They came, They played, They conquered. Yes, I am talking about the one and only Billy Talent. The fab foursome: Ben, John, Aaron and Ian made their way to the Air Canada Centre Sunday night along with Cancer Bats, Against Me and Alexisonfire. It was a long night, starting at 6:45pm with the Cancer Bats. I was actually kind of glad I had seats for this one, I don't think I could have lasted standing in the pit of teenagers for more than 4 hours!
What can I say about the Cancer Bats other than they are loud, noisy and could probably outdo anyone in a headbanging competition. They didn't seem to excite the audience, but maybe that's because half of them hadn't shown up yet. They did a good half hour set which included a cover of the Beastie Boys' "Sabatoge". And the crowd went wild.
Following the Bats were Against Me! The only non-Canadian band in this show's lineup. I have only heard a few tunes by these guys, but I must say they are quite catchy. "Stop" and "Thrash Unreal" are my two favourites. They have a catchy, folkish sound that kind of reminds me of Franz Ferdinand. Halfway through their set they actually brought on Aaron and Ian from Billy Talent to do a song. It was pretty neat to see live.
Once Alexisonfire came on stage, this was when the crowd started to really come in. People were standing in their seats waiting for these guys. I was shocked to see how different Dallas Green was looking. He seemed a little more rugged than usual and had shaggy long hair. They played a bunch of songs from Crisis and a few from their latest album as well. I love how this band can pull together the hardcore screamo punk with Green's mellow notes, it makes for a pretty wicked sound.
Billy Talent made their way on stage promptly at 9:30pm. This was the moment I had been waiting for. Even though I've seen them so many times live, I get excited everytime!! They really know how to put on a show! They played a lot of their old songs like The Ex, Line and Sinker, Try Honesty and a few of their new ones like White Sparrows, Rusted From the Rain and Saint Veronika. At one point in the show Ben had everyone in the audience whip out their cellphones and lighters....it was so cool, like being inside a galaxy of stars. My camera couldnt capture the essence of it all, you had to be there.
Ben went on for a bit about Canada winning the Olympic hockey gold medal game and waved his Crosby jersey high and proud. I love how these boys are from Mississauga and have come so far. Ben explained in the show how Billy Talent have been touring for 8 years now, but they have been a band for about 17. They are fighters who never gave up and look at them now. Such success stories make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Haha.
It felt like Talent's set was only 5 minutes long. I was having such a good time that I totally lost track of the time. By the time they came for their encore it was around 10:40. They performed Devil on My Shoulder and Red Flag. They always close with Red Flag I don't know why. But I like it!!
Great show all in all! In conclusion: Canadain Music Kicks Ass! (And Against Me! too!)
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