Live Review from Underground Reunion
1. My Sweetie Valentine
2. Internal Bleeding
3. Eat & Sing
4. Kenny’s Dream Song
5. San Francisco
6. Give Me More
7. Biological
False Alarm returned to the stage after officially having packed in their gear in 2011. They’re well aware of this and made sure the crowd were, too, remarking that everyone present had better enjoy them now because there probably wouldn’t be another reunion for years to come. An oddly confrontational statement, to be sure, but also one that seemed to really drive the idea of savouring the moment into the brains of the fans present. Throughout their set there was a throng of fans enjoying themselves thoroughly, and the atmosphere was electric. I can officially add False Alarm to the many terrific local bands that manage to package a sense of humour into their music, to use it as a tool against the subjects they tackle. In contrast with a band like Endeavour, who place their subject in a different light by giving it a serious treatment, False Alarm are in the glorious tradition of punks who take the piss out of things that deserve it.
They sound like a mix of the NOFX attitude and tunefulness and the Sex Pistols in their more headbangy moments, but they’re not afraid to use non-punky rhythms etc. in what is (I’m guessing in significant part owing to these guys) a local punk quirk. Like good punk bands, they also have multiple members of the band singing and lots of singalong bits in which everyone with a mic sings and everyone who doesn’t is encouraged to do so as well; how fun yelling along the words to a fun (and possible funny) song with everyone else also yelling is an experience one is made to have with a band such as this. They flirt with getting very poppy indeed, with Internal Bleeding being slightly broody and yet boppy, and Eat & Sing had a Beach Boys-ish rhythm, like that of That Thing You Do. However, things got really heavy indeed by the time Give Me More came along; it began slowly and gradually sped up, moving from an Axl Rose-type song to a point where it really felt like they were all going to smash their equipment like at the end of a Sonic Youth song. They ended their set with the singer shaking like a quaker possessed, and a military beat creating ever so much drama for the band to feed off of. I can certainly see why these guys were a big deal when they were around, with their energy and the sheer fun in their songs. Someone commented to me that ‘they definitely sound like a band that was formed in high school – in a good way’, and I have to agree; somewhat like Black Sabbath did, say, they clearly found something together and kept it alive together. It’s unfortunate that they’re not a band any more, but if you can’t watch them you should definitely watch some of the bands they’ve inspired in their long career.
— Shashwati Kala
當晚第四隊的演出單位是始自1999年，今年是他們的十五週年的七人樂隊False Alarm，觀眾們似乎對他們的演出期待已久，在他們出場前己走到舞台近前等待。False Alarm有三位電結他手，因此他們的音樂底和編曲都十分豐富，第二首歌曲 “Internal Bleeding” 一貫是很full的音樂，guitar riff也十分搶耳，歌曲最後收尾的餘音造成了很特別的感覺。第三首的 “Eat ＆Sing”，由鼓帶入，而且drum beat十分搶耳，讓人自然會跟著跳舞或拍手，副歌亦十分朗朗上口。之後的 “Kenny’s Dream”，貫穿整首歌曲的guitar melody很吸引，隨後慢慢加入其他樂器，製造層次感，也與前幾首full band直入的激烈感覺有一點點的不一樣。 “Give Me More”中最特別的是每位團員都像上了身一般，跪地、搖結他、screaming都出動，像要在這一首歌曲用盡所有的力氣一般。最後一首歌曲 “Biological”，歌曲的高低起伏明顯，主唱也題出他的歌唱實力，高低音域也掌握得不俗。False Alarm是當晚set list最長的一隊，而看他們的演出便明白觀眾的期待，亦相信他們當晚沒有讓觀眾失望。
– Sidick Lam
Live Review from Underground 27:
Again, the vocals aren’t forward enough for me, but False Alarm have a cheeky Canto-Cockney appeal about them. Like The English Beat, or The Only Ones.. Musically, a lot is going on. There are variations on the wah-wah pedal, more spacey-echo guitar. There’s reggae breaks, sitar sounds, nagging noodly melodies. Some pogoing post-punks, bouncing around to a buzzsaw refrain. The drummers have all clattered and clashed, pounded their pedals and made a hellacious racket. I’ve enjoyed tonight. Looking forward to seeing False Alarm live again very soon!
Nick Lovatt
