It was a special Sunday night in Toronto when Swedish punk rockers Refused came to Toronto during their last-ever North American tour. Having announced a farewell tour last year, it was no surprise tickets for Sunday’s show were sold out in minutes as fans were eager to catch one last glimpse of Refused. This was only the band’s seventh time playing in Toronto, so the excitement showed with a long lineup before doors opened at HISTORY. It was only a matter of time before Refused rocked the stage for the last time in Toronto.
The first opener of the night was local punk rock band Sundowner. I’m incredibly proud of this band, seeing a small band going from playing in a house for 10 people to a sold-out show in HISTORY. The 3-piece showed off their relentless hardcore punk and noise rock style with aggressive riffs, drumming, and harsh screams. This was by far Sundowner’s biggest show to date, and it was a fantastic set with the audience applauding and appreciating the band’s performance.
Lineup:
Cole – Lead vocalist, bass
Nick G – Guitar
Issac – Drummer
The audience quickly packed the venue as the second opener Quicksand entered onstage. The longtime band from New York entertained the crowd with their post-hardcore sound. Walter Schreifels effortlessly ran through his heavy guitar riffs while singing with everything he got, while bassist Sergio Vega and drummer Alan Cage matched their frontman’s energy. Walter ended their set showing love for Canada as a country. The audience was warmed up to the spirited performance from Quicksand in anticipation of the headliner coming up.
Lineup:
Walter Schreifels – Lead vocalist, rhythm guitar
Sergio Vega – Bass
Alan Cage – Drummer
Setlist:
1. Fazer
2. Colossus
3. Thorn in My Side
4. Too Official
5. Supercollider
6. Omission
7. Brown Gargantuan
8. Head to Wall
9. Inversion
10. Unfulfilled
11. Phase 90
12. Lightning Field
13. Dine Alone
14. Landmine Spring
The members of Refused walked onstage to the excitement of the sold-out crowd in Toronto. Guitarist Mattias Bärjed started the beginning riffs of “Poetry Written in Gasoline.” Frontman Dennis Lyxzén danced and posed around the stage with occasional mic throws while throwing harsh screams. The audience in the front shouted the lyrics passionately, which delighted Dennis. The energy was unmatched, with Magnus Flagge rocking out his bass and drummer David Sandström playing the beats at his best. After playing “It’s Not O.K…” Dennis spoke to the crowd, showing appreciation to the sold-out crowd, while admitting he had mixed feelings coming back to playing shows after suffering a heart attack last year. The crowd shouted and applauded Dennis and the rest of Refused before the show continued playing songs from their reissued album The Shape of Punk to Come, such as “Liberation Frequency,” and “Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine.”
The highlight of the night was Dennis inviting Damian Abraham of F***ed Up to perform “The Refused Party Program.” Damian went all-out with his harsh screams which brought the crowd roaring in excitement. Widely known for not being shy about their political views, Dennis called out the people regarding trans, LGBTQ and immigrants. “If you think those are issues, then you are the issue,” Dennis said before a loud applause and cheer. He also shouted out Sundowner for being a fantastic opener and to Quicksand, where he reminisced about seeing them open for The Offsprings in Stockholm in 1997. The show ended with a fan requesting the band to play “Coup d’état” and “Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull.” The members of Refused thanked the audience one last time before exiting the stage for the last time in Toronto. It was a memorable celebration of a band that influenced the rise of punk rock and hardcore in the late 90s. Those who didn’t get to see Refused live would be kicking themselves, because they are one of the best live bands I have seen.
Lineup:
Dennis Lyxzén – Lead vocalist
Mattias Bärjed – Guitar
Magnus Flagge – Bass
David Sandström – Drummer
Setlist:
1. Poetry Written in Gasoline
2. The Shape of Punk to Come
3. It’s Not O.K…
4. Rather Be Dead
5. Break
6. Circle Pit
7. Malfire
8. Liberation Frequency
9. Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine
10. The Refused Party Program (with Damian Abraham)
11. Refused are F***ing Dead
12. The Deadly Rhythm
13. Elektra
14. New Noise
15. Useless Europeans
Encore:
16. Coup d’état
17. Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull
Follow Sundowner Online:
Follow Quicksand Online:
Follow Refused Online:
Andrew Wu is a music photographer based in Toronto, Canada. His work focuses on capturing and documenting special moments of performers during concerts and various events. His photos have been featured such as music publications in Spill Magazine, Imprint Entertainment, and Patchchord News. In 2020, he completed his BFA in photography at OCAD University.
Andrew is a massive fan of music, as he enjoys a variety of genres such as pop, alternative, rock, hardcore, and metal.
