When I heard that Continental, Rick Barton's new band, was coming back to Ottawa I was instantly excited. I had first saw them a few years ago opening for The Mahones at Mavericks and I had been anticipating their return ever since. If that was not enough my good friends from Montreal, the East End Radicals, were added to the bill. It was then that I realized The Scally Cap Brats had to get on the bill as well, and one email to Eugene from Zaphods later, we were added to the show. So now was I not only getting to see one of my favourite guitarists/songwriters of all time, but my band was going to be opening for them. Just to give you some context, I learned to play guitar and bass by playing along to the first Dropkick Murphys album, "Do or Die", so saying I was excited would be an understatement.
First up to start the night my own band, The Scally Cap Brats, would take the stage. There's not much I can say as I'm not one for bragging or boasting of any sort. One thing I can say is that we had fun and played a tight set, the only two goals we have when we play. The set was a continuation of a streak of good shows that started with string of Ontario dates back in July, which has come as a relief to me after a spate of rough shows beforehand. It seems to me we are really hitting our stride now after a shift in the lineup and things are only getting better as the new roster gels together.
Secondly, we had the East End Radicals. What can I say about them? I could probably write a book praising them but this short paragraph will have to do for now. Their songs are infectious, their choruses catchy, and every song is an anthem in its own right. Their debut album, Carry On!, is a stellar effort front to back and the songs only come off better in a live setting. They blasted through many of my favourites such as Call to Arms, Kicking The Beat, and by special request Dictator's Lap. They also fit two new songs into their set which I can safely say are a good sign of things to come for this young band from Montreal. They started their set strong and finished it even stronger, playing their album's closer For the Boys (A slower paced catchy tune that erupts in to an all out, balls to the wall punk song halfway through) followed by the song Allez (an Ultras Montreal chant turned punk rock song) which is the opening track on the album, but works just as well as a closer.
Lastly we had Continental to close the show. Despite the lacking crowd they put on an energetic and entertaining show, powering through songs that I've come to know from their album All A Man Can Do, some new songs, and the last song Rick ever wrote for Dropkick Murphys on top of it all. Some standout tracks to me include my favourite Continental track A Curious Spell which fetures the catchy chorus, "We had the night all to ourselves / We'd leave our troubles up on the shelf / We had the night all to ourselves / We fell under its curious spell". Other songs included Wrecking Ball, Downtown Lounge and a new one with an infectious intro called 1000 Miles. Every song they played was a testament to their hard work and passion. Rick truly sings from the heart and his songs speak of his own life experience while still being relatable in their themes. Aside from the songs, I was equally enthralled by Rick's stage banter. Listening to his anecdotes and observations can be just as entertaining as watching the band, he certainly knows how to hold a crowd's attention with his songs and his speech. In the end, Continental were all they promised and more. A heartfelt, hard working band who put on one hell of a show and if you were not in attendance it really is your loss as you missed one hell of a treat.
COMING SOON - A video interview with Rick Barton, live video of Continental and East End Radicals
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