It was a desolate scene as Syracuse rock band The Fury played at The Statesmen on Saturday, Sept. 15. It was 11:30 p.m. and the band had already been playing for an hour and a half, but there were only 12 people in the whole bar.
Most were locals, sitting at the bar chatting amongst themselves as the band played in the other room. Yet The Fury, the self proclaimed "Rockinest F***inest' Band on the Planet," seemed undeterred by the apathy of the bar's customers.
Bassist Alex Walker lurched and jumped around stage like he was playing for an entire stadium of roaring fans. In between the cover songs, which comprised the bulk of the first two sets of the three-set evening, frontman Mick Fury and drummer Jose Varona jokingly taunted the indifferent audience.
The covers varied greatly in quality; The Fury's version of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name Of" was flat and powerless, a mere shadow of Rage's incendiary original, while covers like Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and Maroon 5's "This Love" thrived on The Fury's playful, straightforward musicianship.
However, it was the third set, mainly comprised of Fury originals, that gave the band the breathing room they needed, even if not all of the songs were of the highest caliber. "Last Call," a clichéd love tune that sounded like a mediocre Bad Company throwaway, informed the ladies that it was the "Last call…the last chance to buy love." Yikes.
Luckily, most of the Fury's originals were fun and danceable, showcasing impressive musicianship if not the most insightful lyrics. The band's final song of the night, "Sunset Stripper," benefited from a memorable solo by a shirtless Fury from atop a table.
The most inspired moment of the night undoubtedly came from "Please Don't Lie," a frenetic body mover with jazzy chords and a drum solo that would make Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham proud.
While many bands might feel like quitting in frustration when met with an unresponsive audience, The Fury seemed all the more motivated.
When asked if he is ever disillusioned playing in bars where people only want to hear Def Leppard and Bon Jovi covers, Fury responded instantly and confidently: "Obviously it's better when there are a lot of people, but even then, even if it's only two or three, if you can move them, then it's f*****' worth it." Right on, Mick.