It’s not often that a bar show in Montreal sees fans travel from as far as Ottawa, Vermont and Rhode Island. But tonight is no ordinary gig. After more than two decades tearing up venues around the globe, American hardcore legends Bane are playing their last ever Montreal show.
Before all that though a packed Foufs is treated to two fantastic opening acts in the shape of Quebec’s own Get The Shot and heavy-as-hell Floridians AXIS.
Get The Shot are welcomed like returning heroes and instantly have the pit moving to their feisty brand of hardcore, with frontman J-P doing a fine job of engaging the crowd, many of whom are sporting the band’s merch. His bandmates rarely stand still for a second and the energy on stage is infectious. The songs themselves fly by in the blink of an eye, rarely going past the three minute mark, but tonight, for an opening act, Get The Shot manage to totally win over the crowd with ease.
After such an impressive start, AXIS have their work cut out to win over a crowd that maybe isn’t all that familiar with their ruthless brand of hardcore. The fact that their vocalist couldn’t cross the Canadian border so they’ve enlisted a long term fan of the band as a temporary replacement is sure to make this even more of a challenge. Add to that a few technical difficulties early on and it’s clear the band are fighting an uphill struggle. They take it all in their stride though and deliver a stunning set of brutal and intense music from their Show Your Greed album.
Both AXIS and Get The Shot pay their respects to the headliners, acknowledging their influence on the scene they’ve become a part of. AXIS’ temporary vocalist does an impressive job, although he doesn’t look completely comfortable in the limelight just yet. Meanwhile the rest of the band are quite simply awesome as they hammer out some of the heaviest riffs possible. The set ends all too soon and, if the line for their merch afterwards is any indication, AXIS have won themselves a few new fans here tonight.
Beginning back in 1995 as a side project between Aaron Dalbec (then of Converge) and Damon Bellardo, Bane have been one of the most influential and respected hardcore bands of the past couple of decades. They will play their last ever show on June 18th 2016 at the Worcester Palladium, but tonight they bid au revoir to their Montreal fans.
From the opening riffs it’s clear that tonight is a celebration of a band who have played Montreal regularly over the course of their career. They thank promoter Dave Boucher of Extensive Enterprise for his continued support and encourage the fans to join them in what turns out to be a magnificent send off.
Aaron Bedard is a master of engaging his audience as he repeatedly thrusts his microphone into the faces of an energetic crowd who scream the band’s lyrics back at him like their lives depend on it. Nobody in the pit stands still for a second, as arms flail and bodies spin. All the while the classic songs keep coming.
Bedard compares this final tour to a death in the family, admitting he’s still struggling to come to terms with the end of an era. But this show is the perfect way to say goodbye. The band display all the qualities that made them such an influential hardcore act and the fans are right there with them for the duration. As things draw to an inevitable conclusion, everybody in the room seems respectful and indebted to a truly magnificent bunch of musicians.
Review + photos – Steve Gerrard
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