Long Winter at The Great Hall – March 7, 2014

First things first, when you come to the entrance to the Great Hall one is overcome with with visual wild fire from the lighting, the sound of thumping, living speakers, and best of all the smell of tiny doughnuts on a stick. While waiting to get into the venue I had noticed that it was completely packed way, way back, the sound of guitars screaming and drums banging started to get my heart racing with excitement. Pick a Piper could be heard coming from the front of the main stage, as I headed over the more unconventional sounds of Pick a Piper were playing, with a different sound altogether, to me they had a slightly african/dance element to them, it was something like I had never heard before. In between shows you were able to check out the second floor which held a small art exhibit, the art seemed to be a few years beyond my tastes but, their was one attraction that caught my attention immediately, a woman that quickly scaled what seemed to be fabric ropes hanging from the ceiling

She flipped and spun around in mid air with nothing but those pieces of fabric to suspender her over the stage/crowd, it truly was quite the spectacle, moving onward the art was interesting to say the least. An example of said art was a few men in black leather suits that seemed to be performing a kind of Gothic ritual as interesting as that may seem, it was quite weird and I personally did not quite get the meaning behind it. After gazing upon the artistic material I had decided to check out the smaller more intimate stage, located on the first floor it gave you a more personal feeling when the bands played here, their colourful lighting had added to the dramatic effect that the bands were trying to cast off to the crowd.

Music to my ears I had heard the Cancer Bats starting their tuning session coming from the main stage, it was time for the main course of this multi-faceted assault on the senses. The Bats were in top form tonight and that was being modest, their intensity transferred to the crowd near instantly, Scott Middleton and Jaye Schwarzer were belting out their notes with near perfection, lead Singer Liam Cormier with his usual passionate delivery of his lines was superb, Mike Peters was hard at work backing the band up, their opener Lucifers Rocking Chair seemed to be a favourite of the patrons that night, as they started screams of joy and a sea of fists could be seen being erected. Over all the atmosphere and bands that played that night were top notch, bringing their patrons and bands themselves a good night, but those stick doughnuts, just topped it off right there.