Vancouver gigs: Bouncing Souls

I miss my gig friends from home but I'm loving how many bands come through Vancouver. Back home if I made a last minute decision to go out to see a band I would usually face a choice between acoustic, a cover band or some indie/dance mash up. There has been a scene of dedicated promoters and attenders in Galway for a long time but a lot of gigs I went to were not really bands I had a huge interest in, I was just going for the craic.

Here, however, I can decide to go to a gig later that night and it's only fecking Bouncing Souls that are playing. There's such a choice of stuff to do here that Bouncing Souls were only a 'maybe' for me. My reasoning behind this was that I don't know many of their songs. Turns out I was wrong on that front!

Luther started off the night and, despite their vaguely edgy name, they were generally inoffensive and slightly forgettable. They're the kind of band that could achieve some level of success if they stay around long enough, but you're just not quite sure why anyone would seek them out and be really into them. A bit like Coldplay or Travis I guess.

Next up was The Menzingers. I'd heard both good and bad about these guys so I wasn't sure what to expect. The first few songs were great and I thought I'd found a sweet new band to get into. About 20 minutes into the set however I felt a bit drained by their constant mid tempo punk rock. And then they played more songs that sounded the same. They do have two singers, but one mic was very low so maybe on CD it changes things up a bit but I found myself losing interest by the end of their set. Very good at what they do, I'm just not that hugely into it.

For some reason (maybe because gigs here are so frequent) I've found it easy enough to get a good spot near the front for every band I've seen here. I'm a small guy but I've had no problem getting that nice area just to the edge of the moshpit where I can go maaad or just stand and watch the band. Bouncing Souls was no different. It's been almost 10 years since I first saw them (opening for Dropkick Murphys, lololol) and even though they open with their new single, Static, they really haven't changed much over the years in terms of sound, stage presence, even looks! In other words they bring the singalongs, happy dancing and Hopeless Romantic girls by the bucketload.  I've never seen so many girls at a punk show, it was pretty much 50/50. What was great was that it didn't go the RVIVR route. Everyone had fun at the front, if someone fell over they were picked up, no one was overly aggressive (for the most part) and there was an actual sense of community and equality, not a forced equality segregation as RVIVR seem to want...
 
I'd forgotten how many of their songs I know and love and it was a real trip down memory lane. I found they played a little long but again, I'm not a superfan of the band, I just like a lot of their songs. Also of note were the ridiculous amount of crowdsurfers/stagedivers. I thought the venue was too security-filled/pretentious to allow such carry on, but from the first song there was a steady flow of people on and off the stage. These included:

• token FAT PUNX guy complete with leather jacket sweaty liberty spikes, patches and studs who bellyflopped off the stage 

• one girl who was all OMG I'M ON STAGE about 5 fucking times during the set

• the 'it's my first gig I want in on this "stage jumping" guy' who gets up and then panics and sort of rolls off
• the happiest mosh-pitter ever, wearing zany suspenders who got onstage, did a wicked backflip and then humbly got off stage down the side

Much respect has to be given to the lads in the band for having this clusterfuck of sweaty messes trample over their pedals etc, especially the guitarist who seemed to draw them like a magnet. I would have been thinking I'm too old for this shiz if I was him.

I swagged a setlist at the end, taking it away from some of the real, true, hardcore fans with tattoos and all. Ah well, maybe you can buy it off me on ebay.

Vancouver gigs: Walk Off The Earth at Fusion Fest

Herself has a huge music/teenage crush on Walk Off The Earth and in particular the charasmatic Gianni. Despite technically being the second best looking in the band, I have to agree that he does have a certain charm! When we came to Canada 'See Walk Off The Earth' was on our list of things that were improbable but nice to pretend we'd actually do. After a few days of not simply just looking up their tour dates, I took it on myself to check the dates and whadyaknow, they were playing the very next weekend for free at the Surrey Fusion Fest.

Surrey seems like a terrible place from what I've seen of it on the news (gangland shootings, robberies etc) but the festival was just on the outer edge of the district in a huge outdoor park. We got there after work, poked around the international food stalls and then wandered up to the stage to see Walk Off The Earth. It was fairly easy, like.

The band pretty much bounced on stage and never stopped moving the entire time. Sprinkling in original songs with their own unique cover versions (okay, usually reggae/ska-tinged cover versions) WOTE throw guitars around the stage, change between instruments at will and even get their crew invovled at various points of the gig with drum interludes and backing vocals.

The band are making the most of their rising popularity and are, wait for it, are a touring band that are actually having fun. Be it cheesy choreographed stage moves, sign-prompted audience participation or ukelele prizes (for real), they try to get everyone in the party mood. Including, in a very direct way, myself and herself. Mid-song, Gianni gets off stage and heads in our direction to dance with us. I get into a strange   hug/bounce/singalong with him (I'm not the most gifted dancer in the world and being at the centre of attention isn't a natural place for me) and herself screams herself silly before dancing with him as he dances past. Life made.

I don't go to many non SCENE gigs these days but I'd recommend these guys to anyone. Check 'em before they get MEGA famous as opposed to regular famous - Walk Off The Earth