One might assume that most veteran acts who’ve been around for 30-plus years would balk at the idea of playing a sweaty show in a church basement, on a stage set up in a gymnasium underneath a basketball net. Quicksand and Bane are not most acts.
Rather, each band seemed a little stoked, maybe even energized, to be revisiting their roots as they played a good, old-fashioned hardcore show in a rec centre. Near the beginning of their headlining set, Quicksand frontman Walter Schreifels was quick to sing the praises of playing in a “gym with no air conditioning.” For his part, Bane’s Aaron Bedard went even further, waxing poetic about the joys of playing punk rock in a gymnasium through a PA that he’d seen walked through the doors of the venue earlier in the day.
“There’s nothing quite like that sound,” he said, adding, “I’m not even necessarily saying it’s a good sound.” But, he noted, there’s none more beautiful in his opinion, explaining how it takes him back to the early days of the band. I get what he’s saying – there’s a certain energy and immediacy to shows like this, a vibe that can’t really be replicated in more traditional music venues.
And this was most certainly a fun, high energy gig, even if both the bands and many of their their fans are getting up there in age. Sure, the moshpit didn’t get too crazy, but there were plenty of shouted singalongs throughout and Bane did instigate at least one circle pit during their set. What’s more, during Quicksand’s set, one fan was even inspired to crowd surf, definitely an unexpected sight in this largely middle-aged crowd. Schreifels was loving it, encouraging the crowd to carry the crowdsurfer all the way to the back of the room so that he could hang from the basketball hoop. He didn’t quite make it to the back, though he did end up making his way onto the stage where he then lived out his Guy Picciotto hoop dreams.
Another unexpected moment came a few songs in to Quicksand’s set when Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan took to the stage, joining Quicksand for a rendition of “Fazer,” definitely one of the highlights of the evening. Other highlights included classics like “Omission” and “Thorn in My Side” and newer tracks like “Crystallize” and “Regenerate” off their latest, Bring On the Psychics. They even threw in a couple cover songs … or at least one and a half covers.
After giving a shout out to openers Soul Blind, Quicksand launched into a version of Helmet’s “Unsung” that was abandoned midway through as Schreifels was having trouble remembering all the lyrics. And also because, as he noted, playing like Paige Hamilton while also singing is akin to rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time. Fair enough. They also broke out their cover of The Smiths’ “How Soon is Now,” though Schreifels did add that this was not in any way an endorsement of Morrissey’s politics, just a cover of a beloved song.
All in all, this was a great show. Sometimes all you needs is need a gym, a rented PA, and a room full of people who are willing to sweat it out. Really, what more could you ask for from a hardcore show?
