May 21 2015 – This is it- the last of 10 crazy days of music at Canadian Music Week. We have seen dozens of bands this year and we really are enjoying the quality of #RealRock on display. Here is the recap of the final day of the festival.
The Psychedelic Furs
What a better way to start a night at CMW than a stop at The Phoenix to see The Psychedelic Furs, a popular band from the 80s. The Furs played to a packed house and played the their hits including Heaven, Love My Way, The Ghost in You, Heatbreak Beat and Pretty and Pink, the title track from he John Hughes movie. The Butler Brothers, Richard on vocals and Tim on bass are the only original members but the sound and visuals are definitely classic Furs. It was a great night of music and a great night for nostalgia for those in that kind of mood.
The Muscadettes
Next stop after the Furs was Bovine. The first band was The Muscadettes, a surf pop, garage band from Montreal consisting of twins Kathleen and Chantal Ambridge. First thought was when did Brittney Spears get booked in the Bovine as Bass player Kathleen was dressed al ’a Brittney in the school girl uniform. However looks are always deceiving and The Muscadettes are one of the best examples of melodic surf pop, hard drivin 70s punk mixed with touch of 90s alternative. With twin Chantal on guitars, these gals were in sync all set long not only with great catchy lyrics but also rocking sounds. Lets hope we see more ladies continue to lead the revival for garage rock.
Bo Ningen
Next up was Bo Ningen with arguably the most unique performance seen at CMW. Bo Ningen is a London based band whose members hail from Japan. Bo Ningen are uniquely Japanese and could only come from the land that brought us Anime and great horror movies such as Ringu (Ring) or Ju on (The Grudge). Lead singer and bass player, Taigen Kawabe, is right out of a graphic novel or Tarantino inspired homage to Japanese cinema and music. Kawabe-san’s persona and performance is part shaman, part show man/part story teller. His movements and use of the great setup at Bovine with the pole and platform in front of the stage was out of this world.
The sounds and tones, clothing and movements create an atmosphere that is an uber modern day version of what artists like Genesis, early Floyd, Bauhaus and other pioneers were accomplishing in their day. The performance can best be described as “If Ringu (Japanese Horror) was crossed with Martyrs (Ultra-intense French Horror) and Berserk (Great Japanese Anime from 90s) and they became a rock group, Bo Ningen would be the result”. Super high energy guitars, with total loud and psychedelic sounds is not for everyone, but like every horror or anime you have to love the creativity and energy. It is easy to see why they are making waves on the other side of the Atlantic. Totally awesome, hope to see you back in Toronto soon!
Hammered Satin
The final band on variety night at the Bovine was Hammered Satin, an LA based glam rock/metal bands with influences from Robert Plant and Mark Bolan as well as the 80s glam rock/metal bands such as Motley Crue or Poison. In the small confines of Bovine the chance to interact with the crowd is always high and lead singer Noah Wallace had the audience eating out of the palm of this hand. Hammered Satin’s video for Foxy Dude made Rolling Stone’s Magazine’s top 20 videos of 2014, no small feat. Like other glam bands when they are on stage, the party starts. Hammered Satin is ideal for the summer concert series at Molson amphitheater where T-MAK World has seen many monsters of glam including Poison, Motley Crue, Kiss to name a few. Soon we expect Hammered Satin will be added to that list.
Last Bullet
However the night was not done as the final band of the night was Last Bullet, one of T-MAK World’s Top 10 Indie Bands of 2014. Recent semi-finalists for 97.7 Rocksearch, they played at set at 3AM at Hideout and had the joint jumping. Some good old classic Rock’n Roll is a fitting way to end CMW 2015. We really love this band and can only say if you want high energy hard rock in Toronto they are always the best choice!
Gig of the Night for CMW May 9 – A tough one to call as all bands offered something however the intensity of Bo Ningen could not be topped and intensity is what Rock n Roll is all about. On another night Hammered Satin would have been a Gig of the night. CMW was saving the best for last with Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger on the last Friday of the festival and Bo Ningen and Hammered Satin on the last Saturday.
Photos, Video and Reviews of CMW May 9 by – Michael Litt T-Mak World: Toronto’s Site for Music, Movies and Culture www.tmakworld.com | Twitter | Facebook