Gig Review: Cancer Bats- Friday 11 October, Newcastle
Entering the room was a nightmare as a photographer (No pit at a Cancer Bats show basically means risking your life and more importantly your thousands of dollar’s worth of equipment) but also benefited me greatly, as I donned the reviewer at the same time once again (Unobstructed side stage access baby!)
First on the bill were local dudes Fatalist. The room was not yet filled so I darted around taking shots of the melodious hardcore with a small lovely group of punters filling the room (seriously people, get to shows early and watch the support acts!). The guys were tight and were a tremendous sight/sound for the early arrivals to kick off the night with!
Change of pace in comparison to the hardcore line up were Trashed Again another local band from Newcastle. Spitting out punk rock that has a feel of the 70’s the punters were grooving along. Their set reminded me of heading to some local shows as a teen, and reignited my appreciation for this genre. I look forward to seeing these dudes again some time.
Totally Unicorn… Wow… Just WOW!
I saw these crazy clowns in Geelong for the first time in June this year where I was reviewing and shooting a show they were billed on.
The last time I said “This band will leave you wanting more and most certainly will give you an addiction to feeling like you are being drawn into a natural disaster (in a good way) that you want to happen again and again and again.” I stand by this dribble of a statement.
Drew (sprouting a beautiful new haircut since I saw him last) did his thing by pretty much going anywhere but the stage, and when he did get there, it was mostly to have a lie down; plus do some model shots for me.
Joined by new bassist Dean Podmore, sheer insanity with his talents and a snug fit to the TU lineup. These guys are absolutely ridiculous (in only the best of ways) but are beyond enjoyable to watch.
To set the tone; I could gush more about the Cancer Bats than all the water that has flowed over Niagra Falls since the beginning of time (According to Niagra Falls State Park “3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. This accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls” So in conclusion: A LOT!)
This is only the third time that I have seen the Canadian radlords hailing from Toronto (Sappy love and soft spot for this city as my German mother met my Scottish father in the 70’s whilst working in Bank Of Nova Scotia; I digress!) These legendary dudes never fail to absolutely destroy, annihilate and blow the minds of the punters there to see them.
To deem their shows as flawless seems to be a bit of an easy thing to say, but it is what it is. Despite doing this since the early 2000’s, watching them on stage you notice that after all this time, they still really really love doing what they do in front of a crowd. Whilst some bands lose that glimmer in their eyes or seem to just be rolling with it; the Cancer Bats take to their stage as if it were their first big break onto the scene and are stoaked to be there. Frontman Liam Cormier is always beaming with a smile and fully interacts with the crowd. You can tell that all of the guys are really appreciative of their fans and their enthusiasm. If it were up to me, these guys would be coming back at least once a year, but if not, I guess I am hopping on a plane to Canada just to catch another show
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