The story of how I recently missed seeing Preoccupations playing live in Toronto, Canada, began in Amsterdam in 2009.
On 27 May 2009, to be exact, I watched a Calgary band called Women (actually four young guys) wipe the floor with an Atlanta band called Deerhunter (same) at legendary Amsterdam venue Paradiso.
At the time, I was particularly struck by the energy with which Women’s drummer, Mike Wallace, attacked his task. The band were clearly having a good night.
Women broke up in October 2010, reportedly after an onstage fight between brothers Matt (vocals, bass) and Patrick (vocals, guitar) Flegel.
On 21 February 2012, Women’s guitarist, Chris Riemer, passed away in his sleep. Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace then formed the nucleus of a new band.
Perhaps unfortunately, they named their new band Viet Cong (also four guys, none of them Vietnamese). The band sounded pretty similar to Women, although with maybe a little extra edge.
Then Viet Cong rebranded themselves as Preoccupations. They began pursuing a musical trajectory that I was slowly beginning to appreciate. They released a self-titled album in 2016 and a second album, New Material, two years later.
In early 2018, to prove that I still had that indie ‘edge’, I booked a ticket to see the band. They would be appearing at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern on Queen Street, Toronto, in April 2018. Coincidentally, I would be in town for a conference. Our two worlds were destined to collide.
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