Reunion tours are difficult things to master, even for the most revered
of bands. But in spite of an eight-year absence since the release of Rock Steady, No Doubt's current tour is a joyful reintroduction to the band, who have returned at the height of their powers.
Everyone
has a reason to celebrate. A No Doubt/Paramore double bill is an
exercise in what Girl Power should have been all along: two generations
of female lead singers with magnetism to spare. And for single lads
looking to score a fashionable girlfriend, a capacity crowd that’s 80
per cent young, attractive, screaming ladies is bound to produce
results. That is, if you can stomach the opening acts.
For
starters, local reggae-popsters Bedouin Soundclash's opening set was
delivered without an ounce of personality. While their breakout smash “When the Night Feels My Song”
is an admitted guilty pleasure of mine, it’s impossible to shake the
feeling that it would sound far more enjoyable at an open-mic night.
The Queen's University boys were out of their depth on the massive Air
Canada Centre stage, and singer Jay Malinowski sealed it: his delicate,
hiccupping vocal tics simply can’t fill an arena.
Tennessee upstarts Paramore
hit the stage to trace the developments in pop-punk since No Doubt
broke out back in 1996. The ska influences have been replaced by more
hardcore ones, but a cute lead singer is always an asset. The orange mop–haired Hayley Williams conjures images of Gwen Stefani in the mid-'90s:
an adorable, effervescent ragamuffin with rad style overshadowing a
band of talented if slightly anonymous boys. But the difference that
seems destined to hold Williams back from making a Stefani-like leap
into the pop-star pantheon is mediocre songwriting. Lacking the clever self-deprecation of Fall Out Boy
or the sheer theatrics of Panic at the Disco, Paramore’s catalogue is a
collection of forgettable, cookie-cutter emo tunes that deserve their
place on the Twilight soundtrack. If Williams hadn’t been so damned likable, both of tonight's opening sets would have been a total buzz kill.
For
No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian
Young, this reunion tour and the album that’s scheduled for early 2010
signify the gravy train that was derailed several years ago has once
again been set in motion, and it’s obvious that they’re positively
thrilled about it. Thankfully, the boys’ task is a familiar one: play
the right notes, chip in with bizarre stage antics (see Young‘s
multicolored mohawk, black lipstick and tiny white briefs under a pink
tutu), and generally stay the hell out of Gwen’s way.
Stefani’s
metamorphosis into arguably the world’s greatest pop star is an asset
to the band: her solo career has sharpened her skills as a frontwoman,
made her a genuine celebrity icon, and, if you were close enough to see
them, kept her abs in astounding shape after two pregnancies.
Without a new album to promote, this set was a straight-up hit parade. After emerging with their 2 Tone romp “Spiderwebs,” the band ripped through the entirety of their 2003 singles collection, including dance floor smash “Hella Good,” Girl Power anthem “Just a Girl,” and breakthrough hit “Don’t Speak,” which, on this night, summoned an ocean of sparkling, lit-up cell phones.
Stefani
expressed appreciation for those who waited a long time for the
comeback, inviting not one but two enthusiastic dudes onstage for a
dance, a hug, and naturally, a centre-stage pic for the Facebook page.
In a show packed with feel-good moments, the most satisfying was the underrated ballad “Running,”
during which the band’s late-'80s home videos were projected onto the
backdrop, a reminder of why friends stick together, even when one of
them becomes a megastar.