"We need five minutes," says Liam Cormier to the impatient valet, who's trying to kick us out of the lot behind The Roxy. The cars are starting to roll in for tonight's show with Kvelertak and Cancer Bats, and the dudes at the valet booth are eager to collect their tips. "Five minutes!" one shouts, tossing around a ring full of keys in his right hand.
Though the attendants in the lot are pressing us on time, Cormier, the perky and charismatic Cancer Bats frontman, speaks with ease and a dash of pep – he’s just stoked to be playing tonight. Sipping on a cup of coffee he tells stories about the early days of Cancer Bats and how things “snowballed” from the beginning. “They said 'we’re gonna get you signed to our label,'” he mentions of local Ontario bands like Alexisonfire, who helped them score their first record deal. “Well, I guess we’re in a band now!” he laughs in reminiscence.Cancer Bats' momentum has spiraled out of control since their inception in 2004. Since early last year they've toured non-stop in support of their latest record Dead Set on Living with bands like Every Time I Die, DevilDriver, and Touche Amore. And right now they're on the last few dates of their tour with Kvelertak.
So what does Cormier do in his downtime? He lends his talents to bands like AxeWound and Bullet Treatment, rides bikes, and does interviews like this:
Photos by Dorothy Gilbert