10 March 2010 (gig)
22 March 2010
Northern Irish trio, General Fiasco should come with a disclaimer that reads 'we make unoriginal music, heavily influenced by others and we’re well aware that we’re not pioneers of our art'; for it would breakdown the opportunity for music snobs to turn their noses up and miss out on a great new band. These three young guys from County Londonderry are fun, lively and more than capable of holding their own on a London stage, as Islington’s o2 Academy Room 2 found out.
Currently touring to promote their debut album 'Buildings’, the bustling crowd was treated to a buffet pick’n’mix of indie-rock pop gems by three passionate youngsters. Rocky hairstyles and skinny jeans were the order of the evening, as were bold guitars and determined drum beats in abundance hammering home their point at every turn. Lead singer, Owen Strathern is as skinny as he is talented, impressively captivating at times with the quiet confidence of an experienced performer. Rebel Get By and Sinking Ships especially allowed the singer to shine. Armed with a lone acoustic guitar in the latter, he punched out the lyrics with determined intensity.
It is fair to say their sound is borrowed from all angles. Sweep with a fine tooth comb and you’ll find all sorts of influence alive and well. The lively opening track of the night Dancing With Girls started with Foo like chords, whilst Desert Hearts draws from an almost punk pop Cribs crossed with the view. The memorable First Impressions could be classed in the same bracket as emo-rockers Lost Prophets, whereas their latest single Ever So Shy is brilliantly catchy, ticking the boxes in creating a great indie-rock song and showing an inclination to hold hands with Supergrass.
Make no mistake, General Fiasco are a great band with plenty of potential. NME and BBC Radio’s finest are all outed fans showing support for the trio since their arrival on the scene in 2008. Their music is pulsing with energetic chords, passionate vocal ability and enough bite to chomp their own foothold in the music industry. General Fiasco may never win awards for their sound, but with a loyal fanbase, rising profile and strong stage presence, only good things light the road ahead,quite how far that road travels for, only time will tell.
