The Fat Kenny Band is one of those well kept secrets that you only stumble upon by accident or word of mouth. The four piece probably doesn’t want to play out too far from home. Yet, the four piece hard rock cover band rocked the private club The Getaway in Manchester, New Hampshire last Saturday night.The Fat Kenny Band is lead guitarist Ken Cormier, his brother Paul Cormier on drums and lead vocals, bassist John Trembly, and drummer-lead vocalist Scott Thompson. About half way through the show, the Fat Kenny Band rotated drummers, Paul Cormier coming up to the microphone and Thompson taking over the drum set.
The foursome played each number with a serious hard rock vibe. Their sound is large, driving, and tight. Ken Cormier’s power chords on Pink Floyd’s “Young Lust” poured forth with an unrestrained energy. Lead vocalist Scott Thompson’s hefty vocal chops, bassist John Trembly’s steady runs, and drummer Paul Cormier’s meaningful pounding fleshed out the rest of the sonic texture with detail and nuance. Ken Cormier’s guitar solo had a tasteful, artsy, self-restraint, intense but controlled.
“Crazy Bitch” by Buckcherry was marked by Thompson’s belty expression in the chorus and by the way Ken Cormier managed his guitar during the changes. As could be expected, the rhythm section kept a monster size groove going on. “Bittersweet” by Fuel began with a svelte sussurant in Thompson’s lead vocal approach, moving in at cruising speed. A motion filled guitar chord progression was full of muscular playing, making the fans feel the waves of heavy duty heft driving by.
“Dirty White Boy” by Foreigner found Thompson nailing the attitude precisely in his smooth delivery of the lyrics. The number was a pleasant reminder of the kind of music many of us in the room were listening to in our younger days. These four players pressed out a smooth rendition of “Counting The Days” by Collective Soul, featuring good harmony vocals over a powerful movement of kick ass music.Thompson let loose a mighty scream to intro the Judas Priest song “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.” The Fat Kenny Band nailed the chugging groove and the in your face vocal heft. Ken Cormier did justice to the jumpy power chords and the wailing, high-pitched melodic phrases burrowed inside the groove.
The band’s second set began with “Are You Ready To Rock.” It was a standard hard rock song played with solid musicianship and soaring vocals. Yet, there was something a little extra special in the way Fat Kenny Band tackled it. Thompson has a distinct timbre in his voice and a distinct personality in his presentation.
The Fat Kenny Band made Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” their bitch. Ken Cormier played a mean rendition of the 1980s new wave guitar style. Here, Cormier added a grunge feel, and he played a riff fest through out the number, unleashing a particularly cool phrase near the end. Thompson sang in a slow build up style until he belted out the chorus, “More/More/More” and there was no underestimating all the palpable substance in the rhythm section.
Aerosmith’s “Lord Of Your Thighs” allowed the Fat Kenny Band to conjure the tight rhythmic flow and attitude of the original. Thompson’s boastful swagger and Ken Cormier’s energized live wire guitar phrase brought it home. The whole band rocked it on the manic break and ride out with true synergy. The Stone Temple Pilot song “Sex Type Thing” found Fat Kenny Band playing a driving grunge style that moved with the force of a tank and the spryness of a bobcat. It was simply a hip number with snap in the groove and largeness in the guitar and vocal projection.At this point in their set, Fat Kenny Band rotated drummers. Paul Cormier took to the microphone while Thompson took up his second post at the drums. And Paul Cormier did a fine job on the timeless classic pop-rock number “I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick. Paul Cormier’s milder timbre fit the part well, and the rhythm section finessed that slightly oldies groove. Ken Cormier kept the feisty chords coming like there was a stream of them traveling through his very being and coming out his guitar. Swiftly, Ken Cormier went into the familiar lead guitar phrase, seamlessly transitioning from rhythm to lead.
Ken Cormier played with an evil hiss in his guitar phrase while Paul Cormier belted with a throaty menace in his yorp on Metallica’s “Seek And Destroy.” Next up, “Talk Dirty To Me” offered a racing guitar line backed by a thumping rhythm section. Multi talented, bass player John Trembly sang lead vocals on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” while Paul Cormier played the bass guitar in a knobby line style. Fat Kenny Band played the CCR song a little bit faster and edgier than the original but they kept their sound, as usual, huge and solid. Trembly had an aggressive edge as he barked out the anti-one percent lyrics that were written before one percent was a coined term.Ken Cormier, on Z.Z. Top’s “Tube Snake Boogie, played his finest guitar phrase during an evening of fine phrases. And the rhythm boys put plenty of snap, crackle, and pop as the punctuated the changes.
The Fat Kenny Band would likely be more appreciated if they could find some more rooms to play. Despite their craftiness, they’re simply a good time band that would go over well with any fan of hard rock and beer.