The Six On Fire “Weekend Rock stars” CD Album Brand New.
Condition is "New". Dispatched with Royal Mail 2nd Class Large Letter.
Review:-
The Six on Fire: Weekend Rock Stars
So dear reader, what did you do during lockdown? You had big plans, didn’t you? You were going to get fit. You we’re going to expand your mental agility. You we’re going to refurbish your home. However, April 2021 sees you still reeling from the two and a half Joe Wicks workouts you attempted last May and there’s a half-finished jigsaw next to an unopened, two-litre pot of Dulux “Misty Buff,” E-Z Flo emulsion paint. Admit it – you spent the last twelve months with Uber Eats on speed-dial, and you’ve watched everything on Netflix, twice. The Six on Fire had other ideas…
The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the live music industry, especially for a band like T6oF. What’s the point of being The Greatest Party Band in the UK when parties are punishable by death? Instead of sulking and binge-watching Game of Thrones, the band rolled up their collective sleeves and did what precious few cover bands attempt to do. They recorded an album of original material. And the good news is, it doesn’t suck. Far from it.
“Weekend Rock Stars” is way better than it has a right to be. Often, musicians are drawn to playing in cover bands because they don’t or can’t write original material, and there’s no shame in that. For every Paul Simon, there has to be an Art Garfunkel, right? Who knew that between the six charming chaps in the band, there was the nucleus of a damn fine writing partnership? Led by the shy, retiring and demure Matt Von Krystal (possibly not his real name) the band have created a body of work from nothing, that a way more established band would give various body parts for. Add to the mix, the fact that everything had to be recorded remotely, meaning that the eye contact and interaction that normally typifies a recording session couldn’t happen, it’s another miracle that this record sounds as good as it does.
What do we get from “Weekend Rock Stars?” It’s a tight collection of top drawer, modern pop-rock. If you dig deep, you’ll find disco basslines, prog-rock keyboards and a host of other tasty treats. It’s also a great ensemble performance, in spite of the fact that no two members of the band were in the same room at the same time, during the recording. If you’ve seen the band play live, you won’t be surprised to learn that there’s a strong, hard rock feel to the album. “Lifeline” and “Weekend Rock Stars” have the hooks and melodic sensibility of early Bon Jovi, but cut through with a sense of humour that Jon B.J. and his mates sadly lack. If you can keep a straight face while listening to “Hey Yeah,” with its’ subtle adaptation of the theme from “Batman” or the hook-laden title track, then there’s really no hope for you. “Move Frame (On Pause)” is a bit of a wild card. There’s a hint of an early-nineties alt-rock feel to it, which gives an indication of the diversity that the band (if they continue writing original material) are capable of. It’s in this song that we learn that Matt Von K is “a loose cannon.” Who knew?
The entire band is on fire (cough…) here. The rhythm section is rock solid, keyboards and lead guitar add some superb flourishes and it’s all topped off with MVK’s trademark yelp. A year ago, these tunes weren’t even an itch in the bands’ brightly coloured stage trousers, but now it’s here and it’s bright and bouncy and lovely.
If you’re looking for something to provoke intellectual debate on the human condition, you may be disappointed with “Weekend Rock Stars.” If, however, what you really want to do is grab a feather boa, your silver lurex cape and your dancing trousers, this might be the best thing you’ll hear all year. If you play it loud enough, it might even ward off COVID {citation needed}.
At the time of writing, we haven’t got the liberty to pop to Primark to buy socks. You can’t go to a local venue and see your mates’ band. You can’t even nip around to grannies to make sure she’s still alive, but what we have got is “Weekend Rock Stars” by The Six on Fire. And we really should be grateful for that.
Rushbo
April 2021
