Saturday, November 14, 2009

"Shock & Awe"....Puscifer in Vancouver Review


I can't remember the last concert or gig that i attended where i was filled with trepidation and anticipation in equal measure. As i walked through the doors of The Vancouver Centre for the Performing Arts i had no idea what to expect from the beast that is Puscifer. Puscifer (rhymes with Lucifer) is a multifaceted creative outlet for Maynard James Keenan; better known to some as the vocalist from Tool and A Perfect Circle. The debut album "V is for Vagina" was released in 2007 and was followed by some remix albums and EP's.

The reason for my trepidation was simply not knowing what to expect. I've seen Keenan perform many times previously but not under the Puscifer moniker. Never one to bow to the demands of an audience and judging by recent reports, shows on this tour have ranged from full on country to throbbing industrial. Unfortunately i didn't get a chance to catch the opening act Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival (Edit:I've just been informed that Sweethead were the opening act) and arrived just as Maynard made his entrance...from inside a tent.



Shortly after this Major Douche (Keenan dressed in military gear standing in front of an American flag) made an appearance on the back screen and warned people about photography "Fucking Rude" and then urged the audience to get involved with a call and response. Indeed. Watching a few hundred people scream Vagina is always a good way to begin an evening :P

Combining numerous musical elements including industrial funk and primal drums; Keenan spent most of the night ensconced behind a fish eye effect monitor or wandering across the stage with a wineglass in hand. The band played a solid set consisting of "Sour Grapes", "Momma Sed", "Dozo" and "The Mission" amongst others. The night was interspersed with brief comedy skit interludes showcasing a tongue in cheek humour; not to mention Primus drummer Tim Alexander dressed as the tooth fairy. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is Keenan's voice; which i have never heard sounding anything less than note perfect live.


Overall i was really impressed and hope to catch Puscifer again. It was also refreshing to see something being given back to the fans in the form of a free copy of 'V is for Vagina'. The only downfall of the show was not the music or the band. It was the fans. At every Tool/APC gig I've been to there has been a small percentage of the audience that i want to bitch slap. Hard. Tonight was no different. It was a seated gig so people had to contend with others refusing to sit down; one idiot that lunged on stage and was dragged off by security and numerous others drunk and screaming through the songs. Puscifer is not a rock or metal band as such; they make music that evokes dancing (horizontally or vertically!) but i can't see the point of screaming or headbanging to it.


The new EP 'C is for (Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference HERE)' was released on November 10th and can be found on Amazon, I Tunes and will be available from the Puscifer store shortly.


3 comments:

Radge said...

"You ma'am..sir.."

I enjoyed that.

Anonymous said...

.... sweethead was the opener....

Green of Eye, Sharp of Claw said...

@Radge: Heh. He's got a warped sense of humor(as featured in one of the video skits on the night.Maynard playing an extremely camp Hitler dressed in an apron discussing cookies)

Anon: Many thanks for the heads up-What was their set like?

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