Fourth Floor Collapse

When asked to shoot Armen Firman again I jumped at the chance, but even more enticing was the fact that they were playing with Fourth Floor Collapse, a band I heard enough about to warrant a trip to Ding Dong.

The Melbourne venue can be barren on a Thursday night but given the right band the place can draw a very good crowd … oh yeah, it was a good crowd. There was little wonder with the local act building quite a reputation over the past few years; the following is strong and growing all of the time.

The set began in traditional Armen Firman with an energy that continued right to the end.

While they are a band of five highly talented musicians and song writers you can’t help but wonder why they haven’t been picked up yet. Tom Whitty up front keeps you enthralled, he is without doubt a frontman who demands respect yet is well backed by the lads around him.

When it comes to vocal duties Whitty is more than capably backed up by bass wielding Jim Saunders, who tackles a few lyrics of his own. Keeping the rhythm with Saunders is Matt Millar.

Millar is one of the best drummers around at the moment, his skills at times distract from the other members, but maybe that’s just me … I always wanted to be Animal from The Muppets when I was a kid.

The complexity of the songs and the way that they are delivered is something that very few bands would even tackle, leaving all punters wondering when will they see Armen Firman again.

Almost as soon as Armen Firman left the stage and the crowd realised they weren’t coming back out a strange anticipation filled the room.

I had never seen Fourth Floor Collapse before despite them being around almost as long as the Stones. Enough bands had mentioned that I should check them out, it was said that not only are they tight but you get sucked in and find that you can never get out. So strong were the recommendations that I could not refuse the invite, and to say I was disappointed would be one of the greatest lies.

The set opened with 'Occupation', giving a great indication as to what was to come. Michael Miller up front was truly a sight to behold, his gesticulations were very reminiscent of a young Joe Cocker, and his voice was much sweeter.

As the slipped into gear the tunes got even better and soon it was clear that something special was happening. Fourth Floor Collapse have a unique quality to their sound, one that makes it almost impossible to pigeon hole them.

Lead by Dan Forrestal, the guitar work was impressive and worked well to complement the work being done by Miller. The whole band put on a great performance and kept everyone wanting more.

There’s no doubt that Fourth Floor Collapse are a band that has a loyal following but it’s the new punters that are now seeing what has been happening over three albums worth of music.

If you get a chance to see them make sure you do, Fourth Floor Collapse is one band you’ll want to see again.

Share this review on Facebook