Fro at Woody's gig Review and Interview
On the 28th of February Fro performed their first gig together. Comprised of Oliver Lawrence (vocals), Henry Langdon (bass), Matthew Wilson (guitar) and David Burgess (drums), Fro are a modern rock band who have spent the last year working on their own songs. The audience, who had come to the bar for the advertised live music, were certainly not disappointed. Fro’s thirty-minute set was comprised of eight original rock songs, written and composed by the band themselves.
The opening song ‘Sun Dried Tomatoes’, written by Henry, set the gig into motion, immediately captivating the audience’s attention and casting all eyes upon them. In a bar full of student groups, Fro’s ability to draw everyone in was impressive. The set was a brilliant mix of songs that demonstrated the band’s versatile and powerful song writing abilities. The live performance really brought these originals together and the integral depth of their music is something to be admired. ‘Can’t You See Us’, written by Matthew, was one of the most upbeat of the songs and this was regarded highly by the audience; their engagement with the music is something that Fro should be proud of.
Not only were the songs a strong feature of Fro’s performance, their stage presence was powerful. The band ensured that they weren’t just playing their instruments or singing; they were engaging with the audience and with each other. During every song their passion for their music was evident amongst all four members and this is what really made the performance. Even though this was their first gig together, their presentation and professionalism as a band was fantastic.
After the gig I was able to conduct an interview with the band to ask them about their processes, inspirations and opinions about being in a modern rock band:
Where does the name Fro come from?
Fro (in unison): Matthew’s afro!
What are your biggest influences in the music industry?
Dave: The Beatles and Tame Impala
Henry: The Beatles
Matthew: The Beatles
Oliver: George Harrison, Marvin Gaye, The Beachboys and The Beatles
What is your favourite album?
Dave: The White Album by The Beatles
Henry: The White Album by The Beatles
Matthew: Nevermind by Nirvana
Oliver: What’s going on by Marvin Gaye
Can you briefly describe the music making process?
Matthew: One of us comes in with a song, normally me or Henry, I do acoustic guitar, Henry figures out the bass, David figures out the drums and then we tell Oliver how we want it to be sung.
Henry: That’s a very Matthew account.
Oliver: Basically, Henry and Matthew are the geniuses of the band, whereas Dave and I are the stylish ones.
What advice do you have for other people who want to form their own band?
Henry: Go for it! Form a band and then start writing and playing some music. Just make sure that you’re enjoying what you’re doing.
Matthew: Make sure you’re all friends.
Oliver: Enjoy the process and don’t care about what other people think.
How did your band come together?
Henry: Matthew and I became good friends in first year and then David started drumming a year ago.
Matthew: We met Oliver after posting on facebook.
How did the Woody’s gig go?
Oliver: It was a great gig and a great place to perform for the first time.
Henry: It was a great gig and we’re really thankful we could perform!
Fro are an excellent band and a very close group of friends which made their performance at Woody’s memorable and enjoyable. Hopefully we will be able to go and watch them perform more gigs soon!
