CD REVIEW: MARSHALL & THE FRO – Live At The Backroom

Shane | 5 December 2018 | Reply

CD REVIEW: MARSHALL & THE FRO – Live At The Backroom
Rhythm Section
October 2018
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 ½ /10

Roots dude Marshall Okell returns to his rocking band of old, The Fro, with this celebratory album of surf mojo blues, recorded live in front of a vocal and enthusiastic local audience in their old stomping ground of Byron Bay. As is often the case, this sort of music sounds best in a sweaty venue with the tipple of your choice in hand, and the energy and electricity of the night translates well onto disc here.

Named after Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Winters’ middle names – Marshall Dawson – Okell seems destined to have been a musician since birth, which may explain the heart and soul he imbues his performance with. Some people can never learn this level of affinity with being on the stage in frot of their people – fewer still are born with it.

Plucked from two studio albums and an EP released between 2005 and 2010, The Fro deliver a rollicking fun set of blues and roots rock with reggae touches and a bit of everything else thrown in for good luck. You can practically taste the salt of the sea, smell the beer in the room, and feel the rays of the sun from the day both band and audience probably spent at the beach.

The album goes a long way to introducing novices to Marshall & the Fro’s material, but there’s no doubt the crowd on the night were already familiar. Singing and cheering loud and clear for favourites like Friends For Life, Get Up, Speed Ticket, Taxi and Devil’s Out, they hit their last round climax for crowd pleasing closer Thongs, and sound like they’re having a bloody ball.