RIPSQUADD
As MTelus quickly began to fill up with people, two extremely long lines of dedicated fans waiting to buy merch continued to grow. A continuous melody consisting of soft piano, eerie synths, choir singing, and chirping birds floated out of the speakers while we all waited for the show to begin.
At 8 PM sharp, a member of RIPSQUADD (a music production collective) made his way over to the table of DJ decks that were set up in the middle of the stage. The same melancholic melodies continued to play, but with a lot more audio clips of various people talking about pain, hate, and wanting to end it all. The voices echoed through the room for a good two or three minutes before transitioning into a track of acoustic guitar and a soft singing voice.
His set started off very slowly. The audience, standing in line or in front of the stage, continued their chit-chat. My attention was finally grabbed once I heard a song I recognized, “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn,” by Sleeping With Sirens. It was the acoustic version, so this set was still quite calm for what I expected. The vibe was slow and gloomy — more of a “hang your head low and sway” kind of opening. Then, occasionally, an evil laugh track would interject in the middle of an acoustic track, feeling like he accidentally pressed a button anytime it would happen.
This continued on for about twenty or so minutes, until he finally switched up the energy and queued in “A New Kind of Love,” by Frou Frou. A good handful of people started dancing and singing along to the familiar song. This small switch-up in his set was on the upward trajectory that I had been waiting for all along, and he kept it up for the remaining time he had on stage.
Right when I thought the surprises were over, though, Tegan and Sara’s “Back in Your Head,” passed through my ears, and I was honestly delighted. RIPSQUADD’s set was a little all over the place for me, especially at the beginning there, but he won me over by the end of it. The audience offered him a warm cheer once his set ended, and the anticipation for Bladee just kept growing stronger.
Bladee
Once RIPSQUADD stepped off stage, the sound of a large bell ringing travelled through the venue a few times before the melancholic piano from earlier started up again — this time with a few shakes of a rainstick added in. Everyone anxiously waited for Bladee’s time on stage, and with the merch line finally being down to about four people, it was definitely time for the night to get interesting.
After a few minutes of waiting, the house lights finally went dark. Candles spread around the right side of the stage softly flickered while strong LED lights began to glow on either side of the stage, aiding the candles in illuminating the space as a deep and strong voice gave a dramatic and emotional monologue.
Just as that voice finished speaking, Bladee himself walked out onto the stage wearing a modern rendition of a medieval outfit equipped with wrist gauntlets and a double-sided axe in his hand. The lights on either side of him started flashing in various colours as he sang into his autotuned microphone. The crowd took to his performance instantly — the pit began moving as one while they danced to his opening song, “The Flag is Raised.” People in the back, who had more space around them, threw some moves around too, thrashing to the experimental trap-like beats of Bladee’s songs.
A giant screen projected various stimulating visuals to go with each song — menacing-looking knights glowing blue, equipped with swords and axes, were shown fighting each other. With each blow, a shock of equally glowing blue electricity erupted from their weapons. There were also some live clips of Bladee and the crowd watching him that were mixed into the visuals, offering a fun back-and-forth effect that set the tone for each song.
There was a consistent medieval theme going on with Bladee’s performance — his outfit, the knights in the visuals, and even a desk decorated with thick books, parchment and feather quills, and large candles. He’d occasionally sit down at said desk while he sang, drawing everyone’s eyes all over the stage. It all fit well with his artistic direction; he’s known for taking on a medieval aesthetic, after all.
Bladee’s set had tracks from every corner of his discography, like “ICARUS 3REESTYLE,” “Valerie,” “DNA RAIN,” and “Trendy.” The heavy bass shook the bones beneath my flesh and guided the audience to keep their bodies moving. People sang along to the lyrics as red, blue, and green lighting flashed around the stage to stimulate them even more. The night had turned into one big party — surely a night to remember.
As expected, there was outrage when Bladee wrapped up his set with “One in a Million.” His leave was immediately followed by the audience’s voices cheering loudly, demanding his return, insisting that the end of the night came too soon. Bladee didn’t make anyone wait too long, though. He reappeared in front of his audience, accompanied by a backing track of ominous organ notes and laughter. The crowd waited, impatiently cheering, before “Who Goes There,” started blasting through the speakers. Easy as that for the party to start back up again.
Bladee performed three more songs before putting an end to his encore and disappeared backstage while the room filled with endless cheering. His fans all looked reluctant for the end of his show, but the thrill on their faces was hard to overlook. This had been a show many had long been waiting for, and it was certainly well worth it.
Review – Jamie Siddall
Photos – Nic Cantin
