The Fades at the Dublin Castle, Wednesday 16th July 2003

review by Lottie McNamara

On a muggy Wednesday night in Camden, the Dublin Castle was rocked by up and coming band The Fades. Although the humid weather couldn’t tempt many out from the air conditioned pubs, there was no stopping The Fades as they launched into 1995 at breakneck speed like they were headlining Wembley. After a brief introduction of themselves to the crowd, Missed The Point kicked in, slightly less frenetic but no less compelling. You Say (my personal favourite track of the night), The Fades’ debut single was next and successfully blends blistering punk-rock interspersed with a reggae beat proving that the spirit of Joe Strummer is alive and well and living in Ham.

Never letting up for a second, the boys thrashed their way through What Made You?, Martyr and Wrong – tracks that bore the unmistakeable 60’s riffs that make this band stand out from the generic indie rock being pumped out into the ethos at the moment. All too quickly it was the end of the set, but the group’s second single Life Support was an apt finish, harking back to the aggressive nature of the opener, 1995.

The venue perhaps wasn’t the best for the group, whose desire for some
Who-esque antics was hampered by the small stage and close crowd. Let loose on a bigger stage and we might see some of the energy that is bubbling under the surface come to fruition. This is a band that definitely let’s their music do the talking and it speaks volumes.

If you like the sound of a band that mixes early Rolling Stones, The Jam, The Clash and The Undertones whilst at the same time sounding totally original, then hotfoot it down to The Fades next gig, details on their website at www.thefades.co.uk In the words of one Michael Philip Jagger, this is one band that will definitely Not Fade Away.

The Fades’ ‘Life Support’ is released on CD and 7” on Monday 21st July, available from most good record shops or online at www.genepoolrecords.com