There is no bad day of the week for a politically-charged, noisy, riff-heavy show peppered with a proper amount of comedy and delightfully cynical sarcasm, but what better way to start your week than a night with the Kings of Le… I mean… Mclusky? If that wasn’t enough to make you wish you were there, the opening band was Boston’s absolutely electric Pile–but don’t worry, we went so you could sit at home and binge your latest Netflix obsession and live vicariously through our recap.
Having just released their first album in over 20 years, ‘the world is still here and so are we’, Cardiff’s own resident ‘shit rockers’ brought the newly released, powerful package of tracks to Toronto–delivering an apt amount of disdain for humanity, spicy riffs, uncompromising lyrics and tempo, dad-jokes (don’t get me wrong, this is a high compliment), and blissful chaos to a jam-packed, steamy Mod Club. No classics were spared in the mix either, with the band hammering out a handful of classics before moving into new hits like People Person–the song Peaky Blinders picked up, which, more importantly, forgave bassist Damien Sayell in his grandmother’s eyes for being a relentless rock ‘n’ roller. They saved the best for last with To Hell with Good Intentions, and the crowd ate up every bit of the artfully constructed, heavy-hitting setlist–getting particularly loud for Alan is a Cowboy Killer.
Opening up the show with brute force, Pile dominated a crowd that was packed from the moment I walked in–a clear sign that your band’s favourite band is still filling rooms with their fervent, rambunctious performances and musical dexterity.
In a world oversaturated by folks spending most of their energy trying to be heard saying the right thing at the right time, there is a specific level of satisfaction–outside of the obvious enjoyment of a great gig like this–that comes from seeing two bands who have both been rigorous in saying exactly what they think (in their own right) and never given much of a shit about how many people were listening, but valuing the likeminded people who not only listen but rally with them.
Both Mclusky and Pile are as sharp and raucous as ever–so if you’re reading this from a city where you can still catch a show on this tour, BUY THE TICKET. You will not regret it, and if you do… well, at least you got out of the house and supported a local venue!
Check out the full Mclusky setlist here
Check out the full Pile setlist here
More from Mclusky – Links, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook
More from Pile – Links, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook
Find out what’s coming up at Mod Club here
For those of you who are still here – a little easter egg: Toronto’s July Talk covering To Hell with Good Intentions.
