biographical info
It takes 10 musicians to contain the immense and infectious energy of Five Alarm Funk. Fuelled by percussion and held together by a relentless horn assault, Five Alarm Funk is proof that when it comes to laying down the perfect groove, the more the merrier. Each member of the band is a self-contained music machine, bringing airtight arrangements and delirious dance moves to a spectacular live show that has to be seen to be believed.
Five Alarm Funk is keyed up to release their fourth album, Rock the Sky, in May of 2012. A massive Pegasus emblazoned on the cover is the perfect complement to this album, which is an ode to the rock influences of Five Alarm Funk. If you've ever wondered how Iron Maiden and Parliament would sound if they fused together into one incredible animal, Five Alarm Funk has been in the lab, perfecting their creation.
The band has gathered considerable critical acclaim for their orgiastic (not literally) perfomances. Chartattack.com called their third album, Anything is Possible, "a potent, mind-altering substance". High praise indeed. The album must have altered some minds at the Western Canadian Music Awards, who dubbed the album "Best Instrumental Recording of the Year".
Five Alarm has been spreading the funk across Canada and the United States for years now, bringing in new fans at every stop along the way. The band has graced the stage at the Vancouver and Whistler 2010 Olympics, Canadian Music Week, 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. That's a lot of funk for 10 guys to handle, it's no wonder they're spreading the word.
lineup
Gabe Boothroyd Guitar
Tayo Branston Drums
Tom Towers Congas
Carl Julig Timbales
Nimish Parekh Trombone
Neil Towers Bass
Oliver Gibson Guitar
K-Neddy Shekere
Ryan Naso Trumpet
Dameian Walsh Tenor/Alto/Bari Sax
influences
Antibalas
Fela Kuti
James Brown
Santana
Frank Zappa
Ozomatli