Ripper//Cutter and others - Concert Review

Ripper Cutter
Point Break
Hominid
Suicidal Cop
Dysplasia
Avonmore Hall Saturday January 29, 2011
Writer: Gabby Riches

As I jammed my pockets full of cheap beer, an emergency flask full of whisky and enough money for a cab ride, my eagerness for local crusty grind quickly increased. For adults, all age’s hall concerts means brainstorming various strategies for smuggling in beer (the backpack seems to be popular) and failing to see most of the bands due to cases of immediate urination, social dealings, beer chugs, and car hopping. Tonight is Ripper Cutter’s last show, or so they claim, and the guitarist has been drinking all afternoon. The line-up looks top notch despite the fact that the opening act (Dysplasia) is lacking a bassist due to a short notice resigning.

As a three piece, Dysplasia’s energy and audience interaction increased with each song. The hall was quickly becoming saturated with leather, patch jackets, chains, tight pants, combat boots, and it was still early; I was only down 2 beers. Despite my developing buzz, I became irritated by the inaudible guitar, the temporary fragmented rhythms and the skinny, gangly punks that obscured my view. By the end of Dysplasia’s set everyone was up close and personal with the band by wedging themselves between the monitors, the drum kit and other perspiring youth, making it difficult to vacate the vicinity. I kept thinking to myself “Why do I still have my jacket on?!

From the downstairs bathroom, the sounds of harmonious melodies, catchy rhythms and heavy thumping permeated the community hall. Making my way upstairs, I went to the only merchandise table and bought three 7 inch EPs for a mere fifteen bucks. I decided to slip out into the frigid night for a quick sip of ale when I spotted some friends taking refuge in a car. Both the car and the company were comfortably warm. Due to subsequent in-depth discussions about hockey team updates, upcoming shows, politics, dead end jobs, and music, I missed both Suicidal Cop and Hominid. The regret consumes me to this day.

When Point Break, a raw punk band from Calgary took the floor, it was apparent the level of talent and intensity of the acts were increasing as the night progressed. By the time Ripper Cutter was ready to start, the crowd was properly primed. There was a palatable energy in the air, mingling with the smell of sweat and second hand smoke stained jackets. Blast beats erupted from the drums and there was a blast of ear piercing feedback. Ripper Cutter were surrounded by seventy enthusiastic fans all trying to balance the crowd’s ebb and flow. The tattooed singer quickly became lost in the sea of bodies and throughout the set he was constantly getting the microphone chord entangled around his ankles. Normally a moshpit doesn’t emerge until the middle of the set, but the pit formed immediately upon the first song. For every band that played that night, a certain percentage of attendees were outside, but for Ripper Cutter the majority of patrons were present. Due to the increased audience interaction and excitement, the moshpit had fewer brief skirmishes and more sustained momentum throughout the set. As I peered at the audience, I noticed the crowd was an amalgamation of metalheads, punks and crust kids, and it appeared to be multigenerational bunch as well. At the end of the night the band and audience alike were winded and the aggressive desires were both satiated. The ritual of the all-ages hall show had completed its full cycle and steamed billowed out of the front doors as the audience poured out into the freezing night.