exploremusic

I have something to admit. I had never been to Edgefest before this.

Sure I had wanted to, and probably, with a little motivation, could have gone in the past few years but it had somehow escaped me. When the opportunity came up this time however, I jumped at it immediately. Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, Metric, K-Os and more all at one event? How could I say no?!

I got my ticket, VIP pass and wristband and eagerly waited for June 20th to roll around.

When we first arrived at the show I could tell it was going to be a messy day. There wasn’t enough rain to make things unbearable but definitely enough to turn Downsview into a giant mud bath. Some people dove right in and got it over with; I prefered to stay clean.

The Arkells were maybe about halfway through their set when I finally reached the Edge pit. If you’ve never seen these boys live they’re definitely worth checking out. Even if its just to hear them howl "Oh, The Boss Is Coming!". Every band needs a song with that kind of force behind it.

The Stills came and went (I missed them sadly. We had been waiting on interviews and I was scanning the crowd for some friends) and then K-Os was next to get up on the stage.

This is when I got mad, but let me explain.

By now everyone has heard of K-Os and the whole "karma table" idea. You don’t have to pay to get into the show, you just pay what you feel the show was worth on the way out. At the end of the whole trial the average attendee had shelled out a mere $6. This upset me.

What’s worse though, is after seeing K-Os perform I just don’t even understand how that could have happened. This guy puts on a hell of a show!

Personally, I expected a band playing some beats with K-Os rapping over top and getting the crowd dancing. What I did NOT expect was a rock show. K-Os and his band were absolutely rippin’ it on stage. The DJ was throwin down, the drummer was on his game and the guitarist was busting out solos. Like actual honest to God rock solos.

People had been talking in the crowd before how it wasn’t really going to fit and that K-Os was here just because. Well they were wrong, and by the looks on faces and the way the crowd moved, they KNEW they were wrong.

If you’re a fan of hip-hop, K-Os definitely delivers, but he’ll give you that rock edge too. A pleasant surprise for sure. Worth far more than a measly $6.

We were soon whisked over to the trailers behind the event to have a chat with Jade and Adam from AFI. I don’t really listen to their type of music but when they talked I was listening. They had some pretty neat stuff that had me forgetting it was my job to take pictures. Different producing techniques, a new album, and Robert Smith are all in there; have a listen for yourself.

When we had come back to the stage from the interview, the rain had let up and Metric had taken the stage.

I am a big Metric fan.

There’s just something in their sound that I can’t get enough of. Maybe its the raw guitar, maybe it’s Emily’s soothing voice and maybe its the fact that you cant help but get up and move, but either way I was stoked to see their set.

They were just as fantastic live as you could expect. Emily is full of energy and the boys beside her keep speed for an an electrifying set. Monster Hospital was definitely my favourite but Help I’m Alive was a close second. I had been debating my thoughts on that song until I felt the power they put behind it live. Just perfect.

For our crew, the big deal for the whole day was getting an interview with Billy Talent. We knew they were coming in late, but when you factor in time with their families, interviews with the Edge and getting prepped for the show… let’s just say we had our fingers crossed and communication lines open.

In the meantime all we could do was enjoy the show (no complaints). Alexisonfire came up after Metric and delivered what was probably my favourite performance of Edgefest.

I’m I guess what you’d call a little ignorant in the ways of Alexisonfire. I dig some of their old stuff and currently am hooked on Young Cardinals, but beyond the hits, I’m lost.

Little did I know every song is a hit. The way these boys take control of the stage and rile up the crowd almost gave the impression that Downsview wasn’t big enough. In Alan’s own words, the crowd "lost their sh*t".

You need to see these guys live, no doubt about it. In fact you can read here about a free show they’re doing tonight. I highly recommend it. Just be prepared for some contact perhaps…

As luck would have it, just as Alexis had wrapped up their set we had gotten a hold of Ben from Billy Talent for an interview. We wanted to make the most of our time so we quickly scooted over to a bench and had a chat.

Ben is an extremely nice guy and had a lot to say about Germany, Brendan O’Brien, and the new album. Check out the player below.

And that was Edgefest. I’ve got to say that it truly exceeded my expectations in terms of performances. Everyone from Arkells to Alexis put on a hell of a show that even the rain couldn’t hinder.

Next time though, I’m leaving the camera at home and getting right in that pit. Being clean is only sort of worth it.

For a little extra have a look some behind the scenes footage from our AFI interview.

And Alan with the lovely Emily Haines