Fred again: the producer to the stars proves too polite by half
At Alexandra Palace on Monday night, the mood felt more like a Friday. Fans of British producer-turned-star Fred again.. were geared up for a big night out at the first of four sold-out dates at the 10,000-capacity London venue – but the show never quite delivered.
Fred again.. – real name Fred Gibson – makes music that thrives on connection. He plants a deep knowledge of mainstream pop (from his work producing the likes of Ed Sheeran, George Ezra, and Stormzy) in dance music that is drenched in competence, but also unusually introspective and emotive. His breakthrough trilogy of albums, titled Actual Life, functioned as a sonic diary from the 2020 lockdown onwards, weaving found footage and snatches of conversation, captured on his phone, into a cathartic tapestry of piano and dance beats. He’s seemingly Fred by nature as well as name: a kind of personable, approachable everyman, albeit with public-schoolboy charm.
Previous shows, from last year’s Brixton Academy run and an appearance at Madison Square Garden with Skrillex and Four Tet to this summer’s Glastonbury set, have inspired rave reviews. But Gibson’s first night at Alexandra Palace felt stilted, paced awkwardly between standard dancefloor fare and the slower, ambient work nurtured by his mentor Brian Eno.
Much like Gibson’s persona and music, the show was carefully plotted to feel ad hoc. Sophisticated lighting illuminated his ordinary appearance: a slight figure in a white t-shirt, hunched behind keyboards and drum pads. Behind him, a screen the size of a 20m phone broadcasted text messages and live selfie footage – show turned video call – as well as the singers sampled on his tracks, removing the boundaries between virtual and real. Gibson, meanwhile, removed physical boundaries too, departing from the stage to play a few tracks in the thick of the sweaty crowd.
But a poor setlist structure hindered his efforts. Recent single adore u, featuring Nigerian artist Obongjayar, landed successfully, but Gibson’s hit Strong with Romy xx connected only after some customary audience participation and a smattering of piano that revealed his classical training. His biggest hit Marea (we’ve lost dancing) failed to make an appearance at all, while tracks such as Mollie (hear your name) sent many to the bar. In these moments, the carefully cultivated sense of connection that Gibson’s music relies on fell away like the green curtain in The Wizard of Oz.
For a purveyor of such benign, polite music, Gibson has been a remarkably polarising figure, earning adoration and contempt in equal measure. His Alexandra Palace show served as a reminder that neither reaction is appropriate.
Further gigs tonight and Fri: fredagain.com
