CORN'S TOP TEN SETS OF 2024
(technically 11 artists but c'mon)
THE MALL (BOTH SETS)
the first thing I saw this year was a bunch of taggers beat up some shithead in the parking lot, rip the pockets off his jeans, and then make him leave sans left shoe. the second thing was THE MALL's transportive, apocalyptic dance punk. both of these things set the stage for how fucked AND fun this year would be. also, their COCK SPARRER cover at the end of Dirty World to a collection of late night lifers will be a moment i'll never forget, thanks Mark <3
PUNITIVE DAMAGE
another show at Batiment 7/Tapage, setting a theme for the list going forward. i was not paying attention to this band at all when I went to this one, it's always a good feeling to be surprised at this point. rock-solid catchy and political hardcore, wish Vancouver didn't feel like Antarctica distance wise so I could see them again sooner
GAZM and CELL (FINAL/REUNION SHOWS)
i'd need a lot more time or space to talk about seeing GAZM and CELL again for what could be their last shows, but it feels special that both happened this year. both bands define a beginning of distinct shift in what Montreal HC was, and I feel extremely lucky to have been there for all of it. both shows were insanely wild energy, affirmative to old friends and what we've done, and most importantly the sets were incredibly vital, small h hardcore forever
BELGRADO
more the show than necessarily the band, although I have loved their songs. the show was pouring rain, so humid and packed, but technical difficulties and someone pissing in the corner did zero to dampen the energy as Sasha handed out sparklers and we fanned ourselves with ripped up beer boxes through the 37 degree weather inside, perfect night
LAUGHING (ALBUM RELEASE)
truly one of my favourite bands in the city. seeing them play their entire album of summer power-pop classics and break-up anthems front to back in packed-out Casa was a true tearjerker, fun, gentle and so catchy. also Plateau/Mile End had a night-long blackout right after the set, so i'll always associate this one with wandering up and down St-Laurent as bleary people piled out of bars, me staring at car headlights and thinking about throwing a brick through a window
SLASH NEED (ALL 4 TIMES)
as i've been saying, if you saw a SLASH NEED show and didn't love it, that's completely on you. there are few projects that put so much into the live performance, it's never boring and always feels like everyone's honing into something hedonistic in the pure sense
MIRAGE
their set for Noise Not Borders this year was a masterclass in elevation, just kept speeding up, building, twisting, as the crowd got more and more incensed and spontaneously revived the circle pit, which is something i hope we as a city carry with us into the new year. maybe it's just me getting back into Italian HC in a big way again, but i was just deeply impressed
INNUENDO
i saw a lot of great sets at Skullfest (see my scene report here or in THE COUNTERFORCE print issue #3), but it felt weird to give a ton of slots to bands packed into such a short time and heightened atmosphere (plus 11 bands is already pushing it). but yeah it's INNUENDO. They're stripped-down, pissed off, 80's style Midwest hardcore that's also impossible to mistake as anything other than the band of Right Now, never dropping the furious energy for a second
FLASH
i had a friend who rarely gets super into punk shit rave to me about how good FLASH was in Chicago, so i was already primed for this one, but they truly overdelivered. captured that catchy classic punk, fantastic guitar leads and perfect control of rhythm without surrendering an inch to the bloat of marketable and playlistable "rock'n'roll"
HANK WOOD AND THE HAMMERHEADS
what can i say, i'm a deeply nostalgic person. but! i swear it's not just that i was 22 when Go Home came out! this show was ecstatic in the truest sense, a sea of people losing their shit in a concrete box, a perfect series of riffs, organ runs and slogans to shout at strangers on the street, fireworks and beer cans. it's not complicated, it's not a surprise inclusion, but hardcore punk is stupid as hell and it's the only thing that matters