Does anyone remember the *great* show that Hardship Post put
on at the Deuce just after coming off their summer tour?
The opening act was Bite, the date was August 22, and we
had just found out that Hardship Post would be playing the
same night as Lou Barlow at the Halifax Pop Explosion,
a development that Sebastian paid tribute to by beginning
his set by shouting into the mic, "Just gimme INDIE ROCK!!!"
The show started with "Sugarcane" and never slowed down...
Anyways, Chris Murphy (sloan bassist) reviews the show
in the latest Sloan snailmailout -- for those who missed
it here it is...
Hardship Post have been on a long tour that I heard
from various reports was taking a bit of a toll on
them. Touring when you're starting out is so lame.
They did a bunch of dates with Weddings Parties
Anything, an Australian good times drinking band.
The only difference from that description is that
H.P. is not Australian but I'm suggesting that it
was a bad bill. Later they played with Big Drill
Car which I guess was better. They finished up with
Thrush Hermit then did some recording in Montreal.
The tour was at least a week longer than it was
supposed to have been which is a piss off when you're
trying to pace yourself only to have days and weeks
added on. They were to play a show when they got
back to Halifax at our beloved Double Deuce. I was
really hoping it would be a good show just to get
their spirits up again and wipe out some of the self
doubt that I know comes with touring.
The show was amazing. Bite from Montreal opened for
them and played their first show ever in Halifax to a
good response. Bite are on their own tour which will
take them stateside to Boston and I forget where else.
I saw their third show ever in Montreal, now they're
touring less than a year later. I'm really proud of
them. They do the sweet thing, they do the yelling
thing. They are angry but they're funny too. Believe
me that's a hard line to walk. The audience wasn't
quite at full capacity but it was pretty good. When
Hardship Post came on it was packed. They commented
on the size of the crowd compared to the audience on
their tour.
They seemed psyched to take advantage of their long-
awaited packed house. The crowd was psyched to see
them too. At times there were moments of perfection
as an audience. Some of the "slower" groovier songs
had the crowd jumping in gorgeous unison. Some of the
faster ones caused a bit of a rodeo and I became aware
that summer is ending as the back to school college
bone head mosh pit relentlessly whiplashed me into a
piss off. The tour might have dented their spirits
at the time but they have to appreciate how tight it
made them too. They were a machine, venting the
frustrations of crap responses on tour. I have some
reservations about calling it a homecoming show
because they still have a strong tie to St. John's
but I want to observe that they are home free while
they're here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James R. Covey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> What syllable are you seeking,
......................................... Vocalissimus,
Department of English In the distances of sleep?
Dalhousie University Halifax, NS B3H 3H5 Speak it.
