BEACH SLANG
@ QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE, TORONTO
November 26, 2019
If you were in the audience and weren’t a Beach Slang fan you were one after this night. As soon as the band walked on stage, it was evident they were extremely raw and high-energy. Frontman James Alex quickly broke the silence with his confidence, wit and sense of humour. “Punk or Lust” was then played following, “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas”.
The next second Alex was prying his pants off of his legs as he was still playing guitar. The crowd’s reaction to this was priceless. I certainly did not expect this at a bigger venue like the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, but at a more intimate level venue. At a smaller venue these moments would be highly appreciated, and the crowd would feed off of this, especially with Beach Slang’s crowds who are known for their mosh pits. Typically, the energy from even Alex wiping his pants away would have created a communal wave of fans lifting and shoving each other along with the performance.
There was surge of excitement from the crowd as “Dirty Cigarettes” started. There were more voices in the audience singing and headbanging along with Beach Slang’s drummer Steve Tripi hitting each punk-filled beat.
During their cover for both Oasis’ “Wonderwall” and Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?”, you could hear the crowd’s voices echoing throughout the venue and see cell phone flashes being lifted up into the air. Alex commented at this point, “All of those lights coming up, if they were lighters, we’d be Led Zeppelin in 1974, but this is a lot better”.
Overall, Beach Slang’s performance wasn’t one to disappoint Torontonians. Every member of the band creates waves of great energy that drifts off well into the crowd. They fired the audience up through classic covers, with Alex’s high-energy stage presence, their relatable angsty lyrics, and intense guitar and drum punches.
Set List
Noisy
Punk or Lust
Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas
Punks in a Disco Bar
Porno Love
Ride the Wild Haze
Dirty Cigarettes
Where is My Mind? (Pixies Cover)
Atom Bomb
Artist Links
(Main/Inlay Photo Credits: @Jonstars)
SPILL FEATURE: THE DEADBEAT BANG OF HEARTBREAK CITY – A CONVERSATION WITH JAMES ALEX OF BEACH SLANG
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUIET SLANG – EVERYTHING MATTERS BUT NO ONE IS LISTENING
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – POLYVINYL PLAYS POLYVINYL
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BEACH SLANG – A LOUD BASH OF TEENAGE FEELINGS
