Fucked Up Make Surprise Appearance At Horrors Show In Toronto

In reviewing rock 'n' roll shows, one often encounters opening acts that are totally fucked up. Last night, at The Horrors gig in Toronto, this fact was quite literal.

Yes, the Polaris Prize-winning, Halloween shows-curating, wall-crawling, Boss-bullying, ice-cream-offering, Chad-Kroeger-hair-immolating band of hardcore ne'er-do-wells threw down in front of a pretty packed house at Lees' Palace.

While it was a surprise show, there were a few hints thrown out along the way. Earlier in the week, this message was posted on Fucked Up's blog:

"Hey we are doing kind of a warm up show this week in Toronto cause there a few catalogue songs that we haven't actually ever played live yet. We will be playing one of the following shows..."

Almost a week's worth of gigs were listed (Mika! Cancer Bats! Steve Martin!), but the message was updated yesterday with a cryptically subtle clue: "Hint: It's Today (Wednesday)."

This cut down the possibilities to about a half-dozen performances, including gigs with Stars' Amy Millan, Happy Mondays, the Gossip and The Horrors.

Checking the website for that last band's venue all but clinched it. The Lee's Palace page promised The Horrors at 11, The Black Diamond Heavies at 9, and something called the "Polaris Pricks" in between. Google "Polaris Pricks" and no band site comes up. Not even a MySpace page. Thus, the cameo was pretty much confirmed. (It was very much confirmed when a blackboard sign outside the club read "Fucked Up.")

In a few ways, Fucked Up's sonic attack is a good fit for The Horrors' shoegaze drama, so the match-up makes kind of sense. Still, how great would it have been for the audience patiently filing in to venerable Massey Hall for an intimate Wilco performance get subjected to a full-frontal assault by Father Damian and company?

As for the concert itself, Fucked Up were good. The Horrors were good. The crowd was OK. There's a review a-coming.

Fucked Up have these shows scheduled:

Oct. 30 Toronto, ON @ Kathedral w/ The Cro-Mags, Mind Eraser, Career Suicide, Rival Mob and Waste Management
Oct. 31 Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee's w/ Iron Lung, DSB, Brutal Knights, Force Fed and NOMOs
Nov. 5 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple w/ Andrew W.K., Katie Stelmanis and Titus Andronicus
Nov. 7 Austin, TX @ Waterloo Park (Fun Fun Fun Fest)
Nov. 26 London, England @ Barfly
Nov. 27 Brussels, Belgium @ Le Botanique
Nov. 28 Utrecht, Netherlands @ Le Guess Who Festival
Nov. 29 Leipizig, Germany @ Conne Island Cafe
Nov. 30 Krakow, Poland @ Drukarnia
Dec. 1 Vienna, Austria @ Arena Wien
Dec. 2 Graz, Austria @ PPC
Dec. 3 Dusseldorf, Germany @ Rotkompot
Dec. 4-6 Minehead, England @ Butlins Holiday Centre (All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas)