It was a garage band experience like no other at Lee's Palace on June 9. It felt like a look behind the proverbial curtain, watching a trio of guys do their thing and play music they love, not caring whether people were watching. But at the same time, Bass Drum of Death's Friday night show also provoked visions of mud-splattered bodies listening to rock and roll at an Edgefest or Warped Tour in their respective primes.
The trio of men — drummer Ian Kirkpatrick and brothers John and Jim Barrett — came out casually as ever, with Kirkpatrick walking out in dark cargo shorts and a shirt with a simple message: "Hi." With no frills and no precursor, each member picked up their respective instrument and began to play. With the smell of cigarette smoke and spilled beer wafting through the air, Bass Drum of Death went right into "I Wanna Be Forgotten," the music reverberating through the room before frontman John greeted the crowd.
In typical rock 'n' roll fashion, John would occasionally kneel down and drink from a can of beer housed in the corner of the stage, taking a quick break before erupting into tracks like "Nerve Jamming" (which brought a ton of cheers), "Just Business" and "Say Your Prayers." The hard, grungy rock even prompted a mini mosh pit at the front of the stage, in between a near-constant flow of headbanging.
"Heavy," the closest thing to a love song the outfit performed, saw John pull out a healthy falsetto, and "Velvet Itch," which came about halfway through the set and decidedly slowed down the vibe, dipped into Nirvana's wheelhouse with a distinct Cobain-esque twist in his voice.
There wasn't very much audience interaction, but instead a distinct choice to speed through the set list and offer the crowd as much time to throw themselves around as possible — and the audience revelled in it. Fists punched into the air matching the way Kirkpatrick smashed on the drums, and the Barrett brothers fed into the energy — with Jim emerging to the very edge of the stage to pelt the venue with sound.
Lee's Palace, complete with its sticky floors and graffiti-splattered walls, felt like the only appropriate place to house Bass Drum of Death, who didn't care to conform, didn't care be quiet — they just cared to make music, and they made a damn good go of it.
The trio of men — drummer Ian Kirkpatrick and brothers John and Jim Barrett — came out casually as ever, with Kirkpatrick walking out in dark cargo shorts and a shirt with a simple message: "Hi." With no frills and no precursor, each member picked up their respective instrument and began to play. With the smell of cigarette smoke and spilled beer wafting through the air, Bass Drum of Death went right into "I Wanna Be Forgotten," the music reverberating through the room before frontman John greeted the crowd.
In typical rock 'n' roll fashion, John would occasionally kneel down and drink from a can of beer housed in the corner of the stage, taking a quick break before erupting into tracks like "Nerve Jamming" (which brought a ton of cheers), "Just Business" and "Say Your Prayers." The hard, grungy rock even prompted a mini mosh pit at the front of the stage, in between a near-constant flow of headbanging.
"Heavy," the closest thing to a love song the outfit performed, saw John pull out a healthy falsetto, and "Velvet Itch," which came about halfway through the set and decidedly slowed down the vibe, dipped into Nirvana's wheelhouse with a distinct Cobain-esque twist in his voice.
There wasn't very much audience interaction, but instead a distinct choice to speed through the set list and offer the crowd as much time to throw themselves around as possible — and the audience revelled in it. Fists punched into the air matching the way Kirkpatrick smashed on the drums, and the Barrett brothers fed into the energy — with Jim emerging to the very edge of the stage to pelt the venue with sound.
Lee's Palace, complete with its sticky floors and graffiti-splattered walls, felt like the only appropriate place to house Bass Drum of Death, who didn't care to conform, didn't care be quiet — they just cared to make music, and they made a damn good go of it.
