fun. at the Olympia | Review

fun. at the Olympia, Sunday 14th of April 2013

Gail force winds did not deter young fans from queuing from early afternoon outside the Olympia Theatre to ensure they had a prime viewing spot for fun. in what would be the American’s biggest Irish show to date. Having skyrocketed to fame in the past year following the release of their album ‘Some Nights’ and their impossible to escape single We Are Young, featuring the extraordinary Janelle Monáe, this was a chance for the pop rockers to prove they are a lot more than just one hit wonders.

Some advice, if ever going to a fun. gig please make sure you bring earplugs to prevent a life of tinnitus, not from the band but from the screaming fans. Beliebers have nothing on these guys. As the band entered underneath a backdrop of celestial lights, opening with Out On The Town, lights quickly changed into an epileptic seizure inducing display. Combined with the squealing girls it was quite a disorientating experience.

Once senses managed to acclimatise, it was time to relax and enjoy the show. It is hard to find a fault with fun.’s musicianship, each member of band, both regular and touring, excelled in their field, perhaps a little too much. There was almost a sense of listening to a CD in your room, if your bedroom was full of screaming teens of course. Personally, this took away a bit from the excitement and unpredictability usually present in your typical live performance.

Lead singer Nate Ruess is a natural frontman, he even includes the obligatory chat with the crowd about how *insert name here* the best city to play in. He is playful and engaging with an elated smile plastered across his face for the entire set. In faster upbeat songs such as It Gets Better he really shines. Of course, as with most shows with a band of this level, it is the singles that really get the crowd’s attention. Tracks such as Carry On and Some Nights do not even need Ruess to sing as the fans have that covered. Definite highlights of the night even though the latter relies far too heavily on autotune.

Emerging a final time for their encore, fun. left it until this point to unleash their breakthrough hit We Are Young. It was then that something that had been present throughout the evening became a major frustration. A very large proportion of the crowd seemed to watch the entire gig on the screens of their smart phones. While many would agree there is no problem with recording your favourite song to watch again in the future, when an entire gig is recorded you have to wonder why they even bothered to go or pay for a ticket when they will get the same experience watching other’s videos on YouTube. For those of us not straining our arms with a phone above our heads all night, views were instead obstructed by bright screens all around. It may seem like a small issue, but when so many were doing so it really took away from the atmosphere and the band themselves.

Overall fun. gave a solid performance for fans, however, it was not a performance that is likely to win them over any new ones. Teenage girls will realistically scream for anything male and remotely attractive, but it does not equal to an atmosphere which is what this night severely lacked. As already said, as musicians fun. cannot be faulted but their presence just failed to capture attention despite their best efforts. There is just a sense of Maroon 5 lite; all about the frontman, catchy pop hits but nothing fun.tastic.