THE BRONX & THE CHATS W/ DRUG CHURCH & SCOWL
@ THE PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO
OCTOBER 20, 2022
Currently in the midst of their co-headlining tour, The Bronx and The Chats β along with show openers Drug Church and Scowl β brought their North American Tour to Torontoβs Phoenix Concert Theatre for a sold-out night of unadulterated hardcore and punk rock.
Opening the show was Scowl. The up-and-coming hardcore outfit has been making waves among the hard rock and punk scene, and its set, as relentless as it was brief, lived up to the hype. The band followed lead singer Kat Moss as she stomped across the stage and ripped some absolutely guttural screams. Make no mistake, if the set is any indication, worth all the hype and more, Scowl is the future of hardcore punk.
SCOWL
Next on the bill was the impressively modern punk of Drug Church. Led by the ever-commanding presence of singer Patrick Kindlon, the band delivered a hard-hitting set that demonstrated its main appeal. While greatly influenced by post-hardcore of the last two decades, the bandβs use of instrumental melodies gave them a unique tone that, while close to pop punk, felt entirely unique among both genres. The juxtaposition between Kindlonβs throaty vocals and the bandβs use of up-tempo melodies made for a strong performance, especially with songs βWeed Pinβ, βFunβs Overβ, and βMillion Miles Of Funβ.
DRUG CHURCH
Hailing all the way from Queensland, Australia, The Chats took the stage to much excitement from the packed audience. It was clear that the band had earned its spot as co-headliners as the audience went berserk for the power trio. With a sound distinctly nostalgic for the blistering punk rock of the β70s β think of an Australian middle ground between the aggressive vocals of The Sex Pistols and the instrumental style of The Ramones β The Chats performed a massive set of over 20Β songs, none likely longer than two minutes, without taking a moment to let up. Highlights from their performance included βStinkerβ, β6L GTRβ, βTemperatureβ, βIβve Been Drunk In Every Pub In Brisbaneβ, a cover of Kissβ βRock And Roll All Nightβ, βJet Lighterβ, and βBetter Than Youβ. Without reinventing the wheel, The Chats delivered a high energy and genuinely fun classic punk performance that blew the audience away.
THE CHATS
Walking on β to comedic effect β to Bachman-Turner Overdriveβs βTakinβ Care Of Businessβ, The Bronx took the stage by storm as they blasted headfirst into βWhite Shadowβ. The opening song immediately set The Bronx apart from the rest of the bill as Matt Caughthran took full command of the stage, letting out visceral screams and guitarist Ken Mochikoshi-Horne ripped lead lines and solos reminiscent of the β80s overtop the indestructible foundation of the rhythm section from drummer Joey Castillo, guitarist Joby Ford, and bassist Brad Magers. While not performing their latest single, βBlowtorchβ, the band performed four tracks, including the set opener –Β off their most recent album, 2021βs Bronx VI β βSuperbloomβ, βCurb Feelersβ, and βBreaking Newsβ β all of which stood strong against the bandβs classic material. In addition to their tight and explosive performance, The Bronx very well may be the loudest band Iβve ever seen. Most impressively, however was when Caughthran jumped into the audience to perform βSix Days A Weekβ in the centre of the pit, only to return to the stage wearing an audience memberβs full-length fur coat. Among their stacked set, βShitty Futureβ, βHeart Attack Americaβ, and βKnifemanβ were highlights, along with the three-punch knock out of a show closer: the quintessential βHistoryβs Stranglersβ, a cover of MotΓΆrheadβs βOver The Topβ, and a stretched out, jam heavy βAround The Hornβ. Live and in studio, The Bronx remain the greatest punk band of our time and their performance in Toronto was a truly exciting testament to that.
THE BRONX
With a bill featuring a wide range of what modern punk has to offer β hardcore, post/pop, classic, and alternative β The Bronx and The Chatsβ North American co-headlining tour is perhaps the greatest punk bill youβll see this year. Catching up and coming shakers within the genre back to back with veterans still innovating their art, together, The Bronx, The Chats, Drug Church, and Scowl made for a thrillingly powerful showcase of what punk rock should be in 2022.
SPILL FEATURE: THE BAND IS EVERYTHING TO US – A CONVERSATION WITH THE BRONX’S MATT CAUGHTHRAN
The Bronx Links
The Chats Links
Drug Church Links
Scowl Links
