When it comes to punk rock, many bands consider their touring schedule as a badge of honour. The band that plays 250 dates in a year will always be more respected than the one that plays 249, and the one that plays 251... you get where I'm going with this. There are some bands, however, that have toured enough to set them for life in terms of punk rock kudos, and The Flatliners aren't just one of those bands, they're the band that inspired the bands who are like that. Coming together in 2002 with an average age of 14, the band hit the road almost immediately after they formed, making countless circuits of Canadian D.I.Y hardcore shows with only a single demo tape to their name. These shows and that demo, however, scored them a record deal with Stomp Records, who put out their debut album “Destroy To Create” in 2005.
The band had one final release on Stomp after it was reformed into Union Label Group, 2007's charmingly titled “Sleep Is For Bitches EP”, but soon afterwards they were snapped up by Fat Wreck Chords for the release of their second album, “The Great Awake”. However, the band wouldn't get out of the punk rock ghetto until 2010, with the release of their massively acclaimed third album “Cavalcade”, and ever since then, they've remained one of the most exciting and beloved punk acts in the world. However, the most exciting part of The Flatliners by a long shot, is the fact that 13 years into their career and the band are still playing with their original line up. Not to mention how they're all still in their mid-twenties with the best days of their career still ahead of them. There isn't a band alive that wouldn't kill to be in The Flatliners' position, and for that, they come highly recommended.
My brother is really into Propagandhi, so I went with him to see them live in concert. It was in a really small event that took place in a crowded high school auditorium. Despite Propagandhi only playing for thirty minutes in a high school auditorium with mediocre sound equipment, they put on a hell of a show. I would have to describe Propagandhi as a political punk band.
The band members were not flashy or over the top with their appearance as every band member just wore a t-shirts and jeans. It appeared that Propagandhi was more focused on getting their message across to the audience then the aesthetics of the show.
They started their set with the song "Stick the Fucking Flag Up Your God Damn Ass, You Son of A Bitch" off their debut album How To Clean Everything and after that Propagandhi had me as a fan. The loud, heavy and fast music coupled with Chris Hannah vocalizing his discontent with the current state of society really resonated with me.
In between songs, vocalist Chris Hannah took a break to speak to the audience about political and social issues, such as racism, homophobia, corporations, and the government. Definitely an informative and exciting concert.
Ontario punk outfit Flatliners found their footing on the live circuit as they gigged the small rooms and worked their way up yet due to their formation in the mid-00s they were helped through the power of the internet and blogs. The group found support from a number of publications and the gigs were suddenly selling out faster and venues were being upgraded to deal with the demand. Although their intense punk sounds suited small places where Chris Cresswell could literally scream into the face of his followers the group handled the transition well.
The riffs got bigger, the drums louder and the fan chanting even louder still. They welcome in the newcomers with open arms whilst they greet the old timers with a wry smile and noticeable affection. Running through a blistering setlist lifted tracks from all four of the group's albums, the fans are right behind them all evening fuelling the energy as they scream lyrics between each other and the band. Moshing breaks out during 'Count Your Bruises' and everything seems to be on the brink of sheer destruction for 'Tail Feathers' before the musicians wrestle it from the brink and bring it home in a big way.