Beloved punk veterans The Bronx shocked fans around the world following the announcement of their Fall 2022 tour. After just hopping off a previous US run, it seemed The Bronx weren’t ready to leave us North Americans just yet.
This time, they brought a few friends of theirs along for the ride.
Australian-born “Surf-Punk” legends The Chats co-headlined with The Bronx alongside “Hardcore-Punk” rising stars Scowl and Drug Church. It’s no surprise that many dates quickly sold out almost instantly. This was definitely some of the most stacked “Hardcore-Punk” lineups I have ever seen, and I’m sure many others agree.
Corona Theatre was completely engulfed from start to finish. Once those front doors were opened, a whole new world awaited inside. Hungry, punk music lovers of what seemed to be almost all ages came together from far and wide. On what initially seemed to be a cold and gloomy Friday night, this was quite the opposite.
Upon my arrival, The Chats immediately had the crowd wrapped around their fingers. Lead singer and bassist Eamon Sandwith conducted the mosh pit as if it were his own orchestra. Hearing his vocals in my earbuds is just a small fraction of his musical ability, and could never compare to hearing him live. I could see his sweat beads jumping off his face and how red he got belting into his microphone.
When I can see the physical strength of a vocalist with my own eyes, that’s all I need to know the extent of the talent in front of me.
Arms and limbs were flailing in all directions. Sweat was shared amongst each other whether we liked it or not. Security looked absolutely terrified at all times. But most importantly, not a single person was lacking a smile on their face. I’ve never seen people so happy throwing around each other, borderline injuring themselves. It was truly beautiful, in my opinion.
After what seemed to be a never-ending setlist of 28 songs, every hit was performed that night. Fan favourites such as “Smoko,” “6L GTR”, “Drunk n Disorderly,” “Bus Money” and closed their set with my personal favourite, “Pub Feed.”
It was too easy to forget The Chats were simply only co-hosting their tour, as it seemed almost half the audience left after their hour-long set, which was also some of the best workouts of my life.
I was also lucky enough to catch a drumstick used by legendary drummer Matt Boggis.
Next up, punk veterans The Bronx.
From the moment lead singer Matt Caughthran took the stage and saw all of his fans, I could feel the happiness radiating off him. He had the biggest grin after asking the audience how they were doing tonight. Excited screams roared in response, and an even bigger grin appeared on his face reaching from ear to ear. However, he mentioned he has hearing problems and just wanted to ensure everyone was okay. Right off the bat, I was touched.
Love tends to get lost in the punk industry more often than not. Watching an artist just have fun with their fans and be just as happy as us to be there made me feel safe. I think the COVID pandemic taught us all a valuable lesson never to take a single moment in life for granted. No matter how big or small.
I felt very thankful in this moment to have stayed during the intermission. To guard my place at the front and fully witness this masterpiece of a performance.
A major highlight from their set for me would 100% have been when Matt Caughthran jumped off stage into the pit with his fully-wired microphone. In his words, “It’s only a mic cable; it’ll be alright.” The way he commanded an entire audience to listen to him respectfully was quite admirable for me. He kept repeating that everything was okay, and made calming comments toward us. In his words, “If somebody falls down, what do we do?” and the crowd roared back, “Pick ’em up!!” Without needing an answer.
Now that I think of it, this also might have been a little directed toward the security guards, who probably had no idea of what to do in that situation. However, I think they handled it very well. Great job, security!
Matt Caughthran’s Mom was also there with us that night. He mentioned she flew in all the way from Nova Scotia for the show and to not let her down. Now how can The Bronx’s beloved audience say no to that? Cheers immediately roared around me.
The Bronx finished their final song of the night amongst the mosh pit, closing with beloved “Over The Top” and “Around The Horn”.
Considering this was my first time witnessing the pure punk talent of The Bronx in person, I’m humbled to say that they continuously remain some of the greatest punk bands of the 21st century. They perfectly blend the original roots of punk music with a slightly more modernized twist which perfectly blends alternative music lovers of all ages. The Bronx has something for everyone, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
Review – Rachel Lynn
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