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Nuclear fusion takes place when hydrogen and helium collide. The result is a monumental release of energy. Science was never my strong suit. However, if you were to replace hydrogen and helium with Alexisonfire and Billy Talent, I may have found the subject more interesting. The atomic collision of these particles took place in Montreal, at the Centre Bell. Bodies and ears of those close to the epicentre have yet to fully recover from a night that was 20 years in the making.
Both Alexisonfire and Billy Talent are on separate tours to celebrate the 20th anniversary of two epic albums. Alexisonfire’s Crisis and Billy Talent’s II. Both albums were released in 2006. I have once again found myself attending a show that reminds me how quickly the hands of time turn.
Alexisonfire were the first to hit the stage. They added a little hometown touch to their set design by placing a plush Youppi! doll on one of the speaker cabinets. The evening began with a video snowstorm taking over the giant video wall. Once the blizzard had fully consumed the stage, the band arrived, ready to rock. Their energy was off the chart from the opening notes as vocalist Wade MacNeil and bassist Chris Steele threw themselves all over the stage. Guitarist Dallas Green may have been a calmer presence on the stage, but he whipped the crowd into uncontrollable frenzies with his guitar work.
The band played their Crisis album from start to finish. From “Drunks, Lovers, Sinners And Saints” to “Rough Hands.” Barely giving the audience a chance to catch their breath between each crushing song. They concluded their set with a threesome of hits from other albums, finishing with “Young Cardinals.” The night was far from over. There remained one more ingredient in our nuclear cocktail.
Billy Talent took the stage as an old-style clock clicked backwards from 2026 to 2006. Just to make me feel older, I had an old clock like that on my desk, and that was more than 20 years ago. Like Alexisonfire, Billy Talent played their entire 2006 album. From “Devil In A Midnight Mass,” straight through to “Burn The Evidence.”
Surprisingly, the crowd hadn’t been burned out by this point, seeming to get stronger as the night went on. The band wore wide smiles as they were met with a wall of Montreal noise. The fans sang back the songs word for word, and the crowd surfers seemed to come in endless waves. Maybe singer Benjamin Kowalewicz is a generally happy person off stage, but on this stage, he had a huge smile every time I looked at him.
“Rusted From The Rain” began an extra set of hits before Billy Talent brought the explosive night to an end with “Viking Death March.”
Afterwards, Alexisonfire and Billy Talent left to continue their respective tours. Their worlds had collided just long enough to leave the Centre Bell rocked from the nuclear reaction of their meeting. Crisis and II remain just as powerful 20 years later. So are Alexisonfire and Billy Talent. Our collective ears are still reeling from the fallout.
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