Know Your Limits

Ok class, here is today’s lesson “Know your limits” as once said by the legendary Bruce Lee. Got your attention? Good

Today through the grapevine, I heard that Vancouver has been having a hard time hosting the Olympics. Apparently some of the athletes are complaining about their accommodations, the food and privacy. You have bad weather conditions making a mess of the slopes and roads with sheer ice, and you have these little punks that take fun in making a mess of stage Barracades.

Now I know that Alexisonfire has a reputation for it’s audience. I’ve seen them try to settle down fans by asking them to STEP BACK and not CRUSH each other for a “closer look” at the band. Now for some people, their defense is to say that the Artist loves it, that’s it is merely adoration and flattery. That may be true, but I urge you to think outside the box for a minute. An act of love is an act of selflessness or even self-sacrifice and there is nothing selfless about crushing your fellow audience member to get yourself closer to the LIMIT (the barracade).

It’s there for good reason guys. I am a professional concert cinematographer and even with a press pass I’ve tripped and fallen over walking around all kinds of stages and that’s when nobody is in my path. My message is to all of you in the video who pushed forward into the crowd. Remember that first and foremost you are there because of the music, not because the crowd agreed to get into a royal rumble. I can appreciate that some of your fans are coming from crowds that do agree to a royal rumble but know your place and know your limits. You will enjoy the performance to the best of your abilities… seriously.

I have filmed hundreds of shows from balconies, side-stage, press-pits, moshes, and many other angles you wouldn’t dream of and I’m telling you… it all comes down to the music, what are you focused on? Enjoying the music? Keeping your camera lens in focus? Trying not to spill your drink? Getting to the baracade? What is your purpose again? To have a good time or ruin everyone else’s time? Seriously, do you think the band is happy they didn’t get to play? Happy that they didn’t get paid?

What you think all those ticket refunds are safe from their pockets? It may not have been their only form of payment but I guarantee you that those tickets affect the people they work for, i.e. the record label and one way or another they are all going to pay for it. This might mean nobody wants to book them fearing they’ll have to deal with a cancelled show because their fans have a reputation for @#$%ing #@!T up. There are some serious penalties because of this show being cancelled. Who knows what lawsuits are in play now… the news says 19 audience members were hurt (cuts, sprains, breaks) from the baracades falling over. I’ll bet a lot of them were girls too guys… come on, be a gentleman.

Dallas Green walked right off the stage in disgust… that guy is not someone you want to keep pissing off if you want to keep seeing Alexisonfire. If that guy runs out of patience for this sort of behaviour he’s got another project doing very well. I can pretty well guarantee that band is over if any one of them quits. So if you want to enjoy Alexisonfire again and again and again, make sure that you KNOW YOUR LIMITS and make sure everyone has a good time… ok tough guy?

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The Machines We Are – CD Review

Dead and Divine’s 2009 release ‘The Machines We Are‘ (Distort Records) is a truly impressive addition to the world of hardcore and their own discography. The divine team consisting of vocalist Matt Tobin, guitarist Chris Lemasters, bassist Kellan Lindsay, and drummer Kyle Anderson certainly pull no punches on this recording. From the chaotic noise at the beginning of the opening track ‘The Sugar Sickness’ all the way to the experimental dream-like sounds at the end of the album, Dead and Divine brings you on an audio journey through their various musical inspirations reflected song-to-song. If you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing this band before, make no mistake – they are not your average hardcore band. I wouldn’t try to pigeon hole this band to any specific genre, but embrace them as a conglomerate of tastes. They are undeniably heavy though.

Their groovy style of detuned choppy riffs in tracks like ‘Creature’ and ‘Mechanical Orchestra’ are similar to the likes of Turmoil, Every Time I Die, Poison the Well, A Life Once Lost, etc. Yet, the group boasts a more intimate side as well occasionally straying from harder to more melodic parts and emotional vocal lines, as heard in the songs ‘Teeth’ and ‘Lovely Bones’. Although many contemporary hard music acts have attempted the synthesis of aggressive and passive musical elements, Dead and Divine can do it and do it well. The most appealing aspect of ‘The Machines We Are’ is Tobin’s vocal dynamic. His choice of melody and rhythm suits every part featuring his voice.

Tobin’s vocal talent and strength is self-sufficient, and the fact that he can pull it off in studio and live is all the more reason you should be picking up their record and catching them live in concert. The rhythm section of Lindsay and Anderson reflects much musical proficiency and provides a solid foundation for Lemasters’ clear and crushing guitar tone. And if Dead and Divine’s musical prowess hasn’t won you over yet, legendary audio engineer Garth ‘GGGarth’ Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against, Red Hot Chili Peppers) ensures a flawless mix on this recording, raising this band’s existent developed sound to a new level that rivals their hardcore heavyweight contenders. ‘The Machines We Are’ is one of the best releases I’ve heard this year and will not leave listeners the least bit disappointed. I highly recommend the purchase of this record.

The Machines We Are

1. The Sugar Sickness
2. Creature
3. Chemical Valley
4. Neon Jesus
5. D.R.U.G.S.
6. For Your Health
7. Teeth
8. Mechanical Orchestra
9. Lovely Bones
10. Cassandra Syndrome

Find on: Amazon | eMusic | iTunes

For more information about Dead and Divine or to find out where they’ll be next, please visit http://www.myspace.com/deadanddivine

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The Roots were on fire at CEMF 09! They preformed a very tight live set which seamlessly weaved their songs together with live improvisations. The Roots are definately a Hip Hop band and not just a group. Their live show is a testament to that. Black Though is such a vibrant preformer. He was full of energy working the whole stage as the band subliminally synced with one another in such an easeful manner. The highlight of their set was the finalle where they ripped a live rendition of the classic “Jump On It” shouting out cities where they’ve recently been on the bill. Their live freestyled take of this favorite sounded so refreshing being played by a live band. Check out the video above and see for yourself how dope The Roots are live!

Rising Down CD Review

Rising Down is the Philly based Roots collective 8th studio album. The sound here is far more dark compared to their earlier albums but a natural progression on their more recent albums. Rising Down is a concept album that where the title originates from William T. Vollmann’s book on violence. The dark mood is set throughout the album with overtones of frustration on social matters spanning all the way from a local up to a global radius.

Questlove does an excellent job of playing all the versatile drums & percussion from a set of drums rather than on drum machines. His drums adapt to every song perfectly throughout the duration of the album. Black Thought’s vocals are full of energy and attitude. The rhythms are mostly synths and the bass it thick on most tracks.

Rising Down features quite a few guest appearances but none overshadow Black Thought and blend into the mix perfectly totally making this a Roots album and not a compilation featuring The Roots. The most notable guest spots are provided by: Malik B (a nice return from an original Roots member!), Mos Def, Common, Wale, Talib Kweli and Styles P of D-Block.

Black Thought paints vivid pictures in the listeners minds with his lyrics showing how powerful his emceeing is which has fortified with time rather than dissipate. The Roots have made an opus of Black protest music in rising down which embodies the spirit of socially-conscious Hip Hop. This is a great album both musically and content-wise and is highly recommended to any Roots fan.

Find on: Amazon | iTunes | eMusic

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Get your CEMF 2009 tickets at ticketmaster!

Cutting Edge Music Festival – Aug 1st to 3rd, 2009 – Bingeman’s Park, Kitchener
(this year’s wemf has been merged with cemf)

This year’s Cutting Edge Music Festival (“CEMF”) is guaranteed to solidify itself as the top contender among the numerous music festivals in Ontario.   The first noticeable advantage of CEMF is its varied line-up among two days.  Music fans are assured wide exposure to the festival’s plethora of genres: rock, punk, hardcore, metal, reggae, hip hop, drum & bass, house, and more.  And better yet, if visitors are only able to attend one day, they are still guaranteed the same experience.

On Saturday August 1st, crowds get to see such world-renowned acts as Protest the Hero, Andrew W.K., The Artist Life, Baptized in Blood, Jelo, and much more.  So, no matter what happens to be your musical preference – if you prefer the sound of driving guitars or deep bass on the dance floor– CEMF is for you.  Sunday August 2ndshowcases another list of internationally acclaimed artists such as The Roots, Bedouin Soundclash, Moneen, Andy C, Marcus Visionary, Mix Master Mike, and many others.  Which day you attend is up to you.  But as a line-up this talented clearly indicates, it’s a good idea to catch the entire festival and witness everything CEMF has to offer.

The location of the festival is yet another added benefit of CEMF.  We’re all tired of the typical downtown venues with long line-ups, a bombardment of corporate advertisements, and high ticket prices.  CEMF allows music lovers to escape the stress of city life to experiencemusic in a natural, comfortable, serene campground.  Bingemans Camping Resort (www.bingemans.com) is the perfect choice.  Why?  First of all, there is no shortage of fun with Bingemansvariety of optional activities: Big Splash water park, Go-Karting, Paintballing, Arcade, and an 18-hole golf course.  Second, the resort is located in Kitchener, which is situated in the heart of Southern Ontario.  Moreover, should you decide to set up tents to camp overnight, Bingemans’ three campsites (Riverside, Glen, and Chalet) are all conveniently proximate to the resorts facilities, amenities, and stage areas.

EPKHosting.com has been fortunateto witness much of the excitement that CEMF delivered in previous years.  Want a taste of what this festival is like?  Visit www.epkhosting.comto view CEMF video coverage of Mix Master Mike, MSTRKRFT, and Alexisonfire.  It is undeniable that CEMF packs the most talent per dollar among any festival around.  We highly recommend that you purchase tickets through the various outlets listed on the CEMF website (http://www.cuttingedgemusicfestival.com).  Get ready for the best weekend of summer, and certainly the best party of the year.  Don’t forget your bathing suit!

Get your CEMF 2009 tickets at ticketmaster!

Cutting Edge Music Festival – Aug 1st to 3rd, 2009 – Bingeman’s Park, Kitchener
(this year’s wemf has been merged with cemf)

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Heavy Hitters

The video above is MSTRKRFT performing live at the 2007 Cutting Edge Music Festival in Grand Bend, Ontario. What you are hearing is a song by Proxy called “Ready to Watching” mixed into the Chemical Brothers “Salmon Dance” similar to the stylistic blends of Mix Master Mike as depicted at WEMF 2007 when he mixed . Now although that may not classify as an original tune but it’s a perfect depiction of the style found on their first album released in 2006 called “The Looks“. Most noticeably the song “Street Justice” has the same sort of synthesizer and tempo. All in all, this is a high energy duo that will keep you dancing all night if you can keep up.

The crowd that night was psychedelic and completely trashed. From the sex-like dance moves I would gather that most of these dancers enjoying the heavy grind of MSTRKRFT were popping colourful pills. As a sober cameraman I still enjoyed their set a lot. Although I must admit, seeing the crowd do their thing in sync to their music was quite the sight too… funny to say the least. These boys put on a good show and have paid their dues. Both members have been performing artists for years before MSTRKRFT was ever born.

Jesse F. Keller was the bassist of “Death from Above 1979″ (a very note worthy Canadian 2 piece band from Toronto) before he transitioned into MSTRKRFT. Likewise, Alex Puodziukas a.k.a. AI-P was formerly part of an electro pop band from Mississauga (just outside of Toronto) called Girlsareshort. Their musical backgrounds give them such diversity which in turn translates to the sound of MSTRKRFT; Electro/Punk/Rap (as listed on their myspace). It’s thanks to their cross-platform diversity that they were booked not only to CEMF but WEMF as well.

What impresses me the most is their world wide recognition from playing festivals and gaining press from the U.K., Paris, Canada and Australia all in the span of a year. They have recently released a new record called “Fist of God” in March 2009 with a heavy touring schedule that crosses the entire globe. What I credit them with the most is having stuck to making music even after the loss of so many bands beforehand. I think it’s safe to say that these heavy hitters can live without regret in looking back at their previous musical projects as they all seem to have contributed to their music today.

For more information about MSTRKRFT or to find out where they’ll be next, please visit; http://www.mstrkrft.com

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No Transitory

It’s been almost 6 years since I first saw Alexisonfire at the Masonic Lodge in Streetsville. My gut told me they’d become giants in the indie music scene and here we have it, my instincts were never more correct.

Headlining the Cutting Edge Music Festival in Grand Bend, rammed with thousands of people pumped to keep the party going non-stop, Alexisonfire had to stop twice mid-performance because the stage barriers couldn’t hold back the crowd – half of whom were screaming ‘Dallas have my babies!’

Unlike Goldfinger at Wakestock though, this time around the band chose to cooperate with the stage crew, who were literally drenched in sweat trying to prevent the crowd from eating George and the bunch alive.

On the bright side however, their set was well-worth all the commotion, Alexisonfire performed with the same energy and passion that they’re notorious for. While driving back, I listened to their very first homemade demo I picked up 6 years ago at the Masonic Lodge.

Needless to say, they’ve come a long way, and the brother band has become so successful that a media pass couldn’t even get me close enough to say “Hello, remember me?”. I can’t complain, I’m just proud to say I knew them when was Wade asking for my I.D. to buy beer the night they signed with Distort Entertainment

For more information about Alexisonfire or to find out where they’ll be next, visit www.theonlybandever.com

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Alexisonfire Performs at CEMF 2007

MSTRKRFT performs at CEMF 2007

What better way to spend the August long weekend than 4 days of camping, 3 nights of parties, and 2 days of wicked Canadian music?

From August 3rd to the 6th, people from all over Ontario gathered at the beautiful Grand Bend, where St. Catherines’ own Alexisonfire headlined the four-day extravaganza also known as the Cutting Edge Music Festival.

Hosted by The Edge’s Barry Taylor, Cutting Edge featured some of Canada’s most popular bands including Ill Scarlett, Moneen, Protest the Hero, and so much more. In addition to the live stage, the massive outdoor venue also featured drag racing, and a dance tent, which played host to MSTRKRFT, Mark Oliver and more DJs that kept the party going long after the main stage called it a night.

Rammed with thousands of people pumped to keep the party going non-stop, Alexisonfire had to stop twice mid-performance because the stage barriers couldn’t hold back the crowd – half of whom were screaming ‘Dallas have my babies!’ Unlike Goldfinger at Wakestock though, this time around the band chose to cooperate with the stage crew, who were literally drenched in sweat trying to prevent the crowd from eating George and the bunch alive. On the bright side however, their set was well-worth all the commotion, Alexisonfire performed with the same energy and passion that they’re notorious for.

While majority of people spent most of their days checking out the live performances and dancing it up in the dance tent until the wee hours of the night, others preferred to lounge around the campsite, where the alcohol was abundant and the good times were consistent. Normally being drunk at 12 in the afternoon is unacceptable, but that’s the beauty of a festival like this – no one gives a shit until it’s Monday morning and all you want to do is get the fuck out!! Or until you’re rudely awakened at 5 am because people are having sex right outside your tent… (Definitely didn’t appreciate that).

While the rainy Saturday weather kinda bummed me out, the weekend was an overall success. So next year, be sure to pack your sleeping bags, cooler full of booze, and tent, or if you’re a snob like me, rent a nearby motel and check out the festivities free of trash and 5 am wake up calls.

Get your CEMF 2009 tickets at ticketmaster!

Cutting Edge Music Festival – Aug 1st to 3rd, 2009 – Bingeman’s Park, Kitchener
(this year’s wemf has been merged with cemf)

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• The Roots - Thought @ Work (Live at CEMF 2009)
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• MSTRKRFT - Performs at CEMF 2007
• Alexisonfire - Performs at CEMF 2007