Music Critic Heidi Downing reviews Fun Lovin’ Criminals’ Birmingham show, describing it as a night filled with many atmospheric moments
Fun Lovin’ Criminals have recently embarked on their UK tour and played an energetic and atmospheric gig at Birmingham O2 Academy 2 on the 9th December. This 2023 tour was an exciting celebration for the trio, marking the 25th anniversary of their album 100% Colombian. This milestone occasion for the band brought a mixed crowd of different generations to mark the achievement and keep the spirit of their music alive in front of an eager audience. Throughout this tour, they will also be visiting other big cities such as London, Bristol, and Liverpool before celebrating their achievements further across the globe in many Australian venues.
The gig was a night filled with many atmospheric moments. The bustling crowd awaited the start of the concert in anticipation, within which the regular house lighting switched to complete darkness. The black state of lighting was soon accompanied by an instrumental introduction featuring the keys, building a vibe of yet to come. Shortly after, there was an explosion of lights and colour as the trio, consisting of Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser, Frank Benbini, and Naim Cortazzi, set foot on the stage and were greeted with many cheers from a crowd full of eager fans.
The gig was a night filled with many atmospheric moments
One of the highlights of being able to watch the legendary NYC band that is Fun Lovin’ Criminals live is seeing and hearing the myriad of instruments blend together throughout the set. This included a mix of brass, electronics, vocals, and string. It is impossible to neatly define the genre to one distinct category, which is what makes watching Fun Lovin’ Criminals live so exciting an experience because you never know what instruments and energy the next track will evoke. Instead, their music can only be described as a polymath talent uniting blends of hip-hop, funk, rock and roll, and jazz – combining an unusually creative cacophony of instruments.
There were many moments throughout the night where you could see the powerful influence their music had over the crowd, such as during the song ‘Big Night Out’. This popular song was accompanied by many fans singing along and everyone in the crowd swaying in unison to beats of the music, creating a large community of music lovers.
There were many moments throughout the night where you could see the powerful influence their music had over the crowd
After what the crowd thought was the end of the set, we were left with a suspenseful pause with chants for ‘one more song’ before the band finally graced the stage once again. In fact, we were gifted with numerous songs as part of the encore including some of their most popular hits such as the eponymous song ‘The Fun Lovin’ Criminal’ and eventually ending with one of their most well- known songs ‘Scooby Snacks’. During this ultimate song of the night, the lighting once again created a theatrical treat by using flashing coloured overhead lighting in blue and red to resemble a police siren, transporting the crowd into the concept of the lyrics which depict a robbery, ‘Running around robbing banks/All wacked off of Scooby Snacks’.
The exciting blend of genres and instruments is fundamentally what really brings the atmosphere and gets the crowd going
Fun Lovin’ Criminals have been releasing popular tracks for over two decades. Although this tour is an anniversary achievement looking back on their successful music career, they are still seen to be releasing new music with their new EP The Capistrano Sessions coming out earlier in 2023. The exciting blend of genres and instruments is fundamentally what really brings the atmosphere and gets the crowd going, meaning it does not matter whether you are a dedicated long-term fan or a complete beginner – there will be something in their set list suited to practically anyone looking to mix up their music taste.
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