Canadian Afrobeat: Five Alarm Funk - Everything Is Possible

Reviews

Five Alarm funk is an afro-funk orchestra from Vancouver, BC. The group has four percussionists, 2 guitars, a bass, trumpet, trombone and 2 saxophones that create a terrific blend of funk sound intertwined with afro-beat rhythms. The group has toured all over Canada and played at the Molson Canadian Hockey House after Canada struck gold in hockey at the Vancouver 2010 olympics.

Anything is Possible will be their third studio album release. The band never ceases to be a dance party. In the album you can hear very world inspired rhythm and melodic lines mixed into Western jazz and funk styles. The result is something that appeals to older jazz fans as well as the younger generation. The 11 track album never ceases to amuse as each track is varied a bit in style and influences. The album starts off with Infernal Monologue which begins with a children’s choir and then moves on to some creepy sounding licks that almost sound like heavy rock. The next track is some straight funk which then moves onto an entire album of very fun and diverse tunes that you should totally check out.

Source

Vancouver’s soul supergroup Five Alarm Funk didn’t let a grim and gloomy sky stop them from entertaining an enthusiastic crowd at Yaletown’s David Lam Park Sunday, July 4. During the free performance, which was the second stop on a 60-day summer tour -and managed to serve double duty as both closeout to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and CD-release show for their 3rd album, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, the spastic 11-piece proved themselves yet again to be one of the most infectious and energetic groups in the city. And the crowd, though initially slow to respond, was soon swept up in the frenzied fusion of afrobeat, disco, rock, and funk that has made the group so popular for the past six years. Soon, everyone in the audience was on their feet and moving; youth, parents, grandparents, children, the eight skilled hula-hoopers who took up residence stage right, and, of course, the peculiar older gentleman in the sweat-suit whose dance-moves seemed to resemble a bizarre sort of hyperspeed tai-chi. For their part, Five Alarm Funk did not disappoint, whether musically, or when it came to their usual style of caffeine-fuelled showmanship, including synchronized, off-the-cuff dance-moves (fist-pumps, leg-kicks, and club-style chest-bumps), Village-people-inspired costumes (The Jock, The Cowboy, The Construction Worker, and, of course, The Hipster) the comedy antics and mid-song costume-changes of percussionists Tom Towers, Justin Kennedy, and Carl Julig, and even -as a final, hurrah, a glitter cannon.

Most tracks featured hailed from ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, though, for diehard fans, several older tracks were played, such as ‘Demons, Begone’, and the heavily-syncopated “United”. But, unquestionably, the highlight of the show was the surf-inspired “Dr. Child”, a guitar-heavy funk orgasm that featured, among other things, an epic, onstage battle between a gorilla and a shark. The stunt, which featured costumed performers enacting all manner of dancelike martial-arts moves on each other, was, according to drummer and spokesman Tayo Branston, more than just a simple stage antic; it was, in fact, the inspiration for the group’s entire 3rd album.

“If you believe that these two could meet under any circumstances,” he said, his voice growling like a preacher on steroids, “then truly, anything is possible, and that means that we can be here with you, and have a funky-ass good time any time we want.”

As the band closed out their nearly 90-minute set with a cheeky, horn-filled rendition of Europe’s classic “The Final Countdown” (to much applause, and including the aforementioned Glitter Cannon), and set the howling crowd to dancing all over again, it became clear that Five Alarm Funk is in no danger of slowing down, and remains capable of and committed to, in Branston’s words, “continuing our mission to bring you the best goddamn time you ever had.”

Source




Tracklist

1. Infernal Monologue
2. Zenith Escalator
3. Titan
4. Demons Be Gone
5. Brother Egypt
6. Payday
7. Cave Of The Gypsy Troll
8. Soft Six
9. Doctor Child
10. Broadway
11. Interlude
12. UK-47
13. Uncle Meatball
14. Face Riot

Five Alarm Funk - Same

Band

Five Alarm Funk is a Vancouver-based, 12-piece rhythm machine that delivers a delirium-inducing live show fuelled by original funk and afro-beat grooves. The band’s horn and percussion-driven instrumental jams feature searing guitar leads and horn solos wailing and soaring above a four-man percussion maelstrom that is grounded by Neil Towers’ juicy bass lines.

The band’s wicked cross-rhythms and frenetic, costumed stage show appeals to jazz fans and clubs kids alike. Five Alarm Funk has carved out a word of mouth fan base from a series of crowd-pleasing performances at clubs, concert halls, and festivals throughout Western Canada. Highlights include the band headlining the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver and opening for the Herbalizer at the Plaza of Nations. The group’s debut album has charted on college radio across the country including reaching #2 on Toronto’s CIUT station. Warner Music Canada nationally distributes the CD and it is available in record stores across the country.

“Interaction between the crowd and the band is a huge part of the show, and we try to make every show an event. We’ve managed to get big crowds to our shows by word of mouth, friends telling friends about the band,” enthused guitarist and group spokesman Gabe Boothroyd. “There’s nothing like seeing 800 people at a sold-out show at Richard’s on Richards crouch down on the floor when our vocalist and drummer Tayo Branston tells them to ‘get low’ during a funky build-up.”

The band’s playful, high-energy live show is fueled by skin-tight arrangements and raw, sweat-drenched passion. From its founding as a six-piece in 2003, the young band (average age is 23) has grown into one of the most exciting and unique groups in Canada.

“There’s a huge afro-beat, Fela Kuti influence,” explained Boothroyd. “We take that and combine it with some James Brown and Kool and the Gang and then throw in a lot of youthful energy and reckless enthusiasm. Most people in the band started playing rock-oriented music, and that edge is still there in a lot of our playing and our stage presence.”

Five Alarm Funk’s’ wacky costumes and stage antics guarantee a frenzied dance party, but the boys in the band can really play too. Five Alarm Funk can pack a dance floor, but they’ve got tons of jazz chops too. They’ve got it all. They’re the real deal. Check ‘em out!

Review

Big bands are back … not the Tommy Dorsey–style swing orchestras of the 30s and 40s but the horn-driven Afrobeat and funk of Fela Kuti and James Brown. Five Alarm Funk is an Afro- Funk powerhouse from Vancouver who have revitalized the deep grooves and kitschy costumes of the 70’s. After igniting Vancouver stages with their own Afro-Caribbean beats, Five Alarm Funk are ready to make their recording debut. The late, great father of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti once said, “I refuse to live my life in fear.” Scores of admiring musicians during the 60s and 70s watched him fearlessly stand up to an oppressive regime in Nigeria as he was defining some of the most danceable grooves in history with his huge Afrobeat orchestras. Now, this twelve piece Vancouver rhythm machine is paying forward Afrobeat’s magnetic energy. Guitarist, Gabe Boothroyd explains, “There’s a huge Fela Kuti influence in Five Alarm Funk. We take that and combine it with some James Brown and Kool and the Gang and throw in a lot of youthful energy and reckless enthusiasm.” Antibalas also loomed large in this band’s developing sound but not everybody has to have a political beef to fry and that’s where Five Alarm Funk part company with their inspirations. The Afrobeat is ever-present but the lyrics are all about getting the party started and that’s just fine. These upstarts have plenty of time to find a cause.

Source



Tracklist

01. Don Mega
02. Hot Funk Sunday
03. King Arthur's Court
04. Big City
05. Gabe's Revenge
06. Ain't No One Man
07. March of the Latin Zombies