THE FELL at the Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario – 11 September 2017
Review and Photos by DeadFly Media
When you start a show with a killer drum solo you know it’s going to be a good night!
The Fell came to Toronto’s venerable Rockpile on Monday night as part of their limited end of summer tour. It was a solid turnout of loyal and enthusiastic rockers who, by the time they went home, were very eager to hear and see more of this project.
There was an incredible amount of talent and experience on stage in the forms of Mike Krompass (guitar), Randy Cooke (drums) and Billy Sheehan (bass) who between them have a worthy resume and extensive history in rock and pop music. Add to that the new kid on the block, singer Anthony De La Torre and you have an exciting mix of genres and influences all parlayed (yes, that’s a bit of Pirate humour there!) into catchy and well-crafted new music. You can read bios and details on The Fell’s website.
Having only heard the single “Footprints” I wasn’t too sure what to expect. We were treated to a setlist of about 9 songs with some skillful guitar, drum and bass solos thrown superbly in the mix. The catalogue runs the gamut from ballads to pop rock to straight up balls to the wall rock.
Stand out songs for me were “Carousel”, “Wallflower” (which showcased great vocal range by De La Torre) and “Alibi” which, if anyone asks, I hope will be the next single and I hope the in-studio recording was able to catch the incredibly powerful pairing of Cooke and Sheehan.
De La Torre more than holds his own on stage. He is reverential to the talent he is alongside, not quite believing he is there with them, and you can see the pure joy in his face as the solos kick up the dust. He is also a swaggering front man, playing the crowd – egging them on one moment and expressing appreciation for our coming out on a Monday and then quietly paying his respects to the fallen on the anniversary of 9/11. And the kid can sing. Really sing.
What is really left to say about Krompass, Cooke and Sheehan that hasn’t already been said? These are supremely talented fellas who all excel at their craft, and enjoy what they do! Sheehan is pure magic on the bass; complimented well by Cooke ferociously pounding out the beat and Krompass’s consistently tight but loose style is both sublime and enviable.
The tour was comprised of only a handful or so of shows and the crowd was appreciative of having been given the opportunity to see local Toronto talents Krompass and Cooke and their band mates in action. As the band wrapped up and then hung around for photos and autographs, I overheard so many people commenting about the catchiness of tunes and how much they enjoyed the show, and wished it was in fact longer. Me too.
I think it’s safe to say we fell for The Fell!
Setlist:
- Descendants
- Girl Can’t Be Sold
- Carousel
- Wallflower
- Colorblind
- Footprints
- Trippin’
- Alibi
- Killswitch
