Friday Maybe Saturday
By Roger Barrett
Fayetteville’s own Friday Maybe Saturday — Chad Chamberlain, Charley Gilbow, Nate Garrett, Jedidiah Brandon — wrote a song called ‘Fuck’ Mountain so your band doesn’t have to. The band’s laid back approach to progressive metal is fun for a crowd, unless you are in a band and are left wondering how they can so effortlessly channel Fall of Troy and Mars Volta.
You also have to realize members of FMS are in the rough and tumble Auger, and formerly were in Queen Beast and several other bands you wish you were in.
Friday Maybe Saturday somehow skates the fine line between prog rock and metal, making catchy songs that are often heavy and anthemic. They have graduated from the Don Caballero school of song title, with Jumping Jesus on a Pogo Stick, and Unbuckle My Swash, to name a few.
I can’t recommend seeing FMS live enough. Most definitely catch them at Rogue on July 17.
I asked the band some questions and here’s what they said …
Q: I have a hard time describing FMS, how do you?
A: A flock of seagulls hovering over a meadow wondering where in god’s name the ocean went. They’re probably drunk seagulls if we really want the metaphor to work. Truth is its rock n’ roll and whatever definition one has for that term we probably encompass to some degree. Heavy? Often. Fast? Usually. Loud? Always. Alcohol and drug inspired? Most definitely.
Genre labels end up restricting both the listener as much as the musicians who are caste into them and avoidance of such limitations seems advantageous for future growth. It’s cool being able to play shows with all varieties of music and always managing to seem to fit somehow.
Q: A lot of bands playing technical music tend to lose track of the song, when you can essentially do anything, how do you know when enough is enough?
A: There are several factors that can go into deciding when a song is completed such as what the overall point of the song is including both stylistically and tonally. But the main consideration we have is whether we’re recording or playing live. How we “write” a song is almost never how we play it live other then a few exceptions. It depends on how much time we’re allowed on stage and what kind of environment the other bands and/or crowd have created.
It’s liberating to know that the way we practice affords us the comfort of just feeding off each other and feeling songs out if we want to extend or shorten them. Such a luxury is usually only seen with crappy three-chord jam bands.
Q: Catchy or heavy?
A: Yes.
Q: What are you working on lately? Will there be a record?
A: We just finished the actual recording of an album and now the fun part where someone else takes your shit and then makes it sound like you know what the hell you’re doing. Hopefully all the mixing and mastering will be completed within a month.
Q: Talk about your many other bands and projects?
A: A lot of the bands in this area are just cross-eyed inbred versions of each other and we are definitely no exception. Some of the bands we have played in and in a lot of cases continue to play with include: Queen Beast, The Sinking South, Auger, The Arrowhead Project, Space Madness, Pile of Dead Women and for shits and giggles we’ll include Pisser. Jason Rice from Auger and The Arrowhead Project did our recording and our pal Fuzzy-who along with other great bands also played with Space Madness-is doing the Mastering.
Q: When’s the next FMS show?
A: We’ll play at Rogue on July 17 because we love that place and think their support of the local heavier stuff is great, seeing as how no one else has the balls for it. We’ll also be playing The Boom Boom Room on July 31. After that we’re going to be on tour for a big chunk of August and September but at this point are still unsure if we’re going to be playing Fayetteville or not.
Listen to Friday Maybe Saturday at www.myspace.com/fridaymaybesaturday or check out www.nwametal.com for more show dates.
