CANCER BATS LIVE @ THE MOD CLUB
By: Fridae Mattas
CANCER BATS shredded the MOD Club last Thursday May 19th 2011!! I have never seen them live before nor do I know their music too well but I have been told by so many people I need to go see this band play a live set. A very busy day for me I didn’t know how I would pull off the over fifteen events I was asked to cover or just attend…I narrowed it down to five, one of them was for sure the Cancer Bats no way was I missing them again. As the story goes I always missed them when they played at home in Toronto. Yes, it’s true the Cancer Bats are from Toronto and this was their hometown show, what a great welcome they got after being on tour since March across the globe. The tour ends next Tuesday May 31st in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
The Cancer Bats formed in 2004 by Vocalist Liam Cormier and Guitarist Scott Middleton, as they pursued their vision they went through several Bassists and Percussionist but soon found the perfect match with Mike Peters on the Drums and Jaye R. Schwarzer on Bass. The show was not sold out but you would not have known the difference! There were people all over the place filling up the MOD clubs open space to a pretty decent fullness with mixed ages where everyone was predominantly white, I even saw a couple of gray suits. The opening bands were ‘Barn Burner’ and ‘3 Inches of Blood’ we did not make it for Barn Burner but we arrived just in time for 3IOB, new FridaeTV writer and photographer Joanna had to shoot them because I had to run across the street to the Revival for a charity benefit. Huge thanks to the kind folks over at Live Nation for always being super fabulous!
The Cancer Bats are known to be unpredictable when it comes to performances and this show was no exception! The show was filled with new tracks, oldie goldie’s like ‘”Pneumonia Hawk” and “Grenades” which I hear are rarely played live so it was an extra special moment for the Toronto fans. The set started in with ‘Lucifer’s Rocking Chair’, Vox Liam Cormier popped onto the stage with this abundance of energy that I haven’t seen in a Canadian front man since Hail The Villain’s ‘Bryan Crouch.’. Not only did singer Cormier entertain the crowd, the rest of the band followed suit jumping around in their sections. My inserted photos are proof these larries were so hard to get clean shots of with my Divacam. Mike Peters was smashing away at his kit bringing the beat, as the set progressed I hoped at any moment Schwarzer on Bass and Axe handler Middleton would switch it up a little more. They had the fire but didn’t know how to spread the flames, consistently staying in their corner for majority of the show. Aside from that there is nothing negative to say about this bands performance, they are fluid instrumentalists and their blended infusion of Hardcore punk metal rock is just what a person needs in their lives. Mid set there was a surprise guest appearance by AlexisonFire/BlackLungs Vox Wade MacNeal who lent his vocals for the track ‘Deathsmarch’ where he screamed his face off and then dove into the crowd! Everyone loved it, myself included! Most bands have at least one cover track in their set and the Cancer Bats chose the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” it was a ridiculously amazing rendition that drove the crowd to continue this whole other level of excitement MacNeal unleashed in the people!
I don’t know how people could stay at the front of the stage especially after the mosh pit was in full force! The band was drenched in sweat after the first verse in the opening track and by the time they played the last tune of the set ‘Hail Destroyer’ they were showered in sweat! Cormier was head banging with sweat flying from his face and faux-hawk hair onto the crowd. I guess they like sweat showers and getting kicked in the head and face; most of them were males moshing as usual but I saw a few females in there. The minute the third media track wrapped I had to get out, it was so hot had to braid my hair to stop it from frowing out frizzy! The breath of fresh air was welcome as I checked my camera before returning back to the main room, absolutely no way was I going back into the line of fire! I stood at the back of the venue observing and listening as I turned to my left and right there were a few creeperellos watching me more than the Cancer Bats dismantle the stage for all their family and hometown fans. Would I see this band again? Of course! I need to see the Cancer Bats again, they are on the verge of greatness! Anyone who loves some serious heavy metal rock punk fusion this band is not to be missed! Cancer Bats are Fridae approved!
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