I entered the sparse Corona theatre for the last few songs of The Sick Things. Both The Sick Things and Residuels did a great job warming up the crowd with their own take on punk rock. The Sick Things had this 70s Rock meets Punk feel, complete with “more cowbell” as Bruce Dickinson would say, during the last song of their set. These Montreal boys are all from other bands but play some good time Rock-n-Roll.
Residuels from Philadelphia reminded me more of Social Distortion if they were influenced by blues rather than country/rockabilly. The perfectly coiffed Mike Cammarata (drums) played most of the set which his eyes closed, totally in the zone, taking a short break to comb his hair between two songs, only to get into the next song so deeply he messed it up again with some head bobbing. Kyle Garvey (bass) wore his motorcycle jacket zipped up all the way, because according to Justin Pittney (vocals, guitar), he doesn’t sweat. Definitely influenced by The 13th Floor Elevators with their bluesy punk.
The Buzzcocks (a mixture of the Buzz of playing on stage and the Manchester slang for “mate”) are punk legends. Seeing Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, both 61 years old with an energy rarely seen in bands half their age. These Buzzcocks are pure punk, embodying the spirit of the movement, although now wearing sensible shoes. Punk, in my opinion, is all about being an original being. Seeing Steve for instance walk out in a Polo Ralph Lauren shirt and comfy shoes sipping Moet & Chandon Champagne out of a plastic cup is punk. Had they put on the typical leather punk costume, it would not have been genuine. Compared to those in the crowd who insist on spitting onto the stage as if this gesture makes them unique, only turns them into a follower of the punk marketing machine. If Pete Shelley wants to wear comfy Nike trainers, more power to him. Being yourself is the ultimate punk ethos.
It was obvious the crowd was fully engaged by the performance. 21 songs of classic punk across their repertoire. Steve played his guitar with the enjoyment of spending time with a long lost friend. His exuberance during the set was infectious, as the crowd reacted by dancing with passion and bruises. If I’m front center, I expect to have a few occasionally bump into me at this type of event. What my neighbors and I didn’t appreciate was the one dude who would grasp us firmly on the shoulder and put his whole weight into it, effectively using us as his personal monkey bars. Dude…get a grip…not on us…but on life…not cool.
The evening was filled with nostalgia and good times, a celebration of 40 years of music. Getting a glimpse of the Manchester scene, here in Montreal was something to behold live. You just can’t get that feeling by seeing this on YouTube, you have to live it in person.
Keep it real boys and visit us again.
Setlist
Boredom
Fast Cars
I Don’t Mind
People Are Strange Machines
What Ever Happened To?
Autonomy
Why She’s a Girl From the Chainstore
Moving Away From the Pulsebeat
Nothing Left
Sick City Sometimes
It’s Not You
Love You More
Promises
Noise Annoys
You Say You Don’t Love Me
Time’s Up
Encore
What Do I Get?
Orgasm Addict
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)
Harmony In My Head
The Sick Things
Residuels
