Toronto, ON - 2/6

[Amy]

Coordinate & report here!

[Amy]

Get in your wristband request now before it's too late to wear it to the concert!

www.martycasey.org/wristbands.htm

[del]

Got my wristband and tickets... waiting for the 6th

[natasha]

Whos all going to the show tonight???

[gutless]

Just got home from Toronto's Massey Hall concert. The concert was great - the audience was rather reserved. They sat politely and clapped. I had an aisle seat and was told by an usher to sit down It's a freakin' concert, for crying out loud.

No pics during the show - the non-dancing camera police (aka ushers) were constantly casing the audience for cameras.

Today was the one-year anniversary of Marty's audition for Rock Star. Kinda puts "Can't believe what happened to you in one year" in a difference context.

Marty didn't walk INTO the audience ... he climbed UP to the audience. He climbed up to the first balcony. No 'shirtless Marty' tonight, so I couldn't see if he was wearing Rockbeast's dogtags. 'Asscrack Marty' was on stage though.

Dino injured three of his fingers on his left (?) hand while rescuing his dog yesterday. He stresses that it was not his dogs fault. He has 2 splints and bandages, but rocked on despite his injuries.

Marty spotted a young boy (about 12) in the audience and spoke to him and found out he played the bass. So Dino gave up his bass and sat in the audience while the young boy played Smoke on the Water. Billy and Bobby joined in. It was awesome!

They held an meet and greet at the bar after INXS finished. We weren't allowed to take 'portraits' - just take pics when in line. When we got to the table, we were hustled along - barely had time to say hi. Marty had his sunglasses on and when I commented that I couldn't see his eyes, he took off the sunglasses. Spectacular! Dino was sweet - very soft spoken, but perhaps in pain from his fingers? Dino's photographs do not do him justice - he is a doll. Bobby was quiet and absolutely gorgeous. I'd love to sit and have a beer with Billy - he seems so genuine, and full of the devil.

INXS was INXS - they were good. What is with JD and that microphone stand?

Can't wait for the Lovehammers to tour on their own!

[luvinmarti]

you are so freakin lucky!!!! sounds like the toronto crowd wasn't what they are used to though, was there at least lots of people there for their set? I think I would have told that usher to go...... for the love of GOD, it's Marty, don't they know that he is a god to us? Damn them

[albrmo]

Thanks for the story.

I'm so sorry that they didn't let you stand up and dance. There is no way I would be able to sit during their concert.

Did you have to sit during INXS too? Very strange

[everlong]

I'm bummed that they made people sit down. I had a feeling that Massey Hall would be a bit on the stuffy side.

It's great they're available after the INXS show because I admit I did want to see it.

Thanks for the report. I'm so excited to be going tonight!

[gutless]

The whole crowd was on their feet for INXS and no one stopped them. It really was an INXS crowd - JD's home town.

[rockfan]

Thanks gutless for that report. I guess since you are in JD country, you can't expect a large LH crowd. Loved the part about the kid playing "smoke on the water", that was great and sooo sweet of the guys to do that.

[everlong]

They can't stop people when everyone gets up. They only stop you when one of two people want to get up.

I hope Marty comes visit me in the balcony again tonight!

[Gail]

I saw these 4 concert reviews from INXS fans at the TO show last night, thought everyone might enjoy.

(1) Marty & the Lovehammers were great.They were amazing.The guitarist Dino I think it is had bandages on 2 fingers from a dog attack Marty said ? Even when Marty climbed into the balcony he never stopped singing.Everyone in the place stood up when he did that.Marty told us he had never been to TO & needed someone to show him around.Although everyone pretty much sat for the whole set (except 2 songs ),the crowd was very loud & enthusiastic for them.Marty kept remarking on that.I admit when he 1st came out doing the mad conducter thing I squeed.It was so good to see him perform.I bought their new CD yesterday and quite liked it.He kept his shirt on but I did see butt crack.

(2) Marty Casey and the Lovehammers: I bought the album last week and I'm glad i did -- I enjoyed the set cuz I knew the tunes. Marty's voice is way better than I expected and his band is tight. The drummer is excellent, although i think they need a second guitarist to beef up the sound and then let Bill do the solos (he's great at that). Marty climbed up into the first balcony (quite a height!) and sang from there for a bit! Later he brought a kid on stage and the kid played Smoke on the Water on the bass, which the kid could barely hold. It was sweet. I was really surprised at the rousing participation of the audience on Trees. Most people sat for the set, but they went crazy for Trees. I think that's a good sign for Mahtee. It means if people actually knew the songs they'd love em! It's tough to be the opening act because almost nobody showed up to see them specifically. It was nice that Mahtee acknowledged the history of Massey Hall before starting Cash's Ring of Fire -- Johnny Cash played Massey Hall a few years ago, and certainly must have played Ring of Fire on that stage. It was a poignant thought for me at that moment...Way to go Mahtee and the boys!

(3) The Lovehammers were good and Peaches (who is unbelievably skinny in person) has great stage presence. I bought their album last week and knew some of their songs (Riddle is my fave) and really enjoyed their show. However, Massey not a good venue for them - I would love to see this band at a Horseshoe type place (sorry I know I"m implying bar band) because I bet they would rock in this setting. Loved when he climbed up to the second balcony - wasn't too far from us and he said he was going for the third tonight so we will have to see if it was all talk! It was great too when he brought the kid on stage and let him play bass - this kid is a Rockstar in the making. His posing at the end was priceless.

(4) The crowd I think was a huge portion Rockstar: INXS/JD/Marty fans vs. INXS pre reality TV show - no solid evidence expect my feeling from listening to some conversations and watching the crowd which went the most crazy for Pretty Vegas and Trees.

[myohmy]

Thanks for the reviews gutless & Gail

I am now quite concerned however....if I am ordered to sit down at the Wang in Boston Friday night...I will need to be superglued or handcuffed to my chair....or I will be thrown out for standing and dancing.... .....

I am also glad they did offer the chance to say hi to them after the INXS set...were they allowed to autograph stuff?

Sorry to hear about Dino's finger injuries...ouch...glad though he can continue to play....

[gutless]

Yes, they autographed stuff. The girl in front of me had a nice home-made Lovehammers t-shirt with a space for Marty's signature, which he did sign. Their CD is for sale at the merch table and they were signing the booklet. We were asked not to have them sign personal items (and "NO boobs"), but the boys seems pretty happy to sign anything.

T-shirts for sale at the merch table ($40 and $35) as well as their beanie and wrist band.

[franny2]

Thanks for the reviews . . . there is some good info and I'm taking notes for tonight . . . and did nobody find the Green Machine??? Kate and I are going tonight and will be in Toronto early . . . maybe a little tour bus hunt will be in order hmmmm?

Massey Hall did look like it would be a conservative venue, but it won't be the last place I see them so I don't care . . . as long as I see them.

And . . . . I'm in the balcony

[gutless]

Here's the important portion of the review from the Toronto Sun:

"Meanwhile, opener and fellow Rockstar: INXS finalist Marty Casey was a compelling, crazed force of energy with his band The Lovehammers, who delivered an animated rock set that included their hit Trees, which Casey wrote on the TV show.

At one point, Casey even scrambled up speakers to the second-floor balcony, and later invited a young fan on stage to play bass briefly. For the record, 11-year-old Mitchell Dailey of Cobourg, Ont., acquitted himself nicely with the opening of Smoke On The Water."

Makes you wonder how these reporters are actually able to get and keep their jobs, when they publish things that they haven't researched. (...their hit Trees, which Casey wrote on the TV show)

This review is from the Toronto Star - I'm not really sure that I was at the same concert as him as I didn't see the rousing ovation. And his opinion of Marty is wrong. So wrong.

"Judging from the rousing ovation that greeted opener Lovehammers, a quartet fronted by Marty Casey, a contestant Fortune eclipsed on his way to the top, the house contained nearly as many fans of Rock Star: INXS as it did of INXS itself.

Casey, jumping on the bass drumming and climbing equipment all the way to the first balcony, had all the showy rock star moves down pat but was betrayed by negligible singing talent and weak, formulaic songs."

[radioclash]

Thanks for that review gutless and for bringing the others for us to see Gail!

I love reading how enthusiastic the crowd was for the guys and it's cool to know that the INXS posters even knew the band member's names.

Especially liked the part about the guest bassist ;D

[Cindy]

We now have gutless's photos on the site

www.martycasey.org/toronto1_2-06.htm

Go check them out. Thanks so much gutless for gifting the site with your photos.

[everlong]

Great pictures!

Thanks gutless & Cindy!

[Trees]

Marty: Where's that Franny2 OMG there she is hanging from the Balcony




Thanks Albert Ortega from Los Angeles


Have a Great time Franny2 and Kate. Please Kate hold on to that girl