April 17, 2003
Jack Buehrer
The band's -- and especially Sumner's self-deprecating humor, while omnipresent on its major-label debut "Everything Will Never Be OK," is fun and refreshing, but totally unnecessary -- these guys are good. ("touch me cause my daddy's rich/marry into bigger fish" Sumner sings on "Cigarette" ... his "daddy" is rock superstar, Gordon Sumner, aka Sting)
Ripping through a quick, 10-song set that focused exclusively on their album, which was released in March, Fiction Plane -- Sumner on lead vocals and guitar, Seton Daunt on guitar, Dan Brown on bass and newcomer Peter Wilhoit on drums -- played to the small crowd as if on stage at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 screaming fans.
Sumner has opted against using his father's name to catapult his band to success, but to watch him on stage, it's impossible not to notice the eerie similarities between the two. Both are tall and thin, both stand straight as an arrow at the microphone, and Joe, perhaps in a not-so-subtle nod to his old man, jumps around with his guitar so fiercely, it's reminiscent of Sting's early days with The Police.
Musically, Fiction Plane is a blend of Nirvana's angst and sense of melody with U2's "stadium-rock-with-a-conscience" sensibilities, and Sumner sounds like a cross between Bono and ... well ... Sting.
The band spoke little to the audience during the performance, but were playful and animated with each other onstage, and even stuck around after the show to have a pint and talk with their fans.
With so few people in attendance, it's clear the Northwest Ohio area hasn't been made aware of Fiction Plane, but with upcoming performances at the House of Blues and on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn on CBS, as well as a track on the soon-to-be-released soundtrack for the Disney film "Holes," apparently the rest of the world has.
And Sumner hinted that he suspects the band will soon be a household name in this area as well.
"Good night, Toledo," he screamed following the band's up-tempo closer, "Wise." "We will see you again!"
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