Hide Your Daughters / Kilbourne / Big Trouble in Little China

While sing-along renditions of Dolly Parton songs and boisterous metal tend not to mix, the scene inside the Royal Albert brought forth precisely this unusual combination. Local openers Big Trouble in Little China churned out some melodic and intricate heavy music with plenty of long hair flying around the stage. Following Big Trouble’s skilful set, Calgary’s Kilbourne started their performance on an unexpected note. Crooning an a cappella version of "Jolene,” Kilbourne vocalist Trezzy managed to get the audience singing along to the Dolly Parton hit, despite admitting she didn’t know all the words to the song. After a brief battle with equipment trouble, the group then turned up the volume with "The Bow Valley Tragedy” from their Measure of Health disc. Bouncing around the stage, they played a lively set that had many crowd members jostling one another while yelling approval for the band. Expanded to a four-piece with a second guitar player in tow, Kilbourne expertly balanced both abrasiveness and tunefulness in their brand of hardcore. Later in the show, the group charged through a version of "Fat Kids on Quads” from last year’s Fashion Police Brutality EP that showed their sharp form, shifting from gut-wrenching roars to rich harmonies and earning wide applause. Ending off the night was Winnipeg’s Hide Your Daughters, featuring current members of KEN Mode and Electro Quarterstaff, as well as former members of Meatrack. The group gave a viciously loud and energetic set during which vocalist Jeff LaPlante jumped off stage to howl away in the midst of the audience. From the show’s openers to the closing band, all three groups delivered strong and thunderous performances.