After a four-and-a-half-year layoff following the brilliant Dose Your Dreams, Fucked Up have launched into their "work-your-ass-off" phase. In just 18 months, they've recorded three albums — one of which was available for only 24 hours — while seemingly embarking on a perpetual tour to promote it.
Just over a year since sharing Ottawa's 1,000-capacity Bronson Centre Music Theatre with hometowners the Halluci Nation, Fucked Up returned to the nation's capital, this time taking the stage at the 27 Club to deliver yet another aural onslaught.
Opening the evening was Montreal quintet Puffer, who delivered a muscular take on the East Coast '80s hardcore scene while blending in searing proto-punk guitars.
Just a day after the release of their incredibly diverse self-titled LP, Chastity leaned into their most urgent and blistering material during their middle-bill set, bringing the "core" suffix back to emo with their sonically tight performance.
Returning to their three-guitar wall of sound, Fucked Up entered the stage with touring member Dave Nardi — formerly of the Dirty Nil — before launching into "Stimming" from 2024's Another Day. Illuminated by stationary white stage lights, lead vocalist Damian Abraham – donning a pink tie-dye shirt and grass-stained jogging pants – was full throttle from the first note. Tearing into fan favorites like "Queen of Hearts," "David Comes to Life" and "Year of the Ox," Abraham writhed in place on the tight stage, wrapping the microphone cord around his head and flopping to the ground.
Before moving into a new track set for release through the Sub Pop Singles Club, Abraham slowed the set down to address the audience. Sharing his own naivety after his child recently came out as trans — thinking they would be accepted — Abraham issued a cautionary message against insecure voices, specifically calling out Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan.
Handing vocals over to rhythm guitaris, Josh Zucker on "Normal People," Abraham would arise from the stage floor with crushed water bottles suctioned to his forehead — resembling sawed-off horns. Transitioning into their 2024 non-LP single "Being," Fucked Up included the B-side "Annoying" as an add-on, featuring nothing more than seven seconds of echoed feedback from lead guitarist Mike Haliechuk.
As the band was required to exit the stage early to make room for the club's "Ottawa Party Bus" dance night, Fucked Up made good on that promise in the most dramatic fashion, as each member left the stage one at a time during closer "Dose Your Dreams," until bassist Sandy Miranda and drummer Jonah Falco were left to jam on a pummeling rhythm that closed the hour-long set at 10 p.m. exactly.
Celebrating Damien's upcoming birthday, the soon-to-be-45 vocalist kept his shirt on and stayed out of the crowd. Combining that with the band's punctuality and a fan-pleasing set marked a new chapter for Fucked Up — one that was less anarchistic and more focused on working their asses off so audiences keep coming back for more.