Rock and Pop: Fiction @ Madame Jojo’s
Published: 10 March, 2011
by NORMANDIE HOCHE
TAKE some drums, keys, guitars, bass and a fistful of young Londoners stuffed with great ingenuity; plunge the mixture into the boiling atmosphere of Madame Jojo’s, let it simmer for 45 minutes, and savour the sound.
This is the joy of Fiction, more simply described by the quartet as “pop”.
New Wave emanated from Mike Barret’s keyboards and James Howard’s guitar as the dynamic duo alternated between their chosen instruments, swapping to take over lead vocals and their place at the drums.
Their energetic teamwork makes each performance as lively and entertaining to watch as it is to listen to.
But Fiction are perfectionists.
Though the crowd seemed to enjoy themselves, bobbing to Big Things or To Stick To, the band kept asking for adjustments. As a consequence the result was incredibly neat.
Such professionalism contrasted with their support – Montreal’s No Joy – whose vocals were sometimes barely audible.
Nevertheless, the audience gave a warm reception to the dark and early Sonic Youth-like sound of the female-fronted band.