Cancer Bats Celebrate 20 Years of BIRTHING THE GIANT

On Friday the Cancer Bats destroyed the Opera House in Toronto for a special show, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Birthing the Giant.

This was a special one for me. I distinctly remember buying Birthing the Giant when It first came out, one of the first cds I ever bought, back when HMV existed and did 2/$25 deals. I recall holding the album in my hand with the classic Cancer Bats logo, feeling super cool. I was 15 and had just discovered the Bats after seeing the video for “French Immersion” late one night on Much Loud and was absolutely blown away. Up until this point I mostly listened to AC/DC and Green Day, so the Cancer Bats were a big jump for me musically! I've been a fan ever since. 

Unfortunately due to an unplanned migraine, I missed the first two acts of the night, Chastity and Teeth. Though I will say, I did see Teeth open for Cancer Bats last year in Hamilton and those guys rip! Thankfully I made it right before Anciients hit the stage, my first time checking out the two time Juno winning band from Alberta. An absolutely solid performance that definitely got me warmed up for the chaos to come.

Then, the main event, the mother fucking Cancer Bats! I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen these guys over the years, from festival stages to dimly lit pubs all over Canada. They may be getting a bit older, like we all are, but they’re definitely not slowing down that's for sure!

I love album anniversary shows; it’s a rare time you get to experience the album live from front to back. The set kicked off with the first track, "Grenades" which was a solid start. The crowd quickly went into mosh pit overdrive for "French Immersion"; being in the photo pit singing along to the song that started it all for me was a chef's kiss moment. Highlights from the first part of the set were definitely "Shillelagh", a personal favourite of frontman Liam Cormier, "100 Grand Canyon", and "Pneumonia Hawk" (sadly minus George Petitt, judging by the crowd many were hoping the AOF frontman would make an appearance). 

The band was tight, super energetic, and appeared to love every moment. Liam thanked the crowd on multiple occasions for the love over the years, which is always nice to hear as a fan. Jay R. Schwarzer absolutely destroyed it on bass, the sweat pouring down his face while he whipped around his axe constantly like it was nothing. Mike Peters kept the heartbeat of the band going, I wish he wasn’t so far back on stage! But I guess they gave lots of space for Liam to run around, swinging his microphone wildly about. The youngin' of the band, Jackie, did a fantastic job on guitar, tearing up the riffs with ease. It was funny hearing Liam talk about how Jackie was only nine years old when Birthing the Giant came out. 

Thankfully the show didn’t end once the album tracks were done, and the crowd was definitely wanting more. The pit went absolutely mental for "Hail Destroyer", the security were definitely earning their keep with the constant onslaught of bodies surfing over the crowd. "Bricks & Mortar", "Hammering On" featuring their merchandiser Brooklyn Doran on vocals, and "Lucifer’s Rocking Chair" were all well received before the entire venue went nuts for their regularly featured cover of Beastie Boys “Sabotage”. The night ended with "Winterpeg" and just like that, the night was over. Another awes0me Cancer Bats show leaving me wondering if we'll have a 20th anniversary tour for Hail Destroyer in a couple of years...

SETLIST
SHILLELAGH
BUTTERSCOTCH
DEATH BROS
FIRECRACK THIS
DIAMOND MINE
100 GRAND CANYON
GHOST BUST THAT
PNEUMONIA HAWK

HAIL DESTROYER
BRICKS & MORTAR
HAMMERING ON
LUCIFER’S ROCKING CHAIR
SABOTAGE
WINTERPEG