Miscellaneous - Zaphods, Ottawa, 10/12/2005

  by Andrew Carver

published: 9 / 1 / 2006

intro

Indie pop dance rockers Kiss Me Deadly recently toured North America with Bloc Party. Despite singer Emily Elizabeth feeling ill, Andrew Carver nevertheless watches them play a lively set on the last date of a headlining tour

Montreal’s Kiss Me Deadly has progressed from tricky time changes and driving rhythms, courtesy of a heavy Fugazi influence, to indie-pop dance rockers who sound like New Order fronted by Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino. The band's profile was bumped up recently when Bloc Party asked them to open for them on their summer tour. Kiss Me Deadly's openers were two very capable local acts: My Dad vs. Yours, who started things off with a slightly funky cinematic instrumental rock and the Soft Disaster who turn their pop songs into slow-building thunderstorms of emotion. By the time Kiss Me Deadly were ready to go on the 150-capacity club had filled up nicely. Singer Emily Elizabeth made an immediate impression by stripping down to a bright red Lycra catsuit (she says she wore it all tour because she lost a bet after gambling away all of the band’s money). Live the band downplayed Adam Moulin’s vocals in favour of Emily Elizabeth’s sexy yelps and showed off the hard-driving rhythmic side that is balanced on their new album 'Misty Medleys' by the band’s shoegazing and ambient influences. A drum machine added extra thump and made up slightly for the absence of fifth member Sophie Trudeau (better known for her role in Godspeed You! Black Emperor and its many offshoots). Although Ottawa was the last day on an extensive North American tour, the band’s only admission of being tired was Elizabeth’s confession that after a sickness-free tour she was feeling very under the weather. She certainly didn’t act it. Kiss Me Deadly had a lively stage act, with Elizabeth racing around, jumping on the drum riser and horsing around with her bandmates. She also worked hard to establish a rapport with the audience; unfortunately, much of the crowd didn’t look like it was in a dancing mood. Apart from one front-and-centre spectator, they maintained a rather stoic demeanor. Perhaps they were all transfixed by the bodysuit? At least some of them did take part in a singalong for the final song. The band passed on an encore - “I would, but I’d die” explained Emily, citing the aforementioned bug, instead asking for some Daft Punk or Justin Timberlake to be played. No matter; it was an entertaining set.

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