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The Class Riot - The Bovine Sex Club, Toronto - Tuesday September 4 07
There’s certain something to be said for a band willing to drag itself through the somewhat dingy guts of downtown Toronto on a Tuesday night to play for a more than half-empty room and a more-or-less uninterested crowd. Then again, I suppose it says a great deal about the “take what you can” mentality of most independent bands that don’t care who their audience is, as long as warm bodies fill the room and some form of response to the energy on stage is had.
Now, in all honesty, the Class Riot is not normally the type of band that I would make the conscious effort to go out and see. Sitting almost precariously on the punk side of the music fence, they are not exactly my cup of…well anything really, but Tuesday night found me front and more-or-less center of a dismally small audience through a series of last minute plans and flukes. But regardless of the fact that the Class Riot is punk where I am alternative, and highly political where I simply sit on the fence and spectate, their musical talent and the raw energy they provide during their shows is undeniable. Their songs have identifiably unique melodies and the vocals are in no way over-dramatic nor do they play in to the sometimes disturbing punk clichés.
Regardless of the fact that they were playing to an audience of between seven and ten people, their energy never lagged – not even when front-man/vocalist/guitarist Andrew Dunlop broke a guitar string and had to borrow another instrument. In fact, whatever energy the audience refused to generate was picked up and doubled by Dunlop, who hoisted the energy-slack over his shoulder and ran with it as far as he could….which, given the size of the stage and the proximity of mic stands and other band/instrumental clutter, eventually led to some minor shedding of blood. But if that isn’t the dirty little heart of punk rock (well…that and the excessive amounts of sweat), then what is?
All in all, the Class Riot is a band that ay self-respecting music fan should check out – if only to foray briefly into the unknown depths of indie-punk. Their somewhat overly political themes are matched rather perfectly by Dunlop’s somewhat gravelly singing voice. Couple that with the aggressive anger literally pouring off of rhythm guitarist Steve Decaro, the amazing dexterity of bassist Justin Greig’s fingers and the easy yet driving rhythm provided by drummer and producer Dan Hausman, the Class Riot have managed to put together and interestingly good sound that has the potential to move and drive the flow of energy in their audience to frenzy-like heights.
Now all they need is better publicity, CD circulation and an audience that consists of more than a few friends, a handful or random strangers, the members of the opening band and the venue’s bar tenders.
Check them out at: Myspace.com/theclassriot
Favorite song to date: System Failure (which features one of the most amazingly driving bass-lines ever)
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