Review of Murphy’s Law Show with special guests, Shotcallers, Bourbon DK, Overpower and Street Troopers.
Katacombes, 1365 St. Laurent, Montreal Friday, March 14th 2014.
With smiles, hugs and positive vibes permeating the air, Punk Rock/Hardcore fans shuffled gleefully into Montreal’s Katacombes around 8pm to witness their friends and legendary acts perform and share a beer over music, laughter and good times.
No stranger to the Punk Rock scene in Montreal, city natives, SHOTCALLERS excelled in laying down the foundations of what would be a truly memorable evening. “Happy-go lucky” sounding rhythms sums up what the quintet are all about, providing short, jaunty numbers mixed with ever so slight N.W.O.B.H.M. influences that continued to creep in throughout their set. Case in point, their stirring rendition of Judas Priest’s, “Breaking the Law” may have been out of place, but how the troupe added their own unique way was something out of the ordinary and a welcome surprise! “Emeute” went down in great toe-tapping fashion while “Sans Furtur” went down equally well and was introduced as a new song. The band’s self-titled song, “Shotcallers” featured an infectious bass line and elements of rousing Ska. A nice start to the night’s proceedings…
Ontario’s BOURBON DK aggressively attacked the crowd with their brand of straightforward Hardcore/Punk. The Canadians made sure that those in attendance would stand up and shout along to their virulence as an element of dark humour ran inconspicuously behind their wall of noise. In addition, the heaviness was only made forceful with the audible bass that strengthened the slower moments. A rough, throaty shout helped singer, Curb Stomp Cooper push songs, “Hate the Racist”, “Hooligans” and “Last Call Brawl” all to tumultuous effect! With BOUBON DK, the moshing was finally underway!
Living up to their name, OVERPOWER were next to decimate the crowd with songs, “Hogtown”, “Wrong Side” and “Good Fight”, among others. Playful heckling from the crowd didn’t deter the band from pulling out all the stops especially when singing “Happy Birthday” to a fellow friend in the audience. The rhythm guitarist, who also performed with SHOTCALLERS to open the evening, had a grin from ear to ear basking in the good natured pestering from those on the floor. This set saw the crowd more stoic in movement but enjoying themselves nonetheless.
Fan favorites and local “heroes”, STREET TROOPERS, were next and made sure nobody was left “unslammed”! “Don’t Let Them Win”, “We Won’t Give In” and “On the Streets of Montreal” all ensured gang shouts from the audience, body surfing, moshing and overall good-time mayhem! “You Survived” took the band into “serious” territory as the singer, announced the song was originally written in remembrance of friends he had lost when he was younger. Marching from side to side of the stage, he commanded attention and audience participation resulting in a highly successful set brimming with determination and purpose!
Headliners and New York Hardcore institution, MURPHY’S LAW, was hell bent on making sure everyone in attendance was not leaving without having a great time, and a great time they had…well , until the final moments. Playing to French Canadian clichés, singer Jimmy Gestapo, frequently celebrated the domestic beer and Canadian Hockey in between songs, but the banter soon grew somewhat tiresome, with even a female onlookers shouting out, “Shut up and play a song!” Regardless, Gestapo’s charisma and positive attitude far outweighed anything else. In between songs, he invited a fan in a wheelchair to come up on stage and join the group for beer drinking and participate in the “action”, to which the fan climbed out of his chair, mounted a monitor and leapt into the crowd! Musically, MURPHY’S LAW added a new twist to the “Hardcore Punk” sound by including a saxophonist whose played notes acted almost like a second lead guitar! Very “urban” aurally, the combination of the sax and the bass line groove lent many songs to swing between reggae and freeform jazz. Cuts like, “Barbecue”, “Anti-Facist” and Skinhead Rebel” all firmly made the point of inclusion and cultural understand/empathy.
Finally, as an encore, Gestapo, intent on rallying the troops for three last songs, was unfortunately cut short before the first could be completed due to a potential fight that manifested in plain sight. Cue the lights, MURPHY’S LAW abandoned ship after being unsuccessful in breaking the fighters apart and thus ironically ending a night that was supposed to bring fans together but instead may have dampened a few spirits….not mine however nor those around me!
Chris
