When I was heading in to Furnapalooza, the Perth Fringe show from Sydney 6-piece Furnace & The Fundamentals, I must admit that I did hold some reservations; I had always suspected that I had a cover-band prejudice, and I mean, it IS a cover band after all - how good could it be?

Oh boy, am I glad I was wrong. This was indeed something that had to be seen to be believed.

The DJ-inspired party starters brought an immeasurable intensity to their Furnapalooza show – incorporating a massive immersive screen, synchronised dance moves, light up suits, costume changes, props, and of course a mash-up of hits that got the whole crowd singing and dancing – and kept that band dancing even harder.

After some minor sound issues at the start, the band hit the stage like a bomb; diving straight in to hits such as Crazy in Love, Uptown Funk, Take Me Out – and not stopping between any of their songs, keeping the Metro City moving from start to Finish.

The crowd dived straight in just like the band it, completely embracing the vibe from the get-go and getting caught up in the infectious rhythms and hypnotic moves. The Metro City venue wasn’t the ideal location for this kind of show, with the massive open space creating a void in the room, however that was mostly filled by the energy of the band and the punters of all ages and tastes. Metro City is also consistently one of the better venues for sound quality in Perth, helping the rich and varied sounds of Furnace & the Fundamentals’ covers really hit home with the excitable crowd while also providing a chance for each of the performers to showcase their tastes and technical skill.

The immersive, multi-sensory experience of Furnapalooza was a fantastic way to kick off Perth Fringe Festival, encapsulating so many of the best things about Fringe: Nostalgia, crowd participation, excellent showmanship, eccentricity, and of course music.

I don’t know if I’ve completely overcome my cover-band prejudices, but I can tell you this – These guys aren’t your regular cover band.

Furnace and the Fundamentals return to Metro City for their last Furnapalooza show, February 3rd. Tickets available from MegaTix.

You can also check out our photos from the gig (thanks to Lostwithoutatrace) on Facebook.