I have now missed the first two bands.
So; Lucid Skies & The Man and His Machine for this I apologize I'm not accustomed to early shows, or ones that even start on time, and sets that are super quick.
Sea Of Dead Serpents
Next up is Red Deer's newest "Hardcore" band Sea Of Dead Serpents, a lot of the nights turn out was there for them, parents of band members, co-workers, random folk just wanting to see something new, people that probably would never have checked out the venue if it wasn't for this. Probably close to seventy people when all is said and done, though that does include members of the other bands, and myself... Hopefully this is a sign that the venue will be able to stick around for a while.
First thoughts; Sea of Dead Serpents is a grimy guitar, distorted bass, double kick on the drums, and screeching vocals. So this is what the kids are calling Hardcore. The drummer & another member of the band are related to Desiree, brothers in fact, though their placement on the bill wasn't due to that family bond, they deserved second billing. Before starting up they dedicate their set to the singers mom who, without giving or going into much detail, has spent the last couple nights in the ICU ar Red Deer Hospital, He wants us to understand how painful this situation can be, for anyone.
Then the first song starts, sixty seconds long and a wall of noize bathes over us, the aural equivalent of a show to the groin. Quite enjoyable, if you're into that sort of thing, or so I'm told. I'm not into the shoe to the groin, but I'm starting to get into what they're doing. Structured like a hybrid of Fugazi, the pAper chAse, early (read: the good part) Korn, and Fucked Up. Furious lead riffs that owe a lot to Greg Ginn, drums that finally provide me with proof that double kick can actually work, and a fuzzed out bass holding down the low end. Their frontman & vocalist stands tall, ever the general in this audio assault his voice is gruff, his screams shrill, but yet you can actually understand what the hell he is saying.
Four songs in and the microphone has died, it wouldn't be a punk show without some sort of technical difficulties... A quick cable and microphone change and we're back in business. "I wanna see this whole place move. Don't be a bunch of fucking pussies!" the General exclaims, owing as much to the Cancer Bats as to King Buzzo and Keith Morris, before the energy from the band explodes from off stage and into the audience. Up front a mosh pit has been going since the second song, and now a circle pit has formed within this tight space, even the cats hanging out at the back are bobbing their heads and looking to get in on the action. Though with the songs being so short, :50 - 1:20 minutes, it makes it hard to keep the crowd flowing in this chaotic fashion.
One can tell that Sea Of Dead Serpents is working on it, as we currently get a short spiel before each tune, trying to keep the crowd hyped. Not yet putting songs into blocks to keep things flowing, also not quite sure how to approach the people wanting more, but as this is only their second or their show it'll come. The stage presence is already there, and I'm kinda digging it. They saved, in my opinion, probably their best song for last, it's a little longer then the others and shows that they aren't a one trick pony, showing the yet to be realized potential this band has. Once they have a recording, it could easily find a place on any throwback to 90s "grind-core" compilation someone may want to compile.
BONFIRE
Aka, or perhaps formerly, or maybe featuring members of, Hhogwash. I never actually asked, or bothered to sort it out, maybe I will in the future. While waiting for the rest of the band to finish soundcheck, and for people to come back down into the venue, their frontman scours the room. Looking for something, searching for anything, his eyes scan the room, like a wolf searching for prey.
I'm already excited.
Bonfire hails from the desolate wastelands of Saskatoon, SK. They're currently on tour with Lucid Skies and The Man and His Machine, bringing their brand of Punk/Hardcore/Post-Hardcore westward trying to spread the message. They start off their set with a feedback drenched cacophony and a slow dirge. I find myself wondering "Why, or more so how, I've never heard them before? Why haven't they played a gig with Black Mastiff and Rebuild/Repair at DV8? How come Cody (from Exoskeleton) never told me about them?" and then the song ramps up, most of the people have trickled back in, and the room become alive. Goth grrls, Punks, Metal heads, that girl named Mute, all rocking out. I wouldn't call it moshing, there was no pit, but it wasn't quite dancing either... much more primal, some strange hybrid of hippy love movements and the bodies intense desire to become one with the music.
Lets discuss the band for a moment, we'll start with the bass. Looking as much like a 1991 Krist Novoselic, as someone who isn't nearly as tall can, shoeless and bouncing about on stage. To his right, our left, the singer, channeling a 1985 long haired Henry Rollins, intimidating. No fear of the audience, he chooses to join them, at random, throughout the set. His guttural vocals are juxtaposed with his soft spoken and friendly between song banter. Next in this circle is their guitarist, lost in his own world, between facing the wall, his amp, and the drummer... he is all over the stage. Think Billy Tallent, not the band, lurching and wandering bumping into Joe Dick. Then when finally facing the crowd going crazy, I become afraid for that thin line telecaster he has chosen for his weapon. He plays it like it owes him money, a lot of money, and has a guitar tone that would probably make D. Boon smile. Now behind all of this sits our man tending the skins, the oft forgotten about drummer. If you saw him on the street you'd never suspect he was in a band, you might mistake him for a mormon missionary, he might be actually... I don't know him, and we never spoke, so unless they band informs me I'll never know. Yet here, in his element, behind the kit, he truly is on a mission, preaching a different sort of gospel, the gospel of Donny Paycheck (Zeke) and the gospel of Matt Camron (Scratch Acid, Soundgarden, others...) If he was a local cat, or I had any plans of moving to Saskatoon, I'd try and steal him for a project or two.
All of this combines into a rather beautiful mess. One that I enjoy. One that I can't take home because they don't have any albums with them. Though they've been dropping songs online over the past couple weeks, and will be putting more up over the next few as well, getting people hyped about a new album they have coming out. Bread from Flipper and Low, The Melvins and Harvey Milk, if this is the future of Hardcore, or Post-Hardcore, or whatever genre people are calling it, I need to check out more shows. I'm beginning to wonder if (eastern Canada's) Kittens are going to be playing next, its just that kind of night.
At the end of it, as the last note fades from our ears, Bonfire looks drained, exhausted, they have given us everything that each of them has in them, the look about to fall apart. The crowd, not quite done with them, screams and yells, demanding one more song.... it almost happens, but something just didn't work, the exhaustion has won out, and had they managed to do another track I suspect that the exhaustion would have taken all of us as well.
- Jim Nowhere
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Slumland Theatre - http://www.facebook.com/slumlandpromotions
Lucid Skies - http://www.facebook.com/LUCIDSKIES780
The Man And His Machine - http://www.facebook.com/themanandhismachine
Bonfire - http://www.facebook.com/BonfireSK
Cross posted on DeadCity.ca/press
