Artist description Four-piece indie guitar band from Southampton, England

Music Style Indie pop

Musical Influences Goth, country, funk, indie, surf rock

Similar Artists Smiths, Felt, Belle & Sebastien, XTC, Crowded House, Blur, Buzzcocks

Artist History Fat City were formed in Southampton in 1999 in a flat above a grocer's store in the city's red light district. It started with a pair of bongos, a dodgy guitar and a kazoo and quickly blossomed into the artistic powerhouse that welcomed the new millennium. The band comprises Vic Vaccari (Taurus, Indie), David Schaffer (Pisces, Funk), Glyn Mottershead (Taurus, Goth) and Dan Nother (Gemini, C&W). Originally a cheerful three-piece, it wasn't until they recruiting the twanging genius of Dan Nother that the Fat City sound finally crystalised into its present form. The boys first unleashed their creaky, Nashville-goth pop surf-rock influenced racket, on unsuspecting pub-goers, quickly graduating to dodgy clubs. They have played to diners at the Natraj Balti curry house, brought a smile to the faces of mourners at an Irish wake and enjoyed regional radio coverage. Gigs have included lead performances at the Joiners, as well as support slots with the signed acts Stingray and Whispering Bob. Their best outing to date was a memorable gig at the Camden Falcon in June, 2000, which has led to further dates in the capital.

Group Members Vic Vaccari (rhythm and vocals), Dan Nother (lead guitar, harmonica and twang), Dave Schaffer (percussion god), Glyn "Big Vern" Mottershead (general bass nonsense and distorted rhythm guitars)

Press Reviews Live Review Southern Daily Echo, Southampton, April 19 2000. Fat City @ The Kellar, By Paul Green. SOUTHAMPTON indie hopefuls Fat City are making waves in the big bad world of the music industry, and with performances like these then it's easy to see why. As well as a namecheck on Mark Radcliffe's Radio One show, the boys have also been photographed by an NME photographer and championed by a member of The Yardbirds. Fat City opened the first half of their set with their self-penned tune Chopsticks. The band seemed to take a while to warm up, with lead singer Vic's voice easing with each song. Versions of Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walking and Steve Harley's Come Up & See Me sounded fresh, while Ash's Girl From Mars was superb. But it was their original material which suited Fat City's sound best, with First Time Again really standing out - especially lead guitarist Dan Nother's country-tinged solo. The band finished with the mega catchy Something On The Other Side - Fat City are certainly a name to look out for! You can catch them at The Joiners Arms tonight and at The Kellar next Wednesday with punk outfit Harsh. Preview Southern Daily Echo, June 8 2000. LOCAL flavour of the month Fat City take their sound up to the Big Smoke this weekend with a prestigious date in London. The Southampton indie-fourpiece play the Camden Falcon, in Camden Town, on Saturday night - hoping to move a rung up on the musical ladder. The band, who have made a name for themselves on the local circuit, played at Ocean Village as part of the BBC's Music Live festival a fortnight ago. You can catch them tonight at The Kellar, in London Road, supported by local punksters Harsh, as well as The Joiners Arms on Tuesday when they play alongside signed act Whispering Bob. "We are all really looking forward to the London date," says lead singer and rhythm guitarist Vic. "It's our first gig there, so it should be a bit of a party. It would be quite nice to see half-a-dozen record execs standing in the audience waving cheque books at us - but we're really doing the gig to get more experience and to spread the Fat City gospel to a wider audience."

Location Southampton, Hampshire - United Kingdom

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