FIT TO FLY - Hustlers, Dundee 12-04-08
"I want you to check out this band I've got on tonight", said Dave, Hustlers owner, as I was putting posters up for the Mermaid Rock Iron Maiden tribute gig. "I saw them a few weeks back and they had this amazing young guitarist".
Oddly enough, he wasn't kidding!!
Fit To Fly are a relatively new group, like so many of recent times in this area, from down Fife way, and are a trio with lead guitarist, bassist and vocalist plus drummer. They started off with a mid-paced track that had elements of indie, rock and blues to it, something quite commercial in a serious sort of way, but as I was listening to this clean guitar sound, clean bass sound and crisp drumming, it felt like all icing and no cake - there was no real depth to it, no texture, and you ached for something more in that arrangement. Second track and immediately the guitarist, who has acquitted himself well on the opener, provides this much dirtier sound, and things start power up as the song lets go, the whole band playing much more forcefully and all the better for it. The song itself is a tad faceless, but the vocals are strong as your interest starts to be awakened. From here they moved on to a track Called "Churches". Now so far the leaning has been something between contemporary indie and blues rock, but on this track the added depth of the arrangements waas there, the song itself is a forceful number with much more of a hook, the arangement something more expansive and dynamic, while the guitar work is now seriously good. What you do notice by this time, however, is that while the singer has a strong voice, the actual sound of the voice is not what you'd call distinctive, but you feel that all it needs is someone on harmony vocals - male or female - to provide that missing link and give a great song that extra depth of counterpoint and texture.
Fourth track in is an instrumental medley of seventies rock, chiefly Zeppelin and Hendrix, that really allow the whole band to show what they're made of, including some phenomenal work from the young guitarist. After this they do a cover of The Who's "My Generation" and, apart from maybe wanting a tad more venom in the vocal, they pull it off exceedingly well.
From there, they go into a track, "New Day", that you would swear was a U2 cover, but it's actually an original track that has all the hallmarks of early U2, right down to plenty of ringing, chiming guitar chords, soaring vocals and a strong, tight and flowing arangement.
Up next is a more laid-back but still strong slice of blues-rock, with the feel of something akin to Hendrix's "Red House", while the set ends on this track called "The Prophet", which seems to take in a lot of the aforemntioned influences and is quite another strong anthemic rock styled track.
Now, as you can see, this band have a lot of influences at work here. That they have a red hot lead guitarist is in no doubt. You could say they have an identity crisis, but I'd err on the positive side and say more like an identity overload. They are a positively talented band. With a stronger lead vocal, they could be one shit hot seventies styled rock band, with the present vocalist and someone on backing vocals, they could be a shit hot contemporary songwriting band - heck, they could even do the blues festival and get away with it on this showing. But, for now, they are good , they are enjoyable and, if you're open minded enough musically, they are more than worth checking out.