Friendly Rich was peddling his decidedly child-unfriendly (despite running a charity music school for children) show complete with squeezebox and schtick galore. Musically it wasn't to my taste but as a spectacle it was fairly entertaining.
With zero idea of who was in stage in the conversation room I entered and for the first part of the song thought, "this three piece band are rocking quite melodically, kinda like The Constantines." And then the latter half of the song came in and the chorus spiked in intensity, especially from the impressive bassist dressed like a serviceman. He shared vocals with the guitarist who looked more like you'd picture a hard indie rock guitarist dressing, all time checked by their drummer under a Nets cap. It was definitely head nodding groovy even when each song seemed to build to strong shouted peak. Several Futures, one of the several musical discoveries that has nearly become the norm at Long Winter.
Pins and Needles had the Girls Rock Camp stamp of approval and deserve it. All girl four-piece that seem to be in high school - that theory backed by the majority of the kids rocking up front - they were impressive and not just for their years. The drummer was having fun and showing flair as she stood up at a number of points to really bang at her set. The bassist had an underrated voice, the keytarist (yes!) came in strong with hers, but the sparkling guitarist's was stunning. Altogether they played well written songs that seemed to have roots which was really impressive. Even their throwback cover (that escapes me) worked and the only criticism is that the encore was unnecessary but considering how much they've picked up already they'll get that sorted out soon. Real record release coming this year!
Vag Halen were the spectacle they've become. Stalking the stage in panties, pantyhose and cutoff tops the singers gave it their all and the crowd gave it back and more. The AC/DC cover actually had a massive mosh pit which was present throughout the set. Whether screaming, writhing on the stage or railing against Harper's terrible parliamentary bills they were making a scene.
Showing posts with label long winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label long winter. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2015
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Long Winter III - Light Fires, Buck 65, Vag Halen - Great Hall (Jan 11/13)
Light Fires was an unexpected romp as Regina had a fire lit under herself. She was all over the conversation room, singing like a diva, dancing like a madwoman and even scaling the walls and windowsills - all in massive heels. The energy was infectious and it didn't matter that the beats were coming solely from backing tracks played off an iPod it moved ya and got people moving. An impressive display of energy as she simply went for it!
A band called Vag Halen, a female 80s cover band who did Van Halen and GnR, played and they were wild. The singer was wearing panties and a completely see-through cover-all which covered nothing. Anyhow the crowd loved it and they were quite fun and ended up being much better than I ever could have expected.
Closing out the night Rich Terfry took to the main stage to the stragglers who stuck around and hadn't headed downstairs to the dance party. With his laptop center stage he'd boot up a Buck 65 beat and then spit over-top of it, all the while shimmying around the stage. A solid number of the tracks I stuck around for were new songs from an upcoming project leaving me with a somewhat unfulfilled feeling.
A band called Vag Halen, a female 80s cover band who did Van Halen and GnR, played and they were wild. The singer was wearing panties and a completely see-through cover-all which covered nothing. Anyhow the crowd loved it and they were quite fun and ended up being much better than I ever could have expected.
Closing out the night Rich Terfry took to the main stage to the stragglers who stuck around and hadn't headed downstairs to the dance party. With his laptop center stage he'd boot up a Buck 65 beat and then spit over-top of it, all the while shimmying around the stage. A solid number of the tracks I stuck around for were new songs from an upcoming project leaving me with a somewhat unfulfilled feeling.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Long Winter IV with Holy Fuck, Fucked Up +- Great Hall (Feb 8/13)
Holy Fuck were playing their first show in over two years to close out the fourth edition of Long Winter. Perhaps out of practice setting up their truckload of gear they started a little late but it's worth it as they pride themselves on being 'analog' rather than laptop-based and that definitely makes for a stronger show. With a live drummer, bassist and two keyboardists/effect pedals and boards they resuscitated a few old favourites to get the crowd grooving. Brian Borcherdt admitted that they were super nervous to play after such a long hiatus and even more so because they were playing brand new tunes for the first time live. (At least I think that's what he said through his strong effect mic.) A couple of these new songs are sure to be hits while others may take a bit of time to gain affection. Despite playing past 2 am they commanded a relatively large crowd to the end to watch them under the blazing lights that they couldn't seem to get turned off. Good to see the boys back and start getting excited for the real return of HF as their next step is back into the studio.
Finally Fucked Up! The buzz around this hometown band has been humming for years, especially pertaining to their live show, and after repeated failures I finally got to see them - at their own curated concert. What I'd heard came true as the energy was high from the crowd and perhaps even higher from the six band members on stage, led first and foremost by their larger-than-life lead screamer Damian Abraham. First the music - they carry off their melodic hardcore punk rock, balancing Damian's growl with some excellent singing vocals, both male and female on some Chemistry of Common Life and David Comes to Life. Outside of the entertainment provided by the rambunctious crowd, including ill-advised stage dives (into nobody, diving board style, running start), the awful singing into Damian's seemingly ever-present mic and their love for the big man, hugs and kisses to that sweaty head, it was Damian who provided the real entertainment. While still wearing a sweater he crushed a beer can on his forehead which showed as a contusion by the time he was down to a t-shirt. It wasn't long though before his shirt was off for that signature Fucked Up image that isburned ingrained into their public image. All the while the band rocked out the tunes like Queen of Hearts and The Other Shoe (during which Damian somehow ended up with a lady's boot in his hand) and he screamed along when he could, blurring the line between band and audience and making for an energetic set with a sustaining buzz.
My critique was going to be that Kids on TV need to either commit to the act fully or drop it, and then they said they've been at it for ten years and I realized I guess I don't know what I'm talking about. In various states of dress, and undress, the female sported spandex while the little guy was topless and had some makeup on his face, but nothing compared to the full head of makeup on the third member. They sang along to prerecorded songs and generally tried to lead a party but as mentioned it didn't seem to meet levels expected of a novelty band like this (when compared to Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party or any band at the last Lee's Rich Aucoin show). Even when I recognized a couple tracks it didn't put it over the top. The finale was entertaining though as they invited another couple musicians to join them as well as the majority of the dancing audience members for an onstage jamboree which was entertaining to watch.
Maylee Todd played a set of perky music that had a dance party going in the conversation room. I missed most of it but did see her crouch by into the crowd to the bewilderment of a few conversations in the back of the room, only to be fireman carried back to the 'stage'. Energy!
Over in the conversation room Tasseomancy were doing their best despite (to spite) the conversation happening in the room. They are a quiet band with their mandolin and dual female vocals and managed to command attention at the beginning as some sat to watch the steel drum. However as time passed and attention waned the din increased considerably and it was a feedback loop that diminished the set's effectiveness. It wasn't bad to begin with when the hushed music could be appreciated but perhaps there was a reason it fell off.
The discussion earlier in the evening regarding love and couples vs singledom was quite enjoyable and provocative. Also the full-length film being shown downstairs seemed quite quirky, awkward and funny and may just be something I'll watch on my own time. I couldn't see much of the choreographed dance but Yacht Club's music played live that it was set to seemed decent. Not being one to critique visual arts all I can say is nothing grabbed my attention much, though the wooden plumbing was interesting and the translucent upper body molds were cool (except they were in sight lines of the balcony). A mixed bag at this Long Winter, as there probably is at most, but there's a bonus fifth edition scheduled for March so we'll see what's in store.
Finally Fucked Up! The buzz around this hometown band has been humming for years, especially pertaining to their live show, and after repeated failures I finally got to see them - at their own curated concert. What I'd heard came true as the energy was high from the crowd and perhaps even higher from the six band members on stage, led first and foremost by their larger-than-life lead screamer Damian Abraham. First the music - they carry off their melodic hardcore punk rock, balancing Damian's growl with some excellent singing vocals, both male and female on some Chemistry of Common Life and David Comes to Life. Outside of the entertainment provided by the rambunctious crowd, including ill-advised stage dives (into nobody, diving board style, running start), the awful singing into Damian's seemingly ever-present mic and their love for the big man, hugs and kisses to that sweaty head, it was Damian who provided the real entertainment. While still wearing a sweater he crushed a beer can on his forehead which showed as a contusion by the time he was down to a t-shirt. It wasn't long though before his shirt was off for that signature Fucked Up image that is
My critique was going to be that Kids on TV need to either commit to the act fully or drop it, and then they said they've been at it for ten years and I realized I guess I don't know what I'm talking about. In various states of dress, and undress, the female sported spandex while the little guy was topless and had some makeup on his face, but nothing compared to the full head of makeup on the third member. They sang along to prerecorded songs and generally tried to lead a party but as mentioned it didn't seem to meet levels expected of a novelty band like this (when compared to Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party or any band at the last Lee's Rich Aucoin show). Even when I recognized a couple tracks it didn't put it over the top. The finale was entertaining though as they invited another couple musicians to join them as well as the majority of the dancing audience members for an onstage jamboree which was entertaining to watch.
Maylee Todd played a set of perky music that had a dance party going in the conversation room. I missed most of it but did see her crouch by into the crowd to the bewilderment of a few conversations in the back of the room, only to be fireman carried back to the 'stage'. Energy!
Over in the conversation room Tasseomancy were doing their best despite (to spite) the conversation happening in the room. They are a quiet band with their mandolin and dual female vocals and managed to command attention at the beginning as some sat to watch the steel drum. However as time passed and attention waned the din increased considerably and it was a feedback loop that diminished the set's effectiveness. It wasn't bad to begin with when the hushed music could be appreciated but perhaps there was a reason it fell off.
The discussion earlier in the evening regarding love and couples vs singledom was quite enjoyable and provocative. Also the full-length film being shown downstairs seemed quite quirky, awkward and funny and may just be something I'll watch on my own time. I couldn't see much of the choreographed dance but Yacht Club's music played live that it was set to seemed decent. Not being one to critique visual arts all I can say is nothing grabbed my attention much, though the wooden plumbing was interesting and the translucent upper body molds were cool (except they were in sight lines of the balcony). A mixed bag at this Long Winter, as there probably is at most, but there's a bonus fifth edition scheduled for March so we'll see what's in store.
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