Last time Fatboy came to Finland earlier this year, I sadly had to miss out on seeing them live. Now I finally had the chance to catch them live and experience the rockabilly pro’s that they are! So on a wet day in Finland, I made the trip to On The Rocks in Helsinki where I’d be greeted by upbeat and soulful music…

Pääesiintyjät (***1/2)

Warming us up tonight was the Finnish rockabilly outfit Pääesiintyjät. I didn’t understand much of what they were singing about (which is all too common when a band sings in only Finnish), but they definitely brought already some life in the party. It was good old folksy rockabilly that was damn catchy even though I couldn’t really sing along. Upbeat and happy, played by people who clearly love to be on stage. Quite soon then we saw the first dancers on the floor and rockin’ & rollin’ could begin!

Fatboy (*****)

With somewhat of a delay, the guys of Fatboy strode on stage all dressed up in matching embroidered outfits. Frontman Thomas in all-white while the rest of the band surrounding him had the exact same clothes in black. Just seeing that, automatically took me to think of the outfits that Manuel (Nashville clothes designer) made for the country and rock ‘n’ roll greats.

And those stage outfits, together with an absolutely great sound just made it picture perfect. When people go to a concert, it’s most of the time to have a little break from the hustle & bustle from their daily life. If a band actually manages to take you away for the full length of their show, you have little bit of magic on your hands. And this is basically what Fatboy is all about… their presence and their music really makes you feel as if you’re in some honky-tonk bar in Memphis or Nashville enjoying some of the best music the local scene has to offer, dropping loving hints toward classic artists like Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and maybe even a little bit of Elvis.

Everything just feels right as soon as these guys start playing and it’s clear that these guys are working like a well-oiled machine. A whole lot of people were moving to the music, both old and young, and there were couples looking for a bit of more open space to really start dancing on a mix of both old work and songs from their recently released ‘Diggin the Scene‘. I’ve heard rumors that Fatboy is coming back to Finland some time soon. If you can, please go see them, you won’t be disappointed!

Setlist:
Cruel Love
A Touch Of Blue
What Would Elvis Do
Mercy Mercy
Backbone Girl
Bare Moon
Just A Little Bit More
Muddy The Water
Aila
Last Train Home
Burning Bridges
Idwgt
Overdrive
Summertime Bop
Diggin The Scene
Down At The Room
Pretty Red Lips

For more pics, go here:
https://www.grimmgent.com/fatboy-(on-the-rocks,-helsinki)-11-9-2019