Romance blooms even in the Marshall-stacked world of metal. Just ask Mick Fury.
The guitar-bashing frontman for Silent Fury still reels from a relationship gone haywire. The good news is that he channeled the ego-shattering experience into the title tune of Silent Fury’s new CD, “Girl in My Head.”
“This last year has been a whirlwind,” Fury sighed.
The Syracuse power trio – also featuring drummer Josh “Wildman” Dean and bassist Joe “Nasty” Grosvent – toured repeatedly from Vermont to Texas and opened shows for the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon, Afroman and Vince Neil. On Oct. 8, Silent Fury kicked off the Sammy Awards show at OnCenter. Next Friday, Nov. 5, Mick and the boys will host a CD release party for “Girl in My Head” at the Westcott Theater.
Ah, yes, the girl!
Well, it seems that Mick was tiring of one night stands with nameless chicks on the road.
“I finally found a girl I wanted to more than get naked with,” he said. “She’s actually a really successful local singer…we had an amazing roller coaster ride that suddenly came to a halt, and I launched off it head-first. I started going out with girls I’d meet at shows again, but it was soulless. I was missing that ‘Girl in My Head,’ and that’s where this album came from.”
When pressed, Fury demurred.
“I promised the girl I wrote a lot of the songs about that I wouldn’t mention her name. She’s very well known,” he wrote in an e-mail, adding that she’s beautiful and talented.
Jocko rocks!
Despite Silent Fury’s garage-band roots, the band’s professional musicianship and no-nonsense stage presence shows the boys ready for a shot in music’s major leagues. The group’s sound, on songs like “She Rocked Me” and “Kick Down My Door,” is characterized by crystalline vocals over insistent drums, booming bass and crisp electric guitar. The arrangements resound with power chords punctuated by startling stop times.
Fury can also belt out a ballad, like “Sadness Can’t Find the Movin’ Soul.”
And attitude? Think Nickelback-meets-White Stripes.
Production values? The band’s material has been meticulously mixed by Syracuse sound engineer Jason “Jocko” Randall, who has worked similar miracles for the Ithaca band John Brown’s Body.
No wonder Silent Fury sold more than 2,500 copies of its debut disc, “Sunday Stilettos.” No wonder the band has been nominated for two Syracuse Area Music Awards. No wonder the trio stands poised on the brink of…well, something!
“With each mile traveled, the band picks up speed,” says manager Bryan Wynn. “With the touring they’ve done, Silent Fury has attracted the attention of a few big-name labels.”
OK, but what about the “Girl in My Head?”
“I’m sworn to secrecy,” Wynn said.
Fury-ous bash Nov. 5
But it’s no secret that Silent Fury’s CD Release Bash is at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the Westcott Theater, 524 Westcott St. Admission costs between $10 and $16; 299-8886.
For band info, visit myspace.com/silentfury.
The Westcott boasts a broad and varied batch of bookings this fall. For instance, one of New Orleans most resilient rock combos, The Radiators, return to the Westcott on Nov. 20.
Check out the schedule at thewestcotttheater.com.
Little doffs his helmet to Green
A surprise guest wowed the crowd at Shifty’s when Sammy’s Hall of Fame guitarist Bobby Green celebrated his 74th birthday there Oct. 15.
It was football’s all-time great running back, Floyd Little, Green’s son-in-law, in town for Syracuse University’s Homecoming. Little trumped Green’s hall of fame status by being elected to both the College and Pro Football halls of fame.
One of the city’s funkiest electric guitarists, Green played a rocking array of soul and R&B with his band, A Cut Above, featuring vocalist Paul Lee, guitarist Donny Clark, keyboardist-drummer Ekwan Brooks-Lee, bassist Mike Casale and drummer David Manzano.
Besides Shifty’s, you can catch A Cut Above cutting up at the B&B Lounge, Syracuse Suds Factory, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge; myspace.com/bobbygreenacutabove.
