SPILL LIVE REVIEW: THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE w/ DEAD POSEY & KORINE @ THE AXIS CLUB THEATRE, TORONTO

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE w/ DEAD POSEY & KORINE

@ THE AXIS CLUB THEATRE, TORONTO

OCTOBER 9, 2022

It was a very welcome homecoming this Thanksgiving weekend for Toronto natives The Birthday Massacre. After a month long North American tour promoting their latest album Fascination, the dark wave sextet closed their tour with a performance at the Axis Club along with openers Korine and Dead Posey. The crowd that greeted them were warm, loving, and excited to welcome back the much beloved band after five long years since their last hometown show.

The Birthday Massacre seemed just as eager to greet their fans, friends, and family on this return with lead singer Chibi excitedly exclaiming “We’re home!” when they took the stage. They opened their performance with “Stars And Satellites” off Fascination. Although the tour was meant to promote the new album, they only chose to play a small selection from it, opting instead to fill their performance with fan favourites spanning their last nine studio albums.

DEAD POSEY

“Superstition”, “Pins and Needles”, “Flashback”, and “Control” were among the many fan favourites. The Birthday Massacre played with passion, as they always do. What’s wonderful about their shows is the fun and love the band have while they perform. They dance around while they play; Chibi interacts with the audience grabbing outreached hands and completing finger hearts. Chibi is often seen joking around and teasing rhythm guitarist Rainbow, keyboardist Owen, and lead guitarist Falcore throughout the show – the beauty of a band who are loving friends on and off stage.

Their stage show is filled with visual elements that pair well with their music that, for the uninformed, is a nostalgic trip of 80s-tinged synth pop as seen through a child-like fantasy filter. The live performance has the stage often flooded in purple-pink light with haze to create a dream-like world. The only downside to the stage set up would have to be the use of bright white strobe lighting pointed at the crowd; it was rather hard on the eyes.

KORINE

Personal standout moments include their performances of “Red Star”, “Lover’s End”, and “Blue”. I do wish they would have played “Cold Lights”, a personal favourite from the new album. They capped off their performance with a three song encore including “Happy Birthday”, “Falling Down”, and “In the Dark”.

Hopefully, it won’t be another five long years for The Birthday Massacre to return for another hometown performance. It’s clear that the mutual love between their fans and the band is unparalleled and worth the wait.

(Photography by Samantha Wu)

Birthday Massacre Photos

Dead Posey Photos

Korine Photo

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