By Nick Patch, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Wed, 22 May, 2013 6:45 PM EDT from yahoo.com

TORONTO – Headstones snarler Hugh Dillon has never been particularly gentle with fans — after all, his habit of spitting indiscriminately into the audience during the band’s notoriously fiery performances has become a key part of the group’s mythology.

But now that the Kingston, Ont., band’s first album in over a decade was made possible by the contributions of their devoted faithful, who in 1,597 separate contributions poured in more than 295 per cent of the band’s budget goal via PledgeMusic.com?

Well, Dillon certainly feels the love — and pressure.

“It makes you want to work harder,” the 49-year-old said in a recent telephone interview. “If we’re getting a shot at this, we’re going to give it 150 per cent. We’re going to give it a million per cent. We’re giving it ten bazillion million per cent! It’s like, these people are going out of their way to help you. They’re putting their money where their mouth is, they’re going, ‘We believe in this thing. We believe you guys can do it.’

“It just makes you go: Holy (crap), these people are really expecting something,” he added with a laugh. “It was our baby. This was it. There was one chance. And these people had invested so much and believed in us. It’s like, you can’t disappoint. Disappointment is not an option.”

And, in the eyes of the always-candid Dillon, the Headstones didn’t disappoint. With “Love + Fury,” out now, he says they’ve made the best record of a career that stretches back more than 25 years.

The band — known for no-nonsense serrated hard rock — had its greatest success in the ’90s, with a stretch of commercially successful records beginning with 1993′s platinum-selling debut “Picture of Health” followed by consecutive gold records with 1995′s “Teeth and Tissue” and 1997′s “Smile and Wave.” After two more albums, the band went on indefinite hiatus following 2002′s “The Oracle of Hi-Fi.”

There were many reasons for the breakup — a one-time heroin addict, Dillon relapsed before checking himself into rehab and disbanding the group — but they had also become drained by the constant push for airplay and record sales.

“You get the (crap) kicked out of you on the road and playing in a band for a long time, and especially in Canada,” he said. “There were a couple years, a couple decades, that weren’t that … hot.”

They reformed in 2011, brought back together in an effort to help past contributor and longtime friend Randy Kwan, who was dying of cancer and didn’t have insurance. Quickly, the quartet assembled for a tour that generated some money for the cause.

“Out of that tragedy, came nothing but an incredible, positive and creative experience,” Dillon said.

Despite its heartbreaking overtones, the cross-country trek reminded Dillon and co. how much they’d missed one another.

“It’s like lightning in a bottle — it’s just that natural chemistry,” he said. “It’s explosive when we hang out. Your senses are just heightened. We laugh a lot. Life just seems exciting, you know?

“It’s very much like a family,” he added. “We’re like brothers. You know, they have very little patience for anything that isn’t 100 per cent honest.”

When it came time to start crafting a new record, they started fresh, not bothering with most of the sketches or ideas that had built up during their break. Co-producing with his friend Chris Osti, Dillon endeavoured to claw back the layers of polish that were typically applied to the band’s white-knuckle rock and roll (he says such older records were so “weirdly polished or weirdly enhanced” that he “would always be vaguely disappointed with the final” product).

Album opener “Change My Ways” establishes the record’s Rottweiler growl, while first single “longwaytoneverland” finds Dillon spewing stylishly over a hard-charging riff. The album rarely lets up the guitar-driven intensity, though stark album closer “Midnight of this Life” is something else entirely, a piano dirge that finds Dillon softly singing some revealing lines: “It’s just the midnight of this life has proven to be the hardest to bear.”

He’s not looking for external validation this time out, he says. The Headstones had the support of their fans, and the band is happy with their album.

“I no longer look at numbers or business,” he said. “That was what killed us — we didn’t even realize we were on the treadmill. We were running so fast, and then, bam.

“Life is too short,” he added. “If you can find great people that you like to be around, and a great project that you’re really honestly passionate about and interested in and not wasting your time and not doing (it) for money, your life is infinitely happier.”

And there’s a certain pride Dillon takes in the Headstones’ unwillingness to rest in peace.

“We’re that little pitbull that gets up and survives through decades and through illness and death and destruction and everything else,” he said. “We really love where we’re at right now.”

Of course, during Dillon’s hiatus from the Headstones he established himself as an in-demand actor, having landed regular roles on “Flashpoint” and “Durham County.” Soon, he’ll be featured as a regular player in the third season of the AMC mystery “The Killing,” while he also landed an arc on the sci-fi series “Continuum.”

He’s also about to turn 50, a milestone that he approaches with some enthusiasm.

“I’m lucky to be here,” he said. “I love every second of it. I’m turning 50, I’m shooting two television shows … and I’ve got the best rock ‘n’ roll record I’ve ever made with the guys I’ve grown up with. It’s a testament to great, really exceptional relationships and great friends.”

You have waited a long time for this. We are done making you wait.

Headstones are making a new record. No bullshit. We’re cutting out the middleman, and giving you back the band. With your contribution, you will officially kickstart the machine. This will be the most authentic rock and roll experience in terms of recording and releasing a record. Ever.

We have teamed up with Pledge Music to get you involved. Check out our project page and get exactly what you want. Get connected, and we will bring you into our world – exclusive updates, videos, streaming of new songs, photos of us in the studio – you will be experiencing this right along with us.

This is your fault, so thank you. This is going to rock!

HEADSTONES. hugh, tim, trent, dale

December 15th at The Venue, Peterborough – Tickets

December 16th at Guelph Concert Theatre, Guelph – Tickets

December 17th at The Rapids Theatre, Niagra Falls, NY – Tickets

December 23rd at Sound Academy, Toronto – Tickets

December 27th at Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver – Tickets

December 30th at Century Casino, Calgary – Tickets

December 31st Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton ON – Tickets

We have a lot of respect and admiration for those of you who embrace music/life so passionately – particularly diehard Headstones fans who seem to have an incredible amount of fucking heart- empathy and humour – we like you as people – a unique clan who are not big on authority AND have more than a passing interest in rebellion and defiance – we relate -we get it – we know that no matter how tough it gets we will always get back up – ALWAYS – just a matter of time – no bullshit no excuses -u rock – THANK YOU ALL – it would of sucked without you.

August 15, 2011

The above was written only hours after our last show at the sound academy. Make no mistake you’ve kickstarted the machine. The next record is a direct result of that wave of interaction.

You made us remember what the fuck it is we do.

Here’s the first single.

Download the .mp3 Here

Nostalgia for a band that, hypothetically, was your high school soundtrack can be a powerful thing that’ll cloud one’s judgment. Was the performance truly standout? Or was it merely contextually good and just kinda fun to pretend it’s 10 years ago?

The point is, if you’re not into the Headstones, you may want to take that 4.5 with a grain of salt. Of course, if you’re not into the Headstones, I don’t care what you think because clearly you don’t understand the rawk.

For the uninitiated, the Headstones released five albums in the decade between 1993 and 2003. They were led by Hugh Rush Dillon, and the quartet’s brand of thug rock was lyrically smarter than many gave them credit for, sonically tighter than many gave them credit for and just as killer live as everyone conceded. Somewhere along the way, Headstones allegedly got banned from MuchMusic, and there was talk of certain addictions to certain substances. Then, they dissolved and Dillon cleaned up, shaved his head and went all Hollywood North — starring in everything from Degrassi: The Next Generation and Hard Core Logo to Flashpoint.

This brought us to the big reunion show Saturday night in front of a packed house at Toronto’s Sound Academy (home of the World’s Worst Parking Lot In The World). Much of the crowd — older and tougher than the average indie kid — wore Headstones-classic merch dusted off for the evening. Some of the assembled seemed feisty, but having already waited seven years, they were respectful enough to be polite through two opening acts. Fortunately, both sets had enough in common with the main event to justify the attention.

First up were the Organ Thieves. The band feature former Sum 41 guitarist Dave “Brownsound” Baksh, and their hard rock set was well-received. The same went for Gentlemen Husbands. They’re fronted by young Chuck Manson look-alike Rick Ballard, who stayed on the good side of southern fried rock roots. Oh, and while it’s cliche for an opening act to bust out a cover, their rendition of “American Girl” gets a pass because… well, Tom Petty.

Soon after, the Headstones stormed the stage — Dillon looked like Bruce Willis’ younger, more dangerous brother with a John Lydon fetish. Anyone wondering whether a sober, CTV-drama-starring, car-commercial-voice-over guy would be able to fit into his old persona got their answer three seconds in, as he spat, flipped middle fingers and asked where us fuckers had been all this fucking time and whether we were ready for some motherfucking rock ‘n’ roll.

Dillon was back to his old tricks; he used the mic as a rifle or a noose, shouted directly at audience members in the front and stared menacingly at those in the back.

Headstones kicked things off with “When Something Stands For Nothing,” and fired through hits and deep cuts from every album. Traveling Wilburys cover “Tweeter And The Monkey Man” led to a series of enthusiastically received songs like “Pinned You Down,” “Digits,” “Judy,” and “Cut Me Up,” which each prompted communal singing and stationary jumping.

“Pathetic Pair” made a rare live appearance before the band launched into mid-’90s radio hit, “Unsound.” The latter, with the best bass line in Canadian music history (fact), allowed Tim White a chance to solo. And yes, in small quantities, bass solos are pretty boss.

Pre-Cee-Lo “Fuck You” was next, along with “Losing Control” and “Cut” from Headstones’ Picture Of Health debut album, and “Reframed” from last album, Oracle Of Hi-Fi. After “Come On,” the band launched into an at-least-10-minute version of near-death-experience “Oh My God!,” complete with snippets from The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil” and (possibly) N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton.”

Songs like this reminded you how good Headstones were (er, “are”), musically. Having a charismatic, intelligent psychotic like Dillon as a spokesperson meant the chops of White, drummer Dale Harrison, and, especially, guitarist Trent Carr often got overshadowed. This is a shame because (a) they’re good and (b) they play really tight together. This sort of thing should be encouraged.

Lighters came out for funeral dirge “Three Angels,” and quickly went away again for an awesome cover of “Rawhide” (yes, really). From there, it was “Smile And Wave” and into the apt “It’s All Over” to close the set proper. “Cubically Contained” began the encore, followed by a brilliant cover of ABBA’s “SOS” (yes, really). Then, it was just the incendiary “Cemetery” shout-along to take us home.

So, was it good? Yeah. From a reunion standpoint, Headstones hit all the right songs and played to the crowd without being pandering. But even from a strict concert standpoint, they were strong enough to totally justify doing this again every once in awhile. Or, y’know, writing some new stuff down the road…

By Erik Missio (CHARTattack)