PEI’s delightfully idiosyncratic The Burning Hell, along with able support from Newfoundland’s Kelly McMichael, return to The Carleton to thoroughly entertain you on Thursday, October 28th. Show time is 7:30 PM and tickets are a very reasonable $15 + HST.
Over ten years and almost as many albums, the lineup and sound of PEI garage-folk oddballs The Burning Hell has changed often, but the band has remained idiosyncratic and unclassifiable—much to the delight of those who love them. The constant has always remained Mathias Kom’s lyrics and singular outlook on the world: wise and naive, cynical and life-affirming, full of brilliant, unexpected narratives and a deeply felt generosity of spirit. The band’s live performances underscore these themes: they exhibit a joy and camaraderie too infrequently seen on stage. Indeed, the essence of the band is inclusive and celebratory; whether live or on record, there’s something for everyone. As Tom Robinson of BBC Introducing said about The Burning Hell, “even Jesus is going to enjoy this, once he finally gets here.”
The Burning Hell are known for tour schedules as densely packed as their lyrics, and they’re certainly no strangers to adversity on the road, having completed an unofficial world-record-breaking tour of ten shows in ten countries in 24 hours, and in a more typical year playing everywhere from Belarus to the Yukon to the Faroe Islands to far above the Arctic Circle in Norway.
But the coronavirus pandemic has kept them unusually grounded, and their upcoming tour dates in November 2021 are the result of two consecutive reschedulings. Band members Ariel Sharratt and Mathias Kom released a duo album of labour songs for the gig economy called Never Work on May 1, 2020, but they’ll be taking the full band on the road with them this autumn, playing songs from Never Work, new songs about birds and the apocalypse from their upcoming record, as well as plenty of older favourites.
The Burning Hell has always been a joyous, jubilant live band, and after a year and a half of pacing around inside, they’re more eager than ever to hit the road again and play and sing their hearts out wherever they go.
Kelly McMichael (based in St John’s, Canada) is known for her commanding stage presence, striking vocals and clever songwriting. Her debut LP (May 2021) has attracted international attention and praise as a breakthrough Independent release. Recorded with Jake Nicoll of The Burning Hell, who also played drums and co-produced the album, Waves has dreamy and timeless pop/rock arrangements that incorporate psychedelia, synth-pop, americana and grunge to support Kelly’s distinctively emotive and soulful expressions.
