Chris Schulz: Reviewing the 21st anniversary tour of Fat Freddy's Drop's 'Based On A True Story'

It’s the 21st anniversary of the debut album from iconic Kiwi band Fat Freddy’s Drop, ‘Based On A True Story’. 

And to mark the occasion, they’re setting off on a world tour – kicking things off with three performances in Auckland.

Chris Schulz was at the first show last night, and joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from news Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Do you know it feels so good when I know
you're skanking with me?

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Good when I know you're scanking so good when.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
You do.

Speaker 4 (00:35):
Teen to twelve on news Talks EDB Oh so good.

Speaker 5 (00:40):
That's Roady by Fat Freddy's drop. You know it?

Speaker 4 (00:44):
Poor old Crest is just coming to the studio and
I've just been renting away in the airs, being like,
this is one of the best albums of all time,
which is a defining album.

Speaker 5 (00:52):
Sing to me, Yeah, I mean I could.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
I could, Honestly, I could sit down and sing this
entire album lenked to link, like every note, every notation
I've been our poor listeners have already heard me this morning.
It just I mean for me, I was seventeen when
this album came out. I was almost eighteen. It was
just before my eighteenth birthday. I've told people before. I
can remember where I was. I remember that, I remember
the Sounds Music Store where I bought it. I remember

(01:15):
the feeling of having based on a true story, the
CD in my bag and thinking I cannot wait to
get home so I can play this. Yeah, I just
think this is, I think, and I'm sure I'm not
the only one who feels that way.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
Absolutely not not. I was in Wellington when this album
was released two thousand and five. It came out. You
could not go to a house party, at cafe, a restaurant.
It blasted from cars, it was everywhere. I've probably heard
this album more than any other Yeah album because it's
it's such a classic. They were playing this album in
full last night at the Oaklantown Hall, sold out tonight,

(01:48):
sold out tomorrow. The Civicx also sold out on Sunday.
This might be the most popular tour Fat Freddy's drop
Have You Ever Done? And some of that's based on Yes,
nostalgia for this album. Everyone knows these songs Us first.
As soon as those piano notes boom, you could feel
it in the crowd last night, this ripple of excitement

(02:10):
Yeah through them. Just as that started, that kicked it
all off, and then we were away. So there's that, right,
But then there was this other thing hanging over this show.
You could see it up on the screen behind them.
They had this big cartoon image of Moo DJ Fitchy
Chris Foemu, the founder Creative Genius genius is the word. Yes,

(02:32):
he was the guy who made Fat Freddy's what. They
passed away tragically last year at the age of fifty seven.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
He was the kind of guy that everyone like when
you thought of when you pictured Fat Freddy's, you thought
of Moo as well.

Speaker 5 (02:42):
You thought of Moo and Dallas, right.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
I saw them play Summer twenty twenty four, and he
was the first guy to come out on stage. And
every time I'm seeing Fat Freddy's he was always the
first guy to come out in stage and set it up,
set those opening notes, set the tone.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
So this show was going to say, this is so
much about Fat Freddy's that they don't all come out
at once, like they just sort of like amble on
the stage.

Speaker 5 (03:02):
Yea, let the others play for five or six minutes.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Then I would just come out and had another little
vein anyway, Sorry, that's how.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Long their songs are. Yeah, I've got time to do it,
some of their songs like teen fifteen ye so. But
but so that was hanging over the night and Dallas
Tomida the front man. He paid tribute to move several
times last night. I think we have some some audio.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Of that man who with all his skills, his vibrations,
so he put it into those recordings and.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Can work.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Well.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Was now on the most famous albums in New Zealand.

Speaker 5 (03:49):
Yeah that's nice.

Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah, I mean it's true. You know that that that
album is iconic, and I think that's that's part of
the reason this album is o This tourists sold so well.
They're playing thirty dates, they're touring Europe through the rest
of the year. I believe this is the biggest Fat
Freddies drop tour they've ever done. They're clearly haven't done
any interviews, they haven't sort of explained to anyone how
most passings affected them. Instead, they seem to be hosting

(04:14):
these parties and last night, you know that there were
undertones of of of you know, like this maybe this
is like a party awake ye of thing. But I
also think it's one of the best Fat Freddy shows
I've seen. It was so raucous. At one point, the
guy on a tuba in his underwear walked his way

(04:35):
through the crowd with this massive tuber, got down to
the mixing desk, stood up on it and that's how
they finished the show with this guy in his at
the mixing desk with everyone around him. It was it
was sensational that really did end, and it's quite euphoric,
like almost like a rave lifted the tempo and it
was incredible to see.

Speaker 5 (04:55):
It's just so special. I'm really really pleased.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
So they're playing all Content Hall tonight and then playing
the Civica as well Sunday. Yeah, oh how good? And
then and then off to Europe where they probably even
you know, bigger than they are in New Zealand, Stranger
and one of those crazy things.

Speaker 3 (05:10):
They've already sold out a lot of those shows.

Speaker 5 (05:11):
Yeah, yeah, I'm not surprised, all right, Chris, thank you
so much.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
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