I was at home in a sea of black clothes last night at Toronto music venue History. It was the site of industrial music legends and groundbreakers Skinny Puppy's final Toronto appearance and celebration of the 40th anniversary of the band. Even though I never witnessed a Skinny Puppy show back in the day, the vibe was like a larger version of some of the long-lost Toronto clubs that played this kind of music, without as much room to dance. Good times; good memories.
Seeing Skinny Puppy on their Final Tour was a rare treat; a band from back in the day who sound as fresh and vital as ever. And their fans were there for it 100%. Many, many fans showed up in their finery, looking fantastic decked out in black of various materials and overall striking looks. The venue was full of enthusiastic fans soaking up Skinny Puppy's vibe, no doubt wishing this wasn't their last Toronto show.
The show featured masks, costumes, theatrics, various props and creative use of shadows to excite our visual senses as our aural senses were being filled with that familiar Skinny Puppy industrial sound. That sound was so unique when I first heard it back in the mid-80s and has been taken as inspiration by so many artists since then. But there's something about Skinny Puppy songs that still stand out, and sound powerful and relevant to this day.
During the show, I thought back to when a friend played me "Assimilate" and "Dig It" back in high school. It was as sound unlike anything I had heard before. It was aggressive, distorted, angst-filled, desperate, agonized, passionate and visceral. While some other bands' music can sound dated and cliche when looking back 40 years, Skinny Puppy's music sounds just as vital and urgent as ever.
Whether you’ve seen Skinny Puppy many times or this is your first, this is a tour well with catching. This is not a group cashing in or going through the motions one last time. They sound energetic and elemental, and put on a show that’s a feast for the eyes, ears and soul. Everything ends, and this Final Tour is one thing that Skinny Puppy fans will be sad to see end, but happy that it happened.
My personal favourite tunes came towards the end of the set, with "Dig It" to end the main set, followed by "Assimilate", "Smothered Hope", "Testure" and a second encore of "Candle". The full setlist is here.
Lead into Gold opened up the night. Check out my photos and thoughts on their set here.