Faimed: (v) the phenomenon brought about by The F.A.I.M! Project where punters only attend during The F.A.I.M! Project set.

Minute 36 started off the night as the perfect openers. On stage, it is clear why these three guys won a WAM award. They’re part classical, part jazz, part rockabilly, and part good old fashioned Albany boredom. They may not play the most complex or quick paced music, but each band member does what they do to intertwine with the other members like a spiritual being is overseeing the whole process. Front man Kris Nelson’s vocals are melodic yet strained enough to make every song sound like it could be his last. Just, go and see them, okay?

After the laidback Minute 36, The Spitfires hit the audience’s ears like a slug to the head. Sean Regan isn’t afraid to flaunt that British accent of his while fronting the 70s punk influenced band with a measure of ska and Dead Kennedys thrown in for luck. However, the room was divided. Those at the front were tapping their feet and bopping their heads along. Those at the back were left wondering just how bad smoking would be for their health while waiting in the garden til the next band.

The next band, Project Mayhem are a local specialty best served on fire with a helping of both old and new songs. Symptoms of being part of the crowd while they’re playing include your legs involuntarily moving from underneath you, your head shaking about from side to side and your mouth yelling Fuck Yeah! and Party at your house like you have tourettes. Some may find their fists punching the air, but that is a voluntary movement during their set.

There is little that can be said about The F.A.I.M! Project that hasn’t already been said so forgive me if you’ve heard some of this before. The Rosemount got well and truly faimed for this show with the usual Albany expats turning up right on time to catch the elusive band. The set started out with a guest appearance from Byron Bard, who is a well known character in the local spoken word scene. Bard rattled off a prologue about Christmas gone wrong followed by The F.A.I.M! Project starting with their intro complete with trumpeter and trombonist Karri and Sky from The Brow Horn Orchestra. The crowd and the band went nuts. The best way to describe The F.A.I.M! Project is homo-erotic punk n roll cabaret – you really think so many men went shirtless purely due to the heat?

Musically, The F.A.I.M! Project have a lot to offer. Drummer Jay is best described in his own words “I pretty much keep it together while they break themselves and everything around them”. Bassist Dom does her job as a good bass player should. There’s very little look-at-me bullshit which works well with the band’s dynamics. Guitarists Stefan and Jacob play like a kick to the balls but who could forget front man Noah, who jumps around stage for 45 minutes like a child with ADD. The lovers of high paced shows adore it; the haters wish they had some Ritalin to spike his beer with.

Together, they whipped the crowd into a shirtless, sweaty, beer spilling frenzy. Playing new and old songs as well as high paced punk n roll to powerful ballads like Michael et Lucy. The F.A.I.M! Project have come a long way from their days of having amps and strings break as well as playing portions of their set without bass at the Castle. This launch was a testament to their craft.