FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT is an Aussie production, with the book, music and lyrics by Bridie Connell and directed by Richard Carroll. It centres on the final leg of the farewell tour from four-piece boyband Fuccbois. We’re in the large Studio 2 at Assembly George Square, and it feels appropriately like a concert. The four performers introduce themselves as Brendan, Brendon, Tyler and also Brendan, and each have a distinct look and vapidness as befits a band put together on talent show ‘Sex Factor.’ Although they’re not always sure which city they’re in, they give it their all while performing some of their biggest hits, from ‘R U Up?’ to ‘Slow Fade,’ and helped by excellent lighting design which adds to the concert feel.
The lyrics (appearing in 2000s-style font on the screen as they perform) are both trite and funny; ‘the target is your heart and we’ve got perfect aim,’ although often with a slightly sleazier vibe as befits their name. The vocals are genuinely impressive, with excellent harmonies matching their sharp choreography (Jamie Windbank), complete with body rolls and gyrating at every opportunity, and the audience cheer them on with great enthusiasm. It reminds me of NSYNC performances – the band members have real talent, earnestness and endless swagger, with a side of One Direction’s chaos and well-meaning naivety (‘I’m like a pizza delivery boy for emotion.’)
There are other nods to the 2000s, with video diary sections showing behind-the-scenes interviews edited and filmed in the jarring way of the time. We are also treated to a megamix, which gives extracts of the cringe-inducing Christmas and Latin-infused songs the band have done, and an attempted tribute to Brendan’s Irish heritage. Like most groups on their farewell tour, the good spirits hide some underlying tensions, which soon come to the fore and threaten to disrupt proceedings.
The narrative is a little light and fragmented, and it would’ve been interesting to have more insight into their arrested development and experience in the band, even within the concert setting. Their sleazier songs and toxicity are played for laughs, but aren’t interrogated enough to feel more than superficially problematic, which feels like a missed opportunity. Saying that, the music and dancing is of such a high calibre that the group’s sheer charisma makes for a brilliant, incorrigibly charming show.
FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT is on at Studio 2 Assembly George Square Studios until the 31st August