Arguably Dorset’s best live band Sirpico lost their guitarist Dan Mezza suddenly last year and after playing a live tribute to him at his funeral, the band laid low mourning, remembering and deliberating what to do next. Frontman Al sent out a release to fans “As you all know, us Sirpico boys have had a tough year. Losing Dan was so sudden and so shocking to us, but we will never forget our brother. If it wasn’t for Dan we wouldn’t be here at all”. The general consensus among the band was that Dan would have wanted the band to carry on, the band went about recruiting not a replacement but someone who could carry on his legacy and the man with the big shoes to fill is Jack Wilkins. Al’s words at Dan’s funeral “Nothing Stays The Same” rings through my ears on a daily basis and another line from his words of wisdom, “the comeback is greater than the setback” (referring to the band’s first gig back at the Thomas Tripp recently).
Up until he passed away, Dan was active in recording the band’s 2nd album. His final musical input can be found on the band’s latest three track EP “Too Much Fun”, which is another piece of the jigsaw puzzle that will ultimately make up the band’s full album sometime in the near future. The three tracks will be familiar to many fans of the band as they have featured in their live set for sometime now. The first and title track of the EP is “Too Much Fun”; a typically flamboyant track, opening with Tim’s wonderfully excellent drumming; then joined by a melodic burst of Dan’s guitars and Paul’s significant basslines. Al joins the mix with his unmistakeable powerfully delivered vocal with the words “It’s the moment of a lifetime and your sat there on the sidelines” bursting out loud and clear. It’s undoubtably a Rock track with many creative twists and turns that shows Sirpico at their level best.
“This City” is an emotive piece and the instrumentation explosively matches the lyrics. The tune sits somewhere between the Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Don’t Stop” and Def Leppard’s “Switch 625”. The guitar work reaches out artistically, coupling perfectly with Al’s notable piano keys. It is a tower of a track and one that reaches out best when played live with the band’s added passion and energy. The final track is called “Monsters”, the lyrics feel as they are describing mental health episodes and the ‘Monsters’ are the bouts of depression that attack us when we least expect it. Once again the band take all the creative, innovational skills and chemistry to bring together another animated tune that inspires. The EP is a perfect snapshot of where the band is musically and the release of the album should mark a great tribute to Dan and how far he had taken this much loved band, showing his legacy will be immortalised in sound as he would have wanted.
Track Listing
Too Much Fun
The City
Monsters
Sirpico Are
Line Up
Al Sirpico – Piano & Lead Vocals
Jack Wilkins – Guitar & Backing Vocals
Paul Finch – Bass & Backing Vocals
Tim Pidgley – Drums
Purchase the EP here.
Links
https://www.sirpico.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/sirpicoband
