Default with Charlie Edward Live @ Base31

Review by Bernard Clark – Pictures by Bernard Clark and Jim Ziegler

The summer line-up of killer concerts continued at Base31 in Picton, Ontario, on a hot Saturday night as Canadian rockers Default hit the stage with opening act Charlie Edward.

Edward is a powerhouse artist with a great debut album, ‘Let Me Go’.  His stage presence is incredible as he had the crowd cheering to every song he unleashed, including his rockin’ single ‘Bad Looks Good’. I’m sure by the time he closed out with his song ‘Highwire’, Edward had gained several new fans, including me.

I first photographed Default over 24 years ago as they performed their debut album ‘The Fall Out’, and I was looking forward to seeing them again when I heard they were on their way to our area.

And let me tell you, they didn’t disappoint. From the opening song ‘Sick and Tired’ through many hits, including ‘Taking My Life Away’ to their closer ‘Deny’, the band had the Prince Edward County crowd on their feet.

Frontman Dallas Smith’s vocals are powerful, and the acoustics were great in the historic Drill Hall as the Vancouver band delivered an exhilarating show.  It was also nice to see both acts pay tribute to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne with their versions of ‘War Pigs’ as Default tied it into their song ‘Seize the Day’.

Default is one of those bands that, after an hour-long show, you realize just how many of their songs you recognize, and quickly understand how they have sold over a million records. As a lover of live music, I am continually blown away by the acts that are crossing the country this summer, and I encourage you to get out to a few shows and support the amazing and diverse talent Canada has to offer, from small stages to arenas.