Red Mass Predictably Unpredictable, Cut Set Short in Toronto -- NXNE

Red Mass are one of the most open-minded, open-armed garage rock bands on the planet, with a revolving door of 50-odd spiritual-minded contributors sharing a creative space in Montreal. Their disorganization lends to creativity, as they mix surf-rock, psychedelia, violin-loops over film dialogue -- whatever anyone brings to the table.

But that same instability makes for a hit-and-miss live show, as it did Wednesday night (June 15) at Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern during NXNE.

While it can turn into a so-called "gospel review without the morals" with up to ten members, some dressed in drag or metallic paint, with shirts coming on and off with frontman Roy Vucino jumping into the crowd, on other nights, the slightest thing can throw the band off.

"I broke a string halfway through. It kind of threw me off because I only brought one guitar," Vucino told Spinner after the set. The guitarist and Mass mastermind opted to cover up his new out-of-tune string by using heavy distortion over poppy hit 'Saturn.' This thrash metal version seemed fine by the crowd, who've come to expect any style from the band -- but they cut their set short after six songs anyways.

Vucino, whose impeccable blues-punk guitar chops are a highlight of the RM live set, is a perfectionist despite the Mass' anything-goes mantra. On top of this was a problem unique to the collectives Canada seems to have a hankering for (see Broken Social Scene): Only five of the Mass showed up, and the void was felt without Red Mass' most quirky 'core members,' noise/chaos-pad player 'the Roller' and frazzled singer-guitarist Giselle Webber.

Of course all of this says nothing on what the Mass will be like at Toronto's Great Hall on Friday. With a band known to dabble in both chaos theory and the occult, we've come never to expect the same show twice from Red Mass.

Watch Red Mass Perform 'Male Models'
See Spinner's Complete Coverage of NXNE 2011
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