Film Junk » Concert Review

Henry Rollins Spoken Word – Oct. 23, 2005

Goon — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Henry Rollins 25 Years of Bullshit Tour (Spoken Word) Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005 @ U of T Convocation Hall, Toronto Another year, another visit from Rollins, and each time it seems we review the show here on Spacejunk. No surprises to come in this review, we're generally a pretty pro-Rollins crew here, so let me just tell you how it went down. Rollins spoke for nearly 3 hours. Since I started seeing him speak, I've been counting the number of times he takes a sip of water over that time period, and this time he had not one sip. Amazing. The first half hour or so was Rollins going off on his political opinions. As much as he says he doesn't want to be PC, he really is in a lot of ways, and goes overboard trying to explain himself. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a nice round of US-bashing and Bush impressions as much as the next Canadian, but he just doesn't do it as well or as entertaining as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Al Franken, and others. Sure he's up to date enough and he can get a couple good one-liners in, but really, this stuff is really only fun for people who don't obsessively check out political boards for funny political news and notes. Luckily though, unlike his last show, this was only a small portion of the event. The vast majority of the show was one of those stories only Rollins can tell, which is why people go to see him -- he goes places and does things we can't, don't or won't, and he gives you all the details. It was a story of Rollins' trip on the Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok, a one week journey on a train in 40 below weather, where he had a terrible time, pretty much on purpose. Another story was about getting proposed to by a Pakistani cab driver in New York city, which has a bit of a downer ending. And to round it out, another tale of Rollins The B-list Actor's Hollywood Adventures. If you're thinking of seeing Henry soon, here's my advice: People who miss the days of Rollins reading poetry from pieces of paper and getting really down on the world should stay away. Those of you who, like me, were worried it would be a full 3 hours of Rollins' preaching to the choir, will be entertained. He definitely does his best to give you your money's worth every time. -- Goon

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Franz Ferdinand/TV On The Radio – Oct. 18, 2005

Goon — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Franz Ferdinand w/ TV On The Radio, Cut Copy Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005 @ Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto First off, let me say, Ricoh Coliseum is a fine venue. Most seats are good seats, the sound is excellent and it's an overall really good sized place for a show, somewhere between Varsity Arena and Maple Leaf Gardens. The stage is just the right size for a band to make good use of, and security is lax enough that the show doesn't feel like sanitized rebellion. Australia's Cut Copy hit the stage looking like indie rockers, though their music is electro pop. I'm not too familiar with their music but I've enjoyed the few mp3s I've heard, as they are not too far removed from the Postal Service. Live they were energetic and enthusiastic, although I got a little anxious for them to leave the stage so I could see the band I came to see. Their last song, which I can't identify at this time, was their best, and left a good impression on the audience, and myself, and I intend to listen to their album soon. NYC's TV on the Radio were out of their element here, too arty for the well, young and generally immature fans Franz Ferdinand attract more and more of as they become a bigger band. (Sorry to sound snobby, but there was a disconcerting amount of screaming girls here.) Regardless, they put on a passionate and unique live performance, with their strange vocal dynamics and thick wall of sound. Their slower songs, such as "Dreams", "Young Liars" and "Ambulance" were their best moments, compared to the faster songs which are punkier and more organic live, less recognizable than on their somewhat mechanical album sound. Still, TVOTR left me wanting more, and I can't wait till I get a chance to see them on their own terms in front of a crowd more suited to their style. I wasn't all that excited for Franz, since I'd seen them before, but the Scots impressed me with how much they've grown since I saw them last. I'm sure part of this was because I had seem them before at the dreadful Kool Haus, and this time they had a big light show, more energy, confidence, and a better variety of songs. They drilled through most of their material with a tight precision to their frenzied fans, and were not once boring. At a lot of shows, even when I'm enjoying myself I tend to check my watch, but here, it was over before I even knew it. The only disappointment for me was they didn't play my favorite song on their new album, "Eleanor Put Your Boots On", even though they did have an acoustic guitar and piano with them. I had a great night. Great sound, good view, good music, and I hit my train home just on time. -- Goon

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Polysics – Sept. 22, 2005

Sean — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Polysics Thurs. Sept. 22, 2005 @ El Mocambo, Toronto It's always a rare treat when Japanese bands make the trek all the way across the Pacific for a North American tour. After the release of their recent greatest hits album, "Polysics or Die!", I had my fingers crossed that the Polysics might turn up stateside sometime this year. Luckily, fortune was smiling on all of Toronto because we were indeed treated to the high energy antics and Devo-inspired stage show that this crazy band is known for. Arriving to the show a little late, there was no sign of any opening bands. Only a Devo CD playing on repeat and a sparse merch table showed any indication that we were in the right place. After a bit of waiting, the band was out on stage already decked out in their bright orange jump suits, setting up their gear. A lone banner draped across the back of the stage was the extent of their stage set, which was a little disappointing considering some of the extravagant visuals I've seen in their music videos. But disappointment was the farthest thing from my mind when they finally began their set. Lead by the hyperactive frontman Hayashi, they bounded onto stage as he grabbed the microphone and exclaimed in the most excitable high-pitched Japanese voice possible, "We are Polysics, from Tokyo, Ja-pannn!" which was met with an uproar from the crowd. Little did I know he would utter that phrase at least 500 more times before the night was through (as if we'd forget). I'm not sure if this was due to his limited English vocabulary, or simply the fact that he was a really good on-stage salesman. The band then launched into what is quite possibly one of the best opening songs on this planet or any other, "Buggie Technica": an overload of synth, guitars and vocoder that set the tempo for everything that would follow. Indeed, from start to finish, the manic energy that radiated from the band dissipated only once during a brief technical delay. While the other band members and sound man scrambled to fix the problem, bassist Fumi was left to smile sheepishly and utter a single English word... "Broken!" -- again, met with overwhelming applause from the crowd. But once the technical issue had been resolved, it was quickly forgotten and the band never let up for the remainder of the night. Polysics played songs spanning all of their albums, and not necessarily just the ones that have been released in North America. From classics like "New Wave Jacket" and "XCT", to their warped cover of "My Sharona", the crowd was even treated to a few brand new songs from a yet to be released album. Songs like "Kaja Kaja Goo", which on a recording can almost seem a little too rambunctious, make their live show what it is. All throughout the performance, keyboardist Kayo maintained her trademark robotic movements, holding her body completely rigid while her arms rhythmically pecked at her keyboard, and occasionally cocking her head towards the audience to sing. The other band members were the polar opposite however, bouncing off the walls to deliver a sweaty rock show in true Polysics fashion. When Hayashi wasn't leaning out into the crowd playing wild guitar solos behind his back or balancing his guitar on his head, he was pumping his fist and letting out high-pitched yelps, or doing anything to get the audience excited. Polysics are easily one of the best live bands I've had the pleasure of seeing, and the reception that the small crowd gave them at the El Mocambo made it a real night to remember. There's just something so unique, vibrant and good-natured about Japan, and Polysics seem to embody all of that. They were so excited to be playing their music, and that energy was just infectious. If you know what's good for you, you'll do whatever it takes catch these guys on their next North American tour. Polysics or die!!! -- Sean

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System of a Down/The Mars Volta – Sept. 1, 2005

Goon — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 05:00:00 +0000

System of a Down/The Mars Volta Thurs. Sept. 1, 2005 @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto I wish I could say I was looking forward to this show but it kinda snuck up on me. September already, wow. I arrived halfway during the set of opening band Bad Acid Trip, who sounded like bad death metal from outside. I actually thought it was a CD playing, but I can't really judge. Noone cared though, and they were pretty much done before anyone was seated. I wasn't sure what I'd think of the Mars Volta. "Frances the Mute" is just now starting to grow on me, I put it in recently for the first time since I bought it, and I really wanted them to kick ass live. Needless to say it didn't happen. The Mars Volta were one of the worst live bands I've ever seen. Maybe it was just a bad night, maybe it was the sound man, maybe it was because I was in the nosebleeds up and to the left of the stage, and there were so many people talking... but... damn. Only a few songs were recognizable. "The Widow" came out pretty good, and "L'Via L'Viaquez" was alright, although it seemingly went on forever. It seemed sometimes like Cedric was never really singing, just wailing randomly. And no, that's not me misunderstanding Spanish for gibberish. The sound was tinny and the guitar work was especially horrible. It sounded improvised in the worst sense possible. There's atonal and then there's just being sloppy. Well, at least there was jazz flute. And yet they still got quite an ovation at the end. Go figure. SOAD showed me how far they have come since they started. I think I've actually seen them on each tour, and musicially they've been better every time. They managed to pull off a 'big event' feel, and their set more than made up for the Mars Volta's boring performance. "Lost in Hollywood" and "Revenga" were the highlights of an hour and 45 minute set that included most of their new album, the best of the others and a few b-sides. Daron Malakian still performs as excitedly as he did in the early days, but the others seem less active now that they're on a bigger stage. The set was a simple light show and three Persian rugs. A few other highlights of the night were the security guards catching the kids trying to rush the stage from the seats, the security guards who caught the kids smoking pot behind us while the lights are up, and the security guards who kicked out the people who were in our seats. The System of a Down fans were mental, and during the show for the most part they added to the experience. The only other concert I've ever been to that had fans this riled up was Guns N' Roses. However, I got stuck behind two girls who had to prove to everyone they knew all the words, who sang off key and off time... and louder than the band. I was on the brink of chewing them out, but then they blew out their voices. Fans also went haywire in Union Station for a good while after the show, tossing free samples of Peanut Butter Kit Kat everywhere and screaming for no good reason. Yeah, I could have done without that. -- Goon

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Deerhoof/Danielson Famile – May 9th, 2005

Jay C. — Sun, 22 May 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Deerhoof/Danielson Famile with Nedelle Monday May 9th, 2005 @ First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia Only a week ago, if someone were to mention the city of Philadelphia, a few things would come to mind... cheese steaks, Fresh Prince, Rocky and last but not least, AIDS. Now, after an eight hour trek to attend one of the best shows in years, I can add one more thing to the list...the Liberty Bell. Although the bell did not live up to the 9/11 style security measures taken to protect it, the trip to the 'City of Brotherly Love' was definitely worthwhile thanks to a packed show at the First Unitarian Church. Upon hearing about this show, it only made sense that one of the strangest, most broadly accepted Christian acts would choose such a venue for a rare performance. The interesting thing is that the show wasn't exclusive, the church regularly features high level indie acts gracing its small stage. The atmosphere reminded me of the one time I was dragged out by some friends to attend a youth group activity night. The space looked like an oversized rec room, lit by overhead pot lights, turned off with the flick of a light switch as the show began, as though attending a show put on in your friends basement. The first act goes by the name Nedelle, a female singer/songwriter singing catchy folk songs of faith. An enjoyable performance, but hard to take in seeing as she was sitting for the most part and completely hidden by the crowd. Shortly after that, a two person act of drums and guitar, whose name escapes me, played some stripped down noisy pop songs, suiting a Deerhoof bill. Moments of catchy guitar work and poppy hooks were possibly overtaken by the lack of bass, repetitive song structure and some sort of technical difficulty which seemed as though the guitarist had forgotten how to play a part of a song. As the place became increasingly crowded, the heat was beginning to rise. Luckily the Danielson Famile walked onto the stage in their trademark white nurses uniforms. The set began surprisingly with â€œThings Against Stuffâ€, the first track off of Daniel Smith's solo album. As soon as the family began, I was reminded why they are one of my favourite bands. Although their instruments are almost entirely acoustic, their energy level could even give Guitar Wolf a run for their money. Watching Daniel Smith emit his signature vocals makes you realize that there is a real person behind a voice that seemingly could only come from a cartoon character. The sincerity behind the performance was incomparable. There is no question why the Smith's and their friends make the music they make. They are one of strangest well-adjusted families in the world, and watching them perform makes you want to become an adopted member. The only downside to the performance was the fact that it had to end. At this point I was skeptical about whether or not Deerhoof would be overshadowed. I was very familiar with their music, but had heard nothing about their live show. Maybe this emphasized my amazement when drummer Greg Saunier began swinging his arms around his kit at a lightning speed, sometimes seemingly not even touching the drums, maintaining an off time yet on time rhythm. At this point I had thought back to hearing Nervous Cop, Suanier's side project with drummer Zach Hill of Hella. It all made sense. This introduced a whole technical side of Deerhoof which never really came across to me through their records. Technical instrumentals seem to make up almost half of their set, leaving the rest for some great noisy pop music. After a late instrument switch, bassist/vocalist Satomi Matsuzaki passed off her instrument and took front stage, performing a selection of songs from their latest LP Milk Man, and their newly released Japanese EP, Green Cosmos. This is where the show hit its peak, with Matsuzaki jumping around stage, infecting the audience with her Eastern-influenced pop vocals which may as well have been gibberish. (Or maybe they were?) I watched in amazement as she managed to draw the attention off of Saunier's manic drumming, and onto herself. The only downside to the performance was my hopes for a live collaboration between Daniel Smith and Deerhoof not being met. Seeing as they're working on some songs together for Daniel's upcoming solo album, I had figured there was some reason behind the live line up, but the show was too good to be disappointed by this. Thinking back, this was probably on one of the best shows of my life. As Daniel Smith sang for the singers and related good news for the puss pickers, I was the happiest I've ever been standing in a ridiculously hot, crowded church rec room, in what is suitably known as the city of 'Brotherly Love'. -- Jay C.

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Hot Hot Heat/The Futureheads – April 23, 2005

Goon — Sun, 01 May 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Hot Hot Heat with The Futureheads, Louis XIV Saturday April 23rd, 2005 @ Kool Haus, Toronto I purposely showed up an hour late for this show to try and avoid San Diego's extremely crappy Louis XIV, with their velvety, obviously fake English accents and garage retreads. Nevertheless, when I made it inside the Kool Haus, they were just going on stage (to little fanfare - I guess word got around). How this band got signed is beyond me. Of all the garage/punk revival bands of the past couple years, they have got to be among the worst. Not one member of the band shines. The lyrics are dumb, the band is bland, and they are even worse live than on record. They don't even play with any energy. Most local bands are better than these clowns, and their set seemed to go on forever. The Futureheads next picked up the slack, playing at a rapid pace and breezing through 13 songs from their self-titled debut album, engaging in dry British banter amongst themselves, three part harmonizing and very crowd pleasing. I can't say their show made me any more or less of a fan of theirs. The songs are good, but when played as rush as they were, they tend to sound the same. Regardless, their energy more than made up for how boring Louis XIV were. They were simply solid, and generally met expectations. Victoria, BC's Hot Hot Heat finished up with a selection of songs from Make Up the Breakdown and Elevator, but with the exception of "Le Le Low", avoided material from the Knock Knock Knock EP (unlike their previous shows at the Opera House and at the Horseshoe, or as Steve Bays called it on stage, "the Horse Show"). This mix of their older more danceable material with the more straightahead rock songs of their new disc made for a very easy flow through their set. It was over before you even knew it. I didn't look down to my watch once. The show also managed to increase my appreciation for Elevator, which I found disappointing on its release. The keyboards were thankfully, put far up in the mix and made many of the new songs sound better live. The keyboard work on the chorus to "Talk to Me Dance With Me" however, sounded off. You can tell the band actually like their recent material which kinda puts a dent in my assertion that the new record is them denying who they are. The biggest crowd pleasing moment of the night was "Bandages", the only song where the crowd got really really bouncing. The downside to the show as a whole was how often both the Futureheads and Hot Hot Heat would ask for handclaps. The crowd seemed to have been worn out of this task pretty quick. The other massive wack moment (and simultaneous best moment) was watching the white indie kids try to dance. I'm talking to you Blue Shirt, with your unironic psycho Julia Louis Dreyfuss dance. And some middle aged douche who made his own light-up suit with "Flyerman" emblazoned along the back, who would walk around and rock out in front of people, trying to be cool. It was the first time. The 50th time however, I began to wonder how this retard managed to scrape together enough money to afford a concert ticket. As I left the Kool Haus, I saw the singer of Louis XIV talking to people by the merch booth. Some guy went out of his way to tell him how much they sucked. Heh. Overall, a good show, but I still think I liked it more the first time I saw them. Back then they were simply cool, now they're just cute. Going to their shows may be a good time, but its becoming something you don't necessarily brag about. Hot Hot Heat - 3.5 out of 4 stars Futureheads - 3 out of 4 stars Louis XIV - 0 out of 4 stars -- Goon

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Metallica – Oct. 6, 2004

Chian — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Metallica w/ Godsmack Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004 @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto Metallica is back in Toronto at the ACC for another sold out performance with opener Godsmack. 22 years of rocking will generate a massive fan base that will consist of people like Old biker farts, 11 year old stoner kids, to the typical mullet clad metal heads. 22 years of rocking and these dudes are still some how head banging to the bank. With that all said, was the show worth the big ticket prices the band is charging? The stage was on a slowly rotating platform and rigged with everything from lights to smoke, and 12 foot flames. Above the stage, there were screens and suspended people in chairs operating lights and cameras. The pyrotechnics were done well, although at some points it just seemed like they had leftovers so they just chucked it in here and there. The sound was good, except for some of the minor screw ups, an example would be the part when they tried to syncing audio over top when the little girl recites the prayer during the song Enter Sandman. At one point Hetfield yells to the audience something like â€œwho here bought our new album?â€ The audience obviously cheers back, but I was hoping everyone would yell out â€œWE ALL DOWNLOADED IT!â€ just to see how pissed off Lars gets. Needless to say the whole place was booming, before, during, and after the show. Lots of stage presence and the band didn't seem to want to leave. They played 3 encores and the show spanned to about 3 hours long. There was a good mixture of old and new songs in the set list. One of the highlights for me was when they played the song One and how the strobes kicked in during the last half of the song. Too tell you the truth, I haven't listened to Metallica since high school and currently don't really have a lot of respect for them anymore, from current events. I only went because a friend offered to pay for everything because he didn't want to look like a school girl wetting his panties over a rock band by himself. However it was an entertaining stage show and everyone had a blast. Now I can't seem to hear very good. 7.4 out of 10 on my ass kick meter. -- Chian

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Franz Ferdinand – Oct. 1, 2004

Andrea — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Franz Ferdinand w/ Futurehead, The Delays Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 @ The Docks, Toronto Having never attended a concert at The Docks in Toronto, I was a little unsure how this thing was going to work. Any other concert that I had heard of there was outside, and that concerned me. On the water, a chilly day in October, would we really be outside freezing our asses off? Anyone that I talked to wasn't exactly sure if there was an inside to this venue, but it turns out to be this pretty cool place on the inside. The set up there is good, the only thing that disappointed me was the size of the stage. I prefer a wider venue with a wider stage; this allows the crowd to be a little closer to the band and makes it all easier to see. Bottom line: Why go to the concert if you can't actually see the band playing? While the first band, Futurehead, was playing we were outside, getting familiar with the place. Their music was a good backdrop to our conversation. We went in to catch the last of their set, and it turned out to be their final song. The last song is definitely not the way to make a good judgment on a band, because they are either tired from playing so they suck, or they are really fired up on the energy they get from the crowd. Nonetheless, Futurehead's last song rocked, and I would be interested in seeing them again. Up next was The Delays. Impressed by the end of the Futurehead set, I didn't want to miss out seeing the Delays in action. We settled on a good spot, closer to the stage and in line of sight with the lead singer, who I think is named Greg Gilbert. A fellow concertgoer described him and his band as Bon Jovi with a keyboard and Brit Pop hair. I, on the other hand was more optimistic. I had heard an interview of the Delays on the radio earlier in the day and was looking forward to seeing them live. Here they are on stage, playing their instruments, and I'm feeling it. These guys are going to be good. That is until Greg Gilbert starts to sing. Maybe he thought he was performing with the Three Tenors as a soprano. Under normal circumstances, I don't have a problem with males switching to their falsetto voice when necessary, but in reality there is no need for falsetto to dominate a song. Unless, of course, your name is Adam Sandler and you're singing about a Jewish holiday. Bottom line, Greg, write your songs in a lower key or sing an octave lower. The thing that was most disappointing is that they had such potential to be good, or at least I think so. The guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer were really nothing to complain about. I think the biggest problem, aside from the lead singer, with The Delays, is their lack of passion, or at least their lack of ability to communicate this passion to their audience. No passion equals crappy concert as far as I'm concerned. One thing that attracts me to a band like Franz Ferdinand is their energy and passion. I was hopeful that they would be able to deliver this energy and passion in a far greater way at a live performance, and I was not disappointed. Alex Kapranos has a great ability to interact with the crowd, and I think the band as a whole feed off the energy of their audience. Such an important factor at a live show. The whole time they were playing I was impressed with musical and vocal abilities. Many times it is easy to be displeased by the actual talent and skill of the live performer. Franz Ferdinand, however, were so fantastic live. They were tight, really tight. I didn't hear any musical mistakes at all and they were all extremely good at what they were doing. I am pretty certain that they played every song on their CD, only better, and that was exactly what I was looking for. It was a good show, all in all. You can't expect every band to be great when there are three on the bill. I would see Franz Ferdinand again if I ever get the chance. Hopefully next time there will be a new CD with new songs to hear, a better opening band and a higher platform for the drummer. I hate it when you can't see the drummer. -- Andrea

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The Dayglo Abortions – Sept. 25, 2004

Jackson — Sat, 02 Oct 2004 05:00:00 +0000

The Dayglo Abortions Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004 @ Red Square, St. Catharines First of all it was a punk night from the start. We were on our way to St. Catharines to enjoy the fruits of the wine festival, a time when students of all walks of life can get shit faced in public together legally. We however were done school though and so it went that we never made it off of our friend's rooftop deck off on St. Paul st. listening to Screeching Weasel all the while. We never made it to Montebello Park for wine tickets and free Black Diamond cheese but somehow we did end up at Red Square for Goth night. The Mansion house was a bust because it was all asshole grad students and first years who somehow knew my name. We quickly drank our beers and got the hell out of the open air setting we were in and headed down the street looking for a better atmosphere. I had my heart set on Kaz's bar because the crowd is usually good and I have solid roots in spending a lot of my parent's money there. Somehow we passed by it and found ourselves standing along side the one constant in popular youth culture, Goth kids. There's been skids, punks, metal heads, grundgers and emo's but the Goths kids just never seem to die, although a lot of them do look like exhumed corpses. I thought it would be at least amusing to rub elbows with the living dead for last call but my Alien Sex Fiend dreams were crushed when I reached the bottom of the steep staircase and found that one of the top five worst bands of all time were playing. Speaking of exhumed corpses it was non other that Day-Glo Abortions. I saw this crap punk band in 1999 at the Frat House when they were supported by the equally old and untalented Bunchoffuckingoofs. It was then that my extreme dislike for this band began. I walked in for just about the last song of the evening and before I even had a Molson Stock Ale in my hand (Red Square is probably the only bar without a dirt floor to actually serve this) the band was announcing it was the last song for the evening. Much like the Day-Glo's career this was not to be the last time we heard from them. How many times has this band announced their retirement? I think the last time they announced their conclusion was in the spring of this year and yet there they were playing to a far less than sold out crowd in a basement again. Thumbs up guys! The only one as old as you who is still pulling â€œthe last concert everâ€ routine is Cher. Nevertheless after they said that they announced their last song they played about seven more songs as the band somehow got increasingly louder, drunker and shittier. Don't worry if you like this band and for whatever reason missed the show because you didn't miss anything. The guitarist still looks like an old punk version of your disheveled, alcoholic grandfather and the ancient, fat lead singer acted like an immature 15 year old. At least it was free and it wasn't crowded with other 40 year old, sweaty, Mohawk clad losers who haven't moved on. My night would have been totally ruined by seeing this show but after I left the bar it was redeemed when I was hit by a car. -- Jackson Main

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Face To Face Farewell Tour – Aug. 24, 2004

Sean — Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Face To Face Farewell Tour w/ My Chemical Romance Tues. August 24, 2004 @ Kool Haus, Toronto It came as a shock to most fans that this past spring, Face to Face, one of the cornerstones of 90's skate punk, announced that they were ending the band. The reasons were not out of anger, only the fact that the band had nothing left to say. Even that being said, fans felt that they were owed a final tour so that they could hear the songs that had meant so much to them one more time. After much pressing the band realized it was indeed a smart decision to give one last tour and not end on an abrupt note. And so it went that on the 24th of August, 2004, Face to Face would play their last show in Toronto. The night started out on a porch with some cheap beer and friends arriving one after the other from out of town to help celebrate this momentous occasion. How nostalgic it was when we were all playing Face to Face covers on acoustic guitars and skateboarding in front the house. And the nostalgia wouldn't be complete without angry dickhead neighbour calling the cops for skating outside his house, which is coincidentally attached to our house. Damn the man! People over thirty and the cops are always trying to ruin your good time dude! Now off to the show to burn off some half drunk, pseudo teenage skater angst! It was nice to walk into the show and find a crowd closer to my age and not a bunch of Avril Lavigne clones acting like they belong. Since the band had most of their success in the 90's there weren't any kids to get in the way of a good old school pit forming in front of the stage. We missed the opening act My Chemical Romance due to bad gauging of time. Judging by what time the ticket says the doors open and how many opening acts there are you can usually show up exactly when the act you want to see hits the stage. However Moneen, who was originally supposed to play, dropped off the bill to support Dashboard Confessional in England. We figured that they would be replaced, when in fact they weren't and to make matters worse the other opener didn't get across the border. This chain of events caused us to just narrowly make it into the Kool Haus in time for Face to Face's first song. But as soon as the band took the stage everything was alright again. They burst through three of their staple songs before even saying a word to the crowd, which included â€œResignationâ€ a popular song of theirs off of the more alternative slanted self-titled album. Rarely stopping for breaks, other than to speak briefly to the crowd about the life of the band and thanking everyone for their support, they kept churning out all of our favourites. â€œDon't Turn Awayâ€, their first album and a big favourite of fans featured a lot of songs in the set, even some new songs made an appearance, but the best element was that this band may never play again and because of that they were playing all of their indie hits. Because the tour was prompted by fans it seemed as though the band was concentrating on assurance that everyone was satisfied with the songs, not trying to satisfy there own needs as artists which happens all to often. Through their career Face to Face have always kept their integrity as artists but it has always been apparent that their fans are just as important as their artistic statements. They have always made sure their fans have a good time and that's exactly what was taking place at the show. Not suprisingly the song "Disconnected" was played towards the end -- this was not surprising since it was the last tour but a bit of a treat as well since it was to Face to Face as "Satisfaction" is to the Rolling Stones. Tendency not to play this song was always high when you went to a Face show so it was good to hear live finally. I was alone in the crowd by the end of the show and although energy was high and it was really friggin loud it was nice to see them off by myself and not feel obligated to comment to anyone at that moment how I was feeling. And I was feeling great. It's odd that I may never see this band again but I felt no depression whatsoever, they came and delivered exactly what everyone came to see and didn't treat it as a last show at all. It was a goodbye that felt like a high five. See ya later guys. -- Jackson Main

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SCENE 2004 – July 11, 2004

Goon — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 05:00:00 +0000

SCENE 2004 Sunday, July 11, 2004 @ Various Venues, Downtown St. Catharines The following are excerpts from The Pretentious Goon's personal diary on the day of the SCENE 2004 music festival in St. Catharines. 10:00 - I arrived in St. Catharines the night before from Oakville for SCENE. I wake up on just a few hours sleep. I was up all night flipping between movies on TV. Ed Wood, Princess Bride and uh... Jingle all the Way were on. I couldnt resist. I go to That's Entertainment to get ripped off selling used CDs and VHS tapes. 12:00 - After done with this, I go to Beat Goes On on 4th Avenue to sell "the good cds" I wasnt going to let myself get ripped off for. Talk to guy with long hair there about SCENE and check out his planned schedule. Its about the same as mine, but I don't think I saw him the whole night. He might have been the same guy on the street who gave me a Backyard Wrestling Federation DVD though. I'm not too sure anymore. 2:00 - After eating, I go to the mall to pick up the Controller Controller CD for 10 bones. I didnt know if they'd have merch for sure and I figured "eh, better get it now" since I had nothing else to do. I see JAY C at HMV and we discuss an upcoming untitled movie project. 3:00 - I arrive downtown to get in like for tickets, hoping I'll be there early enough to get a free sampler or two. Theres a huge lineup, and its moving slowly. Very slowly. Slower than your average concert line. Its extremely hot outside and I feel bad for the semi-goth-punk guy in front of me with a zillion piercings and his cute lady friend who looks like a member of Evanescence but would be offended if I told her so. Too much black, kids. Someone probably from Bedlam is asking everyone out front who they came to see which I find annoying for some reason and make a bad joke to the camera which I am ashamed of now. 3:15 - I'm still in line. Shit, this is taking too long. The line gets messed up by the blonde girl from Tantrum Records (Jen?) who needs to back out of the parking lot. This needs to be worked out next year. This line would continue to be long and slow until around 5:30. Get some more people working the door. With Market Square at their disposal you would think this would be easy to fix next time. Some friends are still in line around this time until 4:10 and they're upset and thining of taking off, since their friends' bands are playing the early sets they might end up missing them. 3:30 - 4:00 - Wandering around Market Square in the shade, talking to CFBU people (does that dreadlocks guy work at Out of the Past? I think its the same guy.), getting some free CDs, stickers, and talking to a few peoples including SCENE promoter, Bedlam's Joel Carriere. I have a bag of video tapes that I'm supposed to be dropping off to someone at this time, but he hasnt showed up. Luckily, Matt B. of Bedlam shows up to pick up the CD I'm selling him though. I end up lugging this bag of tapes around with me all night as I never find my man. The bag rips once or twice and I'm sure I looked like a tool carrying them. I wish I brought a backpack or something in retrospect. 4:00 - To the Double Olive for Creek Road Crossing. I have a bias to this band as I've known lead singer Lee Campbell since grade 2. He has an amazing voice and they rock hard, playing early 90s type alternative mixed with a little bit of southern style rock. Theres a lot of talent in this band, but honestly, noone cares. The only people there to see CRC are myself and the bands other friends and girlfriends. People come in and leave frequently within seconds. I feel bad for CRC and know that at a different time (as in decade) and a different time (on the bill when people still arent in line) they'd pull a better crowd. 4:40 - I wander back to Market Square hoping to find the guy I'm supposed to be selling to. No dice. I notice however the drawing I did for Bedlamsociety is hanging over the ticket table. So I wander around a bit. I listen to the end of In These Walls from outside Big Bucks, as well as wander past the Merchant Ale House to listen to some of Inner City Surfers.They're okay. I realize At the Mercy of Inspiration are about to start over at Red Square so I go there right away. 5:15 - ATMOI have a PACKED CROWD. Last year they had a decent showing, but nothing like this. I'm still all heatstroked out from standing in line (I hadn't eatenyet) and luck out by getting a comfy seat at the back.ATMOI are awesome as usual, playing black metal that sounds like hardcore to me live (I guess its the way they perform and look), however I've seen ATMOI like 5 times already so I take off a few songs in to go to the Chili Pepper to see a band the CFBU guy tipped me off to. 5:35 - I am seeing the NJ band, bizarrely named Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start. For an hour I thought that was the code to unlock all levels to Sonic the Hedgehog, but it came to me later its the Konami Code for all their old games such as Contra. Up Up Down Down... are an emo band, which is a strike against them. However, they are a GOOD emo band, which I find very rare. They're good enough to give credibility back to the genre and I appreciate their set very much. Their singer may be singing typically whiny emo nerd lyrics but it doesnt sound whiny in presentation. He has an excellent voice, and the band seem very happy to be here. As they keep playing they seem less to me of an emo band and more like an indie band with emo tendencies. I buy two of their CDs and a TShirt as they had a high value package deal. This is the only band merch I would purchase all night. 6:10 - After a little bit of Ken Reaume (solid as always, no need to say more) I head back to the Double Olive to meet up with people. Money Money is playing and they have no shirts on. I consider this a strike against them for some reason. I listen to their set from the patio as I exchange dead baby jokes with friends. Money Money are good but repetitive. The people I am with disagree with me and tout their energy, which I guess they have a point about. I look at my schedule and realize I missed Dallas Green, which kinda miffs me except for the fact that if I was at his show I'd have missed Up Up Down Down.. 6:40 - I wander some more. I get some water and stand outside to listen to a bit of Jude the Obscure. Theres no way I'm getting into Big Bucks with the line thats there. I end up not going into Big Bucks (or for that matter, the Lynx or On the Rocks) all night. I find Jude to be a good band but also think of them as "dime a dozen". Its really hot still, I haven't eaten, I'm tired and not in the mood for screaming. I decide I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the night and avoid anything too loud. I'm tipped off that Pow Media favorite Barnaby (aka Chris Charkowy) and his new band Hymnalaya will be playing at 7pm at the Mansion House so I note to go see them instead of the End, who I really wanted to see but, since they're on Relapse, means they will be loud and hurt me and my poor self. I wander some more, get a hot dog by the big line in front of L3, catch a few minutes of Rutteger and get over to the Mansion House. 7:10 - Hymnalaya apparently dropped out of SCENE because Charkowy got pneumonia or something. Playing in their place is the Classic Brown, aka Stacey Brown, just a girl and her guitar. I understand that she sometimes has a band with her but she's alone tonight. This is just what I needed and I sit and listen to the rest of her set, which includes a cover of "Like a Prayer". I make note to myself that I should hook her up with some people I know in Toronto that would love her as much as I did. 7:40 - I drop off my mix CD for the Mixtape Exchange and kill some time in front of L3. I hear at this time there was some band that played in the alley beside it and that they sucked. That's kinda pathetic. There were a bunch of graffiti artists over there as well that people were watching even though I'm sure they had no view of what they were painting. 8:00 - Mixtape Exchange. I get a compilation of old punk songs which I am glad to get. The guy who gets mine seems happy and I'm glad. I dont know how he could, but it would be awesome if Chris "Rose City"O'Toole could find a way to make a bigger production out of the exchange for next time. 8:10 - I watch a bit of Maximum RNR and then head to the Chili Pepper to see Black Avalon. They've got quite a crowd at the front and they are a decent band, but nothing really moved me or anything. They have potential though. 8:40 - I go to L3 for the first time ever. Its a nice place, I like the set-up but feel they could do more with the place and all that empty wall. The setup around the stage is good too, giving people places to sit and still see everything good. Its incredibly hot upstairs, and I take it easy against the rail and shoot the shit with a friend I hadnt seen in almost 6 years, the mighty Boss-O. Bear vs. Shark are entertaining but sloppy, yet I'm glad they're going late on their set so I dont have to wait listening to nothing. I stay here for Raising the Fawn's set, and theirs is the best of the night. They are right now one of my favorite Canadian bands and live they are even better than on record. They have a spaciness about them that reminds me of Pink Floyd and the Secret Machines more than it does say, Mogwai. "Gwendolyn", with its bassline, to me was the song of the night. I find out after this set that my ride for later has left for a reason I wont get into here. 10:00 - I go over to the Double Olive to see Oliver Black. I thought it would be "guy and his guitar"stuff like Ken Reaume, but then I saw the T-shirts and the gear come in. And the place was packed to a fault, so I took off before it even started. I realize Two Knives are playing and I head over and its busy there too. Not in the mood to wait I listen to some of Blue Skies at War from outside Big Bucks as I drank some water. I forget if it was at this time or earlier, but I should note that while having some water I took note of some wackiness with the police. There were bicycle cops out all night, and on more than one occasion I saw people caught with beer bottles who had to pour it out onto the street. One notable one was some guy who had a full 40oz bottle and was being written up by the cop. Sorry if you're reading this man, but I have to laugh at people caught for stuff like this. 10:30 - I head over early for Controller.Controller - I saw them before at Franz Ferdinand and listened to their album on the Internet before buying it earlier that day. The easy way to describe them is "Hot Hot Heat with a girl singer" - thats an oversimplification though, they're probably a bit funkier overall and there isn't any synthesizer or traces of emo in their music. I actually expected the place to be packed at this point for them but it wasn't. Controller.Controller came on 20 minutes late because2 of their band members got lost on the way to the show. That kinda sucks because it forced them to rush through many of their songs. It was still good and they appeared to be having a lot of fun. Once they got on stage the place started filling up. Everyone who came in stayed in. They ended very solidly and played a new song as well that struck me as better than anything off their album. 11:25 - By the time their set was over I was beat. I was too tired, I was sweating like a a sweaty guy back from holiday, and I still had that goddamn bag of videotapes and was sick of carrying it around with me.I took one look at the Alexisonfire line and said "I cant do this", and was lucky enough to get a ride home with someone else at that time instead of being stuck with a cab later. With that ended my day of SCENE.Apparently I wasn't the only one home early, as I checked the Bedlamsociety.com message board and found that SCENE founder Cashmere had already posted about the show. I spent the next little while visiting websites for some of the bands I saw and even for the bands who didnt, as well as getting my first listen of the SCENE compilation. Overall I'd have to say that because of certain circumstances I preferred last years show to this years. Maybe if I didnt have a shitload of free CDs I got and videotapes that didnt get picked up, or if I had had more sleep, or if my ride hadnt bottomed out, I would have had a better time. Still, I can objectively, as someone who doesn't really live in the area and like some people already posting their rave reviews, isn't buddy-buddy with all the bands there, say that SCENE is an enjoyable experience with enough variety to keep me coming back year after year. Still gotta fix that lineup problem though, or open the doors even earlier. The only excuse I'll accept is that there was a bigger turnout than expected, which may actually be true. If so, I can only guess SCENE will expand even further next year, with more bars and more bands. -- Goon

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Mclusky/Oceansize – June 17, 2004

Goon — Wed, 23 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Mclusky/Oceansize Thursday, June 17, 2004 @ The Horseshoe, Toronto I first heard Mclusky on the way to see Iron Maidenlast summer. Listening to their previous album"Mclusky Do Dallas" for the first time is quite a rush. For a bit I thought parts of it were recorded live. Mclusky on their albums have been able to maintain a very dangerous, very live, interactive feel. Their music is anarchic, inspired, dirty, and very referenced. Mclusky's references are very audible: Nirvana, the Pixies, Husker Du. And you know what? They sound punker and scarier than all of them combined. At a different time Mclusky would be huge, and maybe someday they will. The vast majority of their songs are anthems with memorable lines and choruses. And its hard to not like all Mclusky's songs if you like one, since well, a lot of them sound pretty much the same. Since Mclusky have yet to pick up some real name recognition outside the Pitchforkmedia type community, I was really jazzed at the chance to see this band at a small club. And with Horseshoe's great sound system, I knew I was in for a treat. First I'd have to sit through Oceansize, who took the small stage at a little after 10 pm. I'd only heard snippets of their music before and didn't care for it at the time. In little clips I had the impression Oceansize were another mid-level emo band. I was wrong. Oceansize live sound like so many bands that you end up calling them original. At intervals the band sound like Tool/A Perfect Circle, early I Mother Earth, Incubus, Mars Volta, Hum, Isis, I could keepgoing. Oceansize presented a wall of sound that withits three guitarists, pounding drums and bass fuzz, not to mention more special effects pedals than I could count, won the crowds respect, if not their feet. Yes, most of the crowd (much of the crowd did not show up until Mclusky took stage) actually sat inchairs rather than get anywhere near the stage. Atsome points it seemed to frustrate lead singer Mike Vennart, who spoke to the crowd with a touch of Thom Yorke-esque disdain. If this was true, it at least translated into an amazing performance. While the other members appeared to have fun, again, lead singer/guitarist Vennart played ANGRY. More angry than I think I've ever seen from someone live. The facial expressions, body movements, everything convinced me that this was an upset fellow. I think this was the clincher, convincing me to buy their album at the show. It is GOOD, albeit not as heavy on record as their live performance. As well, on record their music resembles less a few of the bands I mentioned earlier and more towards a type of indie prog rock. You've got your touches of Isis, but also you've got Mogwai in there too. Definitely worth checking out and I'd be excited to see Oceansize live again. Mclusky took stage at around 11:20 and immediately ripped into "Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues", lead track from "Do Dallas" and a personal favorite. And they never let up, ripping through each song with precision and an energy few bands possess. I think overall "Do Dallas" got the most representation, with pieces from their new album "The Difference Between Me & You Is That I'm Not on Fire" getting almost as much play time. It took the live versions of new songs "That Man Will Not Hang" and "She Will Only Bring You Happiness" to really get me into the new disc, which until this show I had considered a disappointment in comparison. Lead singer Andrew Falkous seems a master at intershow banter, or at least practiced, taking clever potshots at the few idiots ("Axl Rose" Falkous called them) who showed up and paid 10 bucks for no reason than to yell and have their own party at the back. It seemed very weird that this continued through most of both sets, how some jerk just couldn't get tired of booing for booing's sake. The best song of the night was actually sang by Mclusky's second vocalist, bassist Jonathan Chapple, "What We've Learned". Jon took his chance to sing at the mic and belted out one of the harshest vocal performances I've ever seen live. He's quite a performer when not singing as well, adopting his own weird shake as he plays, which seems even more odd considering how slanky and nerdly he otherwise looks. Drummer Jack Egglestone played his ass off, providing what seem like very simple drum beats, but playing very hard, earning every ounce of sweat that I could actually see consistently dripping from his face. The only disappointment of the performance seemed tocome visually from Andrew Falkous. I'd hoped for acrazed stare into the crowd from the singer. It would just seem to fit what seemed like a maniac on record. Instead, Falkous provided a very solid and professional performance. He's one of those types that closes his eyes as he plays. This concert made me a much bigger fan of both bands, and that's not usual. With that, I highly recommend you keep your eyes open for a listing should we be lucky enough both these great bands from the UK come back sometime in the future. -- Goon

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