Massey Hall

Having crossed the border to perform at in Quebec on the 10th, the Crims find themselves in Toronto’s Massey Hall, yet another venue with a long association with the band. “Great to be back here in Canada and to all of you in Montreal, I’m sorry. Not that you’re from Montreal. I’m sorry that we didn’t play there. That’s what I meant,” says Adrian after a barnstorming ProzaKc Blues.

Having actually opened the show with The ConstruKction Of Light, listening to it brings to mind a well-known Guitar Craft aphorism that goes something like: “Be very careful about the beginning. Then, be very careful about the end. Then, be very careful about the middle.” This certainly applies to a delightfully mobile rendition of The ConstruKction Of Light. A complex number at the best of times, if there’s anything distractions then things can awry as it does more than once here.

Oyster Soup is especially good in here, lurching from side to side as Pat and Trey keep things rolling. Belew’s solo has a taut quality that sounds like it might be snap at any moment. You can hear him smile and laugh as he sings the last verse of this strange song.

Another highlight of this show is a stomping version (is there any other kind?) of Dangerous Curves. The sustained build has various in-coming electronic allsorts from Mastelotto who is very definitely the heir to that once-upon-a-time agent provocateur, Jamie Muir. Mind, if you listen to Adrian’s razor-sharp staccato guitar throughout the track you can’t help but be impressed at that kind of deep, in-the-groove attack.