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Fool's Gold

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World Music, Tropical / Soul USA

Fool's Gold @ Lido

Halloween Evening, 2010

How is it possible that Fool's Gold only performed in Berlin for the first time last Sunday?? The band has been playing together since about 2006, they self-released their fantastic debut album (also called Fool’s Gold) in 2008 which was then picked up by Iamsound and released by the label the following year. And here it was, Halloween eve 2010, only their first concert in Berlin!

Fool’s Gold’s music can only be described as jubilant multi-cultural multi-instrumental world-pop. OK, maybe that is not the only appropriate set of descriptors, but at least it begins to encapsulate the band’s broad stylistic spectrum, and the enthusiasm of the musicians. Instrumentally, the most obvious sonic influence is African pop; their sharp and nimble guitar riffs and polyrhythmic percussion can also heard in modern African bands such as Tinariwen and BLK JKS, and is reminiscent of other African-influenced bands such as Talking Heads.

In addition to the spot-on guitar, the two percussionists and saxophone featured Sunday night provided a layer of lively, danceable beats and a wailing melody. Finally, vocalist Luke Top lent a final, and rather unique, international twist with the mixture of both English and Israeli lyrics.

The skill and style of each of these musicians created a vibrant and energetic atmosphere in Lido, in which many members of the audience couldn’t help but let loose and flail their limbs. Fool’s Gold jammed and sang and clapped their way through the evening; the appreciation from the audience radiated to the band, and ricocheted right back to the crowd. The energy level grew and grew, until the band jumped into the audience, singing and clapping and cowbelling; bringing everyone quietly into a crouch surrounding them and then exploding into an energetic outburst of sound and dancing as they jumped back up.

Fool’s Gold plays infectious music that is impossible to stand still to. Their own joy and energy passes through the music into the listener and only good things can happen from there. Next time they’re in Berlin, hopefully they are able to bring the entire band…and the dance party will only grow larger!!