The True Love Rules

The Bus Stop Theatre, Halifax NS, October 24

Photo: Vish Khanna

BY Vish KhannaPublished Oct 26, 2013

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Halifax has a reputation for protecting and nurturing their own, particularly if they're enduring hard times, and such was the case with the hometown love for the gifted rock traditionalist Dave Marsh. Best known as a drummer/vocalist/songwriter in the Joel Plaskett Emergency and the Super Friendz, Marsh was recently hospitalized with a serious case of pneumonia and because he was only recently discharged, some were shocked to see him fronting his solo project.

Yet there he was, ripping up his own take of mod/glam/proto-punk (a bit of Bowie, a bit of the Jam) on stage, masking any shortness of breath by diving headlong into songs, new and old. It's been five years since Marsh released a solo album called The True Love Rules and he's now close to releasing its follow-up. Part of what inspired him to play this show, likely against all sound medical advice, was to display new songs like "This is How We Say Goodnight." He plays so infrequently but you couldn't tell; the True Love Rules burned with precious fire.

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