Band of the Month – January 2014
FourPointOh
In this new monthly series of articles, we focus on Leicester hardcore band FourPointOh.
Band of the Month started on the Arts in Leicester web site and now we are bringing it back for Music in Leicester.
The members of FourPointOh are
Robert Fulton-Hamilton, guitars, vocals
Rebecca Woolman, bass, vocals
Lorenzo Morandi, guitars, backing vocals
Oliver Frost, Drums, piano, keyboards, vocals
Biog
Formed in Leicester in the summer of 2011, these teenage rockers punch well above their age and weight. It’s a combination of crunching guitars, lead riffs, solid bass and heavy drums blended with powerful vocals, addictive melodies and subtle timing shifts. FourPointOh want the songs to have meaning, with good structure, melody and hooks that allow you to keep listening. targeted at a young rock/hard rock audience, but mindful that their music should crossover all generations that appreciate classic rock and metal. [Fourpointoh web site]
FourPointOh formed in September 2011. After some changes to membership, the band has now emerged as a fully-fledged group.
A band that has made its mark on the local music scene, FourPointOh has been busy playing at gigs and festivals and have released a number of recordings including their recent album.
Album
The band launches their 2014 album – Young and Wasted – on Saturday 1st February at The Shed, With special guests Patriot Rebel, Beneath The Lights, Bleech Box and Jonezy.
Young and Wasted
by FourPointOh
Song titles
Bring back Tomorrow
Scarred
Nothing left to say
Return
Damnation
Interlude
Rise rebel redemption
Save me from myself
We’ll make it through
You and me
Let’s go
This is an impressive album with a set of remarkable tracks representing the coming of age of FourPointOh as a band. The guitar playing is stunning, string wizardry. The songs have plenty of power and impact.
Gigs and festivals
A selection of performance:
17/06/12: Bosworth Festival Pop In The Park, Market Bosworth, Leicestershire
01/07/12: The Riverside, Selby, Yorkshire: Young Guns Showcase
07/07/12: O2 Academy Leicester, Festival Of Rock 2012 – Jim Marshall Trophy Winners
Fri 21/12/12: Lock 42, Leicester: FourPointOh, Headwires
14th April, call back heat of OBS at The Musician
Fri 10/05/13: O2 Academy 3, Leicester: The Fores, Beneath The Lights, FourPointOh
13th April 2013 – Heat Five of I Wanna Be A Rockstar
Fri 24/05/13: Glastonbudget Festival – IcOn Stage 8:30
20th July 2013 – O2 Academy with Neon Sarcastic, Page 44 and Evanstar
Sat 03/08/13: Cosby Big Love Festival
Sat 26/10/13: Tully’s Farm, Crawley: Shocktoberfest! Two Sets, 8:00pm and 9:30pm
Reviews
Final band of the evening, saw a too rare occurences of female-fronted outfit. Becky Woolman rocked it out with really impressive support from the backing vocalists. There was a great energy in this performance with all members getting involved illustrating a good chemistry which worked both visually and audibly. Nice variety in tempo showed their diversity in song writing and it was a great finish to what was a memorable showcase of young talent. [Arts in Leicester, 17th March 2012]
The performance of FourPointOh was incredible; an outstanding set of songs with a phenomenal stage presence by the whole band. With guitar playing that really shone, the band’s songs were more than just good – the songs were well composed and the instrument playing of a very high standard. A great stage performance by the four members of the band. They got an enthusiastic response from the crowd. One of the best sets I have seen in a long time, tonight’s performance outclassed most of the top local bands I have seen recently. Most of Leicester’s pop-rock and hard-rock bands would find it difficult to equal what Fourpointoh just achieved on stage tonight. The playing by lead guitarist Robert Fulton-Hamilton was particularly impressive – not just in the astonishing dexterity of his finger work but also in the style and panache with which he delivered his performance on the stage. On stage too was Lorenzo, a new member of the band who, at 16, did impressive work on the bass. [Arts in Leicester, 13th April 2013]
The band again demonstrated their ability to rock out and they launched into their first song on a high note, drawing the audience into the action and starting off with a resoundingly punchy song that grabbed everyone’s attention. Music industry people have often said that it’s the first song that is important. If you can grab someone’s attention with your opening tune then they are more likely to listen to the rest. Becky and her band certainly did this. Their set varied in style from hard rock to pop punk, offering a delightfully varied cocktail of musical confections. This gave Becky plenty of scope to wow the crowd with some punchy and vigorous singing. After pumping up the beats on the first two songs, they slowed it down on the third. Well orchestrated tunes with some firey work from drummer Oliver Frost (who also played piano in one of the songs), meant they had made an impact on the room. There were some really smashing guitar passages and some gloriously heady rock outs and in true rock star style guitarist Robert Fulton-Hamilton got ‘naked’, not something you see as often days as in the past. An impressive performance, lively and enjoyable, full of youthful vigour, their set really took off and they impressed the crowd. [Arts in Leicester, 14th April]
Overall, a really good performance, great musicians working well as a band. Their performance had a good balance of screaming, high vocals to solos to getting the audience involved. The sound levels were spot on with clear vocals and a good balance between the instruments. They certainly looked the part too and were enthusiastic throughout with confidence and an inviting attitude. I think they have improved slightly from the last time I saw them but I did like the crowd’s energy from their last performance at The Shed. Amy Manship [The Jitty]
Links
Watch
Four Point oh at The Musician 14th April 2012
On Takeover Radio, acoustic set, 20th April 2013
