Bane at ICC, October 31, 2008
By DAVID BOFFA | November 7, 2008
The last time I saw Worcester hardcore magnates Bane was at that venerable city's Palladium 10 years ago. The show was notable for kids doing somersaults off the PA speakers into the jumped-up crowd. The intensity level may have been a hair tamer last Friday at the ICC in Allston — an unassuming DIY venue in a church's function hall — but Halloween gave the night a twist. Bloody murder victims were everywhere. A banana, Captain America, and Barack Obama were also in attendance.Bane were in on the fun, taking the stage dressed as So Cal skate punkers Suicidal Tendencies and even teasing the first few chords to "Institutionalized" before their 40-minute set. The crowd shared vocal duties with frontman Aaron Bedard during "Speechless," confessing en masse to "making mountains out of molehills" and "moments out of memories" before catching themselves sounding like some "cheesy Mötley Crüe song."
Between songs, someone lobbed a "go fuck yourself" from the back of the room. In response, Bedard explained that the next song would be "about removing yourself from giving a fuck what people think about you." An explosion of guitar harmonics, power chords, and cymbals ensued, led by Bedard's warning that he wouldn't "let clean-shaven boys that all look the same toss hand grenades into this, my faith." But the set closer, "Swan Song," wiped away any hard feelings: after painting an apocalyptic image of cities toppling to the ground under "blood red skies" and "no sign of Christ with a sword in his mouth," Bedard repeated over and over that "when the Armageddon's been locked and loaded, I will come back for you." I bet that "go fuck yourself" guy will be looking over his shoulder for a while.
Topics:
Live Reviews
, Barack Obama, ICC, Motley Crue, More 
, Barack Obama, ICC, Motley Crue, Swearing and Invective, Less 
