Lineup: 2013
Five Alarm Funk
Vancouver, British Columbia
Five Alarm Funk is a horn powered, percussion fuelled sonic and visual assault. For more than eight years the band has brought their relentless and unforgettable live show to clubs and major festivals across Canada and the United States.
The group 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 released their fourth studio album, Rock the Sky, in May 2012. As the name implies, and the epic Pegasus on the cover attests, Rock the Sky has the band embracing their rock influences. “Iron Pegasus” is Iron Maiden meeting Tower of Power in an Egyptian bazaar, while “Wash Your Face” evokes Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock fighting to the death. The funk is not forgotten in “The Critic”, with heavy baritone sax propelling a slow and sexy groove.
The band’s third studio album Anything is Possible earned Instrumental Recording of the Year from the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. Chartattack called it “a potent mind altering substance” and gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Five Alarm Funk has driven across Canada numerous times, building their fan base from the ground up. From over 400 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.
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