Late & Loud Reunion Concert Review!!

Hey guys, it's now about time for our second post of the day, that being our review of last night's Late & Loud reunion show at The Rockstar Bar! Before we get to the events of the night, I just want to acknowledge a late report from our Facebook page last night, as local indie/punk quintet Northwest did not play this show despite being added late after the Tidal Records show's cancellation. A public reason for their withdrawal was not announced, but I know there was a lot of confusion regarding the lineup. For fans though, don't miss Northwest at Slopefest in Searchmont next weekend, and now, let's take a look at the show as it happened!

Last night's opening band was local punk trio Redundant in what might as well have been their first live concert in 6 months (Bon Soo almost felt like an outdoor jam session that I happened to be at), so it was great to see the guys playing to a crowd again! Their set was longer and more lively too, and when you're not battling the freezing cold, you'll naturally show your skills better, so all around, they delivered a fun set! Originals like "That December" and "Miles Apart" joined many familiar covers, and everyone played to their strengths (frontman Justin Langlois was on fire especially), but the crowd could have been more of a constant presence for every song on the floor. Redundant's last two songs featured guest singers too, with drummer Rick White's Fist Fighting Stephen Hawking bandmate Jeff De Rose showing his vocal ability on a Rancid cover, with Late & Loud bassist Benn Garside chiming in for a cover of Poison's "Fallen Angel". They added a fun vibe to the end of a solid real return set for Redundant, and don't miss them on Thursday!

Next up on the bill were local all-female hard rockers The Danger Cats, who definitely left another big impression with the fans in their Rockstar Bar debut! In terms of their lineup, singer Summer Snow-Leopard was absent again (like in recent official band photos), but there has still been no official confirmation as to whether she's left the band or not. What we did get though was a solid and entertaining set of covers and originals, and the girls are definitely improving their set and range! Their surprisingly long set included some very fun covers from bands like Great White, AC/DC, and The Runaways that got a great reception, and their skills as musicians are either very good or improving fast! The vocal spread was nice to see again too, with Kate Kougar handling most lead vocals, though Paula Panther did 4 on lead vocals mid-set, and Jamie Jaguar sang the encore songs. I'd recommend they loosen up their stage presences somewhat, but the girls are on the rise, and hopefully The Danger Cats keep up the good work at Docks next weekend! (Also, where were the cat ears?)

And finally on the bill was the return of local classic metal favourites Late & Loud, in their one-off reunion 10 months after their farewell as an active band! I'm glad to say that they actually outperformed their Rockstar Bar Battle finals appearance last spring, showing the energy, talent, and swagger that gained them such a following in the early 2010s! Their setlist included every song from their EPs (except "Live For Excess") and 4 covers of everyone from Judas Priest to White Wizzard, and fans definitely ate it up (and I'm sure some didn't mind when all 4 members ditched their shirts early on!) I couldn't stay for the whole set, so I'm unsure if anything was said relating to if this was indeed their last show or if there'd be future reunions, but what we got lived up to Late & Loud's standards, and from Brendan Christie's ripping guitar solos to Josh Hatherley's hard hitting drumwork, the guys left it all on the stage (and it was great to see Jon Tiberi back in town!) Awesome return, and hopefully this won't be the absolute last time on stage for Late & Loud!

Overall, this was a great show for classic metal and punk fans, and kudos to J.D. Pearce for putting this on (and remember to hit the next Heavy Thursday at The Rosie next week!) Check out my photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page (along with a "Tag Yourself!" crowd shot), and as for videos, here's Redundant covering Green Day's "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?", The Danger Cats playing their original (I think) "Give Me", and Late & Loud covering White Wizzard's "High Speed GTO"! (And just in case people are wondering about the Redundant video, I'm trying to film videos of more bands at each show, including punk/alternative bands, just to keep things fair. Yes, this might be leading somewhere!)







That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow morning for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, and GO TEAM CANADA! Thanks everyone!