Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us

Concert Review: The Heavy, September 23rd, Lee’s Palace

Posted on
24 Sep 2012
by
Ricky

the heavy

When Kelvin Swaby asked “how do you like us now?” to the sold out Lees Palace right before their breakthrough set closing song, the answer was already there. It was universally loud and clear – Toronto likes The Heavy, they like them a lot.

In town to promote their new record The Glorious Dead, the English genre spanning band hit the crowd like a hurricane, leaving no person untouched. From the moment the band took the stage with Can’t Play Dead, the sweaty crowd was singing, clappng and going wild. You see, going to The Heavy is less a concert and more a collaborative musical adventure. There’s something to do for every song, and all of it was orchestrated by the charismatic lead singer of the band. Swaby was a buzz saw of a front man, energetic from the get go and his infectious energy cut through the crowd with ease. Most bands spend most of their shows building up to the rapport that The Heavy had from the first minute.

Musically, the group mostly stick to their soul meets rock motif, with the band consisting of multiple guitars and a horns section. The new material had some notably good numbers, including an Al Green-esque number Curse Me Good. Like most upbeat soul music, it becomes pretty apparent that the music of the Heavy is best experienced live, where the simplicity of the band’s song structures results in some amazing call and response sequences.

This was my second time seeing The Heavy this year and both times they were phenomenal. See them live.

Can’t Play Dead
What You Want Me to Do?
Sixteen
Cause for Alarm
Short Change Hero
Curse Me Good
Big Bad Wolf
What Makes A Good Man?
Same Ol
A Lesson Learned
Don’t Say Nothing
Blood Dirt Love Stop
Just My Luck
Coleen
Girls
How You Like Me Now?

PrevPreviousConcert Review: Laetitia Sadier, September 18, Drake Hotel
NextA Fireside Chat with Dry The RiverNext

SEARCH

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Flickr Foursquare Rss Inbox

THE PAST

Archives

TAGS

Tags
British Music Embassy (10) Canadian Music Fest (11) canadian music week (20) cmf (10) cmw (42) concert (9) el mocambo (9) fringe (26) Great Lake Swimmers (10) guelph (9) horseshoe tavern (23) hot docs (103) jazz (12) Joel Plaskett (10) jukebox the ghost (15) lee's palace (27) marina and the diamonds (10) Massive Attack (10) mod club (12) NXNE (94) of monsters and men (11) Phoenix (15) play reviews (11) Pulp (11) Roskilde Festival (16) rural alberta advantage (10) sharon van etten (10) suede (12) summerworks (34) SXSW (479) SXSW 2022 (11) SXSW 2024 (11) SXSW Online (18) the antlers (11) the cure (9) the national (10) the xx (11) Tokyo Police Club (9) Toronto (25) toronto fringe (14) Toronto Jazz Festival (55) turf (13) tweeview (10) Video (9) zeus (10)
The Panic Manual

We are a collective of individuals bringing you the latest in concert reviews, indie, britpop, Canadian, twee and all sorts of other music, movies, tv and everything else you like. Follow the manual to live a pleasant and fulfilling life.

All rights reserved