Last night, I ventured forth to the briny deeps of Toronto to see Alestorm and Piratefest 2015! Alestorm is one of those bands that I will never miss, so of course I was there. As luck would have it, they brought two other pirate metal bands along for the ride, The Dread Crew of Oddwood and Swashbuckle.
The Dread Crew of Oddwood did a great and very fun set. They weren't so much "metal", but as they put it "heavy mahogany". All of their instruments were acoustic and included an upright bass and harpsichord. The atmosphere was more of a party than a concert.
Swashbuckle on the other hand is the complete opposite. While Dread Crew was softer, Swashbuckle was balls to the wall fast and loud. They have a great sense of humour which really shows through in their act. I mean...their lead singer is named Admiral No-Beard when in fact, he has a monster beard.
Alestorm was as always, fantastic. They played a good number of songs off their new album, but mixed it up with some older stuff, dating all the way back to their demos. The crowd was also ready and pumped for a good time and really came alive. During "Nancy the Tavern Wench" (seriously), the entire crowd sits down and rows. Don't ask me why, I don't know. I just go along for the ride. Also, at the end of the show, the lead singer started crowdsurfing, yelling "carry me to the bar!". And so...he was carried to the bar. I love this band so much and can't wait to inevitably see them again.
Here are some photos!
The Dread Crew of Oddwood!
Swashbuckle! For the seafood lover in you!
Alestorm!