Concert Review: Michou with Crissi Cochrane, Glory Glory Man United and Quivers

Not too long ago, I returned from a concert at a small all-ages venue in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The headliners were Michou, while the openers were local mainstay Crissi Cochrane, Glory Glory Man Untied and Quivers. For those unaware, Michou is an indie band that originates from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. They recently released their second full length album, Cardona, and are currently touring in support of said album. The Pavilion is a nice little venue, unfortunately since it is an all-ages venue, the shows start early.

The first band, Quiver, took the stage at around 6:30 pm. This is probably a good thing because the band’s frontman appeared to be young enough to still have a bedtime. The band’s energy was high, which was great, but the music was not up to par. Praise should be given to the drummer, who was spot on the whole set. As for the rest of the band….the other guitarist had his back to the audience for nearly the entirety of their set. The bass player and frontman took turns, literally, spitting in each others’ faces. Not a pretty sight to behold. However, the main problem was that the band sounded like noise for a lot of the performance. They were just way too loud for the small venue for one, and secondly they appeared to try to be even louder. The singer would scream his throat raw, the bassist literally punching his strings. It physically pained me to listen to them, wincing as my ears stung. The person next to me even plugged their ears for the majority of Quivers’ set, while the person I came with later complained how Quivers’ set ruined their hearing for the rest of the night. It wasn’t a great start, luckily things picked up.

Next on the bill was Glory Glory Man United, an alternative rock band. This band, made sure the volume was appropriate and sounded good. The band was tight, everyone played perfectly. The bassist had some fantastic grooves and the songs were well done. I wasn’t too fond of the singer’s high-pitched performance, but that’s an acquired taste. Besides the vocals, the band was impressive. They played with energy, and sounded great.

The final opening act was Crissi Cochrane, a prominent musician in the Halifax scene. Accompanied only with her acoustic guitar, she won over the small audience. Musically she was satisfying, her vocals are quite impressive, and her playing didn’t disappoint. Besides this, she was also simply endearing. Her speech and personal anecdotes made it impossible to not like her, especially because of her modesty. She left the crowd wishing for more, in fact, it seemed to me that she got a bigger reaction from the audience than Michou did.

After this Michou took the stage, and earned their position as headliners. The volume was perfect, the band played well and I’m a fan of their songs. They were all entertaining to watch, giving the audience a high-octane performance. I’ve heard their studio albums, and like them both, but their live show is something else. Michou’s song benefited from the live-setting. The music was more forceful and energetic then the studio versions. I hope on their next album, Michou allow the harder-edged sound of their live show, to shine through on their recorded material. It was a great show to watch and during the songs everyone seemed into it, but oddly there wasn’t much audience reaction after. The only complaint I have regarding Michou’s performance is the short running time. Michou’s set was no longer than the other acts; roughly half an hour long. Usually the headlining act plays for longer, which was disappointing. Still, they played a great show and I’d recommend seeing them if you have the chance.

Check out the music of the artists mentioned at the links below.

-J

Michou Myspace
Crissi Cochrane Myspace
Glory Glory Man United Myspace