Review: They Say Fall say goodbye in fine style

Last month, however, this town witnessed something special.

Something that demonstrated the creative prowess of a handful of young musicians residing in and around the area via a catalogue of original recordings, fit to rival any new band from these shores and beyond.

They Say Fall are, or were to be precise, a five-piece post- hardcore,band with seven years with more than a few tricks up their sleeves.

The venue was The Blues Club, small enough to provide an intimate atmosphere, but big enough that the punters don’t feel claustrophobic.

The set started with the most unlikely of pop stompers.

Everybody (Backstreets Back) was a cover from a 90’s boy band that shouldn’t work, but somehow serves to lighten the mood before we get to the heavier stuff.

And the heavier stuff soon hit, and hit hard.

Frontman Kehn Gembalczyk belted out the notes effortlessly, despite complaining of a sore throat earlier in the week.

A stream of original compositions such as Darkly Dreaming’ and Anubis got the gig in full swing with a dance floor full of adoring 20 something’s sporting hairstyles in an impressive range of hues.

Speaking of striking locks, the lead singer’s blue barnet and tattoos complimented the style of the band as a whole, who all looked like they had recently graduated from the school of alternative rock and passed with flying (hair) colours.

Throughout the performance, spontaneous vocal interludes from Brad Bishell served as a welcome, yet ferocious contrast to Kehn’s more melodic tones.

Beers spilled and limbs flailed as over-excited youths moshed wildly to express their passion for the music and perhaps dissatisfaction with modern society.

Soon the show neared it’s conclusion, along with the band as this was their swansong under the said name and line-up.

Escapee Kyle Leeman will be missed, his charisma as evident on stage as the chemistry with his band mates.

Their own song, A Life of Chasing Butterflies, was a clear highlight and revealed a crescendo of lush strings that proved there was life in the old dog yet.

New music was clearly in existence, even if it is currently stored in the vaults and being saved for special occasions.

Soon after, as the band said their goodbyes, it became clear that the crowd were in no mood to let go at that point and they began to chant ‘one more song’ in a style presumably not dissimilar to that witnessed the other side of the walls in the football ground on a Saturday afternoon.

But this was not a Saturday afternoon, it was a Friday night.

And the chanting crowd were rewarded for their efforts with two more tracks from the bands creative arsenal.

For the second time throughout the evening, a cover song surfaced in the form of Toto’s 1982 hit Africa.

As the final chord was strummed, a shower of flowers was launched at the band members to express sentiments of thanks and appreciation from friends, fans and all those in attendance.

Three days later the existing members of the band, namely Kehn, Brad, Joseph and Tom, revealed they were to continue under a new name, Bad Machines.

But there is nothing ‘bad’ about this fully functioning, well oiled unit, despite losing a valued member.

The ship sails on.