Bush & The Standstills in Toronto, ON – Show Review

All Photo Credit: Kyle McNeil

Bush & The Standstills
February 9, 2023
HISTORY, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport

English alternative rock band Bush made their Canadian concert return last Thursday night in Toronto with a sold-out show at the HISTORY concert venue.

Canadian rock band The Standstills filled the role of the opening act of the night. The Standstills, a three-piece alternative rock and roll band from Oshawa, Ontario, put their brand of music on display at the mostly filled venue in Toronto, which were very receptive to the group. The opening band had mentioned how appreciative they were to open up for a large caliber band like Bush in their home of Ontario, Canada.

Bush, who saw their rise to huge popularity in the mid-1990s while calling the city of London, England, as their home base. Over the course of the last 25 years plus the band has seen many different tours and also some different bandmates as the only prevailing band member in 2023 are, of course, the lead singer Gavin Rossdale. In terms of live performances, most fans of this group will always think of Woodstock 1999 while recalling one of their most iconic concerts.

Although the lead singer Gavin Rossdale has put some miles on his boots and guitar over the past three decades, it was clear that none of it was slowing him down as he hit the stage with an abundance of energy while jumping around as the sold-out crowd in Toronto went crazy. Canadian fans that are old enough to remember when Bush first got big in Canada will know that they were actually once known as “Bush X” due to another band in Canada already having the name. After some behind-the-scenes deals and agreements, the British band finally got to use the name “Bush” in all future Canadian releases.

A few decades later, in 2023, the band would still be playing classic songs in Toronto like “Machine Head,” “Everything Zen,” “The Chemicals Between Us,” “Come Down,” and the fan-favorite “Glycerine.” A few newer releases, such as “The Sound of Winter” and “Identity,” made the setlist in Toronto at History. It was surprising to see how many younger fans this band has, as I recall seeing many fans that were most likely not born yet for the band’s first and most popular run in the ’90s. I hope Gavin Rossdale will continue touring with this band into the future, and as a fan of Bush, I think it would be so great to see the original lineup play again one day, even if for one final show.

For more photos from the show, head to our Facebook page!

Kyle McNeil

Kyle McNeil is a proven, reliable, and hardworking individual from the greater Toronto area that is highly motivated to work hard and progress in the music business which is the business that we all love at Canadian Beats. Concert photography is both a hobby and passion of mine as I believe it acts as a time capsule for present and future generations of music fans to enjoy. A quick background of my experience: over the past 3 years plus I have covered many live concerts(indie and commercial), and in 2022 have been regularly covering live concerts for some large Corus radio stations in Toronto like 102.1 The edge, Q107, Energy 95.3 and 91.5 The Beat in Kitchener. I have also provided coverage and produced numerous interviews and reviews over the past three years for online publications like HipHopCanada. I also own and operate my own entertainment news website called Musik Mirage in which I serve as the editor-in-chief. On top of photography and writing, I have filmed and edited around 30 music videos since 2015 under the moniker True Aspect Media and has even co-hosted a podcast show called ‘A Billion Realities’ in 2020 during the pandemic. His music media journey will press on and intends to continue capturing and documenting music history for years to come!

musikmirage.com