“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. There was only ever one place where we were going to finish this tour,” proudly announced Fred Gibson, better known as Fred Again, at the opening night of his London residency at Alexandra Palace. For the roll-out of his unfolding album USB002, Fred arrived home for an unforgettable run of four shows featuring a lineup of the best names in UK music.
With an early start at 5:30 pm, there was considerable suspense about how the night would unfold and what Fred had up his sleeve. Still, his impeccable discography automatically guaranteed a high-calibre level of entertainment before even stepping into the grounds of Ally Pally. Announced only a few hours before the show, Fred shared a star-studded poster of the night’s lineup, including Blanco, Berwyn, CA7RTEL & Paco Anoroso, Ezra Collective, Nia Archives, Hamdi, Oppidan, and Jamie T, with whom he performed their new single ‘Lights Burn Dimmer’.
Eagerly securing a spot where personal space was hard to come by, the crowd was running on pure euphoria and serotonin for a man who radiates charm and passion, really giving everyone a night worth every single penny they spent on a ticket. As Fred began to show off his skills behind the decks, each drop, each genre switch, each headbang was more infectious than the last.
Mixing the original production with UK garage, jungle, and drum n bass, Fred preserved parts of the album versions while also wanting to utilise the acoustics and the opportunity to deliver really compelling baselines at Alexandra Palace. Throughout what turned out to be a five-hour-long mini rave, there were jaw-dropping moments, elevated by the light system and ever-so-subtly maneuvered over the head curtains.
Even though this show was more reminiscent of an underground, industrial, darker rave than his usual dreamy togetherness seance, the standout mini-sets were the newer releases from USB002, such as ‘I Luv U,’ ‘solo’ performed with Blanco, ‘Facilita,’ ‘you’re a star,’ ‘ ‘BerwunGesaffNeighbours’ performed with Berwyn, and ‘OK OK’. My personal cherry-on-top was the absolutely musical pinnacle of the arrival of Ezra Collective, and CA7RTEL & Paco Anoroso for ‘Beto’s Horns.’
In the first half ot the show, Fred went b2b with his guests. He surprised the buzzing crowd with an unexpected play of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘When The Sun Goes Down,’ Katy B’s ‘On A Mission,’ a belted nostalgia on Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Bonkers’ and an all-around approving drum n bass version of EsDeeKid’s ‘4 Raws.’
Approaching the finish line of night one, Fred’s fans kept patiently waiting for their favorites, such as ‘ten,’ ‘adore u,’ ‘Marae (we’ve lost dancing)’, which, for the record, will never stop being a surreal and bittersweet moment of acknowledgment and celebration of life. The best received was the closing pairing, ‘Dermot (see yourself in my eyes),’ ‘Danielle (smile on my face)’ and ‘Delilah (pull me out of this), ethereally touched in with a detail of stage design creating an illusion of the Sun coming up.
Fred Again seals his musical versatility with each show. On every record, he encapsulates one major state of mind, from the more classically themed Actual Life era to the Summer soundtrack of ten days. Though the universe of USB allows Fred to immerse himself in collaboration, various genres and artists from different arenas, it creates an original, once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.
Warning! Expect a drastic spike in your dopamine level. Leave the venue for food, drink, and bathroom breaks up to your discretion, but expect to miss one or two epic headbangs with your friends or an unexpected b2b set. But you must under all circumstances purchase that Fred Again ticket. Don’t think twice about it.
Follow Fred Again On Instagram
Words: Karolina Kramplova
Photographer: Theo Batterham, Sam Niel