Trusting any bass player with an additional two strings could always end in Spinal Tap-esque tragedy. Not so with these headliners whose new line-up comprises former four-string phenomenon and equally competent guitarist Gavin Burrough.
Originally scheduled for Chords in Poole; one venue move and a date change later and the show gets its long awaited chance to spill at high volumes.
Already five albums into an illustrious ten-year career, our quintet eventually declared a now 45-minute dormant stage back in session. The crowd were seized by a single fervent focus, affirming the band as very much an aural lasagne to the venue's Garfield.
In their prime they would brand U2-worthy jangles with a Gallows throat workout, while such passion and high calibre performance would see the boys through the rarest of troughs.
Their tour-concluding set went on to showcase new material alongside single 'Into Oblivion' and at one point a teaser medley of covers, ending with a tiger-skinned and masked clan of stage invaders.
Wales’ FFAF brought much more to the table than obvious comparisons to fellow valley-dwellers Lostprophets would suggest. Twin guitar harmonies, circle pit tutorials and matey between-song banter all helped in establishing Bridgend's babies a more frivolously youthful Trivium-meets-Jane's Addiction identity.
Shortly after, the band turned DJs at the iBar’s official after-party opposite, rocking Holdenhurst Road’s socks off twice over.
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