The Rezillos in Toronto – A review
I don’t usually do re-union shows, I really don’t. There’s just something about trying to put that genie back in the bottle, that trying to recapture lost youth, that seems depressing. However…I bought the Rezillos first (and only) studio album Can’t Stand the Rezillos when I was 14 in 1978. It was a great record then; it’s a great record now.
And so to Lee’s Palace it was.
Opening band Arson were everything you could have expected or wanted. A high energy punk rock garage band in the tradition of the MC5, the Dolls, the Stooges, the Heartbreakers etc. No pretensions. Unfortunately, their brand of rock, or perhaps the as then low attendance, didn’t lure anyone other than a photographer onto the dance floor. The guitar player bore a striking resemblance to my old mate Ken White, but that’s another story for another day..
Before the Rezillos came on, I had one of those rare moments of fun where I ran into a group of people who I hadn’t seen for a couple of decades – a group of friends from university days. All of us a little grayer, a little heavier than in those halcyon days of youth, but what the hell?
And the Rezillos too. Featuring orignal members Eugene Reyolds, Fay Fife and Angel Patterson, and new guys Jim Brady and Chris Angew, the band were, well, older, but no less fun (Listen to the live Mission Accomplished: But the Beat Goes On to get the idea). Looking like a cooler version of Dan Dare and a day-glo Mary Quant, the band blasted through a selection of classics from their one album and pulled out a few new songs as well.
In their all too short set, the band had the audience dancing and all of us sang along. A great evening.
Oh, and as a lovely finisher, the band hung around to take pictures with the remaining audience (got mine with Fay) and sign CDs, records etc.
Set List
1. Out of this world
2. Flying Saucer Attack
3. Getting me down
4. Cold Wars
5. Sorry about Tomorrow
6. Mystery Action
7. You’re so Deep
8. It Gets Me
9. Get out of my Face
10.Destination Venus
11. Top of the Pops
12. (My Baby does) Good Sculptures
13. River Deep Mountain High
14. I Can’t Stand My Baby
Encores
1. Bad Guy Reaction
2. (Somebody’s Gonna Get their) Head Kicked in Tonight
Music Notes: November 2012 « Notes from Underground said,
November 30, 2012 at 4:39 am
[...] the re-formed Rezillos a week back. Marvellous show, but read the read the review why don’t cha.? Picked up this little record at the show. Two versions of the song (I prefer [...]
No One Likes the Dik Van Dykes (But Everyone Likes Stu Smith) « Notes from Underground said,
December 31, 2012 at 8:23 pm
[...] then about a month ago, I ran into a bunch of the Hamilton crew at the Rezillos show at Lee’s Palace. I still see Steve Hoy, who is a some kind of regional manager at HMV [...]