Full FDP3 documentary:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL0ij8_RTlg
These tracks were recorded on a Zoom H2N at Fat Dog Party 3, at The Green Door Store on 21/6/15.
Free download comes with 9 bonus tracks of full sets + 1 bonus Our Girl song.
FDP3 marked Allison's Gate's debut show. Little over a year since her chance attendance of FDP1 reignited her interest in creative self expression, her set perfectly exemplified the inclusively rousing ethos of FDP. The audience - those lucky enough to see her open the festival - silently sat on the floor, absorbing song-after-song of spaced out guitar and stunningly beautiful vocal melodies. In featured track 'You'll Be Fine', one can hear her stage-fright completely overshadowed by emotionally evocative songwriting, performed with heartbreaking humanity.
Two-piece Cold Holding played a sprawling set of emotional post-hardcore, managing to conjure near-orchestral dynamic and emotional range from their minimal setup. Their focused arrangements and intense performance equally absorbed and invigorated. Featured in this compilation is their closer, 'Lower', which left me intrigued as to what they will do next. As it happens, they've recently announced an upcoming second EP.
Fake Laugh are becoming somewhat of a sensation in southern England. I first heard them through 80n7's debut compilation, and have since seen them continually popping up on great line-ups and labels ever since. Their brilliantly morose jangle pop songs hint at the totems of indie while retaining an original flair. The featured track, 'Freely', exhibit's Kamran Khan's mastery of the ever-longingly romantic melodies perfectly suited to dancing alone.
Satanic Ritual Abuse did a semi-improvised semi-comedy set, bullying more talented members of the audience into become his spontaneous backing band. The featured excerpt is the shambolic climax of SRA's exploration of/personal struggle with artistic narcissism.
Sam Rivers, unshaken by unexpectedly taking part in SRA's performance, went on to play a set full of tender songs, deeply rooted in the traditions of classic '60s songwriters. His thunderous baritone voice delivering the metaphors, similes, and numerous other poetic devices to the audience's ears. The featured track, 'Father of Mine', showcases Sam's current focus on the familial realm, alongside his gothic folk aural aesthetic.
Mad Kid Library Trap reformed his orchestra for FDP3. MKLT possibly has the most culty cult following of all the FDP performers, and for good reason. Combining elements of seemingly every leftfield popular music genre, I failed to find a single track that encapsulates the full scope of his performance. Thus, possibly more then any other artist on this compilation, it is really worth listening to Mad Kid's entire set (which is available as a bonus album if you download this comp.) Hopefully, MKLT and the orchestra will be recording soon for an MoD release.
Smiling Disease's full band debuted at FDP3. The reclusive bedroom shoegazer transformed his hazy lo-fidelity recordings into a booming, visceral live experience. The featured track is a version of 'The Klingon Race' from 'Beach Bodies: 2008-2014', a compilation/debut album released by MoD digitally and on cassette. The chaos of the original Audacity-produced track is reflected in the chaos of a live performance by a band whose first practice with one of their guitarists took place only that morning.
Our Girl have played at every Fat Dog Party so far. Since the delicate stripped back performance at the principle FDP, they've played a seemingly infinite number of gigs and are now an enthrallingly tight powerhouse of a power-trio. Despite having to cut down their set because of previous things over-running, Soph's lyrics and melodies floated beautifully through the air, underlined boldly by the band's synchronised sonic assault. What a goddamn brilliant band.
Porridge Radio (another FDP regular), and her backing band The Cosmic Sadness, played this set while preparing to record their debut album (to be released on MoD soon). Although some members did not know how to play some songs, they still managed to make the crowd jump, sing and dance - most likely due to the band's pure energy propelling Porridge Radio's stellar songwriting far up-and-away into deepest space. The featured track - 'Losercore', a mangled homage to Lou Barlow/Sentridoh's track of the same name - has become somewhat of a Fat Dog Anthem.
O. Chapman's FDP3 performance was the final show with Soph Nathan (of Our Girl, The Big Moon, etc.) on lead guitar. It was a fittingly special show: in the featured track, you can hear the wildly excited audience singing along to the chorus of 'Relapser'. In the full-set bonus track you can hear this incarnation of O. Chapman's band tearing shit up for a solid 25 minutes. This is a snapshot of a moment in O. Chapman's ever evolving sound, a moment which will surely always been looked at as a textbook example of 2-guitars-bass-and-drums done right. O. Chapman is king of the weasels.
FDP3 was amazing. If you want to get involved in the future of Fat Dog Party, get in touch.