It is time to get a little funky and a little loud when Five Alarm Funk returns to Lethbridge to play the Slice, June 23, hot on the heels of their brand new, fifth album “Abandon Earth.”
it is a concept album based on “We All Scream,” the first song from the CD which is about a possibly evil ice cream man selling ice cream with hallucinogenic side effects.
That lead to the band journeying to the centre of the earth where they encounter a 30 storey tall killer robot.
That lead to a heavier, more guitar based, darker sound for the band.
“ But the new songs we’re writing are funked out swinging tracks,” said drummer/ frontman Tayo Branston adding the new music shows the continued evolution of the 10 piece orchestra who put the fun back in funk music.
“We wrote the ice cream man song and started writing a lot of others that were similar sounding,” Branston explained.
They had the entire album written before their last tour and honed the songs by performing them in front of audiences.
“We’ve always done it that way, so there everyone knows exactly what to play when we’re in the studio. So we just go into the studio to record. There's no writing there,” he explained.
“ We have nine other players in the band, so we have a different sound. It shows the fantastic progression of the band,” he continued adding the darker themes of the songs demanded a heavier, darker sound.
He agreed it is tough to choose favourite songs from the new CD.
“My favourite three are ‘Robot,’ ‘Journey To the Centre of the Earth,’ and ‘Erupt,’” he said.
“ But if you ask all of the other guys, they have their own,” he continued.
While they are sometimes known for wearing unusual costumes and using elaborate props to go with their music, they won’t have many for this show.
“ We found it was a lot of work and by work I mean the dry-cleaning cost a little too much,” Branston laughed, adding they didn’t build a robot for the show.
“ We thought about it. But that robot is 30 storeys tall,” he said.
He said fans can expect, their usual hit, sweaty, horn filled energetic show.
“ The whole idea is to make it more fun,” he said.
“ The new music is swinging, upbeat, fun thumping funk with just a hint of Bhangra East Indian music. But it is all done in the Five Alarm Funk style,” he said.
He is just excited to be back on the road again.
“ We can’t wait to get back on the road and play some music 34 times in 46 days and experience that free spirited experience on the road,” he said.
The show begins at 9 p.m., June 23. Tickets cost $25
