Toronto based Celtic -punks the Mahones made a long awaited return to the Slice, Dec. 2.
With 15 albums worth of songs to choose from they had to choose their set wisely and did do so.
Since their last visit they have released three albums including a live album and their new double album “The Hunger and the Fight Parts 1 and 2.”
They played plenty from all three albums and a lot more. They deserve three times as many people
who were there, but those who wanted to “Paint the Town Red” on A Wednesday night made up for their lack of numbers with heaps of enthusiasm.
Frontman Finny McConnell was an affable host of a fun filled Wednesday night kitchen party.
While I didn’t hear “Paint the Town Red,” A Great Night On the Lash” was definitely a highlight as was old favourite “Queen and Tequila.”
The first set included plenty of new tracks from the new CDs including “Paddy on the Railroad” and the title track “Hunger and the Fight,” which have the same feel of crowd pleasers like their anthem “Give It All You Got (Or Forget About It)” which was a highlight of the first set.
But it was more than just driving, four on the floor Celtic rockers, their set included a lot of mellower dynamics, slower more contemplative songs interspersed with the rockers plus frenetic pipes and plenty of Katie “Kaboom” McConnell’s hot accordion playing.
Drummer Dominique Whelan shouted out background vocals and cracked jokes while Sean “Riot” Ryan laid down driving basslines while shouting out background vocals.
As expected from a Mahones show, there were a lot of “sociables“ and drinking songs like “Down The Boozer.”
They kicked off their second set with a huge version of “Shakespeare Road” and carried in the energy with “Angels and Devils” which had one of many thrilling pipe solos from Michael O’ Grady.
A couple of new songs including “Punk Rock Saved My Life,” and “Turn This Town” were highlights as was the Matt Maysish “Sea of Skeletons.”
O’Grady also sang a beautiful version of Celtic classic “Danny Boy” to wind down the show after a straight ahead punk
fuelled adrenaline rush courtesy of “Fuck You” from the ”Hunger and the Fight 2” sung by Katie Kaboom.
And of course they played the the Mahones’ signature song “Drunken Lazy Bastard” which had the hardcore fans singing along before calling it a night around 12:30 a.m.
