Apart from being more intelligent, friendlier and generally a lot cleaner than the rest of the world, Fur Patrol fans also take nice photos and write nice reviews. If you have photos of Fur Patrol that you'd like to see up here, or a review, or a mildly-offensive drawing/project/etc, please email them to me and I'll pop them up for all 'n' sundry to see. But before all that, are you a member of ClubFur yet? If you're not, hop to it! Discussions and psychosis abound!
The Matterhorn, Wellington, December 29, 2005
Starlight Ballroom, Wellington, August 30, 2003
Starlight Ballroom, August 30
The Metro, Sydney, August 8, 2003
Waterloo Hotel, Brisbane, August 2, 2003
Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne, August 1, 2003
The World Series, Auckland, November 2002
Massey University, Wellington, February 27, 2002
Fans with Band
Bodega, Wellington, 22 August 2008
Happy, Wellington, 2 June 2007
Enigma Bar, Adelaide, April 25, 2004
The Boat Race, Cambridge, England, December 2, 2003
Starlight Ballroom, Wellington, August 31, 2003
Starlight Ballroom, August 30, 2003
Union Hall, Dunedin, August 22, 2003
The Metro, Sydney, August 8, 2003
Bar Bodega, Wellington, December 20, 2002
World Series, Auckland, November 2002
Starlight Ballroom, Wellington, October 27, 2001
NZ Music Day Out, Palmerston North, February 6, 2001
Wallpapers
The FurPatrolies©
Fur Potatoes
Furry Icons
Miscellaneous
The Matterhorn, Wellington, December 29 2005 - Lisa
Well then. Look who finally showed their face!
After the longest absence yet (unless you count the Summer Hummer gigs earlier in the year... which I don't officially think we do...), Fur Patrol broke their silence and decided to ease Wellington back into the groove with this intimate little showing of their new tunes and their smaller line up at the Matterhorn.
They played a LOT of new songs which all sounded absolutely stunning and I don't think Julia has ever sounded better. During an Andrew pee-break she played Freak Show by herself which is fucking mind blowing, especially when she starts howling "Are you loooooooooooonely?" Oh god. So good.
<subliminal message>recoooooord iiiiiiit</subliminal message>
The older songs sounded quite different without the Steve parts but they pulled them together in the strange environment incredibly well and sounded like they could have been that way since they wrote them. In some cases the old songs sounded like brand new ones (like Get Along) and as a 3-piece they sounded like they'd always been that way. Don't get me wrong, I miss Steve in the band, but the band has coped well with the departure and if you didn't know there was once a guitarist you wouldn't believe there was a hole.
All in all, it was a strange way to welcome the band back into our arms (struggling to find a place to stand amongst the tables didn't actually eventuate in being able to SEE the band, but hearing them was good enough.)
Starlight Ballroom, Wellington, August 30, 2003 - Mystik
A year is a long time to wait. Less than a year is a shorter time to wait, but it felt like that long since Fur Patrol last played Wellington, at Bodega in December 2002. While the venue left a little to be desired (the Ballroom is actually a converted parking building, with sound quality reminisant of a smaller Queens Wharf Event Centre. And those bloody pilars!), as did the opening act (sorry, just not digging that 'Datsuns' sound), the show was top-notch and kick-ass.
Other than a quick retro trip to 'Pet', in the form of killer single Now, The Furs played all new stuff. If these songs represent the calibre of the forthcoming second album it's gonna be well worth the wait (roll on October!!!). And we all know that another album means another tour of New Zealand. Yay!!!
Julia provided the boys, and probably the girls too, with the usual drool-over display, proving once again that she is the hottest, rockingest, grooviest chick in New Zealand music. Andrew also impressed by breaking not one but TWO bass strings! BASS STRINGS! On two different guitars! And E strings at that, hardcore! Sadly, from my position, I couldn't see Steve or Simon very well, but I know they we're rocking as well.
So good to see The Furs back on stage again, complete with their trademark guitar 'line dance' (see link for an example of this from the Bodge last year: furphotos/fur1.jpg ). I did have my heart set on a Fur Patrol t-shirt to mark the occassion, but alas there were none to be found, I had to settle for a Pacifier one (cool in its own right ). However the single of Precious, and its even choicer B-side Enemy, is far more interesting than any stinky black shirt. Just a taste to whet our appetite before the release of Collider.
Here's hoping it won't feel like a year until we see Fur Patrol grace their home stage again.
Starlight Ballroom, Wellington, August 30, 2003 - by Lisa
So it had been a while since we last saw the Furs... so long that it seemed even the rather nifty wall of noise intro didn't tip the crowd off that they were on stage. That is until Julia, looking like a superhero with her scarf/cape/flying aide, fedora pulled down low, slipped gracefully onto the stage flourishing a large glass of wine. The wall of noises was met with screams of delight and they kicked in with... oh hell. I forget. Lets just say they kicked in with a SONG and they PLAYED it like... MOTHERFUCKERS! In a good way. In the mofo sense of the word. Good mofo. Plenty of new songs, infact only one Pet tune (Now) and Pet outtake Counting Upside Down (apparently the b-side for Precious), the crowd stared on in... well audible awe. Precious itself went down beautifully, even more rocking that I'd imagined it'd be, and the live b-side Enemy was breathtaking (unrelated I'm sure to the surge of human bodies pressing against the barrier...). L'il Heart thrilled and delighted both young and old, along with Get Along, slightly reworked, fitting perhaps with the recording process. Andrew managed to break not one but two bass strings, earning himself some worshipping from Mr. Braxton behind the drums. Up front Steve, Julia and Andrew swayed and leapt around, wooing the crowd, reminding us of their presence as the best little 4-piece this side of Pacifier. A short but explosive set which must've left a few sparkley boppers confused about Lydia's omission, but left everyone else happy and satiated enough to last till the Collider tour... but no longer. You hear me?
The Metro, Sydney, August 8, 2003 - David
Once again, being a slack-ass that I am, I still didn't learn any Fur Patrol songs, however I recognised a few from the show in Brisbane. This time I actually learnt one song name "Precious" the new Fur single. The Furs played an intense set, to a suprisingly empty arena. The crowd, like in Brisbane, didn't really know what to expect, so most people were sitting down up the back. There were a few Pacifier fans already cueing up, who looked like they wouldn't know a Fur Patrol song from a Che Fu song, but people kept an open mind, and watched on with much enjoyment. Fur Patrol played much of the same material as they did in Brisbane, and I'm guessing Melbourne and Newcastle too. It was such a thrill to be standing right infront of sexy Steve. Hahah. Julia was dressed something not unlike PJ Harvey, and I can honestly say that she has much better stage presence than PJ. Andrew was bassarific, and Simon kept it all together like clockwork. Once again Fur Patrol managed to impress many punters in Sydney.
As I said In my Brisbane review, I'm not a Blueline Medic fan. I don't like their style, and I don't think it was very well suited for this tour. However they did seem to play a lot better in Sydney than they did in Brisbane, yet once again, the crowd liked them more than they did with Fur Patrol. Maybe The Furs need a little more steady rotation on radio here.
The curtains opened to reveal the still lanky Jon Toogood. Once the curtains had been fully opened, Pacifier ripped into Interconnector. They too played the same set as Brisbane, only this time, being a packed house, made it all the better. They had every single member of the crowd obeying every command they made. If only Fur Patrol had one big radio hit here in Australia, then maybe they could be in the same position in a few years time. Although Pacifier was the highlight of my night, and the reason behind me travelling to Syndey, I have definately been converted to Fur Patrol. It makes me wonder what other secrets Wellington is holding. Definately worth the trip.
Waterloo Hotel, Brisbane, August 2, 2003 - David
They were fucking shit.
The End
lol, just kidding...
As soon as Fur Patrol walked onto the stage, you could kind of sence a small buzz around the room. No one seemed to know what to expect, but at the same time, knew exactly how things were going to go.
Unfortunately due to the fact that I recognised not a single song, I can't go into much detail, but however, they started with a bang, lauching into what was going to become an awesome set.
They played with more enery, and power than any opening band I have ever seen. It kind of makes you wonder, what the hell are they feeding the little kiddies of Wellington, to produce bands like Fur Patrol, and the night's headliner, Pacifier.
The facial expressions of the majority of the crowd showed that they didn't have a fucking clue as to who this band really was, but yet, they enjoyed every minute of it.
Steve had a mishap with his amp, and was out of action for two half of a song. Despite being down a lead guitarist, it didnt stop the band soldering on, and the remaining 3 members seemed to play twice as hard, and made it barely noticable that they were a guitarist short. Half way through the song, they got the amp back online, and they continued to belt out the set, which just as much power.
It ended all too quickly, and by the end of it, I, and by the looks of things, many punters were thinking "Why the hell didn't i get to know this band a bit better before this night came?"
Blueline Medic follow not long after, and played with much less intencity, but due to the fact they recieve steady rotation on alternative radio, got a slightly better reaction from the crowd. Maybe it was because they followed such an awesome set, but, in my opinion, they really lacked tonight.
Pacifier finally graced the stage, and by this time, the crowd was nearly at their peak. They belted out the best performance I have ever seen, which only seems to happen when they have an awesome support band. They are the type of band who has the ability to step up, and take any task which has been presented to them, and this task, would have, by far, been the hardest one they'd under taken in the last year.
The night was definately the greatest musical experience I have ever had. My hat goes off to the hard working band's from Wellington.
Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne, August 1, 2003 - Trav O.
Admittingly after not having seen Fur Patrol for at least twelve months, I did initially have my qualms whether they could keep the surging crowd of Swanson Street’s renowned Hi-Fi Bar and Ballroom at bay with their melodic, guitar driven rock. From the opening tune, it was obvious that they had not lost their edge during their lengthy hiatus from the Melbourne rock circuit. Julia’s soaring vocals, combined with crunchy guitars and Simons tight accurate drumming proved that this quartet was still had what it takes to rock the fuck out in what was for many, their much-anticipated return. The set comprised of both new and old material. The standout however would had to have been their latest single Precious. With an almost spoken word verse that leads into a fast paced punch in the face chorus, Fur Patrol’s latest offering in retrospect, ensures that they defiantly have no plans for slowing down. It was an urbanely performance from New Zealand’s finest.
St. James Theatre, Auckland, November 21, 2002 - Francesrosey (ClubFur)
Last night I made the *cough* enjoyable boat trip to Auckland city to
see the Furs play as part of the NZ music showcase or "World Series"
as it was named.
I first up was subjected to Carly Binding *shudder*... shes a good
singer... but well... not really my thing.
Her set was mostly un-memorable.
The Furs came on afterwards. By this time the St. James had filled out
a bit more.
They opened the set with Fade Away, which soon had people rushing
down the front to dance along. This song is awesome as a set opener.
The song they played next was a new one. I don't remember much about
it, as I was taking photos during this song, (which will be posted I
promise as soon as I get the film developed)
There was a guy standing next to me who turned around and asked the
girls on the other side of him who the band was. The girls
replied, "You don't deserve to be here if you don't know. They are
Fur Patrol and they rock."
Next up was Little Heart. I love this song. I sang along like the
geek that I am with the bits I recognised.
This was followed by two more new songs, both of which were nice and
loud and very rockish.
I look forward to hearing these songs again (although according to
Steve, they are only going to be back here for New Years when I'm
working so *sighs*)
Counting Upside Down was the most memorable song of the set, not just
cause its a great song, and is sublime to listen to live, but because
just before the chorus, Julia's top, which was a white thing with a
tie around the neck, came untied. She was wearing a black boob tube
underneath, but well it was funny. Of course in true style, she
carried on singing while doing it back up. Then while she was
standing close to her guitar amp during that cool feedback bit, she
cracked up laughing.
The second funny thing about that song, well, for me, was the people
standing next to me pulled out a paper bag from some takeaway, and
pulled out hamburgers and started eating them... in the mosh pit area.
At the end of the song, Julia yelled out asking something
like "wheres my mother at times like this?" then went on to reference
her top which had come off and how her mother would say "you're not
going out of the house dressed like that."
The last song, of their short but sweet set was Get Along. There was
an excellent moment during this song, when Steve, Julia and Andrew
all had the same stance. It was so very rock and roll *giggles again*
I had a brief chat with Steve on my way out, and all I have to say to
everyone else, is make sure you see them when they play Wellington,
and elsewhere if they are coming. Because the new songs are amazing.
Massey Orientation, Wellington, February 27, 2002 - Lisa
The band were all setting up which kinda ruins that whole "DA DA DA DAAAAAAAA" band entering the stage for the first time thing. I must say... The Canvas (support band) entry was awesome. They came on stage to the booming sound of Michael Jackson's thriller, complete with dancing and getting funk-ay. FUNK-AY I say. They took AGES to start, which turned out to be because Steve's mic wasn't working, and as soon as we heard his voice booming the whole band started clapping.
First song was... *blank*... ooh These Days. I have not seen this band be so rock before. I mean, they've rocked hard in big venues before because it would be hard not to. So shows at the town hall are always impressive... but this place was tiny and they could barely stand still. I have immense respect for Andrew as a bassist. He is one of the best. If any of you ever get the opportunity to see these guys live, watch what a pro Andrew is seriously... He'll blow you away. Next song was Now and sounded perfect and loud as usual.
Now..I'm a little fuzzy (furry?) about the correct track list but they played from Pet, Andrew, Now (no Holy which is I think a first for me), Loaded, Lydia, Not Your Girl (*roars*) Two Days... No Man in a Box, no Spinning a Line (big surprise there) and sadly, no Bottles & Jars. From Starlifter they played the usual Beautiful (dedicated to all the "new Wellingtonians!") and the Lover. YAY! I love..the Lover. New songs were not flying hard and fast unfortunately, the only brand new one being a song called Little Heart which I loved, and the usual Get Along, Fade Away... plus Counting Upside Down. Why (encore) and These Days. I must say I can't wait to hear the recorded version of Why which got a huge reaction from the crowd, assuming they're gonna use it for the new album. And Counting is by far their best song. It's not my favourite, although I do think it kicks "all 7 kinds of arse", but it certainly has all the elements of a great song in perfect order. It is a great great song. GRRRRRRRREAT. So it was a GREAT gig.
Bodega, Wellington, 22 August 2008 - Lisa
Happy, Wellington, 2 June 2007 - Lisa
Fans with Furs
The Boat Race, Cambridge, 2 December, 2003
(by Rick F.)
Wallpapers to download and love
800X600
1024x768
The FurPatrolies©
The brainchild of Nell from ClubFur lovingly brought into fruition by a mysterious millionaire recluse.
Fur Potatoes
Fur Patrol tribute band. Broke up when the bass player left to become a chippie. HEHEHHE. For the love of GOD. Stop playing with your food. Repeat after me... "A potato is not a toy..."
Furry Icons
Miscellaneous artwork
Artwork by Dawn Tuffery (FP live in Waihi 2004)
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