OFF! Throw Verbal Punches at NXNE

As hardcore supergroup OFF! pummeled through their repertoire of raw, aggressive minute-long songs at Toronto's Horseshoe during NXNE on Friday, June 17, frontman Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks) recapped his disdain for the U.S. Government's "Bin Laden's gone! Who's next?" tactics, North American rampant consumerism, and one of the local area's "douche-bag" neighborhoods. While political rants and rallying statements are a staple of the Black Flag and Dead Kennedys-era stage banter from which Morris spawned (and, in fact, helped create), it came off as unwanted rambling for some.

"Play a song!" insisted one patron. "What's your rush? It's a Friday night," responded Morris. "Mom and Dad coming to pick you up in the SUV?"

Morris continued to playfully rip on the crowd as one tipsy kid overstayed his welcome onstage to oversee guitarist Dimitri Coats' (Burning Brides) finger-work up close. But his weak attempt at stage diving -- he essentially just stepped off stage -- would not escape the wrath of Morris. "You came all the way up here... A six-year-old could do [a better stage dive] than that."

Yet, for all the hate Morris spews (see their song, 'F--- People'), he showed his sweet side with a touching tribute to the Gun Club's late Jeffrey Lee Pierce.

OFF!'s sonic punch seems to move multi-generations of punk fans. Balding hardcore ex-pats whose beer bellies indicate they should not be stage-diving anymore did not let this stop them, while the band's militant playing looked to impress even curious indie kids who showed up primarily to watch Deerhoof perform after them. While Morris said he was impressed to play a venue that formerly housed all three generations of Hank Williams, the Horseshoe became all the more legendary to punk history on this particular night as well, thanks solely to OFF!

Read Our Exclusive Interview With OFF!
Watch OFF! Perform at NXNE 2011
See Spinner's Complete Coverage of NXNE 2011
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