[Disclaimer] So I was disappointed by this show leading up to it because of Taake and their VISA issues. I don't know maybe I'm just talking out of my ass and I'm completely wrong here but I just don't understand how in 2017 working VISAs can still be an issue with touring bands coming over from Europe? Yeah, blah-blah-blah, Trump-Trump-Trump; you can say that all you want I think that's just a dumb and easy excuse. For bands coming in to North America from Europe (specifically the United States) VISAs and working VISAs should be something that you have sorted out before you even announce the tour. I mean it can't be that hard and even if you have doubts you should give yourself six months to get that stuff sorted out before the tour starts. So why on the week of the tour starting you still don't have that stuff sorted out and end up having to cancel dates one at a time escapes me. John The Drummer was supposed to see this show last Saturday in Seattle and it was cancelled last Thursday; two days before he was supposed to see it. All throughout last week shows were being cancelled two days in advance with question marks still doting further dates. I think I’d have rathered they flat out cancel the tour rather than stringing people along like that.
So how does this effect me? Well I had interest to see Taake leading up to the show and I was on the fence about it then they announced that a band I have greater interest in name GoST was going to be supporting them. So I jumped at the chance because I really wanted to see him. Then when all these VISA issues came up GoST decided to drop off the tour even with the small chance that Taake was going to make it into North American eventually.
Taake never got their VISAs to enter the United States but decided to fly over to Canada to play the four dates they had scheduled here. That’s nice of them but quite frankly I didn’t really want to see them anymore. I was going to this show to see GoST and without him there I really didn’t feel like it. But, I did have interest in Taake anyway and I had a ticket that wasn’t getting refunded. So…
Taake
Support: Helheim
Date: Sunday June 4th, 2017
Venue: Velvet Underground in Toronto, Ontario
Long sleeve shirt worn: Nucleus 'Sin'
I got to the venue around a half hour after doors had opened and there were already three or four dozen people there. Helheim came on after another half hour or so. They really weren't very good. The only band I've ever listened to that I can compare them to is this horrid Norwegian "black n' roll" band called Khold, except these guys were less rock n' roll. I did like that the bass guitar led a lot of their songs and their last two songs we're much better than their first four. Hoest from Taake joined them on the last song and gave me hope because his vocals were way better than any of theirs. I didn’t get any song titles even though the singer mentioned them all (I couldn’t understand his accent) but I had to get a picture of their setlist, which was printed on the back of a paper plate and was a level of kvlt that I've never even considered. They played six songs; four from their latest album. And I give them marks for being able to get their VISAs in check and coming over and doing the tour by themselves, despite being the lowest billed band on the touring package. The singer mentioned that they played to some pretty sparsely attended venues.
Taake came on at 9:30 with little fanfare and played a pretty good set. I preferred their more chaotic, quicker songs, which were mostly in the early half of their set. Some of their songs were a little on the long side. But the crowd was really into them and I think Hoest was pretty drunk so they played for a pretty long time; well over an hour. A couple song titles were mentioned but I'd never heard a note of their music before this show so I don't know what they were. The banjo wasn’t there but there were a few guitar parts that I thought could’ve been done on a banjo. I enjoyed them well enough but I’m still bitter over the GoST thing.
Taake
Helheim
Helheims ultra kvlt setlist plate
So how does this effect me? Well I had interest to see Taake leading up to the show and I was on the fence about it then they announced that a band I have greater interest in name GoST was going to be supporting them. So I jumped at the chance because I really wanted to see him. Then when all these VISA issues came up GoST decided to drop off the tour even with the small chance that Taake was going to make it into North American eventually.
Taake never got their VISAs to enter the United States but decided to fly over to Canada to play the four dates they had scheduled here. That’s nice of them but quite frankly I didn’t really want to see them anymore. I was going to this show to see GoST and without him there I really didn’t feel like it. But, I did have interest in Taake anyway and I had a ticket that wasn’t getting refunded. So…
Taake
Support: Helheim
Date: Sunday June 4th, 2017
Venue: Velvet Underground in Toronto, Ontario
Long sleeve shirt worn: Nucleus 'Sin'
I got to the venue around a half hour after doors had opened and there were already three or four dozen people there. Helheim came on after another half hour or so. They really weren't very good. The only band I've ever listened to that I can compare them to is this horrid Norwegian "black n' roll" band called Khold, except these guys were less rock n' roll. I did like that the bass guitar led a lot of their songs and their last two songs we're much better than their first four. Hoest from Taake joined them on the last song and gave me hope because his vocals were way better than any of theirs. I didn’t get any song titles even though the singer mentioned them all (I couldn’t understand his accent) but I had to get a picture of their setlist, which was printed on the back of a paper plate and was a level of kvlt that I've never even considered. They played six songs; four from their latest album. And I give them marks for being able to get their VISAs in check and coming over and doing the tour by themselves, despite being the lowest billed band on the touring package. The singer mentioned that they played to some pretty sparsely attended venues.
Taake came on at 9:30 with little fanfare and played a pretty good set. I preferred their more chaotic, quicker songs, which were mostly in the early half of their set. Some of their songs were a little on the long side. But the crowd was really into them and I think Hoest was pretty drunk so they played for a pretty long time; well over an hour. A couple song titles were mentioned but I'd never heard a note of their music before this show so I don't know what they were. The banjo wasn’t there but there were a few guitar parts that I thought could’ve been done on a banjo. I enjoyed them well enough but I’m still bitter over the GoST thing.
Taake
Helheim
Helheims ultra kvlt setlist plate
Do you like old people porn? Because I just put enough to fill an old folks home in the wrestling section!