Category: Gruesome Greg

How NOT to promote your Austrian stoner rock band…

For a moment there, I thought I had hit the jackpot. All these attractive young women were adding me on Facebook–and they appeared to be into heavy rock too, what with names like Lilly Rockgrrl and Rocksy Stoner. But then I found out it was all a ruse, perpetrated by the management of an Austrian…

March 24, 2013
Because there are no metal shows taking place at 3 pm tomorrow in Toronto…

Gruesome Greg tries stand-up tomorrow at Absolute Comedy. Hilarity hopefully ensues. Read on for more info…

March 2, 2013
Maaaan, Fu Manchu’s coming here in a couple weeks!? That’s the first I’ve heard of this…

Overheard at the bar at the Blood Ceremony gig the other night: “Dude, you know Fu Manchu? Blah blah blah stoner rock blah blah Kyuss … They’re playing Lee’s Palace March 15th, you should check it out.”

February 24, 2013
A fond farewell to Quest For Fire…

In my 7.5 years of living in Toronto, I’ve seen my share of local bands break up, but last night was the first time I saw one pack the Horseshoe Tavern for their farewell gig. The venue couldn’t have been more fitting, as it was there that my relationship with Quest For Fire began five…

February 16, 2013
The Grammy’s are a joke. In case you need to be reminded, here’s why…

In fact, there used to be two categories, Best Hard Rock Performance and Best Metal Performance, before the academy decided to combine the two last year for the first time since 1989. What was so special about ’89? Well…

February 10, 2013
“Happy Valentine’s Day–I think we should see other psych bands!”

Suffice to say, the dudes in Quest For Fire must have a wicked sense of humour. I mean, who breaks up the day after Valentine’s Day? Well, these Toronto heavy-psych stalwarts, apparently.

February 2, 2013
Because Slipknot is definitely the most Satanic band since KISS…

Suffice to say there’s a lot of crazy shit on Facebook. You don’t hafta go far to find some utter inanities, that’s for sure. Earlier today, I stumbled across something that was nevertheless notable: a page entitled Christians Against Slipknot. It’s a real doozy…

January 28, 2013
There’s nothing like the sound of Neurosis in wintertime…

Doom metal, in general, is not summertime music. When the sun’s out, the temperature’s rising and yer sweatin’ balls, you wanna cruise down the blacktop blasting some Kyuss or Fu Manchu, not some slow, melancholic, depressing tunes. Not that I have anything against slow and depressing, mind you–I just don’t have it pumping on the…

January 5, 2013
My top concert of 2012 is something no one will ever experience again…

While I initially joked that the price of the Kyuss Lives New Year’s Eve gig was a joke, I eventually gave in and bought myself a 200-dollar ticket. I don’t normally go out for NYE–frankly, I think it’s a rather pointless holiday–but I figured that for the founding fathers of stoner rock, I could make…

December 30, 2012
If the world ends next Friday, I can’t think of a better way to spend my last nite than at Lee’s Palace with White Cowbell Oklahoma…

For the past few years, White Cowbell Oklahoma’s Christmas show has always been an event I’ve marked on my calendar. Toronto’s most outrageous, over-the-top live band usually has something special up their sleeves around this time of year, and this year is no exception. Mind you, they’ve scheduled things a week later this time to…

December 15, 2012