songs are swathed in sumptuous strings but, even shorn of the orchestral arrangements, it wasn’t hard to spot the difference between his more considered and classic solo songs and the punchier Fratellis’ numbers with their swaggering gait and terrace chant tunes – the exception to the rule being the sensitive, expansive, reverberating Laughing Gas

from The Fratellis’ most recent album, In Your Own Sweet Time, which proved to be a highlight of the bijou set.

Fratelli also took the opportunity to pay his respects to the enduring vintage influences which are more readily reflected when he writes for himself rather than his band.

Leonard Cohen’s Tower of Song was faithfully delivered, as was Bob Dylan’s blues epic Blind Willie McTell and he rounded off with a great Glasgow pub version of The Drifters’ Save the Last Dance For Me, no doubt being murdered elsewhere at some karaoke night across town. - Fiona Shepherd