After hearing The Super Happy Fun Club’s debut effort “Go Fun Yourself”, I immediately predicted sensational forthcomings for the quirkily named Chicago rock outfit. Their distinct, whiskey fuelled take on rock n roll has helped this band take the UK press by storm and earned them a tour support slot for Madina Lake.
It’s an unmistakable irony when you discover the bands dark past, as the lives of the bandmates involved have taken a steep transition from skating on thin ice to creating this band as a way to translate bitter struggles into genre defying musical craftmanship. Issues such as losing the ones you love and fighting serious drinking dillemas has never sounded so infuriatingly catchy.
All Funned Up follows in the path set out by their debut, through an explosive birth in the form of “Who Drank My Beer”, but shows an overall desire to formulate a more holistic approach to the record rather than clinging to Go Fun Yourself’s stop-start, pop fuelled massacre. This bands main charm stems from their no nonsense, fist pumping inducing anthems, as well as an optimistic pop tinge in their pulsating instrumentals influenced by punchy, positive piano chords. There’s moments of emotion which stray from their traditional overdose of fun, as the likes of “Enemy”, “Good Year” and “Angels Cry” strike valorous strides of heartfelt songwriting. Their anthemic gang vocals which define a healthy chunk of their aroma shine brightly in lead single “Way Back (The Conflict)” through a singalong which sweeps you off your feet into nothing less than a dedicated shout back of the chorus.
It’s the same old band we loved back in 2011, but loaded with appropriate injections of maturity and a full length studio album to carry them the extra mile. You can’t help but smile when their pop tinged, rock n roll anthems take over your speakers, because their likeability factor matches their raw, honest songwriting and surging talent. If you’re seeking the UK’s next International invader; prepare yourself for this band’s future. I expect the people of Britain will have the sense to heed my words of warning and head out to see them on tour with Madina Lake later this year. To put it simply, The Super Happy Fun Club are super awesome.
UK Tour w/ Madina Lake – Sept/Oct 2013
| 20/9/2013 | Dublin, Ireland at Academy |
| 22/9/2013 | Cardiff, Club IFORBACH |
| 23/9/2013 | Exeter, at the Cavern |
| 24/9/2013 | Bristol, at the Fleece |
| 25/9/2013 | Oxford, at o2 Academy 2 |
| 27/9/2013 | Gloucester at Guild Hall |
| 28/9/2013 | Milton Keynes at Craufurd Arms |
| 29/9/2013 | Coventry at Kasbah |
| 30/9/2013 | Birmingham at Institute |
| 02/10/2013 | Leicester at 02 Academy 2 |
| 03/10/2013 | Stoke at Sugar Mill |
| 04/10/2013 | Wrexham at Central Station |
| 05/10/2013 | Liverpool at 02 Academy 2 |
| 06/10/2013 | Manchester at NQ Live |
| 08/10/2013 | Leeds at Cockpit |
| 09/10/2013 | Newcastle at Uni |
| 10/10/2013 | Glasgow at King Tuts |
| 12/10/2013 | York at Fibbers |
| 13/10/2013 | Sheffield at Corporation |
| 15/10/2013 | Lincoln at Tokyo |
| 16/10/2013 | Nottingham at Rescue Rooms |
| 17/10/2013 | Colchester at Arts Centre |
| 18/10/20/13 | Folkstone at Quarterhouse |
| 19/10/2013 | Tunbridge Wells at the Forum |
| 20/10/2013 | Guildford at Boiler Room |
| 22/10/2013 | Portsmouth at Wedgewood Rooms |
| 23/10/2013 | London at Garage |
Links
http://www.superhappyfunclub.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thesuperhappyfunclub
Words by George Fullerton.
