The Felice Brothers @ The Troxy

So three days after seeing them at EOTR, here we are on the Commercial Road in London's east end seeing the Felices again.

The Troxy is a grade 2 listed Art deco cinema converted into a multi use venue. Holding 2600 it certainly is not a Hammersmith Apollo, or the old fabulous Rainbow, let alone Shepherds Bush Empire, a fact the James Felice obliquely refers to during the gig. It is a cavernous space, with a small stage and a poor sound system.

We arrived and made our way down to the front, previous act just finishing off, when the Felices come out and start setting up their gear. The drum kit is assembled before our eyes and then everything is then all miked up. This did not look right to me, main act should not be having to do this, and it ate into their allotted time.

Trigger, Roger Lloyd-Pack, came and stood in front of me with his daughter Emily Lloyd in tow (it could have been the other way around) and we proceeded to have a pleasant chat whilst the stage was readied, that is his mop of grey hair in the photo taken from my phone.

Anyway we got a full set, with I think three new songs, one of which sounded promising, 'Helen Fry' was added, but no St Stephens End, and to the disappointment of sections of the audience, no 'Whiskey in my Whiskey'.I thought they reluctantly did it at EOTR so maybe they are dropping it from their repertoire.

James F as always was immense in all meanings of the word. Farley was enjoying himself roving around the set. doubling up with the drumming occasionally near the end and using his washboard to crash the crash symbols. But their antics were restricted by the small stage.

The gospel song 'Two Hands' as second encore concluded the proceedings.

The Felices have hardened their sound, and listening to a bootleg recording of a year previous afterwards confirms this.

The Troxy's sound system mushed everything.

Set List

1. Marlboro Man
2. White Limo
3. Run Chicken Run
4. Murder By Mistletoe
5. Step Dad
6. River Jordan
7. Love Me Tenderly
8. Goddamn You, Jim
9. Roll On Arte
10. Fire!
11. Frankie's Gun
12. Turn On The TV
13. Frontiers
14. Let Me Come Home
15. Take This Bread

Encore

1. Helen Fry
2. Two Hands