Jack J Hutchinson always strikes you as the type of chap who’s ready to strap his guitar on at a moment’s notice, and tonight that is almost literally true.
Filling the void left by Rosalie Cunningham being poorly, Jack and the boys are every bit as good as they sound on record.
Indeed, live, songs like “Road To Hell” feel even rawer than their studio versions, giving them an extra frisson of urgency.
The light and shade of his work shines through when he plays a raucous “Call Of The Wild,” then follows it with a tender “I Will Follow You,” dedicated to his dad’s battle with dementia, before ending his half-hour with “Constellations.”
He promises to “get a beer and come and watch the mighty FM” afterwards, and those words carry more weight than usual. As anyone who follows Hutchinson on social media will attest, he’s a rock ’n’ roll lifer who’s at more shows than most musicians you could name.
The only difference between Jack J Hutchinson and the rest of us is that he’s incredibly talented.
FM are just reaching the end bit of “Does It Feel Like Love” when Steve Overland throws his hands up in mock horror: “43 years they’ve been making me do this,” he laughs.
“This” is the solo vocal spot, and he delivers it sensationally. And right there lies the secret of why FM are so good.
Always fun – more than once they parody Status Quo – but incredibly gifted, always embracing their past yet ready for the future. All of that is on show here.
Starting with “Synchronized,” they’re soon into the classic “I Belong To The Night” – but oddly it’s what comes next that best sums them up.
“Turn This Car Around” was an album track – a recent one too – yet it has quietly sneaked in under the radar to become a real favourite.
And sneaking under the radar is exactly what FM have done for decades.
They’re happy to mix the new – like “Living On The Run,” the first single off their recent “Brotherhood” album – with the old. When they play “Let Love Be The Leader,” the big screen behind them flashes the record sleeve showing them as the fresh-faced youngsters they remain at heart.
Incredibly talented musically, they dip into blues for “Black Water,” which guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick clearly relishes. And if there are songs like “Burning My Heart Down” they almost have to play, then the return of “Dangerous” from the very early days is a fine addition, as is “Incredible,” which has emerged as a standout in recent years.
Of course, it also helps that they have three of the best rock songs any UK band has ever written – and I truly believe FM are that good. When they play “That Girl,” “Bad Luck” and “Tough It Out” back-to-back, it underlines the point again.
The main set ends with “Killed By Love,” and if Jem Davis’ organ infused that one, then his keyboards on “Just Walk Away,” which opens the encore, are absolutely beautiful.
They choose to close the night with “Heart Of The Matter.” If that old gem proves their songs are timeless classics that have not only stood the test of time but improved with age, then the set as a whole proves FM’s unrelenting desire to keep writing new material, to always play wonderful shows (have you ever seen them play a bad one?), and to always look like there’s nowhere they’d rather be than right there on stage.
That is – and again, no hyperbole – the best at what they do.
FM PHOTOS: Haluk Gurer
