Fucked up wrote an entire song dedicated to them hating summer. Personally, I’m on the other side of things and can’t stand the winter’s gloom. Fortunately bands like the Canadian hardcore ensemble make one forget about the dread that whichever season is out there is bringing.
In October, Fucked Up released their fifth studio album Dose Your Dreams, adding to their history of long, psychedelic experimental works. In hushed whispers, the audience at Cassiopeia is asked first thing whether David, the protagonist whose life story had been told in the previous record David Comes To Life, has died. Eponymously, an angel answers Just dose your dreams. The vocals are shared by several members of the band, reminding of a theatre performance or the rock opera that was David. Certainly, with six people on the stage, a gripping tension is being built.
With the opening song being more soft-spoken, the second Son The Father demonstrates the heavy screaming the vocalists are capable of. Mighty songs like these, Crusades or Accelerate show Fucked Up aren’t afraid to play their extensive songs of 6 minutes of playtime or more live, proving their tight grip on the craft and stage experience. Nevertheless, despite the fact their discography is dominated by songs like these, the average length ones are featured more frequently. Love is an Island in the Sea and Under My Nose give everyone some room to breathe.
A cover of the song I Want You Right Now by American rock band MC5 and a song off the live record Fuck Coke Drink Pepsi add to the unexpectedness of the evening.
A track record of live performances like theirs leaves one wondering if they’re going to damage the next place as well. This time, the only thing that got smashed were hate and discrimination, when the band made a speech on how they support Cassiopeia’s policy of not letting any displays of such happen in their space. During their conversations between songs, the band reminded of the political issues tearing up parts of the world right now, to get an eye for the ones that are often overlooked. And let’s not forget to support our local record store.
