Billy Talent Lights Up

Anti-establishment angst. Four-band roster brings potent mix of furious energy and politically charged music

T'CHA DUNLEVY, The GazettePublished: Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Toronto's Billy Talent blazed into the Bell Centre last night, topping a four-band roster that brought out 11,800 fans for four straight hours of adrenaline-charged, politically minded music.
Billy Talent's new album II veers into hard rock, metal and even radio-friendly fare, without selling its soul. Judiciously balancing its set between new material and songs from its self-titled debut, the band played for nearly 90 minutes.
A tidal wave of screams erupted as the lights went out, a testament to Billy Talent's devoted following. And if there was any lingering doubt, the sinister guitar riffs and Ben Kowalewicz's piercing wail in the opening of This Is How It Goes proved the potency of the potion.
Leaning into the monitors at the front of the stage, the singer screeched like a fighting wildcat. And the crowd roared back.
"Bonjour tout le monde, ca va?" Kowalewicz asked, after, in a demented caterwaul. "This is amazing."
The energy only increased with the next two songs, Devil In a Midnight Mass and This Suffering.
"Wow," the band leader said, picking up the thread.
"You know, I was born in Montreal. I was born in the West Island. So playing here tonight is a dream come true. Thank you very much."
His shirt was off by the fourth song, and all bets were off as to how high the collective energy would rise. Billy Talent is a damn solid band, with a great frontman, and great songs that combine irresistible pop hooks and a fearless attack.
The chorus to The Navy Song ("In the fall! In the fall!") is a riotous schoolyard chant that borders on battle cry. And it is just one of many.
"So we all know that George W. Bush is an evil man," Kowalewicz said, introducing the fascism warning-call Worker Bees. "But we, as Canadians, have a new problem on our hands. And that problem's name is Stephen Harper."
The song is an anthem - there are several on the new album - with the chorus, "Can we fight to save our souls?" The answer was a resolute yes.
Lofty topics aside, the bad-girlfriend rant The Ex was equally able to get people going, turning the floor into one big mosh pit. On a more sentimental bent was the melodic power-ballad Surrender. Even anti-establishment freedom fighters, it appears, have their moments of weakness.
But with Fallen Leaves, and the set-ending Try Honesty, and the wild Red Flag in the encore, we were back to passionate clarion calls, leading an army of enraptured believers toward a heckuva night.
While Billy Talent had the headlining spot, the first three bands more than held up their end of the deal.
Rise Against, just before, received the kind of rousing response usually reserved for the main attraction.
Arms went up from front to back, with even the slightest prompting from singer Tim McIlrath, who dedicated the band's set to "those who believe in the power of music to change lives." Anti-Flag and Moneen were equally impressive.

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2007