The Fratellis have been global stars for more than 20 years, but playing a homecoming TRNSMT gig next week will still be a 'pinch me' moment for the Glasgow band. The indie-rock trio will take to the main stage at Glasgow Green on Saturday, alongside acts including Kasabian, Sonny Fodera and The Snuts.
Bassist and backing vocalist Barry Wallace, known as Baz, has revealed that performing for a home crowd has not lost its magic since he first dreamed of fame while working in a casino. The 47-year-old, who splits his time between London and Glasgow, said: 'It's going to be great at TRNSMT. It's incredible because it's, selfishly, our hometown. We grew up there, going to gigs, going to festivals, seeing shows, so it's not lost on me, being one of the guys playing instead of going to watch.'
'So I know how it feels. I know how special it is. It's special for us to get back to our hometown and do stuff like this in general. Every single time, I still get that pinch me moment when I'm on stage. I certainly don't take it for granted. Somebody said the other day it's been two decades. When we were getting into one decade, that was bad enough, but now we're getting into multiple decades. That's pretty special and we're very lucky to still be doing it.'
The Fratellis' Journey
Formed in Glasgow in 2004, the band played their first show in the city in March 2005 and received their first radio play later that year. They were signed by Fallout Records after fewer than 10 live performances. Their debut album, Costello Music, was released in September 2006 and spent three weeks at No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart. The album's success helped secure the Brit Award for Breakthrough Act in 2007, an honour voted for by BBC Radio 1 listeners.
John Lawler, Barry Wallace and Gordon McRory – better known by their stage names Jon, Baz and drummer Mince Fratelli – are not actually related. The band's name is derived from the criminal family featured in the 1985 hit film The Goonies.
Global Success and Homecoming
The Fratellis' biggest hit, Chelsea Dagger, became a global indie-rock anthem when it was released in 2006 and remains a staple in sports stadiums around the world. Baz said: 'We put a lot of work in back in the day to build a fanbase and they're still with us. It's absolutely not lost on us how lucky we are to still be here, still living the dream. I literally used to sit in cr***y jobs dreaming about being able to do this. The fact that we still can is amazing.'
'I used to work in casinos as a croupier. It gave me time during the day to do music, write tunes and work on band stuff. Then I'd work at night. The shift work suited me.' More than 20 years after breaking through to mainstream success with hits including Whistle for the Choir, the band still cherish every opportunity to perform in their home city.
Baz added: 'We've been around the world four or five times. My favourite place to play is always Japan – I can't wait to get back there. But we've played in Australia and we do really well in America as well. That's the romantic dream part for me. All the music books I read when I was younger, dreaming about it, getting to go and play our music there. Getting to go somewhere so far from home – somewhere like Japan – just blows my mind that people come to see your music on the other side of the world. It's a lovely feeling. But coming home is special too, getting to do that and connect with Scottish fans.'
'I went to T in the Park when I was a kid. I went to all these places, so getting to do it as one of the guys in the band is very, very special. There is just something about Glasgow and its people. I love Glasgow, all the people and all their stories. It's an amazing place full of amazing people.'
Upcoming Shows and Advice
Earlier this year, The Fratellis cancelled their upcoming anniversary tour. A statement said lead singer Jon Fratelli was unable to perform because of 'ongoing health issues'. The band said the tour would be rescheduled with new dates to be announced soon, but the TRNSMT gig is going ahead as planned. They had sold out 15 of their 17 shows around the UK throughout February, including two final dates at the O2 Academy in Glasgow.
The Fratellis' most recent album, Half Drunk Under a Full Moon, was released in April 2021 after being delayed by the pandemic. Among the band's other best-known tracks are Henrietta. Asked what advice he would give to young artists, Baz said: 'Don't give up. Keep going. Keep trying. You need to believe in yourself without being arrogant. Because if you don't believe you can do it, how are you supposed to convince other people you can do it? A lot of it is luck – right place, right time. But you need to have songs and be confident. And hopefully you'll just know. I was in other bands before and I thought we had all that. Maybe we didn't. Then when The Fratellis came around, I just knew. It's really strange. I just knew that it was good enough to do something. And luckily, it did.'
