Arctic Reviews

Pre-gig speculation brought to mind thoughts of how this night might play out; having come full circle, the Academy marked the spot where CB and I had first clapped eyes on the Fun Lovin' Criminals almost twelve years before. Depending on whether you're a glass half empty or glass half full kinda guy, those last dozen years have either been pretty cruel or very good to a band who at the time had just had a top 3 British album with 100% Colombian. Given that the idea of reaching a sixth album is almost fantasy for most outfits in today's music industry, the arrival of Classic Fantastic after a five year absence is tribute if nothing else to the band's staying power. Even their biggest advocates however would admit that the journey into a niche of their own has become a self fulfilling prophecy, one that makes touring either an adventure in greatest hits land or an odyssey into play the new record and encore up the ones they'll recognise.

Huey Morgan (Pronounced as ever as "Yeww-ay" tonight by the crowd) is a man though that you sense whose hi-ball is always full, even when it's empty. And despite Classic Fantastic's hostile reception critically there's still a healthy crowd in, a feat even more remarkable given their extended absence. Morgan spends the night beaming at them, alternating that with frequently goofing off to bandmates Frank and long-time cohort and multi-instrumentalist, Fast.

Given the choice then between churning them out and proving your creatively still alive, the set list reflects a commitment to doing both, delivering the obvious (Classic Fantastic, Love Unlimited, Scooby Snacks, King of New York) mixed in with the slightly more obscure (Mi Corazon, Southside and early favourite Bombin' The L). Morgan also adds special relish to The Biz, Loco's kiss-off to the suits at EMI, by whom they were unceremoniously dropped in 2001, despite the album's top five chart debut.

It's a pick and mix selection, one which heralds the Fun Lovin' Criminals blueprint for longevity. A twinkle in the eye when AR last caught the band in 2007, the move towards becoming a funky lounge review has subsequently been completed, Morgan delivering Santana-esque guitar breaks aplenty, but the Latin tempo giving a new refinement to old warhorses like Big Night Out.

Almost an afterthought fifteen years ago, playing live now seems likely to be the band's commercial staple and in a set lasting for more than two hours these Vegas overtones are undeniable, but the footnotes easy to follow. Following a trajectory which most if not all acts eventually succumb to, the occasional elements of cheesy vaudeville in fact do the inherent quality of the show an injustice, drawing attention away from Morgan's guitar virtuosity and the band's undeniable chemistry. So maybe expect Scooby Snacks to be licensed to a car advert some time soon, or Fast to be blowin' that trumpet on This Morning. But ultimately, so what. Bands have had worse twilight existences.