Live: Recorded at Born & Raised, St. Catharines, ON

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Review in Short

One of the attractions of a live performance is the ability to include extended versions of beloved songs and allow space for improvisation and spontaneity. This is always where a live album becomes worth it to me. Otherwise, it is never as well recorded or played as the studio version to be worth hearing with an audience. And this live album is well played, well mixed, and overall well made.

Taking recordings made across the two sets at Born & Raised 2022 in St Catharines, Ontario, Alexisonfire have arranged them in a way that feels like the most natural live show put to disk, even though the tracks are delivered mostly out of order—sacrificing preservation of the sets for a flow which suits the band in 2024.

What impressed me on my first listen was the mixing. I can’t tell you if it is the work of the live sound team and recording engineer, or the post-recording team. I can’t even tell if it is the mastering. What I know is that throughout the album I could hear every instrument and each vocal as clearly as I could wish I’d get at a live show. I’m certain the audience was recorded separately too.

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A Little Deeper

The mix of songs across their discography is impressive. From their second set where they performed their self-titled album in full, we get the recording of their first live performance of Jubella, and the first time since 2003 that they have performed A Dagger Through the Heart of St. Angeles. It also includes their live debut of Committed to the Con from 2022’s Otherness.

We have never played this song ever

George Pettit, on the live debut of Jubella

Whether to make the songs work better live, save the vocalist’s voices performing night after night or to keep the songs interesting to play after 20 years, I enjoy each of the moments where we are treated to a variation on what we are familiar with. This album is full of added parts (including a touch of Prince’s When Doves Cry), extended sections and switched up vocal inflections.

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But Does It Sound Good?

In a word, yes!

The drums are clearly picked up and boom with a presence you’d expect, but without overwhelming the other players. The guitar tone is true to the studio versions and performed with real passion, full of adlibs and improvising. But the stand-out is Chris Steele’s bass. Alexis always have brilliant basslines, but here it cuts through, adjuring the listener to really hear what it has to say.

All three vocals are masterfully performed and thoughtfully recorded. The clarity of the distorted vocalists, George Pettit and Wade MacNeil, exemplifies the diligent work of the crew. There is one moment on Happiness by the Kilowatt where Dallas Green’s microphone muffles and crackles, but it lasts 40 seconds before it is fixed.

With a live album, the audience inevitably becomes a contributor to the performance. They were captured well and mixed into the sound: intentionally pulled back when the band needed focus and brought up when they added to the ambience. If you have seen any fan footage from these sets, you’ll know the energy to expect and I assure you nothing is lost in this audio-exclusive version.

Hearing the songs this way I also noticed that the songs from Otherness are written and designed in a way which makes them work really well live.

This band wouldn’t be here without the support of Southern Ontario, so thank you so much, thank you for sticking with us. Now let’s run this back and sing Prince one more time

WADE MACNEIL

The Best Parts and a Final Thought

What to listen out for,

1. Happiness by the Kilowatt: This is a pretty and haunting song, I understand why they end many of their sets with it. But the gratitude to the audience MacNeil expresses and extending the song (from 5 minutes to 11 minutes) with the inclusion of When Doves Cry by Prince, makes this performance hit me emotionally.
2. This Could Be Anywhere in the World: I can’t believe there was a time when I hated the way Dallas sings the final line of the chorus live “Left for these souls”. The audience is everything for any live performance of this song.
3. Jubella: One of my favourite songs from their self-titled album, performed live for the first time. Of course it’s a best part!
4. Dogs Blood: I never disliked this song, but it was always too much effort to remember to listen to it. But this performance made me realise how many great ideas they had before disbanding. The interlude going into the end section is everything I love about this band’s sound.
5. Rough Hands: Crisis was an important album for me during the last year of my mum’s life and the six months after her death. This performance gives voice to that emotion (even if the audience clap in double-time at the start).
6. Little Girls Pointing and Laughing: The first song they wrote together, as George tells us after performing Jubella, and a showcase of their artistry as a band. The build up in the second half makes the feelings swell.
7. A Dagger Through the Heart of St. Angeles: Alexis always make use of the bassline, but during the interlude Chris Steele gets to offer up my favourite bit of bass from their debut album. Here it is mixed forward, centred, given a moment to shine. You can’t help but hear the bass more clearly during the stampeding finale of this song.

Have you listened to Live: Recorded at Born & Raised, St. Catharines, ON? Do you have any favourite parts? Let me know in the comments.

Final Point

This album is a celebration of the band, their time apart and successful return, and of course Southern Ontario.

Looks like we better start practicing….

For the 1st time EVER we’re playing our self titled debut ‘Alexisonfire’ front-to-back

July 3 #BornAndRaised! Stoked to celebrate 20 years – at home, with all of you.

Tickets on sale now!!!https://t.co/W3jyR31zOQ pic.twitter.com/OcaPPzO5LD

— ALEXISONFIRE (@aof_official) May 19, 2022