Gene Ral recently ventured to Halifax's most infamous subterranean venue to sample the finest garage-rock Israel has to offer. Monotonix, a 3-piece wrecking ball from Tel Aviv, came to the maritimes to offer up a live show unlike any Gene has ever experienced. Past shows by these Israelites have included flaming drum kits, singer Ami Shalev diving into the crowd from the balcony, crowd surfing on a kick drum, and a fan lighting himself on fire… With the knowledge that Monotonix shows are prone to being shut down almost immediately by police on account of unruly band behaviour, Gene suspected he might actually be safer in the Gaza Strip. Perhaps it was fear for his safety that drove Gene to down an excess of 'Horse Power', the bar's special brew of 'beer' that delivers an effect akin to a horse kick to the head, before the band took the stage.
As Gene's horse power reached a maximum, Monotonix's maniacal members emerged from backstage wearing only the shortest of shorts and the longest of facial/chest/back/head hair. They proceeded to set up their amps on the frontmost edge of the stage, and the drum-set in the middle of the dancefloor/mosh-pit/sauna, all while engaging in a stretching routine that would have brought proud tears to the eyes of Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod. As soon as the music started, one didn't need to question why the stretching was necessary. Front man, Ami Shalev, shot like a Hezbollah rocket into the crowd which sent us into a frenzy. People were falling over, bodies were thrown into the drum kit, knocking over cymbals, we were upside down, inside out, easy over, and sunny side up. Gene could even be seen playing the crash cymbal with his fist.
Shalev showed off his colours as a true band leader, leading his band by picking up and moving pieces of the drum kit all over the venue… At one point, the guitarist was standing on a table in the middle of the bar playing the kick drum, while the drummer played the remaining pieces of his kit in the mosh pit, all while Shalev swung from the rafters screaming like a lunatic. Next, the show invaded the men's washroom then exploded back into the bar amidst a blizzard of soiled paper towels. The ensuing riot was breathtaking, literally, just trying to keep up with the band could have put a strain on Lance Armstrong's lungs. The band did their best to use every inch of the venue, and Gene kept pace. They only stopped playing long enough for Shalev to yell instructions to the raucous crowd. He could have been speaking English, Arabic, or Hebrew, it didn't matter, we were all deaf by then anyway.
When all was said and done Gene emerged whiplashed, deaf in both ears, with bruised knuckles, soaked in a mixture of Horse Power and sweat... and a Zionist.
Monotonix - Body Language
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