Strength In Numbers is a statement adopted by Fever 333 as a sign of unity, and the fact that they have managed to sell out Camden’s Electric Ballroom with no support acts to play before them speaks volumes for how many people have faith in this band; tonight is the biggest headline demonstration Fever 333 have done outside of the US.
As is now customary for this band, they’ve set up a food donation stall to help Camden Food Bank, in keeping with Community, Charity & Change – the three C’s the band promote. Be the change, give back to the community and give to charity. This band is becoming more than a band; they’re becoming a lifestyle.
When ‘…’ starts over the PA, the atmosphere changes sharply. Every single person in the venue is transfixed at the stage, and as the intro finishes, the opening beat of ‘Burn It’ crashes through the speakers before Stephen Harrison’s guitar rips through, signalling the start of an hour long journey. Jason Aalon Butler has long since been a strong contender in the competition for best singer in rock music today, and somehow he’s only continuing to improve. Leading the crowd through singalongs, his vocal range swings from his soft croon to a guttural scream and back again, as if it was completely natural. Aric Improta smashes his kit with so much fury and ferocity, it’s surprising he doesn’t go all the way through the drum skins. Stephen Harrison’s energy and ability to shred is fully on display too, with ‘Burn It’ giving way to ‘Only One’ with no break.Â
‘Made An America’ garners a huge reaction from the crowd, being one of the first songs to see the pits open up. Jason can ride a melody with talent on a par with the best MCs in the world. His silky rap vocals are highlighted hugely here and it begs the question of,‘what can’t this man do with a microphone in his hand?’
‘One Of Us’ sees the band give a shout out to the female members of the audience, getting a huge reaction and Fever 333’s message of inclusivity and celebrating diversity makes tonight feel like a family party. Everyone gets the message and is here to have a good time, not to go out of their way to be an idiot. A jam session that sees all three members drumming together, before Jason breaks off into beatboxing is mightily impressive, showing undeniable talent.Â
The night can be seen as vindication for Jason Aalon Butler. After the death of letlive., there were questions about what he would do next but Fever 333 have now headlined a venue bigger than letlive. ever managed to. He has become a figure to be invested in with fans always interested in what he will do next and fans were all ears as he tells his story through ‘Inglewood’ during what is clearly a humbling moment for him. ‘Inglewood’ is the ballad for the night and elicits lighters and torches in the air, before segueing into ‘How Bad?’ which ramps up the intensity again, with Jason screaming his lungs out.
Fever 333 have become known for their live shows, with all three members climbing anything that’s stable enough to hold them up. With Aric and Stephen climbing the speaker stacks at various points in the night, Jason starts ‘Prey For Me’ by crowd walking into the centre and singing from there. There’s no over the top climbing scaffold like in the recent past, but that doesn’t mean this show isn’t the most captivating live show in the world right now. A double punch of ‘We’re Coming In’ and ‘Hunting Season’ for an encore brings the night to close.
Jason stands on stage and tells the story about how they were told they were going to play the Ballroom with no support acts by their record label, to test the waters and to see how much people cared. They sold it out, well ahead of the date of the show. Now, with a November tour announced, including the biggest headline show they’ve ever played at The Forum, the label have decided that, once again, they’ll play without a support act. This is the faith that Fever 333 have garnered in such a short time. ‘Strength In Numbers’ is fully on display tonight and long may it continue.Â
Through the course of the 14 song set, Fever 333 prove that they really are the right band, in the right moment, with the right message and the right spokesman. They are in the conversation for the most vital band in the world today, and so they should be.Â
ADAM ROSARIO