Bad Uncle is a four piece band with a twist. The lineup is basically what one would expect– a guitar player (Huge Joyal), bass player (Ram Krishnan), and drums (D’Arcy Nichol). The delightful detail, for me at least, is that  Bad Uncle is fronted by an accordion player, and not your down-home, stereotypical one either. Santosh Lalonde is the only man I’ve ever seen who plays the accordion like a hard-rock instrument.

Of the groups I’ve found in Montreal, Bad Uncle has to be one of the most unique and charming. Their song styles range from classic twelve-bar blues and ornate, haunting ballads, to gritty, toe-tapping rock. Their music can be driving, heavy, it can be opulent and mysterious-sounding, it can make you smile, it can evoke dark bayou back-porches. And their Motörhead covers invariably get the crowd jumping. If you have a hard time picturing how an accordion can create a moshpit, then you have to see a live Bad Uncle show.

The night of their CD launch, July 28th, was windy and dark and, as the show progressed, it was like Hallowe’en came in August. Playing on the old-timey freakshow vibe they share with the Unsettlers (arguably their sister band–they have two or three members in common), the members of Bad Uncle brought along some friends to mark the occasion. That evening, besides the engaging music, the audience was treated to performances by sword-swallowers, fire-breathers, strongmen in leopard-print leotard, and several different burlesque dances–all of them sharing the stage with Bad Uncle as the band reeled and Santosh growled.

Santosh’s voice is partially responsible for my enthusiasm for this group– he sounds a little like how I imagine the Cookie Monster might sound after eating Tom Waits. He growls and shouts as he sings, but still manages to display a great vocal range and flexibility.

Though the tone of their music tends to fall on the darker side of things, with subjects like necrophilia and cannibalism, Bad Uncle never fails to be fun. Their lyrics are never overwrought, and with songs like “Lolita Swamp Creature” and “Bad Bad Preacher”, and the way they take over a stage, the band gives the impression of thoroughly enjoying themselves. At every show I’ve seen, the crowd picks up on this– no one feels guilty about singing along to a song about a man falling in love with a hooker’s headless body. Thanks to the lyrics, the music, and the overall presence of this band, the audience is always a sea of smiling faces, pounding feet, and sloshing beers.

And do not miss their next show!! 

29 Octobre / 22h00 / Quai des brumes / Montréal