FUZZY AF 4
I initially thought I had taken a wrong turning while heading down towards The Engine Rooms, as I walked through a long, industrial pathway protected by a large gate and CCTV. Yet when I reached the end of this, quite frankly, creepy route, I was greeted by a fenced off patio area, filled with young, underground music enthusiasts, chatting among themselves and chaining rollies.
The ‘in the know’ crowd comes as no surprise, with The Engine Rooms being home to legendary night, DIY Thursdays, and with the line up Fuzzy AF presented, it’s no surprise that the atmosphere was buzzing, and the drinks were flowing.
For the fourth edition of Fuzzy, they really brought the heat, (and the fuzz) to the venue, from Lambrini Girls playing their first ever gig, to Graves bringing pure alt rock, there was something for every kind of rocker. Their tagline boasts “alt rock, garage rock, noise rock, punk rock” and they certainly lived up to that and more.
The almost ‘hidden’ setting of the venue, with set lists wallpapering the interior, combined with a niche group of music devotees, all nestled inside what appears to be a shipping container; makes this the perfect breeding ground for new talent to soar.
In the true spirit of DIY grunge, the event is free and gives new bands the opportunity for real exposure to local communities, and a way for them to pick up new admirers. Fuzzy AF are changing the scene with their approach to live music events, with an ever-growing army of ‘fuzzy people’.
The main rehearsal room is where all the debauchery is taking place, complete with graffitied wall, and of course, a disco ball. When support act Dancehall took to the stage as one of the last acts of the evening, you can instantly sense the chemistry between the trio, as they dive in straight away with grunge soaked riffs, drowning lyrics, and melodic beats for song ”KO”. Vocalist ‘sharp eyes’ resembling a cross between Kurt Cobain, and Noel Fielding, with peroxide blonde hair, and plenty of ink, he takes the room by storm with his quirky, down to earth energy, something the whole band seems to carry.
Drummer David Keeler nearly chokes to death on his gum, which he informs us of halfway through the set, and manages to break his drumstick by the second song, (which is an absolute banger). ‘Burn’ is a completely fresh sound, piled with experimental riffs from Craig Dirt on guitar, while he thrusts around in synchronicity with sharp eyes; it’s shoegaze on steroids.
The band is almost reminiscent to the sounds of Deluxx Folk Implosion, with a nostalgic feeling that seems to create a hybrid of surfer grunge sounds, fused with homely garage rock feeling featuring droning lyrics about everyday life, that is playfully captured in “virgin”.
They leave the stage swiftly, and I catch them chatting to admirers near the bar, which in essence, completely captures what Dancehall are all about.
Fuzzy AF ended on a absolute high with a knockout set from headliner band Flirting, and with everyone happily boozed up on signature brews, ready to head out in to the late hours of the East London night.
Words by Isabella Stokes
Photography by Gregor Davies-Ratcliffe