The Gig: Bombay Bicycle Club, The Coppertone, The Jezabels, Dinosaur Bones (part of Canadian Music Fest 2011)
Where: Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Ontario
When: Saturday 12 March 2011
In One Word: Driven

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there.  There have been plenty of gigs and festivals where bands – particularly opening acts – seemed like forgettable filler, and had you checking the time for when the band you really came for would be on.  And then there are those great nights where the first act just blows you away, setting the bar high for what’s to follow, and what follows hardly disappoints.  This is exactly what happened at Friday night’s CMF Buzz-Factor showcase at Lee’s Palace.

The evening began with The Coppertone, aka Amanda Zelina from Toronto.  The minute her pipes hit the mic, she commanded attention. Simultaneously sweet, sultry, gritty and soulful, the voice is the first thing you notice.  It doesn’t take long before the mad guitar chops also stand out.  Zelina plays with a skill once described by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons as “mighty fine”.  Now blues rock is not exactly high on the list of genres that I listen to, but The Coppertone’s songs were strong and left me wanting more.

But more came from an entirely different direction.  Next in the lineup was Australia’s The Jezabels, a four-piece band who have developed quite a following among Aussie-files in Toronto. Like Amanda Zelina, singer Hayley Mary’s voice is a standout, but hers is notable for its range and ethereal qualities.  Moving about the stage with expressive, flowing arms, she hits very high notes effortlessly. Clearly influenced by Kate Bush and the Scissor Sisters, The Jezabels fill a void that their predecessors left open for far too long. “Mace Spray” the single from the EP Dark Storm was one of several highlights from their set, which by the way, was also too short.

The Jezebels were followed by CMF spotlight band, Dinosaur Bones.  Playing basic straight-up rock, they performed with great intensity. Celebrating the release of their debut album My Divider, the band rocked it out with tonnes of vigour. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone batter a tambourine as hard as keyboardist Dave Wickland. Each member has a very strong, unique presence and as a band they are clearly driven and don’t seem to approach anything half-assed.

At midnight the band everyone was waiting for, Bombay Bicycle Club, hit the stage.  The BBC is a classic example of a band whose studio work, though very good, has yet to match the energy of their live show. Singer Jack Steadman’s awkward, frenetic, epileptic-like head thrashing is as unique and distinctive as his sound. The set consisted mostly of songs from their 2009 release, I Had the Blues But I Shook them Loose.  Highlights included the beautiful “Dust on the Ground”, the bass driven “Always Like This”, the teasingly fast-slow “Lamplight” and “Magnet”.  By the time the band reached their last song “What If”, the til then polite, personal space respecting crowd, had broken loose in a surge of mad love. Not bad for Bombay Bicycle Club’s North American live debut.

© Renee Saviour, Music Vice

Pictures of The Coppetone, Dinosaur Bones, The Jezabels and Bombay Bicycle Club

Gig/Concert: Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2010
Venue: Manchester Academy, Manchester, England
Date: 6 February 2010
Headliners: Maccabees
In one word: Pulsating

The annual NME Awards Tour is renowned for showcasing acts that are set to be big in the coming year; in 2005, it was The Killers, in 2006, it was Arctic Monkeys and most recently, last year, was the turn of Florence and the Machine. I was eagerly anticipating this gig as a chance to catch some exciting bands.

First up were New Yorkers, The Drums, who have been tipped as one of the bands for 2010. I hadn’t heard any of their songs before seeing them live, but I was pleasantly surprised. Standout tracks were “Down By The Water”, with its heart-felt lyrics, and “Let’s Go Surfing”, a track with a catchy hook and an essence of Vampire Weekend. During the second song, “Submarine”, one of the guitarists ditched his strings and picked up a tambourine, he then leapt around on the spot, bashing the skin, like a child who has overdone it on fizzy pop, blue Smarties and E-numbers in general; he was very entertaining. Frontman Jonathan Pierce declared that the band was enjoying being in Manchester, and it was evident from him Ian Curtis-esque dancing and similar vocal tones that they have been heavily influenced by one of the great Manchester bands. I was impressed by this band and I’m really looking forward to seeing them play again in May.

“…Robbie Furze almost ripping the strings off his guitar, the band pulsated energy”

The Big Pink were second on the bill and arrived on stage to a big build up, before launching into “Too Young To Love”. With seizure inducing lighting (I felt sorry for the photographers in the pit!) and Robbie Furze almost ripping the strings off his guitar, the band pulsated energy; energy that was not matched by the audience until their last song, “Dominos”, and even then it was only a short spurt. Their sound was completely different to any of the other bands set to appear, so I think the atmosphere at one of their own concerts would be much better. As well as “Dominos”, the best song of their set was the single “Velvet”. Sumptuous and raw, Furze’s vocals echoed around the venue and proved that this band have a soul.

After a short wait, Bombay Bicycle Club took to the stage and played the short opening track from their debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose to start their 45 minute set. The crowd were obviously more familiar with these boys and really got into the swing of things when they played “What If”, with its punchy beat and catchy hook. Notable songs were “Evening/Morning”, “Magnet” and their recent re-issued single “Always Like This”, which got the biggest dance/shuffle of their set. At one point, I thought I was at a Tom Jones concert when a bra went flying at the stage and landed on guitarist Jamie MacColl’s mic stand! They ended the set with “Cancel On Me”, one of my favourite songs from the album, and left the crowd eagerly awaiting the headliners – The Maccabees.

This being the fourth time I’ve seen The Maccabees, I knew pretty much what to expect; a quick-paced set comprised of well-known songs from their first album along with new tracks from their second effort. As soon as the opening chords of “William Powers” were played, I was in my element. A grin was fixed permanently on my face throughout the set because, after all, I was seeing my favourite band play for the third time in less than a year at this sold out gig. The band played “All In Your Rows”, a song from their first album which I haven’t heard live since 2007, so if the gig had ended there I would have been content. But their set continued and they were flanked by a brass section for renditions of “Can You Give It?” and “Wall Of Arms”. Half way through, guitarist Felix White welcomed John Bramwell from their “favourite Manchester band” I Am Kloot, who I had seen support them the first time I saw The Maccabees live. They played a version of “Because” with Bramwell on vocals, but White was singing every word along with him as if he was his idol.

Their set was short and sweet, at only 50 minutes long, and notable absences were “Lego” and “About Your Dress”, however I’m sure they just wanted to concentrate on their most recent songs. The main set ended with the customary “First Love” and they returned to a chanting crowd to play “Bag of Bones” and “Love You Better”. Hearing the former live again has made me appreciate it much more, with Orlando Weeks’ haunting vocals echoing around the room.

© Francesca Howell, Music Vice

Music Vice’s gig guide for February 2010 with concert listings with our pick of shows in Australia, Canada/USA and the UK. These are the shows we think you should check out – some of which you might find us at too!

Australia

Soundwave Festival
Check out our special Soundwave preview for full details.

AC/DC
Australia’s favourite sons play dates nationwide in February and early March.

11 Feb 2010 Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
13 Feb 2010 Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
15 Feb 2010 Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
18 Feb 2010 ANZ Stadium, Sydney
20 Feb 2010 ANZ Stadium, Sydney
22 Feb 2010 ANZ Stadium, Sydney
25 Feb 2010 QSAC, Brisbane
27 Feb 2010 QSAC, Brisbane
2 Mar 2010 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
6 Mar 2010 Subicao Oval, Perth
8 Mar 2010 Subicao Oval, Perth

Ash Grunwald
Aussie blues singer-songwriter Ash Grunwald is playing a few dates in February and one in early March. His live album Live at the Fly by Night is released this February, and we recommend you catch him in the flesh if he’s coming to your town.

5 Feb 2010 HiFi Bar, Melbourne, Victoria
12 Feb 2010 The Metro, Sydney, New South Wales
13 Feb 2010 The Zoo, Brisbane, Queensland
27 Feb 2010 Corinbank Festival, Corinbank, Australia
4 Mar 2010 Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta, Queensland

A Place To Bury Strangers
Catch them if you can at one of two East Coast dates before they head back to North America in March for a tour with The Big Pink.

11 Feb 2010 Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney, Australia
12 Feb 2010 Corner Hotel, Melbourne, Australia

Kill Devil Hills
“With more hair than a barber-shop floor and their rocking, outlaw sounds, the Kill Devil Hills are a spectacle not to be missed.” So, you know, don’t miss them.

KDH are playing dates in Australia throughout February. See their show listings here.

Related link: Live Review, Photos and Setlist – Kill Devil Hills at Mojo’s Bar, Fremantle, 17 July 2009

US/Canada

Meaghan Smith
In the run up to the Canadian launch of her debut album The Cricket’s Orchestra which is set for release on February 9th, Meaghan Smith is playing three shows. A class act worth checking out.

4 Feb, 2010 Centennial Hall, London, ON
5 Feb, 2010 Olympia Theater Montreal, QC
6 Feb, 2010 Centerpoint Theater, Ottawa, ON

Taken By Trees
Victoria Bergsman takes her solo project on the road with dates in US and Canada. Taken By Trees’ debut East Of Eden was fantastic.

Taken By Trees

13 Feb 2010     UNION HALL BROOKLYN, New York
14 Feb 2010    WORLD CAFÉ with EL PERRO DEL MAR, PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania
16 Feb 2010     LE POISSON ROUGE with EL PERRO DEL MAR, NEW YORK, New York
17 Feb 2010     THE KNITTING FACTORY with EL PERRO DEL MAR, BROOKLYN, New York
19 Feb 2010     CAMBRIDGE YMCA THEATRE with EL PERRO DEL MAR, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts
20 Feb 2010     IL MOTORE with EL PERRO DEL MAR, MONTREAL, Quebec
21 Feb 2010     MOD CLUB with EL PERRO DEL MAR, TORONTO, Ontario
22 Feb 2010     SCHUBAS with EL PERRO DEL MAR, CHICAGO, Illinois
23 Feb 2010     CEDAR CULTURE CENTER with EL PERRO DEL MAR, MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota
26 Feb 2010     TRIPLE DOOR with EL PERRO DEL MAR, SEATTLE, Washington
27 Feb 2010     BILTMORE with EL PERRO DEL MAR, VANCOUVER, British Columbia
28 Feb 2010     DOUG FIR with EL PERRO DEL MAR, PORTLAND, Oregon
2 Mar 2010     CAFÉ DU NORD with EL PERRO DEL MAR, SAN FRANCISCO, California
3 Mar 2010     THE TROUBADOUR with EL PERRO DEL MAR, LOS ANGELES, California

Editors
One of the better British indie bands to emerge from the last decade.

Feb 05 Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
Feb 06 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
Feb 08 The Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Feb 09 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Feb 11  The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
Feb 13 Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
Feb 15 Victoria Theatre, Chicago, IL
Feb 16 Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON
Feb 18 House of Blues, Boston, MA
Feb 19 Terminal 5, New York, NY
Feb 20 Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
Feb 21 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

Fucked Up
Following the recent release of their latest record Couple Tracks, Toronto hardcore troubadours Fucked Up hit the road.

Fucked Up go on tour this February

12 Feb 2010 The ‘Sco / Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio
13 Feb 2010 Empty Bottle, Chicago, Illinois
14 Feb 2010 Video Saloon, Bloomington, Indiana
15 Feb 2010 Southgate House Newport, Kentucky
16 Feb 2010 Ottobar Baltimore, Maryland
17 Feb 2010 Barbary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
18 Feb 2010 Maxwell’s, Hoboken, New Jersey
19 Feb 2010 Europa Brooklyn, New York
20 Feb 2010 Middle East, Boston, Massachusetts
21 Feb 2010 La Sala Rossa, Montreal, QC
23 Feb 2010 L3 Nightclub, St Catharines, Ontario

Mumford & Sons
Probably of the most exciting things to happen to folk since, well, since ever. The North American release of their debut album Sigh No More is slated for February 15th. Highly recommended.

9 Feb 2010 The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
11 Feb 2010 Pop Scene, San Fransisco, CA
15 Feb 2010 Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON
18 Feb 2010 Bowery Ballroom, New York City, NY

United Kingdom

Shockwaves NME Awards Tour

Seems like most the bands in the UK are hibernating right now from what’s been pretty much the coldest winter ever, while others are playing Down Under or over in North America. So some slim pickings for February, but the NME Awards Tour is worth a look to catch the Big Pink, The Maccabees, Bombay Bicycle Club and Drums.

4 Newcastle O2 Academy
5 Glasgow Barrowland
6 Manchester Academy
7 Leeds O2 Academy
9 Nottingham Rock City
10 Norwich UEA
11 Birmingham O2 Academy
13 Cardiff University
14 Bristol O2 Academy
15 Brighton Dome
16 Bournemouth O2 Academy
18 Portsmouth Pyramids Centre
19 Cambridge Corn Exchange
20 Brixton O2 Academy
Related links:
Live Review – The Maccabees at Manchester Academy, 6 October 2009, Live Review – The Big Pink at Lee’s Palace, Toronto, 29 November 2009