Polaris Prize-winning Band Fucked Up Plays L3 in St. Catharines

Toronto hardcore sextet, Fucked Up, made the drive down central Ontario's Queen Elizabeth Way to play an enthusiastic show at L3 Nightclub in St. Catharines to an eager crowd February 23rd.

This was the last show of a tour that spanned the month, taking the band through the eastern United States, which guaranteed their set was tight and they were on their game. If you're not familiar with them, check out:

Fucked Up Myspace page
Fucked Up Matador Records page
SXSW Listing for Fucked Up
Looking for Gold blog

Chemistry of Common Life and Hidden World LPs

The band was uncharacteristically late for their set due to a broken guitar string, but when they did hit the stage they began with their epic opener to their Polaris Prize-winning LP, Chemistry of Common Life, “Son the Father,” which quickly gave way to the complex and enthralling, “Magic Word.”

It was not long after this that lead singer Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham removed his shirt to belt out a few more well-known tunes – the melodic “David Comes to Life” off their first LP, Hidden World and the pop-y, “Black Albino Bones.”

During the song, Abraham proceeded to jump into the crowd picking up an audience member, slinging him over his shoulder and carrying him into a slew of onlookers – chaos ensued as two microphones temporarily shorted and someone lost a drink as the singer suctioned their plastic cup to his forehead. Abraham finished the song standing on a table.

Once everyone stopped for a breather and the audio tech fixed the microphones, the band took the opportunity to showcase 3 new songs. The first was entitled, “Holden” – named after Abraham’s 9-month old child. The next was the band’s most recent charity single, “David’s Plan” and “I Hate Summer,” which the audience fully embraced given February's chilly climes.

Damian Abraham's Stage Antics

The band rewarded the audience by playing a crowd favourite, “Baiting the Public,” which sent everyone on the dance floor into a frenzy. They ended the set by playing a cover of The Sex Pistols’ “Bodies” and a lesser known, “Police,” which capped off the relatively quick and high tempo set.


The band’s musicianship is hypnotic by itself, but fused with the stage antics of Abraham, it made for a highly entertaining evening. Fucked Up will be playing the Opera House in Toronto on Friday February, 26th.

Published by Now Public