BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE + Brain Failure @ Foufounes Electriques

By Lindsay Wood - Through Being Cool - 12/08/2007

Concerts at Foufounes are always a gamble. Sometimes they can be rad. Other times, the crowd seems lost and the venue seems inappropriate. Seeing Big D there was one of those times where it seemed to be just right. I, personally, am very partial to the older styling of Big D so newer shows will never quite satisfy, although I will give them credit for having energy and mixing it up. For someone that has never seen them, this show was a pretty good idea of what they are all about.

As I was standing off to the side of the stage, there was a moment that struck me. Big D was tooting away on their instruments and for a brief moment, I realized that they sounded very much like one of my favorite ska core bands of ALL time, Link-80. I never got the pleasure of seeing them live and I drifted off for a few brief moments during the show and thought to myself, “I’m sure they would’ve been great.”

Now, onto Brain Failure. What an act to follow. When I go to a show and see a kick-ass band that I have been a fan of for years, such as Big D, I think to myself, “What are they thinking/doing before I see them?” I know I am sitting in the audience sipping my rye and coke, waiting to see them rather impatiently. But I have to ask myself, are THEY sitting back stage shitting bricks about whether the “warm-up” band is going to upstage them for the second show in a row? (My Toronto source says they did.)

Brain Failure did just that. They stole the show and embraced the venue in a way I have only seen bands like The Queers do. With loud, twangy guitars that make me think of Social Distortion and enough style to beat up any harijuku girl, these guys actually made my night and made the show. Keep your eyes on them, they are on their way up with an original(ish) thing going.

Next time around I may just have to skip the Big D and move onto the Brain Failure. 2008 is the year of new things, right? Or was it the year of the rat? Either way, out with the old and in with the Beijing Punk Ska Rock goodness.

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