Frankmusik (The Cockpit, Leeds)

This past Friday night I had my second visit to Leed's Cockpit in as many weeks, and this time we saw Frankmusik. The first support act, Heads We Dance, was very good, but we sat out the second one, Killa Kella (sp?), who was not at all like either HWD or Frankmusik.

Poor Frankmusik (or Vincent to his friends) had a sore throat, but you couldn't tell. After a bit of dodgy sound on the first song when he was drowned out by his band, the gig continued in a uniformly excellent manner. Frankmusik himself is rather cute (as the pics on this post will attest) and oozes charisma, and boy can he sing! But then I have seen him live twice before, at Leeds' Party in the Park and Leeds' Pride.

The set list (we think - can't find the Leeds one online) was as follows:

1. Time Will Tell

2. When You're Around

3. Gotta Boyfriend?

4. Rehab (Amy Winehouse cover)

5. Confusion Girl

6. Dancing in the Dark (? A new track, not sure of the name)

7. Vacant Heart

8. 3 Little Words

9. In Step / Please Don't Stop Frankmusik

10. Better Off As 2

Encore: 11. It's A Sin (Pet Shop Boys cover) / Medley

So that was 8 tracks from his amazing album, Complete Me, a new track, plus a couple of covers (3 if you count the amusing verse of Rihanna's Please Don't Stop the Music, amended to praise our host). The cover of Rehab was so good Andrew didn't even realise what it was until I told him. It sounded so very different to Winehouse's ubiquitous single, as it should.

The majority of the set was upbeat, as much of Complete Me is, so there was much dancing. The only song I missed from the album was Wonder Woman, one of my favourites, but I'll forgive him since Gotta Boyfriend? is my other favourite! Despite having heard this album more often than This Is Alphabeat I wasn't as familiar with the words to Frankmusik's songs in order to sing along for the audience participation bits, which was a shame - it didn't stop me enjoying the show though!

Frankmusik didn't finish on a single, rather his encore was his lovely rendition of the Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin, alone on stage with his keyboard, which lead into a brief medley of Frankmusik's 'hits'. It was an unusual and perhaps a daring move to finish on a slow song. It worked. Despite the brief (50 minute) set and the bad throat, Frankmusik provided an excellent evening's entertainment. I can't wait to see him again!