It's said that the more a band plays, the better it gets. How great it is to see a concert that lives up to the advance hype. And The Catholics show at the Horseshoe Monday. It was deja vu all over again inside the Saddledome last evening as monstrous Irish rock act U2 took to the stage for the second of two sold-out Calgary shows, and the ninth of its current Elevation tour. The Spice Girls' Melanie C, aka Sporty Spice, put on her second solo show in Toronto at the Guvernment.
Some songs echo louder, and longer, than others.
She still has the voice of an angel, but Charlotte Church is ready for more adult roles now. From the moment Ani DiFranco took to the Congress Centre stage last night, the uproarious response from her admirers almost overwhelmed her. It's almost too bad that Melanie Chisholm is a Spice Girl. It is a long way from the hazy, strobe-light days of Black Flag, but there Henry Rollins stands, gripping his pistols with arms massive enough to pull the legs off a trembling gnu. Performers who are less concerned about image than with kicking up a little dust and keeping things lively.