SPILL LIVE REVIEW: MCLUSKY w/ PILE @ THE MOD CLUB, TORONTO

MCLUSKY w/ PILE

@ THE MOD CLUB, TORONTO

APRIL 6, 2026

For the first time in nearly two decades mclusky has reemerged with a string of new music. With 2025’s full length album, the world is still here and so are we, followed by this year’s EP, i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley, Toronto was due for a mclusky reunion.

Fellow noise-rockers Pile did the opening honours, leading with “Texas,” “The World Is Your Motel,” and “Deep Clay.” The Boston group is fresh off the release of their 2025 album Sunshine and Balance Beams which expands on their post-hardcore sound with the addition of strings and synths, making for a very layered yet heavy listen. They treated the audience to the emotionally charged song “Born at Night” to many applauses before diving right back into the noise with “Special Snowflakes” and “Hairshirt.”

mclusky opened with “Lightsaber Cocksucking Blues,” “Without MSG I am Nothing,” and “Collagen Rock” to one of the most rambunctious crowds the Mod Club has ever seen.

“Good evening, Toronto and the surrounding areas, we are the Kings of Leon!” frontman Andrew Falkous joked. “It’s such a delight to be here doing an intimate set. . . intimate set is something big bands say to make smaller bands feel even worse about their lives,” he continued, before ripping into some raucous sounding riffs.

The group did not disappoint their longtime fans, playing tons of music off their 2002, Steve Albini-produced mclusky do dallas, including “to hell with good intentions,” “day of the deadringers,” and “alan is a cowboy killer.”

Their new songs absolutely slapped too, “unpopular parts of a pig” sent a shockwave through the crowd and “as a dad” brought the energy in the mosh pit to new heights. “Okay don’t overreact,” Falkous chimed in response to the massive applause.

Speaking of energy, bassist Damien Sayell, was super entertaining to watch, he brings so much life to the stage, you almost forget he’s not a lead guitarist the way he feeds off the audience and channels that chaos back into the music.

The group finished off the set with “i know computer,” “whoyouknow,” and “to hell with good intentions,” ending an epic night of memories for everyone who realized they weren’t at a Kings of Leon show. For all those other people, it’s going to be one gnarly hangover, worth it though.

(Photography by Cory Barter)

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