Fiction Plane: Love 'em or hate 'em?

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Hey folks, the 'I am OMEGAMAN' thread derailed into an FP conversation some of you might find interesting. Check it out...I'm also copyin' and pastin' what I said in response to 3/4's post. He has the right to his opinion, obviously, but here's mine.

[quote]I went to their midnight gig at Coyote's in Louisville last night and loved it. I think FP is terrific. Here's why.

1.) It takes total balls to confront the expectations of the concertgoing public on this. Instead of the neutrality that most folks would grant Joe Public upon seeing him play for the first time, Joe Sumner immediately gets held to the standard of his daddy's five octave vocal range and mad bass-playing skillz. Not to mention Pete and Seton, who are immediately relegated to Joe's Supporting Player roles, instead of being judged on their merits.

Every time I've seen FP, they have worked their asses off. These guys are not phoning it in. In addition to the opening sets they're playing every night, they're also playing smaller shows in clubs and doing in-stores...I saw Joe carrying his guitars and amps out to the bus himself last night. A small thing, sure, but not what you'd expect out of a kid who most self-styled musical critics would consider rock royalty.

2.) I got a chance to talk to the fellas at the Best Buy VIP tent in St. Louis and asked them about their influences. I was impressed by the width and depth as expressed by Seton in particular...they seem to be actual scholars, not aping whichever band is the flavor of the month. Plus they're more interested in indie rock as opposed to stadium bands, which is something I personally would find more compelling than would some people.

3.) I suppose the lyrical depth is a matter of opinion. I think the stuff's pretty good. What would you have them discuss within the parameters of a 2-minute verse-chorus-verse song structure? Partly it's hard to tell what they're saying given the volume level and distortion, but we're hearing about tortured love, drinking, aimlessness, etc.

4.) I don't think they sound like The Police, particularly. I will cop to a sneaking feeling that Pete has been taking instruction from The Master, but I'm hearing a lot more bands like Gorillaz and Bloc Party in their mix than Police-like timing or arrangements. Joe can hardly help sounding like his dad to some extent, but I think he's found his own voice, lyrically speaking.

Seton can play like a mother, but you need to see them in a smaller club to get the full experience. They're really letting loose at the club shows, far more than I would imagine they're allowed to do during the arena gigs.

Sure, the songs aren't 100% polished, but I think the album after next will be a masterpiece. I'm expecting great things out of these guys. If Joe can manage not to kill himself jumping off that amplifier (he took a tumble after an extra-high launch last night, I noticed...)[/quote]

[Pdaitabird]

I thought they were pretty good. I can't imagine a tougher job than opening for the Police. People milling around, the place half full, nobody paying particular attention (not in the $90 section, anyway...we were in the first section back from the GOOD seats...which I'm kicking myself for not buying... ). Think Joe sounds just like Sting; first time I heard Two Sisters on the radio I thought it was a new Sting release. It's not a bad thing.

I'll go ahead and say I kind of liked the cigarette song...the little anecdote before the song, etc. Ok, the "f**k you and f88k your cigarettes" over and over don't make for deep, meaningful lyrics, but what the hell...might as well throw that one in toward the end and see what happens.

I liked them a lot more than I expected to. They're still young...I'll bet they just get better. And as was said above...a little less jumping off tall objects would be good!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I think the 'fuck you' line in 'Cigarette' is there for shock value, but I dig the rest of the lyrics...

[quote]Touch me cause my daddy's rich
Marry into bigger fish
Tell me I'm your dearest honey
Think that I'm just easy money

I don't care if sex is casual
Fantasies or feelings actual
I won't be a stepping stone
To any kind of bullshit throne[/quote]

strikes me as fairly autobiographical. And when we're putting them down for shock value, which band that easily comes to mind dyed their hair to match and wrote a hit about a prostitute? Come on.

I also dig 'Death Machine' and I'm nuts about 'Drink'. I'll agree the sound isn't quite flawless yet, but I think it will be in a few more years.

[ShiatsuGirl]

Saw them in St Louis, and have to say without a doubt, they're the best new band I've seen in a long, long long time.

These guys have put in the time practicing and polishing their songs. They really put their all into the performance.

It was a little wierd to hear 'Sting's voice' coming out of Joe, but I got over the shock very quickly.

LOVED the cigarette song !

[shyvixen]

I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. I think they have a lot of potential.

[neonhunter]

I agree with DiveMistress's first post. I actually started digging Joe when, a few years ago, he insisted on getting in the van and touring the U.S. old-school Police-style. He's got lots of talent and the band is hot!

[jeffdaweasel]

Meh.

I didn't hate them at all. I just didn't hear anything that made me want to run out and buy a record. They did very well-performed versions of very middle of the road songs that didn't do anything for me, and the longer the set went on, the less I found myself paying attention.

Maybe that environment, for me, wasn't the best to judge them. I was too much on high-anticipation mode for the Police. I'd need to get a vibe for them on their own. But so far, I give them a solid C+. No hate. But no love.

[kypolicefan]

Thought they were great, energetic and very fun. Joe has some real talent, they band overall very talented.

The crowd was not into it in my opinion, that is why a smaller venue would be a better ruler for me.

[kimmy]

Now..... Before the concerts started I hadn't heard of Fiction Plane (Yeah, I know!!!)

But I've just been onto myspace (which seems to be their offical site(?) and had a listen....

Now I think Joe does sound a bit like sting.... but he has grown up with him and you pick on how your parents speak. I think it's more of the pronunciation than anything else....

But the most important thing is I really quite liked them!!

I see they are playing at the three places I'm going to and will make sure I'm in place to cheer them on...

Now have they released anything yet? They must have?

Kim

[dontboxmein]

What do I know I am a professional musician ...the songs were very weak.
But today we like mediocre bands and I will say it again if Joe was not Sting's son these guys would not have label interests.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Just cause you're a professional musician doesn't mean others don't get to have valid opinions. I'm just sayin'.

[OmegaMachine]

I think Fiction Plane just needs time to get their songs in shape. They need to at least get one good enough for radio play, which would really boost their status. It seems as if they've got all the right people in the band (can't do any better than Joe Sumner), but they just need to write something that really sticks out.

As for the cigarette song in St. Louis, I thought it was... Interesting.

[Dallas]

In fact, I usually discount opinions by people that consider themselves "professional musicians".

At anyrate, I think it is true that to make it in the business, you have to be really, really good so that the industry can't ignore you...or you must have some sort of concection.

There are plenty of great bands out there that don't have the proper recognition.

With that said... it is true.. FP is getting the benefit of the lead singer being the son of Sting.... however, at the end of the day... I think they are great.

I bought their CD and have been listening to it a lot. They are a very good band and with a little work.... I think they will be as good as any of the mainstream bands out there today.

[Jennythenipper]

I liked em. I wouldn't say, "love" but the only time I heard them was opening for the Police so I was a little distracted.

[mardee]

I went into listening FP a little biased against them, and came out liking them. I keep my mind open to the possibility of change. Their enthusiasm was great, they really did work their asses off in St. Louis. Yeah, it's kind of unfortunate that they are touring with the Police, because Joe is going to be compared even more so to his father. Yeah, he sounds similar to his father, it doesn't mean he's trying to be like his father. I liked what they did, and would like to hear them in a small venue.

Now, with that being said, I don't think music should have to "grow on you." (That's just my 2 cents) There were only 2 songs they did that stood out and grabbed me, "Two Sisters" and "Cigarette." I would like to see more stand out songs, but that doesn't always equate into "deeper lyrics." Despite these things, I will keep my eye on them, and I will listen to see how they develop.