A last-minute venue change from the not-quite-ready-to-be-licensed Sugar Nightclub to the much smaller Sopranos, a dive karaoke bar with a questionable setup, did not phase Toronto hardcore squad Fucked Up in the least.
We all know their story by now: a six-member punk band with a serrated but, shall we say, flamboyant edge. Big, shirtless lead-singer teddy-bear guy giving the crowd hugs and running crazy through the audience. Hottest/best bass player in the Canadian punk scene, besides Todd Kowalski. Three fucking guitar players, but not a triple-axe attack, more like a garagey, distortion attack. And loudness and chaos. Much loudness and chaos.
Lead singer Damian Abraham was in fine form, but, really, when is he not? The crowd occupying the awkward room, who did their best to annihilate it (someone was footing a damage bill, for sure), were also stars on this night, creating the perfect storm for Fucked Up's tumultuous tornado of punk rock. And although they didn't do the whole David Comes to Life album like at Portland's recent Musicfest NW, their newest material still dominated the set.
During the encore, when Abraham commented on the inebriation level of guitarist Mike Haliechuk, said drunken guitarist threw his guitar into his singer's hands and joined a rather injury-prone mosh pit, barely making it back alive for the final climax. Yep, just another Fucked Up show, no big deal.
We all know their story by now: a six-member punk band with a serrated but, shall we say, flamboyant edge. Big, shirtless lead-singer teddy-bear guy giving the crowd hugs and running crazy through the audience. Hottest/best bass player in the Canadian punk scene, besides Todd Kowalski. Three fucking guitar players, but not a triple-axe attack, more like a garagey, distortion attack. And loudness and chaos. Much loudness and chaos.
Lead singer Damian Abraham was in fine form, but, really, when is he not? The crowd occupying the awkward room, who did their best to annihilate it (someone was footing a damage bill, for sure), were also stars on this night, creating the perfect storm for Fucked Up's tumultuous tornado of punk rock. And although they didn't do the whole David Comes to Life album like at Portland's recent Musicfest NW, their newest material still dominated the set.
During the encore, when Abraham commented on the inebriation level of guitarist Mike Haliechuk, said drunken guitarist threw his guitar into his singer's hands and joined a rather injury-prone mosh pit, barely making it back alive for the final climax. Yep, just another Fucked Up show, no big deal.
