Things are certainly picking up news-wise in the local metal scene, so I think I might double up on posts tonight as a result. I have new concerts, videos, and so forth to get to (and weekend concert previews), but those will be tonight or tomorrow so the stories I want to get to first don't get overshadowed. That said, this post features this week's classic video and a local band's return, but first, here's some huge news concerning a major upcoming concert and it's new venue!
THIS SATURDAY'S Napalm Death concert has been moved from The Riuniti Hall to the bar formerly known as Foggy Notions! Yes, the Queen Street East bar will officially re-open for business on Saturday night, under new ownership with a new name and look, and I can confirm that the bar's new name is Feedback! Sounds like a good name, hopefully it sticks with fans! I assume it's safe now to confirm that the new owner of Feedback is Dismembertainment head and local guitarist Rich Moreland, who is also putting on the Napalm Death show, so it's a fitting first concert for the "new" bar! The only other change is that the doors will now open an hour earlier at 5:00 PM on Saturday. Yes, previously purchased tickets are still 100% usable, and it is STILL ALL AGES! The news was broken in an e-mail to concert attendees yesterday, and has since been added to the Facebook event page. No reason was announced for the venue change, but I hope it wasn't due to ticket sale concerns, as you know how huge this concert should be! Check the above links for all current details on both the concert and venue!
I have to say, if there was a way to begin the era of Feedback with a bang, then having Napalm Death, Hallows Die, Wake, Shit Liver, & The Bear Hunters all on one night is the way to do it, and though I'll sadly be out of town this weekend, I know it will be an amazing concert and a great introduction to the local scene for Feedback! Stay tuned for more in the next few days when we preview this weekend's metal & hard rock concert schedule!
That said, while metalheads and old Foggy's fans are sure to be buzzing over the Feedback news, there is a more unfortunate side of the story, as was being discussed on SooToday last night, so I feel I should address it. SooToday's Carol Martin posted an article onto SooToday last night called "Foggy's next generation questioned by City Council", which basically outlines how City Council wants the Alcohol and Gaming Commission to consider the concerns of residents in the Foggy's area before transferring a liquor license to the new owners (For the record, the new ownership & name of the bar are not mentioned in the article.) Ward 4 Councillor Rick Niro wants the new owners to address concerns relating to noise, debris, and other issues that came up during the previous Foggy Notions eras, though he was clear in saying he's not against the reopening. Check the above links for the full article. Now, I'm not in a position to comment on what Rich has done with Foggy's/Feedback, but I know that he's following all the rules and taking all the right steps to ensure that everything will go smoothly. Considering that they're planning to reopen on Saturday, most of the work must already be done, and if he was planning to ignore any concerns, do you think it would have gotten this far?
I feel that if you willingly move into a neighbourhood near a bar that puts on concerts with non-acoustic bands, you should be prepared for noise, and should only have a right to call the police over it if they actually violate some noise ordinance. I'm sure in many cases, Foggy Notions was there before a noise complainer moved nearby, and they should have known that before moving into the area. There are other bars downtown that put on loud events near residences, and they don't get brought up at City Council over noise issues. That's just my opinion though, and I hope Rich gets no bad "feedback" over what goes on at Feedback in the future. The bar's in good hands, everyone will see that soon!
Now to some cool news for you Skull After Betrayl fans, as the local hardcore quartet have officially reunited! The band originally broke up in late July after the members parted ways with guitarist Justin Polutanovich and formed a new band named The Dead Kings with some new members, but it looks like Skull After Betrayl are back in action! The band relaunched their Facebook page earlier today, with frontman Mike Vincent confirming that they'll be ready for shows "soon" on his personal Facebook page. Their old lineup (including Justin on guitar) is back together, though bassist Adam Brett is now also listed for some singing, which should be interesting! With all that said, it looks like The Dead Kings have broken up, with their Facebook page deleted, which is disappointing, but hopefully Willis Tholberg & Jacob Cere get back into a new band soon! As for Skull After Betrayl, it's great to see them back, and hopefully the steady improvement we saw from them through the summer will continue when they return to the stage! Stay tuned for details on Skull After Betrayl's next shows as they come in!
And finally, here's this week's classic video! With the Napalm Death show upon us, it made perfect sense to tie in this week's video with one of the local opening bands, and I chose The Bear Hunters, specifically guitarist Josh Stephney! Before becoming a local fixture as Bring The Fallen's singer & The Bear Hunters' guitarist, Josh and his BTF bandmate Dan Souliere joined forces at the "In The Pines" guitar showcase at White Pines Collegiate & Vocational School on May 16th, 2008 to cover Tenacious D's "Tribute"! This was a solid cover with Josh on lead vocals, Dan on backing vocals, and both on guitar, and they mostly have the song down. Besides, it's Tenacious D, you've gotta do them justice! This video was filmed by an attendee of this event and was uploaded by Josh onto Facebook two days later. After uploading the video onto our YouTube channel, I also corrected the lighting to make it brighter and clearer, but you can still check out the original video at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=42347370570. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!! All credit for this video goes to Josh, Dan, and the original filmer, I'm just sharing this video with a wider audience like it deserves! That said, check out Josh and Dan covering the tribute to the best song in the world below!
That's all for now, but I may have another news post later tonight, but if not, I'll have weekend concert previews probably tomorrow, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!
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