The good book

Many years ago I headed over to the Dom to check out the heavy sounds of Illuminati; this was pre-blog, but a few photos did make it on to the Birdman Sound website; a couple of years later they were back for an equally loud gig at Zaphod's. They called it a day in 2007, but no one doubted the various folks involved would be showing up again in various projects, most notably bassist Nick, who's kept pretty busy - the next time I saw him, in 2007, he was backing up ex DFA 1977 man Sebastien Grainger at Bluesfest. A few years later he revved up the mighty machine that is Biblical, along with some folks from Bicycles (who have also made a blog appearance) and Steamboat (of whom I know naught). They were joined by Montreal's Mountain Dust and local power trio Rex Heck; here's Heckler Dave!



Brad hits!



Dave sings!



Danny sings!



Bonus Brad!



More Danny!



Even more Brad!



The whole lot!



Mountain Dust also raised a mighty noise; they have a new album chock full of extra-heavy blues sounds out. Hal from Eagle Tears was here in November 2013 for a show at Pressed, and Patrick was rocking a Flying V at Mavericks for a 2010 Trigger Effect gig. Here's frontman Brendan!



Keyboard action with Patrick!



Blair hits!



More Patrick!



More Brendan and Hal!



Bonus Hal!



Patrick works the steel!



Even more Brendan!



Rhythm section action!



More Blair!



Hal sings!



Biblical put on a really good show; they really like to jam out their tunes. Besides Nick, there's Andrew from The Bicycles and The Meligrove Band on guitar and organ, Matt on guitar and Jay on drums.



Nick is under there somewhere.



Matt rocks the Gibson!



Nick sings!



There was so much jumping about I busted out the flash.



More SG action with Andrew!



Jay hits!



Biblical action!



And so on!



Andrew sings!



Closeup action!



Faceoff action!



An excellent night.

Lights off

You folks remember The Illuminati, right? A while ago they played a few storming shows in town. In March they posted a notice saying they were done. So sad! Here's a few pictures of the trio in their prime, rocking The Dominion in October 2004.







Other photos from this occasion can be seen at the Birdman Sound website. The next I crossed their path was at Zaphod's July 2005. I've already posted most of the photos from this show - here are a few leftovers.







If you caught Sebastien Grainger et les Montagnes' set at Bluesfest, no doubt you noticed Nik Sewell on bass. He's also playing bass in Toronto rockers Drunkula along with some former Sinisters and Flamejobs. I'm not quite sure what guitarist Les Godfrey and drummer Jim Gering are up to, but no doubt we have not heard the last, etc.

Up and down

Sebastien Grainger has gone from the unusual and ear-busting bass'n'drums combo DFA 1979 to ear-pleasing but unsurprising work with Les Montagnes. Nick Sewall - sometimes seen making big noises with The Illuminati - plays bass, while Leon Taheny - formerly seen making loud noises with SS Cardiacs - plays the drums. With a lineup like that I would have expected something a little less straightforward than Grainger and Co.'s emotive garage rock, but no complaints since it all sounded nice enough. A short set.

Sebastien is a hat person.



Nick rocks the hair, as he has been known to do.



Leon prepares for a double whammy.



Mountainous action!



Rump-shaking action!



Sebastien gets down.



... and tips right over.



Hat-appropriating action!



Nick shakes it.



And some last-minute feedback.



Good, but I just know they've got more in them.

• Show reminder: People for Audio and The Flaps play at 209 Florence St.; In Safe Hands, Set Fire to Wicker Park, Seeing Emerson and Hot Fix perform at Club SAW.

Fnord

I've seen The Illuminati twice, once at The Dominion (pictures of which can be seen at the Birdman Sound website) and this past Wednesday at Zaphod's ... is it my imagination, or have they added a few flourishes not native to their 70s hard rock sound? Maybe their opening act From Fiction is leading me astray. Anyway, loads of songs, lots of hair, tattoos - you know the drill. Or you should!

One of the advantages of my new telephoto lens: I can take closeups of folks like Illuminati bassist Nick Sewell without almost sticking my camera up his nose.



Ditto for fellow Tchort alumnus and guitarist Les Godfrey, pre-tattoo action.



Drummer Jim Gering.



Sewell gives the hair a workout.



Godfrey all bendy.



Sewell and Gering rock rhythm action!



More Sewell hair-shaking!



And more rock action!



I was standing near the stage and I swear the volume unblocked my sinuses.

• Show reminder: A lot of variety tonight, with The John Henrys, Golden Seals and Black Boot Trio at Babylon, Sleeping Pilot, A/V and After All Your Planet's Gone playing a house party at 256 Bruyere (around King Edward St. and Bruyere), Collapsing Opposites, Saint Bernard of Love and Daydream Square experimentally rocking at the Avant-Garde Bar.