2000-06-26 - 23:15

Killed by death

Okay, it's time for the post-concert wrap-up. With the long bus rides to Toronto and back, and the fact that I had to stay there overnight, the show essentially was the weekend. To put it briefly, it was the most fun that I've had since I saw Rollins Band play Montreal in March. Nobody else was keen on going this time, so I was on my own; but I still had a great time. I'm placing my concert review at the bottom of this entry, because I also want to include some more general comments.

I got up early on Saturday and took the bus downtown to the Greyhound station. The trip got off to a good start when I ran into a girl from work. It's kind of funny. For months, I've seen her around; but we've never really spoken. (She works in another group, so it's not as if we have a lot of contact.) Then on Friday, I heard Catherine (the secretary) asking Greg for help moving a computer into the lab, so I thought that I'd lend a hand. As it turned out, it was Lubna's (that's her name), so she said hi. On Saturday, we got to talk for a minute or two; but unfortunately, she was taking a different bus. Too bad . . . the company would've been nice. I certainly wouldn't have minded spending the time with a friendly, cute girl.

As it was, though, it was a quiet ride to Toronto. I read the paper and zoned out for a while, staring out the window, as I tend to do on long trips. It was close to 5 when we got to the station, meaning that I had a little over two hours until the doors opened at the Warehouse. I took a walk down to reassure myself that I still knew how to get to the club (the same spot where I saw PJ Harvey in '98) and then went to the mall to grab a bite to eat.

In the meantime, the rain started, so I got soaked on the walk back. Grumble. At least the doors opened on time; so I got to wait inside and talk to some of the other people who were there for the show, which was good and bad. Good because I don't always get to talk to people who are into the same music as I am, bad because some of those people are idiots. This weekend, Toronto also hosted a Gay Pride rally. It was disappointing to hear the predictably homophobic comments from many of the Mot�rhead fans.

I don't get it. Metal and punk are forms of music that are supposed to be about individuality and not simply going along with the pack. Of course, each band can deliver its own message; but that feeling is definitely a part of the package. Why, then, are so many punkers and metalheads so narrow-minded? If you're a guy with three feet of hair and assorted pieces of metal driven through various parts of your anatomy, obviously you're not down with the notion that society should tell you how to look and act. So why do you think it's okay for society to dictate someone's sexuality?

Despite the attitudes of some of the people I was talking to before the show, it was a cool crowd, overall. I'm going to push my full concert review to the bottom of this entry; but I can sum it up by saying that I had a blast. I came out physically drained but very satisfied. The show ran until a quarter to one, meaning that I was stuck in Toronto until 7:00 AM. It'd be nice to know someone in that city. It would've been more fun to have somewhere to crash rather than walking around downtown Toronto in the rain (waaaaaah!), but oh well.

I wandered around for a bit, letting the rain wash out the sweat (it was a good hard show). When it really started to pour, I ducked inside for a slice of pizza, and I also sat down later for a hot chocolate. In between stops, I had three people try to sell me drugs. I'm not sure whether the explanation is: (a) with my long hair and silly goatee and sideburns, I look like I should be doing drugs, (b) I was walking around Toronto at 3:00 AM, or (c) I was wearing a T-shirt that says "High as Hell" . . . maybe it was the combination. Heheh.

I ask you, how many straight edge people have a shirt with "High as Hell" emblazoned across the back? Between that slogan and the picture on the front, that purchase definitely contributed to my shirts-that-I-don't-wear-to-work collection.

In any event, I killed time until the bus station opened at 5:00 and waited in there until 7:00. I saw a few people from the show there, so when I wasn't dozing off, I had some conversation. One mainly unconscious bus ride later, I was back home, tired and bruised, but happy. Not a bad weekend, to say the least.

Here's my review (it's a little long and it's certainly not the best review that I've ever written; but what the hell):

Go, Motherfucker Go

But I won't tell them 'bout the heartache,
I won't tell them 'bout the pain,
I won't tell them 'bout the time,
I had to sleep out in the rain.

"Headin' for the Texas Border"

Saturday night was concert time again: Mot�rhead and Nashville Pussy kicked it at the Warehouse in Toronto. After witnessing a Nashville Pussy show last summer at Barrymore's, I wasn't going to miss my chance for a second helping; and Mot�rhead was a cool bonus. Despite a few technical problems, each of the four bands at the gig gave a solid performance, energizing the packed crowd. After four and a half hours, I left minus a lot of sweat, plus a few bruises, and totally impressed.

Damn 13 opened the show after what the singer apologetically called "the longest sound check in history." It took the crew a while to get the mics going; but after they did, the band put on a decent show. The second act in the lineup, Speedealer, also had problems with the equipment. (The singer was asking the guys to turn up his mic throughout the first four songs.) Despite that distraction, the band rocked. Speedealer is a heavy, fast, punk-metal outfit from Dallas who fit in perfectly with the bigger bands on the bill. Although I was unfamiliar with the band, I found it very easy to find the groove on all of the songs; it's great headbanging music.

After that excellent set, it was Nashville Pussy's turn. This concert marked the first time that I was more interested in one of the opening acts than the headliners. NP is the reason that I came for the show; and I was determined to lead the charge in the mosh pit.

What can I say? Nashville Pussy kicked ass again, from the introduction ("We are Nasville Pussy . . . from Atlanta, Georgia . . . and the party starts now!") to the final flourish. The band was as energetic as openers as they were as headliners in Ottawa. Although the antics were scaled back slightly (there wasn't as much alcohol being thrown around and spit into the crowd), the music and attitude was undiminished.

Nashville Pussy is an excellent live band, able to tear through a well-honed set list and have it sound totally raw, without missing a beat. Singer Blaine Cartwright growled his way through material covering the band's two CDs, Let Them Eat Pussy and High as Hell. Blaine's wife, guitarist Ruyter Suys performed in her characteristic leopard-print bra with white leather pants; and bassist Corey Parks was also dressed for the occasion.

Although most of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with NP before the show, the audience definitely warmed up to them as the show progressed. By the time that the band had built up to their tour de force, a stretched out version of "Headin' for the Texas Border," a sizable mosh pit had formed and a lot of people were clearly loving the show. "Texas Border" showcased Corey Park's talents at blowing fireballs over the crowd, and Ruyter's ability to play a mean guitar solo while sucking on a beer bottle that Blaine was pouring down her throat. Definitely a highlight. After that song, the band closed with the ever-popular "Go Motherfucker Go," capping off a monstrously powerful live attack.

Next up were the veterans of the metal scene, Mot�rhead. Since I don't own any Mot�rhead CDs, this concert gave me a chance to compare the experience of going nuts for a band I love with decent crowd support to jumping in an excellent mosh with a solid band. As it turns out, both are a lot of fun.

After going full-out for Nashville Pussy, I kept to the sidelines for the first twenty minutes of Mot�rhead's set, preferring to headbang and take it easy. After that, though, I had to get in the mix, and it was great. Although I could only understand about 10% of what Lemmy said between songs, when the music started, it didn't matter.

I must say that I've never seen so many people fall down in a mosh, but everyone seemed to escape unharmed. Personally, the only notable shots that I took were someone landing on my shin/ankle and somebody elbowing me in the stomach, so all was good. It was cool to hear Mot�rhead playing the Sex Pistols version of "God Save the Queen," in an attempt to unite the punks and the headbangers.

The entire routine was solid for Mot�rhead; but the highlights were "Killed by Death," which closed the set, and the band's signature track, "Ace of Spades," which led the encore. Everyone went nuts for those tunes, and crowd reaction always adds a lot to the experience.

Overall, the concert was four and a half hours of loud, fast, heavy bands treating the crowd to very hard, all-out ass-kicking performances . . . definitely a great time.