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Nick Cave Delivers a Moving Performance in Montreal

Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave played to a sold out crowd at the Sir Wilfred Pelletier theatre this past Thursday, putting an acoustic spin on his diverse repetoire.

Cave’s career has had an interesting arc since his debut with The Birthday Party in the late 1970s. During this experimental period, the frontman made a name for himself by putting on wild and violent performances, prowling around the stage menacingly alongside the band’s dissonant grooves. In the early ‘80s, the artist moved to Europe and founded Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, which has seen him mature into one of the most talented and immersive songwriters of all time - crafting heavy and emotional music with an undoubtedly unique sound. 

“We’re going to try to get to the very essence of what these songs might be about,” Cave said while settling into his seat at a piano centre-stage, as the crowd’s warm applause came to a close. Joined by bassist Colin Greenwood of Radiohead fame, the two opened with “Girl in Amber,” setting a precedent for the night as Cave’s somber yet powerful voice filled the auditorium. Better-known songs like “Jesus of the Moon” and “O Children” also made early appearances in the set, which translated well acousticly - Cave’s rapturous keys blending well with Greenwood’s bass.

The setlist was quite varied, producing moments ranging from slow and emotional, to upbeat and engaging. In “I Need You,” Cave concluded the somber ode to a lost love by agonizingly repeating the line “just breathe, just breathe, just breathe” over and over again in one breath over the course of a full minute, his last uttering of the phrase coming out in a throaty whisper as tension filled the room. Louder moments were also sprinkled throughout the show, notably in “Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry,” with the crowd clapping along to Cave’s powerful delivery of the eponymous chorus.

The emotional heaviness of Cave’s music would have been draining to listen to for a whole concert, but his surprisingly comical personality did well to break the tension. During “Balcony Man,” Cave urged everyone in balcony seating to scream as loud as they could whenever the word “balcony” came up in the song. Cave sung the opening line with a smirk: “I’m the motherfucking balcony man!” - spawning an ear shattering rapture from the seats above. After listening to this call-and-response for a few minutes, the repressed floor crowd emitted a few chirps, complaining about having to sit in silence below the party above. “What a polarized society we have,” Cave mocked.

The concert’s more intimate setup also undoubtedly encouraged some song requests from the audience. “Nobody’s Baby” was one name that caught Cave from the crowd. “Okay this is for that man. That deep-voiced man,” Cave said, chuckling along with the audience.

Acoustic shows can be hit or miss, depening on the performer and how well their music translates to a more stripped down sound. Cave’s solo concert was definitely a hit, seamlessly blending songs from his wandering catalogue into a fantastic performance, all while cracking a few jokes in between. The artist’s North American tour closes on Oct. 29 after three back-to-back nights in Los Angeles.

Violent Femmes Deliver Angst and Excitement to MTELUS

October 12th, 2023 was a time capsule to teenage angst for the band, Violent Femmes, at the 40th-anniversary tour of their self-titled debut album at MTELUS.

This Folk Punk Band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin found critical acclaim in 1983, when this first record, filled with youthful yearning and anger, was released. The tracks, written by Gordon Gano, the lead singer and guitarist, at the young age of 18, explore themes of sexual expression, anger, love, lust, and wanting your dad to lend you his car. 

The concert started with a Canadian folk act, Kevin Hearn, of the Barenaked Ladies. Hearn played joyful songs with an air of melodic pop but used gory metaphors that could be humorous, creating an enthralling honest vulnerability to his lyrics. 

Once Violent Femmes came on stage the crowd came alive. The whole night was filled with an energy of bliss and electric liveliness with cheering voices and dancing. The band played their debut record from start to end, thus, starting the night with their biggest hit, “Blister in the Sun.” This, however, didn’t make the night any less enjoyable as it filled the audience with excitement. All the songs sounded as they did on the recording, truly bringing the crowd back to their youths. 

Throughout the night the band used a myriad of instruments sometimes in peculiar ways, like playing the violin like a ukulele and using a barbecue as a drum. This was incredibly impressive and mesmerizing as the audience could see the pure passion expressed by the musician’s level of technical skill and talent that was needed to create this iconic first album. It appeared like each musician was communicating with each other through their instruments as well as personally to the audience. The band played some songs from their other albums, ending the night with their song “American Music” as an encore. The small venue, remarkable bass solos, and use of wind instruments made the night unforgettable and awe-inducing. 

Rightfully so a fan favourite, The Violent Femmes debut album is the perfect soundtrack to soothe the bittersweet ache of growing up. I dutifully recommend it to any student going through the stress of starting university in a new atmosphere with new people.

Devendra Banhart Brings the Groove to Theatre Beanfield

Venezuelan-American indie icon Devendra Banhart stopped by Montreal’s Theatre Beanfield on October 7th with his Flying Wig tour, showcasing his newfound dark and synth-filled sound. 

First, Montreal’s own Le Ren took the stage as the opening act. The singer-songwriter was accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Fez Gielen. With Le Ren on guitar and Gielen strumming on a dulcimer, the two played half an hour of intimate and pretty folk tunes. One highlight was the song “Dyan”, which Le Ren explained was dedicated to her mother. Another particularly lovely moment was Le Ren’s cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Colorado Girl”, which she sang as a harmonized duet with Gielen. The two had undeniable on-stage chemistry, cracking little dry jokes at each other throughout their set, while remaining always musically connected. 

After a short intermission, Devendra Banhart entered the stage. He was dressed in a slinky black dress, accompanied by his four-piece band. The theatre went from about half-full to tightly packed in the pit area, with people additionally lined up across the several tiered ledges behind the pit. Banhart kicked off his set with “Twin” off his brand-new album Flying Wig. This darkly groovy track had the audience melodically swaying with the beat. 

Produced in collaboration with art-rock musician Cate Le Bon, Flying Wig is a radical departure from Banhart’s earlier work which often got him labelled the “king of freak-folk”, though he hates that term. His new songs largely ditch the acoustic instrumentation of his early 2000s releases in favour of synthesizers and strong percussion. While I thought Banhart’s performances of songs off this album were intensely danceable and executed with ease and sexiness, it was apparent that most of the audience was patiently waiting for his older tracks. 

About halfway through his set, Banhart played one of his biggest songs, “Mi Negrita” off 2013’s Mala. The first few strums of this quirky love song had the audience erupting in applause, and they continued to sing along with the Spanish lyrics. 

One highlight of Banhart’s set was the lively and satirical “Fancy Man” off his 2016 album Ape in Pink Marble. This song had Banhart parading around with wide and flowing movements, singing his chorus “'Cause I'm a fancy man” over and over as he glided across the stage. 

Later, Banhart led the audience in a guided meditation, asking everyone to close their eyes and breathe out to “release all reactivity” and to embrace their “rainbow energy.” While a little hokey, this moment did allow for a much-needed pause in the show, providing a break from the higher-energy dancing and jokes of the past hour. Next, jumping back into the music, Banhart played “Fig in Leather”, a particularly upbeat and poppy song in his discography, but one the audience was certainly happy to hear.

Overall, Devendra Banhart’s show at Beanfield Theatre highlighted the artist’s unique confidence as a performer with a perfect mix of eccentricity and core musical chops. 

 

Aviva Majerczyk is the magazine editor at CJLO 1690AM. She is also the host of The Alley, a folk-rock show airing Fridays at 11:00 AM.

 

Two Eyes on Lil Yachty

In the ever-evolving music landscape, Lil Yachty has carved a unique mark for himself through his genre-bending, distinctly charismatic, and memorable sound. His boundless creativity translates not only through his music but through every aspect of his performance. Yachty’s vision was brought to life through engaging visuals, corresponding lighting, and breathtaking harmonies at MTELUS on September 27th in Montreal. 

Lil Yachty's new album Let’s Start Here is a radical departure from his previous musical style, introducing a psychedelic rock sound that has received critical acclaim. MTELUS welcomed Lil Yachty on his The Field Trip tour, creating a basically perfect concert.

The MTELUS venue greatly improved the concert. There is a balcony and a pit so if you desire to sit or stand, you have a choice. The pit at most rap performances is crowded and tough to navigate, but this was not the case here. The audience was mostly college and high school students, which appealed to me enormously since I am in that demographic. Everyone was kind and friendly, and a couple of them assisted me in getting closer to the front for a better view. 

The performance began with two openers, each creating a different atmosphere for the audience. 

The first was the Concrete Family, featuring Camo, Draft Day, Moe, and Karrahbooo, a group of rappers with music similar to what you could hear on a playlist feauring “iSpy” and “Broccoli.” These songs were the ideal way to kick off the show, with the entire crowd dripping in sweat after their performance– a clear indicator of success.

Then Nick Hakim sang soul and R&B songs. Hakim had obvious talent and a wonderful voice, but his show didn't have the crowd interaction I anticipated. I think that the two openers should have switched places. Right before Yachty came on,it would have been better to have a more explosive or rap opener to get the audience in the right mood. Hakim's set included a lot of standing around, and it was hard to get into his music unless you already knew it.

When Lil Yachty took the stage, his first few songs were off his new album, which created an environment in which everyone was singing along and having a good time.

Despite his appealing performance, his all-female band stole the show. The band consisted of Téja Veal on bass, Monica Carter on drums, Quenequia Graves on guitar, Kennedy Avery Smith on keyboards, and Lea Grace Swinson and Romana R. Sainti on vocals. Each of them was a master of their craft, with harmonies that moved around the music scale like honey, making me genuinely stop and marvel. The show's graphics were equally stunning, and everyone in the audience was singing along to the songs that we had all grown to love. The finest part of his presentation was the transition from relaxed rock tunes to classic rap songs and back to rock songs. 

Yachty performed all of the hits during his rap session. The MTELUS venue has a perfectly long and wide floor and the mosh pit was active and sweaty, but not unsafe. I could easily bounce off people and dance about. Everyone's stance changed organically as the crowd moved. We were easily able to return to the middle of the mosh for the finale of Yachty’s rap tracks, my particular favorites being “Flex Up” and “One Night.” I had prepared for the show by studying the lyrics on a Spotify playlist, but Lil Yachty surprised me. 

Lil Yachty performed the entire new record, which was exactly what the crowd seemed to want. The concert was the right length, and it closed with the song “Black Seminole” (from his album Let's Start Here). Overall, I'd give the concert an 8.5/10. The points I removed are for having two openers, which I believed was excessive and unneeded for a concert of this size. Both openers were good performers, but the concert was for Lil Yachty. I'll argue that the openers have it tough, especially with this crowd, who kept cheering “Yachty, Yachty, Yachty” during their sets. 

I recently attended a Death Grips show, which was excellent. They began 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, had no openers, and no "banter" with the audience in between songs. They went right to business, which I loved. I'll be waiting for another concert to do it for the rest of my life. 

Tiny Fest 2023 Day 2: A Captivating Showcase of Underground Music

Worst Dad Ever, a booking company that hosts DIY festivals and shows, presented Tiny Fest 2023 in collaboration with Casa Del Popolo in Montreal on October 6th and 7th. Despite the name, this year’s Tiny Fest #3 celebrated local singers, musicians, and bands of all genres, introducing Montrealers to new underground music. 

The festival spanned two days, featured three venues offering specific concert and two-day passes, and was sponsored by CJLO and Norla Hats. Three local music venues on St-Laurent Boulevard, namely Casa Del Popolo, La Sotterenea, and La Sala Rossa, hosted the events in style. On the rainy Saturday evening of October 7th, Tiny Fest kept Montreal music lovers engaged across the three venues.

Have you ever experienced listener’s anxiety? It’s the tendency to feel nervous before listening to new music or exposing yourself to different music genres. As I stood there waiting for the festival to begin, I briefly grappled with listener’s anxiety. 

Composer Deer Scout easing up nervousness before their performance. PC: Sruthi MattaThe lonely bartender in front of me prepared and ate his aromatic dinner before the space began to fill up. People helped themselves to beer, shots, and mixed drinks from the bar menu, while I stood there with a glass of water, still feeling anxious.

Deer Scout, an indie musician from Brooklyn, New York, warmed up the slowly growing audience in the concert room at Casa Del Popolo. Her voice initially cracked as she began singing her 2022 release, “Afterthought”. 

On her second attempt, she amazed us all. The soothing indie country song quieted the chatter in the room and in my mind. Listener’s anxiety was no longer an issue for me as I eased into the mood of the evening. Deer Scout also treated the well-behaved crowd to a cover of Alex G’s “Powerful Man” which received enthusiastic cheers

I am Streaming Mushrooms wasn’t the name of an edible confectionary available at the venue; it was the title of the album by the band Westelaken from Toronto, Ontario, who took the stage next. Their style combines elements of alt-country and indie folk, featuring emotive vocals by Jordan Seccareccia.

“Fixed Up By Orange Light” injected an uptempo burst into the evening and quickly became one of my favourites from their album. People danced and swayed with earplugs in as the deafening speakers were on full blast enhancing the whole performance, which stood as a testament to how much the band’s music was adored that night. 

As a member of the audience, I found myself fully immersed in the feeling, involuntarily closing my eyes for the full experience. I indulged in their track “Fossilhead,” the second-longest song on their album. 

In conclusion, Tiny Fest 2023 was a memorable musical journey, featuring many standout performances that showcased the festival’s commitment to celebrating local, raw, underground music, leaving the audience thoroughly engaged and enchanted.

 

Sruthi Matta is the host of Sruthi's Telugu Hour, Sundays at 7:00 PM

Tiny Fest 2023 Day 1: Diverse and Intimate Shows in the Heart of the Plateau

Tiny Fest 2023 kicked off Friday, October 6th across the Plateau venues Casa del Popolo, La Sala Rossa, and La Sotterenea. This year marked the third iteration of the micro-festival produced by Montreal booking agency Worst Dad Ever, sponsored by CJLO 1690 AM and Norla Hats. Despite the rainy weather and the first crisp evening air of fall, Montrealers packed into the three venues beside Boulevard Saint Joseph to watch short sets from beloved local artists plus more bands from across Canada and the United States. 

Starting the night upstairs at La Sala Rossa with local duo Bodywash, the dreamy shoegaze act was joined by several accompanying musicians to create a layered and heavy sound. With Concordia’s own Rosie Long Decter on keys and main vocals and Chris Steward on guitar, Bodywash shook Sala Rossa with moody but highly danceable tunes. A standout from the set was the song “Kind of Light” off of their 2023 album I Held the Shape While I Could, which the band admitted to having never played live before, though you wouldn’t have been able to tell. 

Across the street at Casa del Popolo was a cozy set by Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter John Roseboro. As I entered the cave-like venue, the audience was mostly sitting on the ground, as if they were kids and Roseboro, a particularly engaging kindergarten teacher. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, Rosboro’s quaint songs featured intimate lyricism paired with Bossa Nova-inspired strumming. Between songs, Roseboro had a casual and quirky stage banter, often leaning into self-deprecation. Near the end of his set, he asked everyone to stand up and sing along with the aid of lyric sheets which were previously distributed. This Casa set was the perfect comforting vibe for a rainy fall night.

Back across the street, in the basement venue La Sotterenea, TVOD (Television Overdose) put on a raw and sweltering post-punk show. The six-piece Brooklyn band performed a sweaty and electric set with vocalist Tyler Wright entering the audience and finally hanging off the ceiling lights and jumping off the stage speakers. Songs like “Mantis” and “Alien” got the audience dancing, without a pit opening up quite yet. 

After a brief break to set up, local surf-punk band No Waves took the stage at La Sotterenea. The young trio energized the crowd with their brash but charming presence and garage rock tunes. It became clear why this was an all-ages show, as only a few songs in, a mosh pit opened up full of kids who couldn’t be older than CÉGEP age. However, the crowd defied their youthful stereotypes, as the pit maintained itself well, with no falling casualties to be seen. No Waves did ultimately have a few technical issues with their guitar pedals. However, whatever embarrassment the band may have felt was not experienced by the audience, as their charismatic stage banter more than made up for the technical flukes (even if sometimes the distortion was on so heavily that you couldn’t quite make out what they were saying).

No Waves at La Sotterenea ended Tiny Fest day one on an energized note, as the whole evening highlighted the diversity of underground music both here in Montreal, and in scenes across North America. Stay tuned for CJLO’s coverage of day two of the festival, October 7th, 2023. 

 

Aviva Majerczyk is the magazine editor at CJLO 1690AM. She is also the host of The Alley, a folk-rock show airing Fridays at 11:00 AM.

Bahamadia and Shabazz Palaces: Two Giants of the Jazz Rap Scene Grace POP Montreal 2023

There are very few things that can make hip hop lovers stop dead in their tracks and this year POP Montreal was definitely held responsible for a skipped heartbeat or two. Whether fans got the news from the posters plastered around the city or from having their thumbs come to a sudden halt from the usual continuous scrolling, the word was out. Two giants from the jazz rap scene, Bahamadia and Shabazz Palaces were playing together for POP. 

Let’s catch up with Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler from Shabazz Palaces, a new moniker for his creative outlet, he is widely known as one of the three pillars of the monumental group Digable Planets. Bahamadia, one of rap’s unforgettable voices, is most famously known for her album Kollage from 1996, and has been releasing inspired music ever since. Both of these artists are innovators in the jazz rap scene, with their early releases confirming once again the renewable nature of hip hop and how personal and experimental a genre it can be. As professed by artist Hua Li, amongst the crowd at the Pop Symposium, these artists opened her and others' minds to the endless possibilities of creativity within the genre.

On the afternoon of September 29th, the two participated in a symposium moderated by hip hop journalist and author Dalton Higgins. The setting was very casual on the first floor of the Rialto Theatre with friends gathered around tables, chatting and enjoying the autumn afternoon. Above the buzzing conversation, inconspicuously, a tall man carrying a box of Bernie’s donuts under one arm walked through the crowd and sat in the front row. Once Bahamadia made her glowing appearance walking towards the stage, the man with the donuts popped up and revealed himself. As quietly yet markedly as his namesake butterfly - Ishmael Butler who had just been chatting and mixing with the crowd stepped up on stage. 

Feelings of royalty and humility were interchangeably present throughout the duration of the talk. The awe and admiration felt by long-adoring fans were happily balanced by the artists’ down-to-earth behaviour and warm sense of humour. Dalton Higgins expertly crafted the talk by asking questions that followed the two artists’ career paths while simultaneously asking for their critiques and opinions on hip hop culture. As the talk progressed, the questions reflected the changes in the scene through time, showcasing these artists as hip hop lovers, creators and experts. An interesting theme that came up was the path of inspiration and influence found in recent artists’ work. Bahamadia spoke of how artists like her don't often receive their flowers. She explained that sometimes the path of inspiration is hard to trace as the reinterpretation of one’s art can sometimes come out as a completely different product. She proclaimed that her and Butler’s works are becoming part of the “standards of hip hop” that directly or indirectly influence new creators.

Higgins also asked about their views on the future of hip hop, of which AI and other rising technologies were described as worrisome by both artists. Bahamadia said she felt uneasy about AI taking away from the value of human creativity but confidently professed that rappers and other artists can surely use it as a tool and welcomed using the technology correctly. Ishmael Butler continued on this point stating that throughout history humans tended to do things that were “anti-human” but that through education, compassion and lived experience we as a species always come around.

It’s no surprise that audience members left the talk with an energized excitement. Especially due to the fact that both Bahamadia and Ishamel Butler stuck around and welcomed fans taking selfies and chatting with them, of course with the fans blubbering over the right words to say. This good feeling was long-lived as it would only be in a few hours that the two artists would perform a few blocks away at L’Entrepot 77. 

The same fans now dispersed from the talk and gathered back for the artists’ evening show. Under the strung lanterns of the outdoor venue located in the heart of the Mile End, eager concertgoers huddled around the stage in the intimate setting. Shabazz Palaces were the first to perform with Ishamel Butler leading a group of four musicians on sax, bass, guitar, synths and drum machine. With crisp, clear sounds coming from the combination of new and old equipment, Butler rapped intricately and effortlessly as what he is most cherished for. Audience members were left in a trance with the succession of several downtempo tracks. Especially as the crowd began to mirror the rocking movement that all the musicians on stage danced in perfect synchronicity. Suddenly, as if the crowd was awakened from a dream, Butler quickly self-identified and gave thanks to the audience to end the show. After which he bounced off the stage and this time, albeit without donuts, once again mingled with the crowd. 

Bahamadia was set to take the stage next and the tension within the crowd was strung just right with a mixture of excitement and bewilderment. When the lights gleamed red and Bahamadia took the stage, the crowd, to put it simply - lost their minds. Accompanied by DJ Eclipse, Bahamadia brought her verses to life with ease, expertise, and a feeling of great determination to the crowd’s astonishment. Long-time fans cheered and rapped along to some of her biggest hits, with wide smiles perhaps evoked due to the many memories of how these songs accompanied them throughout their lives. The DJ often laughed to himself whenever he would play a sample from Bahamadia’s album Kollage as the crowd would react strongly with rowdy cheering. He soon took advantage of this and started to tease the audience by playing clips of iconic songs to get a rise out of the crowd. Bahamadia concluded her set with her biggest single “UKNOWHOWWEDU”, leaving most people speechless and wide-eyed once the house lights started to come on. 

The whole experience with the talk and concert combined felt like a dedication to the art of hip hop, in all its complexities. These two artists showed us through their words and work how they managed to navigate a larger-than-life culture while sustaining their mission to express their authentic selves.

 

Lisa Rupnik is the head music director at CJLO and co-host of The Last Stop. She is also an avid record collector, a “no nonsense” film lover and feels that her personality can be best defined by her two favourite bands: YMO and Sparks

Wu-Tang Clan and Nas Bring a New York State of Mind to Montreal

The Wu-Tang Clan and Nas brought a fresh slice of New York City rap to Laval this Monday night, playing to a packed Place Bell crowd.

While the artists have been touring under their New York State of Mind bill since 2022, this year’s run of shows falls during the celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary. As the story goes, the genre itself was spawned at a party in the Bronx in the summer of 1973 - giving the tour’s New York State of Mind moniker extra stopping power.

Before any of the artists hit the stage, this anniversary was being celebrated by an introductory video playing on the massive stage screen, which chronicled the evolution of hip hop up until the 1990s, when both Wu-Tang and Nas released their most influential material. Following this, de-facto Wu-Tang leader RZA emerged from the stage’s upper platform, standing at a large central microphone, flanked by musicians arming a drum kit, keyboard, guitar, and turntable.

Like some kind of decked-out priest delivering the hypest sermon of all time, RZA went on to introduce all eight other members of the Wu-Tang Clan one at a time, as they each took the stage rapping over a snippet of either a Wu-Tang song, or one from their solo career. One of the first members to come out was GZA, banging out bars from his infamous Liquid Swords album. It was great to see the solo material of each Wu-Tang member honoured during the show, as ignoring these non-Clan efforts would be a true disservice to the artists on stage and also audience members who live and breathe the broad Wu-Tang universe.

After all nine Wu members performed “Bring Da Ruckus,” Nas swapped places with the small army of rappers - the stage suddenly looking a whole lot bigger with just one person standing there. However, Nas quickly commanded the situation, marathoning through cuts like “Got Ur Self a Gun” and “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.” While Wu-Tang had nine members interchanging verses, Nas sliced through 10 or so cuts with ease on his own, showing off his ability as a performer. For his landmark “N.Y. State of Mind” track, Nas swapped the title line, singing “Nothing’s equivalent to the Canadian state of mind” at the end of the cut. Sounds like a bummer.

Wu-Tang came back on, making it clear that both artists had their sets intertwined. This was hands-down the best run of the concert, the Wu blasting energetically through “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Protect Ya Neck,” and “Method Man,” the latter having the entire Place Bell singing along with the infamous “I got myself a forty” bump halfway through the track. The group also played “Shame On a Ni**a,” except RZA notably introduced the song as “Shame On a Ninja,” giving the diverse audience ability to sing along to the profanity-riddled track. While not explicitly mentioned, the moment called back to the infamous clip of a white fan rapping on stage at a 2018 Kendrick Lamar concert, who was interrupted by the artist after she went over the bars a little too accurately.

Nas came back for his last run of songs, including “The World Is Yours,” “Nas Is Like,” and the decade-defining “If I ruled the World (Imagine That).” While Ms. Lauryn Hill was unfortunately not present for her memorable feature, the audience sure made up for her absence.

The Wu-Tang Clan came back to close the show in epic fashion, notably highlighting Young Dirty Bastard, son of the infamous Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) - cofounder of the original Wu-Tang lineup. While ODB tragically passed away in 2004, seeing his first-born son rapping over his father’s famous Wu bars as well as solo cuts like “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Got Your Money” was a special sight.

While both Nas and Wu-Tang have monumental careers on their own, seeing both artists intertwine their landmark songs in a multimedia show as well put together as this one was quite the sight. Laval truly celebrated hip hop’s 50th anniversary in style.

Cannibal Corpse Bring Mayhem to l’Olympia

Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Gorguts, and Blood Incantation steamrolled through Montreal this past Thursday, playing to a sold-out crowd at l’Olympia theatre.

Controversy is the name of the game for this bill. Cannibal Corpse have been releasing some of the most offensive song titles and album covers imaginable since their 1990 debut Eaten Back to Life, which features artwork of a zombie scarfing down its own intestines. On the flip side, Norwegian black metal progenitors Mayhem are infamous for translating these horrors to real life; their ex-singer Per Yngve Ohlin (known as “Dead”) used to cut himself on-stage during the band’s live performances. When Dead committed suicide in 1991 via shotgun, bandmate Euronymous collected fragments of the musician’s skull to turn into necklaces. One of these skull fragments sold for $3,500 in an auction in 2018.

Naturally, this kind of lore tends to attract quite the fringe audience, with fans queuing hundreds of metres down Saint-Timothée St. adorned with battle vests, bullet belts, and some wearing Dead’s infamous “corpse” face paint.

Blood Incantation warmed up the crowd with their refreshing technical yet groovy sci-fi themed death metal. The show really got in gear however when hometown heroes (by 150-odd kilometres) Gorguts entered the mix. The Sherbrooke group’s 1991 debut Considered Dead is a hallmark classic within the death metal scene, and their performance tonight is their first show in Quebec since 2017. Gorguts rifled through classic tracks like “Disincarnated” and “Obscura” with high energy - which fans returned in double.

Mayhem followed, with frontman Attila Csihar storming the stage in a hooded cloak, armed with a makeshift cross made of two bones tied together perpendicularly. Opening with “Worthless Abominations Destroyed” off their 2019 effort Daemon, Attila’s vocals ranged from raspy howls to prophetic unholy chants, which echoed menacingly off the venue walls. The Norwegian act played a handful more tracks - eventually shifting off-stage in preparation for their epic: “Freezing Moon.”

As smoke lifted from the stage, Dead’s voice bled through the speakers. “When it’s cold, and it’s dark… The freezing moon can obsess you…” This infamous line, recorded during the band’s 1990 concert in Leipzig, has turned into a staple of Mayhem’s live performances, setting the atmosphere perfectly as the modern lineup broke into the fan-favourite cut.

This would however be the last taste of anything remotely “atmospheric” for the remainder of the night. In a blazing finale, Mayhem put together a collection of their most aggressive material. “Deathcrush” sent the crowd into a blurry frenzy, as the moshpit turned extra violent and combat boots flew left and right. Without as much as a breath, thrashers “Necrolust,” “Carnage,” and the aptly-titled “Pure Fucking Armageddon” nearly burned the house down, as the band and fans equally gave it their all.

This bombastic finale would be hard to top for any other band but Cannibal Corpse. Frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher stepped into the spotlight wearing his signature t-shirt, which features a caricature of him headbanging with the text “RESPECT THE NECK” in all caps. The shirt is a not-so-subtle reference to Fisher’s famously wide neck - potentially rivaled only by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor.

Fisher defended his title as Headbanging Champion in Montreal after egging the audience on. “This song is for anyone of you out there interested in banging your fucking heads,” Fisher said before the band blared into “I Cum Blood.” “Try to keep up with me - you will fail miserably!” The frontman proceeded to swing his neck in circles for 3 minutes straight, creating a propeller of hair that looked like it could’ve lifted him off his feet.

Iconic cuts “Disposal of the Body,” “Pit of Zombies,” and the charming “Stripped, Raped and Strangled” followed, turning the audience into a frenzy of sweaty bodies bouncing off each other. Predictably, Cannibal Corpse closed their set with “Hammer Smashed Face” - bringing every last bit of energy with it.

The sheer number of quality bands on this tour lineup made the night’s success no surprise. As 2023 begins to come to a close, this show may very well be Montreal’s metal concert of the year, as Cannibal Corpse and Mayhem once again prove forces to be reckoned with, even after 30 years in the business.

Feature photo by Guillaume Laberge

Wham! - Behind the Music

The new Netflix documentary Wham! explores every aspect of the pop music duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Whenever I think of the 80s, I think of the quirky, unconventional styles which a lot of people had, I think of the really cool movies that were released, and how can I not think of the great music that was available to us at the time? When of think of music from the 80s, I think of bands such as Hall and Oats, Tears for Fears and of course Wham! I recently stumbled upon the Wham! documentary which is now available on Netflix, and I could not resist taking the time to watch it. I wanted to reflect on the documentary in terms of the impact Wham!’s music had on the world. Secondly, I want to outline George Michael’s personal growth and development throughout his life as well as his career as a musician, and finally how his friend Andrew Ridgely was a positive influence in his life. I feel that trust and friendship are very important themes within this documentary.

The film begins by looking back on how George Michael and Andrew Ridgely met for the first time when they were in their later years of elementary school. As kids, Andrew Ridgely was very outgoing and George Michael was socially awkward and shy. Over the years they developed a taste for music, Elton John in particular was a very notable musician for them. In their late teen, Andrew and George liked to go out and party. Amazingly enough, it was their partying which eventually led them to form their singing duo which we now know as Wham! Like many famous musicians, the duo struggled financially initially and were turned down repeatedly by various record companies. However they did eventually land a record deal with Innervision Records, and they made it to #1 on the music charts with "Wake Me Up, Before You Go Go."

Just like other musicians in the past, Wham!’s particular style was at times seen as provocative to older generations. This is because when they were performing, they would wear tight shirts and short shorts and also because their genre of pop music was very energetic and upbeat. Wham!’s style of music and performance was more appealing to a younger audience, especially women. Eventually, Wham's upbeat style of music would enable them to earn recognition from other famous musicians such as Elton John, which was a dream come true for the band. On numerous occasions, they were asked to help make the world a better place through their music within Live Aid concerts. To this day when people look back at Wham!’s performance at the Live Aid concerts, they think of the enormous crowds the band attracted and the positive influence their music had in their lives.

Although George Michael was socially awkward as a kid, he became more outgoing as he got older through his friendship with Andrew Ridgely. George's father strongly objected to his desire to become a musician, but Andrew encouraged George to go against his father's wishes. George knew that he was gay when he was in his early twenties, but was not ready to go public with his sexual orientation, Andrew agreed to keep George's sexual orientation a secret. Andrew still loved and respected George despite his sexuality. At the beginning of Wham's career, most of the attention and focus was on Andrew Ridgely. Still, as time went on, and George Michael became more comfortable in his own skin, George started to fill most of the spotlight and would eventually go solo. Andrew had no objection to George obtaining more fame and recognition than him but was instead very proud of how far his friend had come over the years.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgely had an unbreakable bond between them. I feel that friendship and trust are very important themes within this film because, sadly, in the world we live in today, a lot of people have friends who mock them, bring them down, and turn their backs on them. Through the Wham! documentary, Andrew Ridgely was a great example of what a friend should be. He helped George find the courage to say no to his father, Andrew’s belief in George led him to grow and develop both as a musician and as a person. He proved George trustworthy by agreeing to keep his sexual orientation a secret. I would strongly recommend this film for the interesting history that Wham! has, and as a reminder of what a friend should be.

 

Danny Aubry is the host of At The Movies alongside Remi Caron and is heard every Tuesday morning from 8-9 AM only on CJLO 1690 AM. Tune in for discussions about movies, soundtracks, and iconic film scores. At The Movies also covers film festivals that are located in Montreal.

 

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