Five Alarm Funk is a horn powered, percussion fuelled sonic and visual assault. For more than six years the band has brought their relentless and unforgettable live show to clubs and major festivals across Canada and the United States.
The band on stage is an unstoppable orgy of energy. Ten musicians perform intricate and airtight arrangements with delirious dance moves and full on headbanging. Choreographed arm movements coincide with melodic climaxes while the four percussionists create a true spectacle.
Five Alarm Funk’s third studio album Anything is Possible was released July 2010. The genre-spanning, groove-straddling opus reveals 14 tunes of unbridled energy. The first track, Infernal Monologue, begins with an angelic children’s choir before quickly moving into classically inspired heavy prog-rock. From there the party gets started with some straight-ahead funk on Zenith Escalator before turning to driving world-rhythms and burning middle-eastern inspired horn lines on Titan. Influences as diverse as Frank Zappa, Yes, J.S. Bach and Antibalas all make an appearance before Anything is Possible is finished.
Chartattack calls it “a potent mind altering substance” and gives it a rating of 4.5 out of 5. The album has been on the national college radio chart since its release, and won a Western Canadian Music Award for Best Instrumental Recording of the Year in October 2011.
From over 300 Five Alarm Funk shows some highlights include: Vancouver Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, Ottawa Blues Fest, Shambhala, Sunfest in London Ontario, Ness Creek Festival in Saskatchewan, Summer Meltdown in Washington, the Keelung Mid-Summer Festival in Taiwan, and numerous sold-out shows at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.
Recently the band had a number of performances for the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic games. Minutes after Canada was awarded the gold medal in hockey Five Alarm Funk took the stage at the Hockey House and performed to a delirious crowd.
"Five Alarm Funk explodes with energy!"
Travis Lupick -The Georgia Straight
"Break out the fire hoses, these guys don't mess around"
Eran Afner - Randomville.com
“Five Alarm Funk plays awesome 2009 Toronto Jazz Festival set"
Richard Bodman - HoundsTV
"We're talking a cherry the size of James and the Giant Peach here. Something you can climb right inside of, groove in and chew on.”
Isabell Mari - “Bella in Lotus Land”
FIVE ALARM FUNK IS:
Gabe Boothroyd - Guitar
Oliver Gibson - Guitar
Neil Towers - Bass
Tayo Branston – Drums/Vocals
Justin Kennedy – Percussion/Vocals
Tom Towers - Congas
Carl Julig - Timbales
Nimish Parekh - Trombone
Dameian Walsh – Tenor Saxophone
Kent Wallace – Trumpet |
