Alexisonfire at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
Don’t believe the hype. That is, the hype I built the last time we reviewed The Dirty Nil. They took the City Stage for the 6 PM slot on July 12th to diehard fans knowing every word or people waiting for the Offspring.
They played a nearly identical show to the last time we saw them, and I think they wore the same clothes. Nonetheless, they hit the few people there with their sludgy hard rock and gave the Ottawa debut of the recently released “Astro Ever After.” They played off their first album, “Wrestle Yu To Husker Du,” which is a groovy pace with a catchy hook and a highlight of the set.
Unfortunately, the sound was off, and I wasn’t the only one noticing. “Turn up Luke’s guitar!” more than a handful of the crowd shouted during the silence between songs. The bass was up in the mix, and while highlighting Ross’ solid playing and dirty tone, when a three-piece isn’t levelled properly it’s noticeable. They ended with their rendition of Metallica’s “Hit the Lights,” which they do better than the original.
The Dirty Nil at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
The Offspring. Yikes. They are old now, and still say things like “Shit yeah!” and “Yeah dude!.” They covered ACDC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie,” which sounded exactly how you think The Offspring covering ACDC sounds like. The Offspring are one of those bands, where no matter what performance they put on you will have a good time because of the hits. Cue “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” to remind you why you’re still standing there and “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” to make you forget everything you saw before.
Alexisonfire at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
My favourite Bluesfest moment is Alexisonfire walking out onto the stage and the lead singer saying in that raspy scream speak, “You ready to hear some blues music?” before breaking into “Accidents.” That made every person in their 20s remember 2004 when they were angsty, hating everything, and ready to fight people.
I’ll say it. “Rough Hands” is the best Alexisonfire song. It’s the perfect amalgamation of everything that makes them enjoyable, Dallas Green’s clean vocals before the angry screaming.
Between the Offspring and Alexisonfire, the high school kids of the early 2000s were beside themselves.
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
Alexisonfire at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
Alexisonfire at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
The Dirty Nil
The Dirty Nil at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
The Dirty Nil at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals
The Dirty Nil at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest 2019. Photo credit: Scott MartinVisuals