PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
After being given the opportunity to review Furyon‘s awesome second album, I was over the moon when they announced Glasgow was one of the stops on the UK tour to promote it. I have to admit to being very worried about a Tuesday night in Glasgow too, for all Audio is a fantastic venue for a gig such as this. Glasgow punters can be notoriously fickle when it comes to midweek gigs but on this occasion thankfully it wasn’t just a superb turnout, but a superb turnout for all the bands on the bill.
Kicking the evening off were Stirling rockers The Colony who were warmly received by a busy venue, which was great to see. Too often the first band of the night has a tendency to be playing to just a few punters but this was a wonderful start, helped by the fact that these boys know fine well how to rock. Frontman Peter Cullen gets the crowd going from the off, a theme that was to continue throughout the night from all the bands, and he struts front and centre throughout their 30 minute set containing tracks from EP Romper Stomper and debut album Dust and Stone. Their sound works superbly well live, it’s real thumping rock riffage mixed with clean and screaming vocals to great effect and they certainly laid a marker for everyone else to follow.
Second up on the night was a band who are pretty much part of the furniture in the Glasgow scene and one I know VERY WELL indeed (only cos you’re the bloody guitarist and vocalist – ed). 15 Times Dead are now into their 10th year, although the current lineup isn’t even two years old, and take to the stage in explosive manner with a mix of tracks from debut album Metasultra and the first airing of some brand new tunes from their forthcoming follow up. The grooving heavyness seems to sit well with the crowd from start to finish before they finish with the aggressive Bullethead.
Main support for the tour, Fahran, have been making waves around the UK and in particular at Hard Rock Hell recently. Their style is somewhat akin to a mix of The Darkness, Steel Panther et al
but without the knowing tongue in cheek those bands have. These lads can rock and have an absolute ton of enthusiasm and energy up on stage, from JR on drums right across the guitaring set through to frontman Matt Black. With a mix of tracks from Chasing Hours and more rocking
the venue, the crowd lapped everything up with great gusto and seemed to know the band very well indeed as they chanted, cajoled and fist-pumped their way along to the set. It was the perfect lead-in to Furyon taking the stage.
When Furyon took to the stage to close the night out, right from the off they took Audio by storm as Disappear Again kicked off the set and Matt Mitchell’s unmistakable vocals soared throughout the venue. Looking every inch the triple-A band they should bloody well be, this was an immaculate set from a band who just sound better and better every time I see them. They really should be hitting big festivals with this sound, performance, tunes, they are the complete package. Title track off the new album, Lost Salvation, was heavy and rocking as hell. Souvenirs sounded as epic as it does on the album even given the relatively small venue. The tracks off the new album were suitably well received and more importantly sounded absolutely rockin’ live, especially the likes of These Four Walls and one of my personal favourites, Scapegoat.
All in all it was an electrifying set, performed with style, flair, panache and more. Matt Mitchell front and centre had the audience eating out of the palm of his hands every step of the way, Lee Farmery threw himself about the kit with reckless abandon, Chris Webb and Tiago Rosado shred their lives away with some stunning solo work in particular from Webb and all the while Alex Bowen was like the eye of the storm; in the zone, cool as a cucumber and most importantly working to great effect with Lee Farmery to provide the backbone of the band.
A simply stunning set from Furyon and one that I loved to bits, especially with fan favourite Voodoo Me closing the night out in encore. Job done lads, job done.
Furyon Set – Disappear Again, Lost Salvation, Wasted on You, Souvenirs, Don’t Follow, These Four Walls, Fear Alone, Stone by Stone, Our Peace Someday, Scapegoat, All That I Have, Voodoo Me (encore)
Photography by Jurga Kalinauskaitė
