Banished Into Oblivion - July 21, 2003 - 7 / 10

Galactus 77
The Lorax
At The Mercy Of Inspiration

I found out before the show that the opening band, local stoner metal 
heroes Galactus 77, couldn't play due to a massive SARS outbreak in 
Sussex.  As a result, I knew I could arrive a little late and not miss the 
other 2 bands.

The name of the venue was The Right Spot, but as I walked in I thought 
that it was anything but.  I was greeted with a "Dude!" by the man 
responsible for booking the show, the always-friendly RealDeadOne.  On my 
left, some bandmembers/roadies were setting up the stage.  As I panned the 
hall, I recognized some familiar Moncton metalheads, and quite a few 
not-so-familiar ones.  I was not surprised to find that none of the 
co-worker friends I invited showed up.  So far so good.
On the far end opposite the doors, a few regulars were shooting a game of 
pool.  The other pool tables were empty.  Over on the right, the bar and 
VLT machines were lined with the local barfly/gamblers, nursing their 
drinks and making idle chit-chat whilst plopping quarters into the 
gambling machines.

After paying my 5 bucks, I went over to RDO's table and introduced myself 
to Fatal If Swallowed, a popular Brave Board poster.  FIS was in 
attendance all the way from Toronto - he had chosen nearby Bouctouche as 
his vacation spot for a week and took this opportunity to soak in a local 
metal show, ironically featuring a band from his own hometown.

The bands set up their merch table, and a few of us took advantage of the 
early setup to buy some CDs and t-shirts.  13 bucks (a good number) got me 
3 CDs: The Lorax 2003 demo, ATMOI's "A Perfect Way To Kill An Evening", 
and a free live sampler CD of a band called Steel Rain.  I should have 
bought an ATMOI shirt, in retrospect, as I have since learned that my wife 
likes the CD.  But I digress.  Others in attendance chose to wait until 
after hearing the bands before showing their support at the merch table.

When The Lorax took to the stage and began belting out their first song, 
the legions of black (ie: the metalheads) stood quietly in appreciation 
while the bar regulars wasted no time in clearing themselves out.  I don't 
remember much about the music except that the drummer was killer.  The 
drum sound was fairly loud in the mix, which left the singer barely 
audible throughout the first song.  They made a few adjustments before the 
second song, which helped bring up the vocals a bit.

The Lorax are an energetic band, especially the crazy bass guitarist (who 
almost knocked RDO out cold while he was taking a picture).  The singer 
was striking unusual poses during his performance: he'd sing a verse or 
two kneeling down with one outstretched leg, facing the ground, then he'd 
spring up and arch his body backwards, and sing a few more verses to the 
ceiling.  He was fun to watch, as was the bassist who kept thrashing 
around, and occasionally I'd look at the drummer who was still playing 
like a madman.  

Midway through their set, a non-descript looking couple in their early 30s 
strolled in, probably expecting a typical Monday night at "The Right 
Spot", and left after witnessing about a minute of The Lorax's blasphemous 
music.  Now they'll have a nice story to tell their stupid grandchildren 
when they're old.

I was entertained by The Lorax's short set, but it was really just a warm 
up to the incredible ATMOI performance.  The mp3s I had listened to were a 
great primer, but I was still amazed by their performance.  If The Lorax 
were stars, then ATMOI were novas.  All 3 guitarists thrashed around 
crazily, but it was the singer (again) who stole the show.  He ran around 
a LOT, danced, gyrated, mounted a chair and screamed bloody murderous 
venom into the mike.  

The band executed the music flawlessly, as well as I could recall from the 
mp3s.  The live performance even outshines the studio output because of 
the sheer intensity of the music.  I don't remember the song titles or 
order, except I know they played The Embarassed midway through the set.  

I was personally disappointed with the turnout for this show, but I was 
entertained and I could tell the others in attendance were as well.  
Ultimately this is what counts the most; because without their support our 
little music scene could not survive.  A huge thanks to RDO, Necromaster, 
the Undergrowth boarders that helped put up the posters (which worked!) 
and of course the two bands for making their way to Moncton for the show.  
Here's to future success in the Moncton metal scene!

Cheers!

D. Grimby


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