Fall to the Sky, Frog Stupid - The Hart, Hitchin Thursday 7th August. / home / reviews index

gig review by Matt Turner

The Hart is making a name for itself as a good venue with a healthy crowd at every gig. I was a bit peterbed to notice the sign above the main archway reading "The last public hanging in Hitchin was suppossed to have taken place in the courtyard of the Hart" - in some places thats called culture, Ijust thought it was a bit creepy.

FALL TO THE SKY - Well they may not be happy about the 'Emo' label but its's very plain to see; although this may not be a bad thing because it's done so well. A band that really stands out in the local scene, some stunning vocals and a mix of heavy and thin guitars and a lesser mix of light and shade. The band have a really strong element of mixture in their songs although sometimes not enough to avoid sounding samey especially in the song structures. I'm not so sure of how concious it is in the band but they have a great grasp of standout moments and their songs have a real fluid aspect which makes them agreeable to listen to without becoming background music. A very passionate band with some absolutely amazing backing vocals more for the idea than the content leading to a brilliant mix with the main singer. A really individual band who played a great set. Already tight sounding with a good use of dynamics to create the heavier sections- I really like these guys and Iknow I'm not the only one.

Frog Stupid have already built their fanbase and are currently attempting to become the cat's whiskers or the dog's bollocks whichever you have to hand. A strong band fronted by a strong frontman who has a way with words. Fuzzy guitars contrasting well with above average horns which refuse to just be the punctuation marks at the end of each bar as in so many other ska bands - the only thing is Iwish they would do more sometimes and really let loose as in the classic horn playing which they are perfectly capable of. Random spurts of bass and drum fills keep the backline exciting to allow Chris to infect our brains with his lyrics which are frankly brilliant. Frog Stupid never just become about the singer and songs like 'Townie Senorita' and 'Home Sweet Home' provide enough energy to dance to as well as the obligatory chuckle. This band deserve to make something of themselves and are a good effort to the ska punk twist.