Saturday, August 29, 2009

Lion Ride Concert Review!!!

Hey guys, I'm back from last night's Lion Ride concert, and it's time for my review! Stay tuned after the review for a quick update on a local band that has changed their name!

Well, I got there around 10:20, bit of a wait to start, but all was good. I like that they removed a table from in front of the stage, so fans could stand and get close to the band! Nice change from sitting in a booth the whole show! Also, before music began, I did buy Lion Ride's EP, as well as a sticker and a button! Expect a review of the EP tomorrow! Local indie rockers Nebraska Arms opened, and though they're still not from my favourite genres, they definitely sound tighter and more energetic live, and I can honestly say they were good for their style! They had lots of on-stage energy, and frontman Guy Thiffault was even telling some jokes! Also, props to him for sporting a Wolven Ancestry shirt! If you're only going by their MySpace page to judge an opinion on Nebraska Arms, see them live first, they definitely bring it live.

And then, Lion Ride took to the stage for a great, great performance! They kicked things off with a FOG MACHINE which, though bad for photos, was pretty cool. Being that this was the first time I've ever seen Lion Ride live, I wasn't sure entirely what to expect, but I had a really fun night! They played every song off of the "Awesome" EP, plus older classics "Lazer Lover" and "Let's Bounce", along with a Motley Crue cover and two brand new songs for their next album! One thing I noticed from the band was that they all really seemed to enjoy being there, and they all demonstrated some really high energy. Frontman Mikey Lion was all over the place, even going into the crowd at times! His voice was at top form, displaying a punk edge with some metal heaviness to boot!

The rest of the band were really tight, with some great guitar and bass work all around! New drummer Iron Mike Bison was great as well, he was smiling almost the whole night, and his drum solo was excellent! Lion Ride's punk/metal hybrid sound isn't really the type to mosh to though. It's headbangable, but it's more of the music you'd dance and get drunk to. True to that, the fans up front were just grooving to the songs and partying, and it seems to work well! Everyone was having fun and singing along, including some of the band members' mothers! Also, and I think I was happily surprised the most by this, but Lion Ride DID NOT have a half hour long intermission! Hooray!

Overall, it was a fun show, and I would definitely go see Lion Ride again!! Crowd wasn't entirely familiar though, a lot of people there I don't see at a lot of other shows. Maybe that's why no SMS CDs were asked about by anyone. Oh well, five CDs are ready for the next show! And you guys really need to check Lion Ride out, if you like metal and punk, they will be right up your alley! High energy, in your face, and very catchy, so go listen on MySpace right now! Hopefully their performance today at Hempfest is a success, and the rain doesn't ruin it! And as you can tell by my pictures, I took lots of photos from the show! To view them, visit The Sault Metal Scene's official Facebook page! Hopefully they turned out alright!

And to close today's post, another local band has underwent a name change! Local thrash/death metal band Necropolis are now known as Silent Plague! Their MySpace page and URL have been changed accordingly! The new name's cool, here's hoping some exciting stuff is in the works! That's all for today, stay tuned tomorrow for my review of Lion Ride's debut EP! Thanks everyone!

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