PUP Light the Fuse on Their Cross-Canada Tour
The beloved punk quartet return to the road with SNRK and a set that mixes old favourites, new fire, and zero encores.
By Laura Harvey
Photos by Laura Harvey
- Published on
PUP kicked off the first leg of their Canadian headlining tour in Vancouver this week, turning the Commodore Ballroom into a reminder of why they’ve become one of this country’s most beloved punk exports.
Fresh off their fifth album, Who Will Look After the Dogs?, the Toronto quartet tore into the second of three sold-out Vancouver shows with the kind of chaotic precision that has made their concerts feel like communal therapy sessions disguised as mosh pits. Snotty Nose Rez Kids—homegrown heroes and longtime RANGE favourites—opened the night with a blistering set that proved unstoppable even with one member performing on a broken foot. Their mix of humour, political bite, and full-throttle delivery set the bar high before PUP even picked up their instruments.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
PUP arrived to a room already vibrating, promising a different setlist each night while delivering a perfect storm of deep cuts and new anthems. “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will” triggered an early sing-along, “DVP” detonated the pit, and a fan was even invited onstage to play bass on “Reservoir”—nailing it to the crowd’s delight.
No encore, no breathers—because encores are kinda dumb, right?—just a rowdy Beastie Boys “Sabotage” cover with Snotty Nose Rez Kids to close it out. If this is how the tour starts, the rest of Canada better be ready.
— Read our interview with PUP here —
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