Who: FatTooth
Where: Garfinkel's
When: Friday, Aug. 7
Don't expect the guys from FatTooth to be lining up to buy the latest album from Fall Out Boy. With Hucifer on vocals, PowPow on guitar, Buddha on bass, and Cockstar on drums, these guys are trying to get back to the basics when it comes to rock and roll.
Instead of our modern-day, watered down emo-rock, Hucifer and the rest of the FatTooth crew are looking back to the likes of Van Halen for inspiration, especially when it comes to their live performances.
"I don't like all this depressing 'I'm on Prozac' crap - it's horrible!" Hucifer said.
The group has recently taken their show on the road, kick-starting their Natural Disaster tour, which sees them playing a series of shows throughout the Western Canada before finally making it back east, towards their home base in Quebec. As of last Friday, the group was in Winnipeg, playing a couple of gigs in Hucifer's hometown.
"We kicked it off with Toronto's North by Northeast festival and we had a really good response there. It was a monster show!" Hucifer recalled with a chuckle. "...The first band that was before us, they got booed off the stage."
Clearly the preceding group wasn't a tough act to follow and the crowd was more than ready for a good time by the time FatTooth took the stage.
"People weren't too happy with them, and we got up and they were ready to rock and roll, and we really delivered. Man, people were hanging off the ceiling - it was a great show!"
These guys also use one of the oldest (and most effective) tricks in the musicians' book, pulling out all the stops with costuming and makeup - think along the lines of a toned-down KISS.
But make no mistake, FatTooth aren't all style and no substance. While fans might be lured in to check out the show by their over-the-top costumes and face paint, they promise to deliver the musical goods, as well.
"When we went to Thunder Bay we got all geared up, we walked in and there's people outside smoking, right, and they all start cheering us on right away, because that's the kind of vibe we put out there, so they just pick up on it right away, and they're ready for a good rock and roll show."
Since the group came together about three years ago, these musicians have managed to develop their own metal, punk, thrash hybrid, heralding back to the days of real rock. They're no strangers to the music scene, either, each having played in several bands before coming together on the FatTooth front. Each are also into genres and aspects of the industry - Cockstar is all about the heavy stuff and PowPow is into guitarists like Frank Zappa and Steve Vai, while Hucifer draws influence from the likes of Tom Waits and, of course, wrestlers like Macho Man.
In March, FatTooth released their first self-titled EP, bringing in some friends to complete the project: Rob Shallcross of Strapping Young Lad, Gwar, Mr. Plow and The Heathen of Zimmer's Hole.
Their name, FatTooth, seems like a bit of a head-scratcher at first, but as it turns out, the group's namesake is none other than Hucifer's own girlfriend. How romantic!
"It all clicked - it's a quirky name, kinda like The Band, and it's outside of the box, and we do a lot of stuff out of the box," Hucifer said. "We're not a death metal act or a grind core act, we like to see people having fun and we're bringing the fun back in the traditional sense."
These guys clearly aren't without a sense of humour. Their lyrics are infused with witty one-liners, while combining elements of hardcore and metallic metal into their melodies.
"When I do a song, it is a character and I like to deliver that and get into that persona," Hucifer explained. "It makes it fun, right? We have a really good time. Some people don't understand it, because they think music is a serious thing, but for me, music is whatever you want it to be."
The Whistler crowd can look forward to a solid evening of rock and roll, presented by some guys who are out to have a good time.
