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KBstyle

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Aug 3, 2005
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Third time I see them live in Montreal and that was probably the best, awesome night!
 

Le Tricolore

Boo! BOOOO!
Aug 3, 2005
46,819
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Motion City Soundtrack were so good. It's too bad they only ever played in Montreal a few times, and it was always opening for other bands or at Warped Tour.
 

Runner77

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Royal Blood

Liking these guys, raw, 2 man band:





Some heavyweight endorsements:





One fan put it this way:

The future of great rock and roll starts right here.. Today's synthetic, computer concocted, fake, soul-less, top 40 "hit" music has got to go...... Royal Blood = 2 guys, no tricks, no computers, - All soul, feel and good old fashioned talent using real instruments...Killer!
 

MasterDecoy

Who took my beer?
May 4, 2010
18,355
3,818
Beijing
i absolutely love royal blood, but jesus christ can the superlatives stop?

The future of great rock and roll starts right here.. Today's synthetic, computer concocted, fake, soul-less, top 40 "hit" music has got to go...... Royal Blood = 2 guys, no tricks, no computers, - All soul, feel and good old fashioned talent using real instruments...Killer!

that description fits black keys, blood red shoes, white stripes, the kills, death from above 1979, japandroids and that's just on the top of my head (some of those have a girl, but still). not singling you out at all, but it is not the first time i read a fan gushing over royal blood like they're doing anything special. drives me more than a little cuckoo...
 

Runner77

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i absolutely love royal blood, but jesus christ can the superlatives stop?

that description fits black keys, blood red shoes, white stripes, the kills, death from above 1979, japandroids and that's just on the top of my head (some of those have a girl, but still). not singling you out at all, but it is not the first time i read a fan gushing over royal blood like they're doing anything special. drives me more than a little cuckoo...

It was just a fan's opinion but l liked the part about the barebones playing evoking how music used to be performed. I'm lucky enough to have experienced lots of bands playing that way, so that's the takeaway for me. The gushing and excess fandom part is not important, everyone has their superlatives. Glad you love them. Maybe there are more posters here who feel the same, if we can only get them to pay a little more attention to this thread, we'll find out. :)
 

Runner77

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Awesome night at PdA, as I saw Toto for the first time. Apparently they haven't been in the city in a very long time.

Great show, with Steve Lukather front and center, lots of slick guitar work, but also very textured and versatile, showed some real ability to deliver the blues. They had an 8-piece band which included a singer, two keyboard players, Lukather as the sole guitarist, a saxophone/ leeds player, a bass player, a drummer and a percussionist.

Four original members of the band were in the front part of the stage -- the two keyboard players, Lukather and the singer. Sometimes I found that the singer's voice thinned out but overall, he delivered, especially on the band's hit songs.

I was never a fan of theirs other than the few songs that were radio darlings and which they delivered with a lot of feeling and had the crowd standing. They solicited crowd participation but they didn't have to try too hard, the crowd was smitten, people kept getting up, arms in the air, singing their lungs out, those in the front 2 or three rows crowded the bottom of the stage and kept getting high fives from different members of the band.

At one point, Lukather tripped on a small stool that was next to one of the keyboard players and fell backwards. Luckily he didn't get hurt.

Lukather was the focal point of the whole thing. He played a ton of solos, on a lot of songs I was not even familiar with but which I learned to enjoy in the short time I heard them. I expected a more poppish, lighter type of style and instead he dug deep, played a lot of intricate passages, lots of feeling and an ability to play at a fast pace without ever sounding robotic.

It wasn't on my bucket list to see them but glad I did. I always enjoyed their hits "Hold The Line" and "Africa" and seeing them do these live, was worth the price of admission. They closed with Africa but packaged it in such a way as to feature a lot of percussion and opportunities for the crowd to partake -- and that they did, intensely. The singer expressed a lot of surprise at how vocal and involved the crowd was but I don't know, it's not always easy to tell -- bands say this kind of stuff all the time.

My takeaway from the experience -- these veteran bands do something that a lot of modern acts lack. There is a genuineness to their stagework, there were no restrictions about filming them and they were very close to the fans who approached them near the stage, all of which made them endearing. I remember feeling that when I went to see Rush and also Def Leppard, but not the likes of Dream Theatre. From the more current rock acts, I'd say the Foo Fighters foster that kind of connection to the crowd -- would gladly go see them again.
 

Lafleurs Guy

Guuuuuuuy!
Jul 20, 2007
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Yep! One of my favourite covers.


I wasn't thrilled with most of the covers on that album and the MCS cover was head and shoulders the best. They took one of my favourite Police tunes and made it their own. I really liked what they did with it.
 

Runner77

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How many of you Quebecers have heard of this band? Solid hard rock from the early 70's.


I did. I knew two of the band members. They had a hit, "Faut pas lâcher", that was a major hit in Quebec and was getting tons of airplay. I grew up listening to the lead guitarist, Emidio "Peanut" Verrillo (the guy whose photo is on the extreme left; the guy in the forefront was the drummer, as I recall), while he was practising from his 2nd floor bedroom window. Was a kid a the time and there wasn't much to do, so I sat in the shadow and just listened to him play for hours. He never acknowledged me, he was businesslike, just kept playing. There was no AC in our homes at the time, so his bedroom window was always open. This is how I developed my love for music.

Back then, a lot of local bands were forming and several lived in our neighborhood. There were a ton of garage bands playing easy songs, lots of CCR and basic rock. This was a time when garage bands literally played in garages. They would practice all around us, we'd hear them a block away and they'd leave the garage door open a foot or so from the ground. And all of us kids would huddle up to the base of the door, peek in and listen to the bands play and they'd let us be there, without ever chasing us out. Those were special times, very laid back and easy going, it literally felt like anything was possible, there was a huge wave of creative energy coming from everywhere.

I'm totally flabbergasted that you brought up that album. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that someone would dig that up. Wow. How in the hell did you come up with this? Were you involved with the band?
 
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Doc McKenna

A new era 2021
Jan 5, 2009
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I did. I knew two of the band members. They had hit, "Faut pas lâcher", that was a major hit in Quebec and was getting tons of airplay. I grew up listening to the lead guitarist, Emidio "Peanut" Verrillo (the guy whose photo is on the extreme left; the guy in the forefront was the drummer, as I recall), while he was practising from his 2nd floor bedroom window. Was a kid a the time and there wasn't much to do, so I sat in the shadow and just listened to him play for hours. He never acknowledged me, he was businesslike, just kept playing. There was no AC in our homes at the time, so his bedroom window was always open. This is how I developed my love for music.

Back then, a lot of local bands were forming and several lived in our neighborhood. There were a ton of garage bands playing easy songs, lots of CCR and basic rock. This was a time when garage bands literally played in garages. They would practice all around us, we'd hear them a block away and they'd leave the garage door open a foot or so from the ground. And all of us kids would huddle up to the base of the door, peek in and listen to the bands play and they'd let us be there, without ever chasing us out. Those were special times, very laid back and easy going, it literally felt like anything was possible, there was a huge wave of creative energy coming from everywhere.

I'm totally flabbergasted that you brought up that album. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that someone would dig that up. Wow. How in the hell did you come up with this? Were you involved with the band?

I have long been a hard rock fan. My aunt made tapes for me from her husband record collection when I was 7 (82ish) Ac/Dc some Van Halen(which I just never cared for much) and Sabbath. Also by accident hadn't flicked the switch to phono and recorded the radio (some great songs on that tape).

Anyway I have hunted high and low for good garage rock on you tube and forums. My tastes have changed over the years but a crunchy amp, some good bass and solid drumming and I am taken away(mentally). Detroit at one time had a great rock scene Alice Cooper, Nugent, Frijid Pink, MC5, Early Bob Seager. A lot of bands I found simply by looking at influences of bands that I liked, such as metallica. They led me to budgie diamond head, and a lot of other NWOBHM (which of course I already liked because of Iron Maiden and Priest). So I got wondering since so many countries had some great rock coming out in the early 70's (Billy Thorpe and the Aztec-Mamma Australian, Lucifer's Friend Ride in the Sky Germany, Golden Earring beside radar love and twilight zone, Holland, November Mt Everest Sweden, etc) What did we have from Canada.

Sad for the most part, sure we had RUSH and the Guess Who, but it drops off after that. We don't have Truth and Janey types who were not well known internationally but had a cult following, perhaps Steppenwolf if you include half the members being Canucks and John having lived in Canada for a time. Hardly any hard rock acts. Someone did a list of canadian bands and Connexion came up. I can't understand the lyrics too well (my mom does but her french is rusty after 60 years mostly speaking english) but the vibe is pretty cool.

For the most part we are adapt at soft rock or alt rock, but hardly do hard rock. Anvil and Annihilator and you can throw in more 80's stuff like Lee Aaron and Voivod(montreal act I believe) but more soft stuff like Allanah Myles, 54/40 BNL, Trag Hip(has some rock to it but not a lot), Tea Party(from my hometown) and we do great in other genres, esp women Alanis morisette, celine, shania(and other country), diana krall, nellie furtato(sp), joni mitchell, lightfoot, stompin tom, etc.

I know exactly what you mean. I grew up in the rougher side of town and there was a garage band up the street from me. I can still remember them practising Jenny 867-5309 and the smell of skunky beer and skunky something else coming from their garage. Like you they would let us kids hang out in the doorway while they practiced. They weren't even young guys maybe late 30's early 40s as the bassist was grey at the temples. I remember him smelling of stale smokes and beer and he had a huge adams apple. Weird that this all comes back to me.

But life seemed a lot simpler back then. No bills, no worries, hardly aware of the word around you to be honest. Saturday nights I would go sit and watch hockey with my dad in my parents bedroom on a 14 inch TV, having peanuts while the click click of the puck could be heard on Radio Canada with some guys that sounded like my pepe and uncles talked about this weird 'sport'.

SO tl;dr I found them on a forum about canadian hard rock bands(someone said may blitz as well but I never bothered to verify if they were canadian because I didn't care for them) and I appreciate the one album I could find and figured this would likely be a good place to ask about it. I didn't know I would be 1 degree removed from them, but that is pretty cool. I have a ton of other bands that I put into that category Bang is another


Also this is a big surprise to those that dont know, but Ronnie James Dio previous to his career as a metal demon 'singing the praises of the devil' sounded a lot more mellow
 
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Runner77

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I have long been a hard rock fan. My aunt made tapes for me from her husband record collection when I was 7 (82ish) Ac/Dc some Van Halen(which I just never cared for much) and Sabbath. Also by accident hadn't flicked the switch to phono and recorded the radio (some great songs on that tape).

Anyway I have hunted high and low for good garage rock on you tube and forums. My tastes have changed over the years but a crunchy amp, some good bass and solid drumming and I am taken away(mentally). Detroit at one time had a great rock scene Alice Cooper, Nugent, Frijid Pink, MC5, Early Bob Seager. A lot of bands I found simply by looking at influences of bands that I liked, such as metallica. They led me to budgie diamond head, and a lot of other NWOBHM (which of course I already liked because of Iron Maiden and Priest). So I got wondering since so many countries had some great rock coming out in the early 70's (Billy Thorpe and the Aztec-Mamma Australian, Lucifer's Friend Ride in the Sky Germany, Golden Earring beside radar love and twilight zone, Holland, November Mt Everest Sweden, etc) What did we have from Canada.

Sad for the most part, sure we had RUSH and the Guess Who, but it drops off after that. We don't have Truth and Janey types who were not well known internationally but had a cult following, perhaps Steppenwolf if you include half the members being Canucks and John having lived in Canada for a time. Hardly any hard rock acts. Someone did a list of canadian bands and Connexion came up. I can't understand the lyrics too well (my mom does but her french is rusty after 60 years mostly speaking english) but the vibe is pretty cool.

For the most part we are adapt at soft rock or alt rock, but hardly do hard rock. Anvil and Annihilator and you can throw in more 80's stuff like Lee Aaron and Voivod(montreal act I believe) but more soft stuff like Allanah Myles, 54/40 BNL, Trag Hip(has some rock to it but not a lot), Tea Party(from my hometown) and we do great in other genres, esp women Alanis morisette, celine, shania(and other country), diana krall, nellie furtato(sp), joni mitchell, lightfoot, stompin tom, etc.

I know exactly what you mean. I grew up in the rougher side of town and there was a garage band up the street from me. I can still remember them practising Jenny 867-5309 and the smell of skunky beer and skunky something else coming from their garage. Like you they would let us kids hang out in the doorway while they practiced. They weren't even young guys maybe late 30's early 40s as the bassist was grey at the temples. I remember him smelling of stale smokes and beer and he had a huge adams apple. Weird that this all comes back to me.

But life seemed a lot simpler back then. No bills, no worries, hardly aware of the word around you to be honest. Saturday nights I would go sit and watch hockey with my dad in my parents bedroom on a 14 inch TV, having peanuts while the click click of the puck could be heard on Radio Canada with some guys that sounded like my pepe and uncles talked about this weird 'sport'.

SO tl;dr I found them on a forum about canadian hard rock bands(someone said may blitz as well but I never bothered to verify if they were canadian because I didn't care for them) and I appreciate the one album I could find and figured this would likely be a good place to ask about it. I didn't know I would be 1 degree removed from them, but that is pretty cool. I have a ton of other bands that I put into that category Bang is another


Also this is a big surprise to those that dont know, but Ronnie James Dio previous to his career as a metal demon 'singing the praises of the devil' sounded a lot more mellow


Thanks so much for sharing, that's quite a compelling account.

I can definitely relate to your experiences. There were also more awful sounding bands that we might have known in those years as our musical tastes were not evolved and let's face it, the whole idea of watching a live rock band even just practices from a disadvantageous location, was all-consuming.

I hadn't heard of Bang, but that Dio recording was a shocker. On the 45 that they show on that clip, you can see the name "Ronnie Dio", which later became as we all know Ronnie James Dio. The only time I caught him live was when Ritchie Blackmore had left Deep Purple and formed his own band, Rainbow. I remember Cozy Powell on drums, Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio with his antics -- that included his infamous hand gesture in the form of horns.

As far as Connexion goes, I don't think they had a very long shelf life. There was the one hit single, an album, but can't remember anything more than that. It's amazing to me how they are still remembered, I don't believe their sound extended much outside Quebec.

When you look at Canadian rock from those days, it was mostly Pagliaro, The Guess Who, April Wine and BTO. Pagliaro had some top 45 material that should have gone farther than it did but he wasn't surrounded by the right people and squandered many an opportunity, as I recall. I quickly moved on to hard rock and Deep Purple was where I really got into it with albums like Machine Head and Fireball. And then, I craved for more textured and complex sound, which led me to a lifelong interest in prog and fusion, which I still enjoy.

PFM's Chocolate Kings remains one of the most masterful of albums -- too bad their singer had such a heavy foreign accent, his English is just atrocious -- however, the music is sublime. A few years ago, they made it back to town after a 20 plus year absence and that was one of the best shows I attended. Got to spend over an hour with the band, they just blended with those of us who stayed on after the show. I wish I'd have that kind of experience more often, just makes you appreciate the music even more.
 

Doc McKenna

A new era 2021
Jan 5, 2009
11,812
11,733
Thanks so much for sharing, that's quite a compelling account.

I can definitely relate to your experiences. There were also more awful sounding bands that we might have known in those years as our musical tastes were not evolved and let's face it, the whole idea of watching a live rock band even just practices from a disadvantageous location, was all-consuming.

I hadn't heard of Bang, but that Dio recording was a shocker. On the 45 that they show on that clip, you can see the name "Ronnie Dio", which later became as we all know Ronnie James Dio. The only time I caught him live was when Ritchie Blackmore had left Deep Purple and formed his own band, Rainbow. I remember Cozy Powell on drums, Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio with his antics -- that included his infamous hand gesture in the form of horns.

As far as Connexion goes, I don't think they had a very long shelf life. There was the one hit single, an album, but can't remember anything more than that. It's amazing to me how they are still remembered, I don't believe their sound extended much outside Quebec.

When you look at Canadian rock from those days, it was mostly Pagliaro, The Guess Who, April Wine and BTO. Pagliaro had some top 45 material that should have gone farther than it did but he wasn't surrounded by the right people and squandered many an opportunity, as I recall. I quickly moved on to hard rock and Deep Purple was where I really got into it with albums like Machine Head and Fireball. And then, I craved for more textured and complex sound, which led me to a lifelong interest in prog and fusion, which I still enjoy.

PFM's Chocolate Kings remains one of the most masterful of albums -- too bad their singer had such a heavy foreign accent, his English is just atrocious -- however, the music is sublime. A few years ago, they made it back to town after a 20 plus year absence and that was one of the best shows I attended. Got to spend over an hour with the band, they just blended with those of us who stayed on after the show. I wish I'd have that kind of experience more often, just makes you appreciate the music even more.

Completely forgot april wine, who i listen to regularly. I saw them about 15 years ago. Great show. BTO i think of as a guess who extention.

I mentioned my aunt taping the radio. One of the songs was perfect stranger DP. Great feel to that. Shame it took so long for them to be inducted into that sham rrhof.
 

gunnerdom

Go HABS Go!!!!
Jul 14, 2003
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Completely forgot april wine, who i listen to regularly. I saw them about 15 years ago. Great show. BTO i think of as a guess who extention.

I mentioned my aunt taping the radio. One of the songs was perfect stranger DP. Great feel to that. Shame it took so long for them to be inducted into that sham rrhof.

I can still remember watching my uncle's band practicing in a garage in Gatineau/Ottawa playing Black Magic Woman and American Band in the mid-80s. He was the drummer/singer. He's the one who actually helped me pick out my first drumset in the mid-90s. Good times.
 

Runner77

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Always looking for prog acts I may have missed. Liking these guys:



They'll be on a US tour from the beginning of August. Too bad I can't go.
 

didimentionlarseller

Snipers are a dying bread in the NHL
Nov 23, 2014
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the new Big Boi album is killer




classic Big Boi i bringing this song back for this summer




new PE , new Vince Staples, new Czarface :D

seeing Gorillaz monday in toronto too this summer is picking up
 

Runner77

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Our Lady Peace opening for Guns n Roses at Parc Jean Drapeau on Aug. 19th. Who's going?

I've asked close friends if they want to go but some of them don't want to risk it claiming that the singer of Guns n Roses is unstable enough to bolt from the gig at the last minute or cutting it short. How likely is that? If that happens, can't they just ask Our Lady Peace to come back to the stage and put in extra time?
 

Runner77

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these guys are really good and pretty unknown reminds me of ELP a bit



I don't know how popular Gentle Giant are still but they were definitely on the radar in the 70s and 80s. When looking them up, I found this exquisite quote:

The band's onetime stated aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular."

They had partial reunions a few years ago, so unlike some of their contemporaries who had more full-out reunion tours, they may have faded in the background on account of it.
 
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