What do you do when the pioneers of grunge and sludge metal, the Melvins, play on a Monday night at 10 pm? Well, you make damn sure you show up and witness it.
The Melvins stopped by Montreal to showcase music from their new album titled “Pinkus Abortion Technician” as well as some great covers and some of their classics but reinforced with double the bass.
The place was full, bringing people from all over the city and the surrounding on a Monday night. The venue was welcoming as ever and every time I visit the Corona Theatre I am always reminded as to why it’s one of the best places in both acoustics and visibility to enjoy almost any group.
The band, now having incorporated two bass players, Jeff Pinkus of Butthole Surfers and Steve McDonald of Redd Kross/OFF!, were keeping their music renewed and in constant experimentation.
The Melvin’s style is difficult to label, and that is what makes them so good. Their uniqueness is both expressed in their music and their on-stage presence. Song after song they left a great impression on the public, and they did not let that power mitigate in between each song, as soon as one was over another one came right behind.
During their time on stage, the band was able to include five amazing covers, being the most memorable one the rendition and homage to David Bowie with the song “Saviour Machine.”
Hearing them live was a pleasant experience, with each opportunity I moved closer to the stage and became struck with the meanness, power and clean sound that came from this hard to nail down band.
Previous to this concert I hadn’t heard the band in any shape or form for more than a 30 minutes, but being immersed that night made me appreciate their style and history even more. Everything from Buzzo’s famous hair to Crove’s drum technique, passing through the originality of their sometimes strange lyrics and the novelty of the double bass, made me look forward to longer listening sessions of their music and the bands that inspired them.
Setlist
Sesame Street Meat
At a Crawl
The Kicking Machine
Saviour Machine – (David Bowie cover)
What They Say – (Redd Kross cover)
Anaconda
Stop – (James Gang cover)
Moving to Florida – (Butthole Surfers cover)
Edgar the Elephant
Sway – (The Rolling Stones cover)
Let It All Be
Honey Bucket
The Bit
Don’t Forget to Breathe
Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad
The Talking Horse
Evil New War God
Eye Flys
Review – Ricardo D. Flores
Photos – Thomas Bock
