Live: Hugh Dillon Leads His Rock 'N' Roll Choir

Mod Club Theatre
April 30, 2005
Toronto, ON
by Shannon Whibbs
There was a slightly nervous, anticipatory vibe running through the Mod Club Theatre the night of The Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir's first headlining gig in Toronto. Older, thuggish Headstones fans, proudly sporting their worn band T-shirts, slugged back beers and thumped each other on the back in welcome. Younger fans buzzed around excitedly, psyching themselves up for the event. The question of the night hung in the air — could a Headstones-less Hugh Dillon still rock?This single-minded focus did not bode well for opening act Money Money, who took the stage to complete silence, save a weak clap or two. Ripping through an energetic and defiant set of tunes from their recently released album, they were moderately successful in winning people over. In a final bid to draw the crowd in, lead singer Ryan Kennedy leapt off the stage during the final song and circulated through the crowd while wailing into the mic.Finally it was time for Dillon to show us if he still rocked. A churchly-sounding organ chord echoed out into the room and the lights came up, revealing Dillon and his new ensemble. They launched into "My Mistakes," from their debut album, The High Co$t Of Low Living.The HDRC showcased a lean, focused, alert Hugh Dillon, playing tight rock as opposed to the grinding chaos of the Headstones. HDRC are more controlled and have a strong sense of melody, particularly in the interplay of Dillon's drummer Derek Downham's and guitarist JP Polsoni's harmony vocals. Keyboardist Ben Kobayashi provides another dimension to the music, punching up "Number On The Wall" with a new wave dance feel.Dillon was still the consummate showman and since he wasn't obligated to perform his back catalogue, he was able to be himself. He stepped lightly and enjoyed his time on stage — even poking fun at his former antagonistic frontman act, "I was the mayor of Shitheadville for a while," he cracked.Meanwhile, back in Shitheadville, some of the older hardcores were not dealing well with these changes. After a few half-hearted "Headstones!" chants, there was a heated debate bemoaning the alleged loss of the rock and one dude exclaimed, "What do I have to do? Knock people aside to start a mosh pit?"Despite the lack of bodies crushing each other, the majority of the crowd were enthusiastic and responsive. Dillon gave his humble thanks many times and introduced some special guests over the course of the set — the first being Hip guitarist Paul Langlois and for the final tune, Canadian director extraordinaire Bruce McDonald, who got up with his guitar and big ol' cowboy hat to live the Hard Core Logo dream for real.With only one album under their belts, the HDRC padded the set with two cover songs. The first being the unlikely choice of XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel," and the second being the more fitting "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol. All in all, the HDRC proved that life beyond the Headstones sounds pretty good.