Fun Lovin’ Criminals, O2 Liverpool Academy

10/09/22

It’s a balmy September evening as I make my way past Lime Street station and into Liverpool’s O2 Academy on Hotham Street to see tonight’s show. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the ‘Fun Lovin’ Criminals‘  have to offer, I’ve never seen them before but I’ve always admired their cool vibe and sense of humour.

The band was formed in 1993 by Huey Morgan, Brian “Fast” Leiser and Steve Borgovini after Leiser, who was already friends with Borgovini, met Morgan at the club where they both worked. They started playing together and would provide entertainment for the club when a booked act failed to show up. It was during one of these stand-in gigs that they came to the attention of EMI and they were offered a record deal, going on to have international success with songs like their hit “Scooby Snacks” and “Love Unlimited“.

WINACHI_Credit: Billy Vitch

I get a drink and say hello to a couple of old friends that I bump into and I settle down to watch tonight’s support act, ‘WINACHI‘. WINACHI are a Warrington based band, fronted by Liam Croker and they are so right to be support for this show as they look so amazing on stage. They have a great “funky/soul” sound and they get a great response from the audience. Stand out song here is “Time For Love“, I hope to catch this 3-piece again sometime.

I get myself another diet Coke before our main act takes to the stage.

We’re in a very hot steamy room tonight as the crowd has filled out, but it all adds to the excitement as our New Yorkers take to the stage, I notice an incense/josh stick burning next to Brian Lieser’s keyboard and think, this is very zen of him. They get a very loud reception and they’re straight into tonight’s opener, “The Fun Lovin’ Criminal” a song that is imprinted in a lot of our minds, reminding us of our adolescence and the long hazy summers of the late 1990s. It is delivered brilliantly by keyboardist and now lead vocalist Brian Leiser and the rest of the band (for those who don’t know, original frontman and singer/guitarist Huey Morgan left the band at the end of the last year 2021) Leiser is now joined by Leicester native and long standing member, the brilliant drummer Frank Benbini, with the lineup being completed by new member Naim Cortazzi who is on guitar duties.

Naim Cortazzi_Fun Lovin’ Criminals_Credit: Billy Vitch

The guys look ultra cool on stage as they plough some of the band’s greatest hits tonight plus a couple of new songs. “Korean Bodega” is a crowd favourite and one of the standouts from tonight’s set. The crowd are truly in their element here and the temperature seems to go up a few notches as the tight crowd are now dancing, jiving and bopping. Soon we get “Love Unlimited” another favourite of mine and Leiser has the room in the palm of his hand here. You can tell that the band just love playing these great tunes and Leiser handles his extra singing duties really well.

Brian Leiser_Fun Lovin’ Criminals_Credit: Billy Vitch

Eventually, we get towards the end of the show, and it does seem to have flown over, it’s been an eclectic mix of tunes, and it’s been such a fun gig. “Scooby Snacks” has people pogo-ing here in the front row and it’s a great closer, an iconic song and I wonder if there really is a cooler band about, FLC certainly epitomise the word cool.

Review: Dave Clare

Photography: Billy Vitch

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