After receiving my assignment, I, like many journalists, do comprehensive pre-concert research to better prepare for show's I am about to see. I went ahead and tried to find Royal Fury's online footprint, needless to say there wasn’t much of one. YouTube was sparse on live videos, and show reviews were nowhere to be found. That said, the Royal Fury show on Saturday night was going to be a surprise, and surprises are one of those things that are definitely black and white for most people; they’re either a wonderful, intriguing thing or a horrifying and depressing event. I was hoping on the former.
At 9pm sharp, Royal Fury took the stage at the House of Blues’ Foundation Room, and kicked off their set with a cover of Robin Trower's "Day of the Eagle". This cover immediately proved more energetic and showcased, far more stage presence than the few YouTube results I had found earlier in the week. Next up was Jimi Hendrix's, "Spanish Castle Magic", followed by "New Day Yesterday" by Jethro Tull. Okay, so I get it, it's a cover band. However, Royal Fury brought a modern-day garage band grit that you would definitely never hear in a polished Tull song.
At this point in the set, I realized that the guitar work of Dan Reinertsen shined in this band - not only because the tracks so far have been somewhat focused on the guitar work, but witnessing the skill level of the long-haired Wookie on the lead guitar directly in front of me was severe and passionately delivered. This was not to say that the rest of the band were chumps, not in the slightest. They worked hard and it showed - Gustavo Peraza killed it on drums, Paul Dilsaver has some solid baselines, and T. Pipes was vocally spot on the entire set. His vocals reminded me a bit of a bluesy Rob Halford with some range courtesy of Geoff Tate. Definitely not your entry level vocalist here - this guy's brilliant! The set concluded with Rush's "Working Man". I'm not a huge Rush fan, but they definitely did this classic justice. Well done.
Cover bands are a dime a dozen, and there are many similar bands out there trying to make their way here in Southern California. Royal Fury stood out to me, with an original sound that in my opinion sets them apart from the rest. Their performance was clean, powerful, and wildly engaging. These songs sounded more like "tributes" from an experienced band than simple "covers" that you might hear at a local bar. Royal Fury's show at the Foundation Room was one of those wonderful surprises that I did not initially expect, but absolutely loved when all was said and done. My only gripe that evening, was that I wished they had played a longer set.
If you are fortunate enough to have Royal Fury show up in your town, or even a couple cities over, I couldn't recommend them more. You'll hear a fresh spin on some amazing classics that will definitely get your blood pumping. Go see them, get up close - and rock and roll with Royal Fury. You will not be disappointed!!
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