Mongol, Monarch Sky & Disturb The Dead
Devon Days Fundraiser
December 13, 2014
This was a bit of an atypical event, to say the least. Held as a fundraiser for Devon Days (a “local annual public intoxication event”, as described very fittingly by Mongol themselves), the lineup was Disturb The Dead, Monarch Sky and Mongol. Both Disturb The Dead and Mongol hail from Devon, while Monarch Sky is an Edmonton based band. This was an all ages event held in a small venue, which is something I have not experienced in a long time. It was a little different to be sharing a venue with mostly teenagers and (I’m assuming) supportive parents, but nonetheless, it was a decent showcase of local talent.
Not being familiar with Disturb The Dead, it seemed like they were possibly playing without a full line-up, or perhaps having some technical issues. Monarch Sky played a set worthy of having a few more people in the audience. They played a mix of original material and covers, including a version of ‘Poker Face’ that was much better than the original.
Mongol proved that they know how to play a fun set. Folk metal typically lends itself to a bit of hijinks and fun in comparison to other metal sub-genres, and this set was no exception with the band dressed as Santa and elves. While playing to a tiny crowd would seem to be a little disheartening, it did not have much effect on Mongol’s set. Like every other time I have seen this band live, they played quite well. Most of the material came from their latest release, ‘Chosen By Tengri’, which is fine by me as it is an excellent album.
While it would have been nice to see a few more people out supporting this show, it still proved to be a pretty good evening.
