When it comes to gigs, it’s feast or famine. We’re heading into that deathly quiet mid-December to mid-January period when you can’t find a gig for love nor money, and yet at other times, the quality gigs are relentless! Case in point: this past 7 days has seen visits from Caspian, Two Door Cinema Club, STRFKR, and of course, tonights headliner, The Sounds. Another week of can’t-miss gigs, and thankful, I didn’t.
It’s been 10 years since The Sounds their seminal sophomore record, Dying To Say This To You, and this anniversary is the reason for this tour; indeed, the stage backdrop is the artwork from said record. The lights drop in conjunction with an operatic intro song, and The Sounds enter the stage one by one. They begin to play the familiar intro of Song With a Mission, and frontwoman Maja Ivarsson arrives on stage just in time to start belting out the opening “HEY! WHAT DO YA SAY?!” They then proceed to play the entire record, in order, to a rapturous reception.
The brooding electro sounds of Tony The Beat remain one of the most perfect 3 minutes of indie pop, and has Theatre Corona bouncing throughout, before Maya climbs a speaker stack at the back of the stage during Painted By Numbers while leading a mass singalong. Afterwards, she quips how they’re playing the album in full, so we all know what’s coming, and whilst that’s true, it somehow still doesn’t detract from the excitement when these songs arrive. Before a snarling rendition of album closer Running Out Of Turbo, Maja asks the crowd “it’s feels good don’t it?!” The booming cheers in response suggest that it does!
As the final notes ring out, the Dying To Say This To You stage backdrop falls, revealing the artwork for 2002 debut Living In America, and the riff of No One Sleeps When I’m Awake rings out. This signals a handful of songs from their other albums, which fills out the rest of the set. In addition to celebrating 10 years of Dying To Say This To You, Maja reminds us that they’re also celebrating 19 years together as a band. She also promises new music soon (their last record was released way back in 2013), and as a teaser, they play a song called Thrill, a furious punky romp that follows the same formula that has served The Sounds so well down through the years.
Midnight Sun provides a rare sultry, moody moment amidst a dimly lit purple stage, before the energy returns for a frantic Shake Shake Shake, and an even more furious Living In America, complete with strobe lights flashing relentlessly. After assuring us that we were the best crowd of the tour so far, the set closes with Dorchester Hotel.
They soon return for a 2-song encore of Rock & Roll and Hope You’re Happy Now, the latter eliciting a mini circle pit on the floor and gets an even bigger section pogo-ing, and providing a perfect conclusion to the show. After a fun 95 minutes, the show finally draws to a close. It may have been quiet from The Sounds in the past few years, but that has clearly done nothing to harm their following here in Montreal. If anything, it’s just created more anticipation for their return. With new music promised, let’s hope that next visit comes sooner rather than later!
Set List
Song With a Mission
Queen of Apology
Tony the Beat
24 Hours
Painted by Numbers
Night After Night
Ego
Hurt You
Much Too Long
Running Out of Turbo
No One Sleeps When I’m Awake
Dance With Me
Thrill
Midnight Sun
The Best of Me
Shake Shake Shake
Living in America
Dorchester Hotel
Rock & Roll
Hope You’re Happy Now
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – capturacamera.com
