Live Report: Montell Fish turns up the intensity at Electric Picnic’s 3 Music Stage

Despite kicking off his set over thirty minutes late due to technical difficulties, Montell Fish’s crowd at Electric Picnic’s 3 Music Stage is still incredibly packed, eagerly shouting out for the Pittsburgh-born singer-songwriter as he kicks off with the incredibly powerful tune ‘Bathroom’. With its heavy, bass-filled instrumentation and ethereal vocals, the track is an incredible kicker to a truly incredible set.

Montell Fish at Electric Picnic 2025 -Patrik Mier

For his live arrangement, Montell Fish, aka Montell James Frazier, adds beautifully vigorous, gritty rock-flavours to his usual style of dream-like R’n’B soundscapes. Adding dark riffs and screeching guitar drops to tracks like ‘Who Did You Touch?’ or ‘Altitude’. The result is a magnificently rousing show and tunes you can feel resonating all the way into your ribcage.

Although re-arranged for the occasion, Frazier’s songs lose nothing of their usual otherworldly quality, leaning into high-range vocals as well as quieter, lower registers in a sound that is as enveloping as it is compelling. Completing the recipe with mysterious, reverbed guitar riffs and the occasional stripped-back instrumentation, the 3 Music Stage tent feels chest-heaving and completely isolated from the outside world.

Montell Fish at Electric Picnic 2025 -Patrik Mier

Occasionally leaving the grit behind in favour of more minimalist R'n'B soundscapes, Frazier demonstrates the full power of his vocals on the delicately emotional fan favorites ‘SCREAM MY NAME’ and ‘talk 2 me’, and even offers a summery, groovy few minutes with the deliciously melodic ‘Pretend Lovers’.

Frazier makes a swift return to grittiness with the R'n'B forward tune ‘Exscape’ and its infinitely heavy instrumentation, which allows his tour drummer to demonstrate his incredible skills in a brilliantly rousing solo. Elsewhere, the TikTok hit ‘Motel’ fills the tent with glistening, pretty melodies and magnificently catchy rhythms.

Montell Fish at Electric Picnic 2025 -Patrik Mier

Despite earlier delays, the American musician manages to play his 45-minute set in its entirety, closing under flickering lights with gorgeously sulphurous and romantic soundscapes. Shiver-inducing indeed.