Contest: Win Tickets to Fucked Up, May 9 @ Ritual
*Note – This contest is now closed.
If you’ve ever had the chance to catch Toronto’s Fucked Up live in concert, you’ve been witness to something that stands on its own in Canadian music. There’s nothing like it. Melding lead singer Damian Abraham’s explosive, and often unintelligible, vocals with a roller coaster of instrumental layers, melodies, and arrangements, Fucked Up has set itself apart from other bands and garnered international praise for reinterpreting what it means to be in a hardcore punk band.
Having been around for the better part of a decade, Fucked Up took its music to a different level with 2008’s Chemistry of Common Life, ultimately winning the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for their effort. Their 2011 album David Comes to Life, a 78-minute rock opera for the ages, cemented them as one of Canada’s most important bands and a game-changer. Not only was David Comes to Life a sonically and conceptually brilliant work, but it was a de facto “fuck you” to those who said punk bands have limited intellectual capacity and musicianship – not to mention, when’s the last time you heard a 78-minute long album by a punk band-turned-rock band?
Their latest album, 2014’s Glass Boys, is a logical continuation of Chemistry and David, and even includes some notable collaborations including those with Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie, Alexisonfire’s George Pettit, Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis, and Kurt Vile.
Damian’s raspy and forceful vocals aren’t for everyone, and some that can get on board with Fucked Up’s songwriting have a hard time digesting his style of singing. However, it grows on you. Seeing a band live can completely change one’s perspective of that band, and I would say this is especially true for Fucked Up. Damian is a playful, talkative, and all around teddy-bear of a guy. You might not think so when he is on stage sweating profusely without a shirt on, but he and the band suck audiences in and spit them back out as fans by the end of the show.
So now is your chance! We’re giving away a pair of tickets to see Fucked Up at Ritual Nightclub this coming weekend. The band is headlining a show that features one hell of a bill including Dead Tired, DOOMSQUAD, and Ottawa’s own Nightshades this Saturday, May 9, as a part of the Ontario Scene Festival.
How to Enter
Send the answer to us via email at music@ottawashowbox.com or tweet at us at @ottawashowbox with the hashtag #OntarioScene. It’s that easy! Riddle us this: which Much Music show was Fucked Up’s lead singer Damian Abraham formerly the host of?
Clue: Using a putter in the bunker won’t do you any good.
What you could win
One pair of tickets to Saturday May 9th’s show of Fucked Up playing with Dead Tired, Doomsquad, and Nightshades at Ritual as part of Ontario Scene. The draw will take place on Thursday, May 8, at noon. We’ll announce the winner over social media (and contact directly) shortly after noon. Good luck!