Kills Sexier Than Horrors Are Moody

Phoenix Concert Theatre

Toronto, ON

on May 7 2009

Caitlin Hotchkiss (CHARTattack)

05/08/2009 3:09pm

"As soon as The Horrors are done, I'm, like, gone," the petite goth with the Karen O hairstyle standing beside me said with a giggle, and it was easy to imagine this was a sentiment shared by many at the Phoenix.

In fact, if one were to divide the venue between Team Horrors and Team Kills, it'd have been evenly split between black-clad minions and V-neck-wearing hipsters. Skinny jeans were probably the only common denominator, fashion-wise. Personality-wise, everybody had at least one thing in common: they were all raring to see one or both of The Horrors and The Kills.

The Horrors' entire set was comprised of material from their new Primary Colours, so anybody who'd come hoping to hear "Sheena Is A Parasite" or "Count In Fives" was out of luck. So, as it seemed, was anyone who'd come hoping to see a repeat of the British quintet's explosive performance last time they were in Toronto.

Although an opening slot at the Phoenix isn't quite the same as headlining The Mod Club (as they did in June 2007), this was still a decidedly more downbeat affair, with the exception of mosh pits forming during "Three Decades" and "New Ice Age." Then it started to feel sort of like the old days.

Frontman Faris Badwan is both a new and old creature, with his jerky lankiness and random spasms coming at lessened intervals than in the past. Still, his yelps and frantic thrashing during "I Can't Control Myself" were welcomed by the hyped-up audience members, many of whom had to abandon the front row pit for their own safety. "Scarlet Fields" translated especially well to the live stage, with the creepy lights and cavernous atmosphere of the club adding to the song's Joy Division-esque echo.

"Sea Within A Sea" was the closer, with its seven-plus minutes of epic musical scope intact. Again, this was a perfect example of The Horrors' new M.O.: more measured angst, less chaotic madness. Although the slower tone of their new songs could have been considered a buzz kill, it certainly wasn't to their dedicated faithful.

The Horrors' live show now is much like their new album: a muted, creepy celebration that has gained a new widespread acclaim — both critical and fan-wise. Good on them for that. But the fans who've been around since Strange House are destined to feel rather disappointed, mourning the shambolic punk glory that was lost in the transition both on stage and on album.

This show was sold-out for good reason, and probably a little more than 50 per cent of that reason was The Kills. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are like a slinkier, sexier Jack and Meg White, and right from the opening song — the charged "U.R.A. Fever" — there were lustful shrieks of both male and female variety from the crowd.

I even heard one girl yell, "Alison, take me home!"

The next song, a particularly seductive "Pull A U," only served to amp up an already psyched audience, to say nothing for Mosshart's penchant for hopping up on the speakers next to the stage and bringing the love right down to the crowd. Most recent single "Sour Cherry" was eagerly received, as the fans lapped up every bit of the huge presence the duo gave off, right down to Mosshart's spitting and pacing in circles around the stage. And a drum machine's beats never sounded so sexy.

But the machine and the frontwoman didn't get all the credit. Hince's posturing and swagger more than held its own against his nascent skill with the guitar, even when he was joined by Mosshart for a double-guitar assault in "Tape Song." Teamwork was further cemented as they traded off on dual vocals on "Kissy Kissy," one of the few songs chosen off their earliest release, 2003's Keep On Your Mean Side. Frankly, though, it was better that they stuck to more recent songs. "No Wow" and "Hook And Line" captured a particular energy that the older material didn't quite possess.

Although there was plenty of entertainment to be found in simply watching the play between Mosshart and Hince, there were more than a few other distractions to get everyone cheering. Maybe it was the full moon, but security had to remove close to half-a-dozen unwanted stage invaders, including body surfers, a dancing girl clad only in a very long T-shirt and another girl who lifted up her top to flash the hollering crowd. Tommy Lee would have been pretty excited.

The Horrors may have been underwhelming to a longtime fan like yours truly, but The Kills' sexually charged and catchy performance succeeded in making a fan out of a casual listener (again, yours truly). And really, what more can a band — even one made up of just two people and backing tracks — ask for than that?