Getting drunk
with your boss

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

For the gainfully employed out there, these next couple of weeks will most likely host your annual staff Xmas party. Of course, there’s nothing more dreadful than dipping into the ’nog with co-workers, so here’s some shows to provide the perfect excuse for an early exit. Tonight, Thursday, Dec. 11, you can check out Toronto’s Horses, Hawkes and Montreal’s pop-punk (no, not that kind, think early Descendents) pride Prevenge at l’Escogriffe. Another sure bet tonight would be l’Orchestre d’Hommes Orchestre doing the Tom Waits catalogue at la Sala Rossa. These dapper young men take Waits’s songs and further deviate them with handmade percussion and a sense of theatrics that could even make ol’ Tom blush. Also happening tonight at Green Room is Dead Messenger, who will unveil songs from their newly recorded disc, Love Is the Only Weapon, recorded at Breakglass Studios. That’s with new Signed by Force signees Devil Eyes opening, hotcha!

Friday night is beyond crazy for any fan of sludge and fuzz. First off, at la Sala Rossa, are hometown heroes Priestess, who return home after a Canadian tour with Bison B.C. After completing their sophomore album last month in L.A., you can expect a sneak peak at the new Priestess songs (which are fucking awesome, BTW), but best show up early as the openers make this a stacked bill for sure. Starting off the night will be local riff-slingers Barn Burner, who also return from a Canadian tour, while the middle is reserved for the return of the legend, the freak, the haircut—Corpusse. If you have never seen this man assault an audience before, you can’t miss this. In further Corpusse news, local director and Mirror scribe Malcolm Fraser is currently shooting a documentary on the man, so expect screenings of that in the new year.

After the Priestess show, Moncton’s kings of Sabbath sludge and mega-volume, Iron Giant, continue the wreckage at the Green Room. Making this night even more incredible is my current favourite band in the city, the Great Sabatini, opening up—their psych/noise/metal is sure to give Iron Giant a good run for their money. If you want your metal to pick up the pace a little bit, there’s a night of grind planned at Katacombes with Mesrine, President Camacho, G.O.D. and Carbonized 16 Year Old Victim. On a more punk rock tip, you can check out Whiskey Trench and the Castevets at l’Escogriffe on Friday night.

If you missed Prevenge on Thursday night, check them out at Friendship Cove on Saturday when they open up for Criminal Damage, Complications, Omegas and Bad Habits. For the noiseniks and musical misanthropes, you are all invited to the Bris Cul Office Party at Casa del Popolo with ttttttttttttttttttttt, Women in Tragedy, Snake in the Garden, a Grkzgl/Cabral Jacobs collaboration, Brian Seeger’s Mechanic Rock Pollution Experience and DJ Papa Dans Maman.

Finally, on Monday, you can check out my favourite Montreal rock ’n’ roll and garage DJ, Crawdaddy Simon, at Casa del Popolo, and a rare appearance by improv/space-rock duo the Enjoyer (featuring Priestess’s Mikey Heppner and Go Easy’s “French Mark”).

Before I sign off for another week, I would like to extend my thanks to the organizers that run the Sky Blue Door space, and Billy “Mr. Grumpypants” Mavreas, for hosting the screening of Patti Smith: Dream of Life. Utterly energizing piece of film. Thank you.

JESUS DIED FOR SOMEBODY’S SINS, BUT NOT MINE… JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM