Bio
When you think of innovation, hard work and underground success three words come to mind, Fist of Five. Hailing from Norman, OK in merely a year, the quintet of Fist of Five has gone from playing beer covered floors in college bars to traveling all over the southern region sharing the stage in sold out crowds of thousands with National acts; such bands include Universal recording artists Hinder and Udora, as well as Corporate Punishment Records artist Rikets.. With most of their success starting out underground, Fist of Five now sells out venues all over Oklahoma. Fist of Five has broken out of their underground shell with the release of their new album, Broken Roses. This album, produced by JT Longoria (Guns and Roses, Burden Brothers, ICP) at Nomad Studios in Dallas, TX, has been highly anticipated throughout the southern region. Every track on the album has a story. From the pounding guitar riffs in Damage, to the operatic vocals in Phantom, and ending with the piano tribute When I Die Tomorrow dedicated to the fans and influences of the band, the album will take you on a journey of emotion, hate, angst, pride, and beauty and will lead you to have a feeling of resolution, as if you are your own character in a Fist of Five play.
When you think of a rock show, you think of loud music, mosh pits, and large crowds. With an operatic feel, Fist of Five has taken these assumptions to another level adding aspects of the unusual. Intertwining classical theatre into their shows, you can only imagine the roar that comes forth as they go on stage. From intros featuring piano arrangements and symphonies to between song segments of smashing guitars and roses being launched like confetti, this Rock Opera has something for everyone to remember.
The most notorious of the show is the front man, John Gates. Theatrical in his essence, Gates has a vocal range that is of unrealism. Having started out singing Gospel music as a child, Gates soon grew to love music as a whole. Quickly after graduating high school, Gates moved to Las Vegas where he was his own star in casinos all over the strip, singing show tunes and classics from legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin. As time surpassed Gates found himself in his love for rock, which in turn established his position in Fist of Five. When Gates takes the stage, the show begins. With every note or thunderous roar Gates throws at his fans, he is also throwing his passion, acting out each emotion with rage or sadness that he feels in his character. Gates plays not only the role as the front man, but also shows the crowd his every inner emotion, making a connection with each person in the crowd.
Influences of the band flow in a range of variety. Having obvious rock and metal influences such as Metallica and Pantera, Fist of Five also takes a long road to the remarkable such as Beethoven and Prince. With members having history in music training and also being able to play multiple instruments such as Piano, Guitar, as well as symphonic instruments, the instrumentation and arrangements of their songs are something to remember.
As radio spots open up, the fans of Fist of Five grow larger. From myspace to radio, Fist of Fives has been the talk of the southern region. Squeezing out from underground with the release of their new album they are telling the world to open up their musical ears and show the world how anything goes, but one thing is for sure, Fist of Five isnt going anywhere but to the top.