Fight Like Apes - Gig Review, Nottingham

It was a cold October evening back in 2008 when I was introduced to Fight Like Apes when they supported The Ting Tings on their last bout of arena gigs. Since that day I’d been waiting, hoping for a chance to go and see that support band which began my conversion to a wider taste in music genres, that one band that started off that particular evening with a very special bang.

I clambered through the busy room and the waves and waves of adoring fans, unfortunately I’d missed the first support act but it was obvious that their set had more than warmed up the audience who were seguing further and further forward, buying memorabilia, drinking jollily and readying themselves to enjoy Fight Like Apes. The buzz and anticipation was all but overflowing from people of a variety of different ages, backgrounds and lifestyles that were obvious if you had scoped the room. From those people that had seen them on their tour from previous dates in 2011, as well as people that had been waiting patiently for them to return to England after an extended break whilst writing the second album and touring around Ireland. Slightly later than originally planned, the band stormed on to the stage with the lead singer – Mary “May Kay” Geraghty – bass player Lee Boylan and bringing up the rear, James “Pockets” Fox.

With the arrival of the band on stage bringing one of the biggest screams I swear that I’d ever heard, complete with plastic cup of what I could only assume to be white wine. Literally, as soon as they arrived on stage, the wine was placed to one side, the keyboards were turned up full volume, the amps were blaring out and “Do You Karate” began as the audience danced, jumped and raved to the spectacular noise that they were surrounded with.

The set itself was very ranged and included a variety of well-known songs from their first album and the album that everybody in that room had become aware of and had grown to love – “Fight Like Apes and the Golden Medallion” – as well as treating the loyal fans, fans that had been waiting for months and years to see them to a selection of the greatest, newest songs from their second album – “The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner” – which had been released in the United Kingdom just prior to the tour.

Audience and band members alike were in full swing; singing along to the fantastic lyrics, throwing themselves around the room without care of what they looked like or what somebody might have thought, climbing all over the furniture and a special moment as the set ended with Pockets managing to be involved in the knocking over keyboard and main mic-stand! A favourite moment for myself would have been when May Kay and Pockets climbing from the stage where they were performing, onto the busy bar flowing with alcohol and began jousting with each other whilst performing the instrumental part of the song. I mean, where else would you see that happening? Who else would you see doing something like that?

…and as the gig drew to a spectacular close and rounded off a brilliant evening, one question was on Pocket’s lips as the last lyrics were sung – “do you know where we’re going next?” answering his own question with “Nandos!”

Review by Bradley