RISS&ENTERTAINME Metric-Combat Rock Travis Paterson, OP Contributor and Moustache Ride Salesman tion of “Dead Disco,” a Metric favourite and crowd pleaser. People were shouting for it, and they got it. And how. The song's long refrain, building and building, rising and rising, to this massive crescendo...it was like bub- bling cheese on an Iron Maiden pizza. Somewhere in there was a little Queen salami, and some Sleater-Kinney tomato sauce. You're drunk, you're hungry, and you take a huge bite, burn the top of your mouth, and reach for more. Like most Indie-pop bands, Metric are definitely nois- ier in person than they come across on the albums. Yes, this is a blunt observation, but lead singer Emily Haines lends so much talent with her vocal work that you could expect an operatic performance. A part of me wants to compare her to Gwen Stefani, but with Gwen's last effort, I'm not even gonna bother. Besides, Deena Cox (the Georgia Straight) did, and I'm probably better than her because I have a moustache. Metric are truly rock, punk, and pop with a melodic side, and in that order. Not pop music per se, but some sharp hooks and rhythms. Then again, that's their recorded sound. ‘This As I headed down to catch Metric on October 30, I felt was the Commodore, where Metric ta comfortable despite the pouring rain and cold wind, like I O44" ear-shattering and massive, guitar : sl te - ‘ erinding, bass ing, wall of Ks had been in that situation before, a classic October con- grinding, bass thumping, wall of rock cert night at the Commodore. Say that seven times. It was \ lot of that sound is due to James F Ae Ree i y) Shaw's masterful skill 2 their second show of the day, both of which were easy (Jimmy) Shaw's m a terful skill and : : as 7 - Poti sell-outs, the afternoon being an all-ages program. prowess on the guitar. Jimmy and Emily The highlight of the show was the ten-minute rendi- returned to live in Toronto (after various Mirrormash—More Mystifying than Mysterious Sajia Kabir, OP Contributor Regular readers of the Other Press may have find an object called the Mirrormask in order to noticed a preoccupation on the part of this save the White Queen and defeat the Black reviewer with the work of Neil Gaiman. It gives me great sorrow to announce that Mirrormask, directed by Sandman cover artist and renowned illustrator, Dave McKean, co-written by Gaiman, and produced by the Jim Henson Company does not live up to the reputation of any of the parties involved. Helena is a teenage girl who wants to stop jug- gling with the family circus and have a “normal life.’ After her mother falls dangerously ill follow- ing one of their quarrels, Helena wakes up in a dream world separated from reality only by her elaborate charcoal-on-paper drawings. She has to Queen, with only the masked Valentine to aid her. Gaiman has dealt with similar themes before, in the Sandman volume, A Game of You and very recently in the children's book Cora/ine. Here his character development is overly schematic and his moral conclusions are tending towards banality. As for the visual side, the cinematography makes The Brothers Grimm \ook like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—yes, it's that bad. There is a stark lack of distinctness in the lighting. If you really love Gaiman that much and have to see it, wait for the DVD rental. #MOICA Ourswe Canad aeditor@gmail.com strings living across North America and the world) in 2004, and are backed by Joules Scott-Key on drums, and Josh Winstead on bass. After watching Emily's kicking, screaming, wailing, head-banging, and keyboard playing for an hour, it occurred to me that she is hot, hot, red-hot. Being an old, moustachioed, hipster-trend following kind of guy, I'm aware that I'm late to pick up on the hot trends. Most notably, I'm late to notice that Emily Haines is more than just a sexy rocker, and more than just one of the many anthemic voices along side Feist, and the Stars' Amy Milan in the Broken Social Scene, and that she is, without a doubt, rock-star brilliant. Keeping with the Toronto theme of stage gangs, throughout the night band members from The Most Serene Republic and Metric joined each other on up front, dishing it out with gospel soul and tambourines. | came out of the show delightfully aware that I'd been rocked, and you just don't get that everyday in Vancouver. LIVE .22 @ RICHARD’S ON RICHARDS CABARET ON TOUR THIS FALL _. www.priestessband.com www.indica~records.com