These ‘Drive Thru Metal’ pioneers are cookin’ for the first time in Vancouver and we are ‘Lovin it’.
We are approaching the end of November and frankly I am feeling a little indigestion from all concerts we’ve attended in 2024 thus far. I deserve a break today, and I need something different but something not too far off course. So I got a email from a PR person if I wanted to check out Mac Sabbath along with You Big Idiot and Super Suckers at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver Canada, why not? Combining two things I like alot but don’t over do it, with McDonalds and Black Sabbath. Sounds like a match to me, so I did some YouTube investigation and wow, these guys are certainly odd and unique, sign me up! I went to McDonalds prior to the show to try to get into the same frame of mind as this troupe, sorry tummy!
Little is known about these fast food mutants actually, as they don’t give interviews. They are from Los Angeles California, being a four piece known as Ronald Osbourne (vocals), Slayer MacCheeze (guitar), Grimalice (bass) and Catburglar (drums). They have been around for 10 years and released one album in 2017 called “Pair-A-Buns”. Word has definitely gotten around about them because the show tonight was sold out at the Rickshaw Theatre. Likely everyone is like me, looking for some light hearted fun in the way of a parody metal show.
To start, the stage was covered so we could not see the pre-setup but once they peeled off the wrapper, then we saw Ronald Mcdonald heads on a pike on each corner with a BBQ with grill front a and centre stage. Then the elaborately costumed MacCheeze starts off with the familiar opening riffs of Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” or shall i say “Black Sandwich” on his Gibson SG (the same Tony Iommi uses) as well as the huge Gimalice hammering bass. CatBurglar looks like a hybrid of the Mcdonald’s Catburglar with Kiss’s Peter Kriss’s make up. You just know that we do get some “Beth” tonight.
Gotta laugh though, with the scary “Organic Funeral” (“Electric Funeral”). Thereafter, Ronald really loses his onions with “Chicken of Slaves” (“Children of the Grave”) and uses a few rubber chickens in the microphone, especially at the end.
The hilarity continues with “Sweet Beef”, here is a lyric sample and sing it to “Sweet Leaf”:
All night cow
Don’t you glisten?
When I first got you, I didn’t super-size
I can afford you, now that you come with fries
Need a reduced menu, really in a bind
Oh, late night drive thru, the cows will grind
Oh, fat babies!
Too Funny. And Ronald with that “HA HA HA” slow laugh like Ozzy’s just cracked me up.
The show (at least to me) drove a little off course for the next 30 minutes or so, with several taste tests of “Bread” (Kiss’s Beth), “Wok” (Pantera’s “Walk”) and if Cake was said the employee of the month pops on stage with a sign and Ronald puts on a cap and sings some bits of songs from the band Cake then Ronald says “Wait, no, were not doing that”. Just about every time. when things got a little quiet “Hey it’s our 10th Anniversary show!” and a complementary “hooray” from the crowd.
I don’t know about you, but I really wanted more Sabbath songs, and they get back to it with “Zippin’Up The Uniform” (“Symptom of the Universe”). You know, I gotta admit they do these Sabbath songs quite well….as I want more. “In Dreams” (“War Pigs”) and “Drive Thru with Freud” (Enter the Void”) as Ronald states that it’s about “…A corporation using CIA tactics to psychologically brainwashing you to be addicted to the mother of all fast food”. He’s probably right too.
You gotta wonder what McDonalds’ thinks of all this, maybe they are just not big enough to make a difference or they are actually “Lovin’it” with the exposure. I mean, the props are pretty identical, maybe this is all part of the CIA tactics? HA HA HA.
They move on to “The Grouper” or Iron Maiden’s “Trooper” as the next dish, this time that song is played in full about a fried fish sandwich. This really brought back memories of about 5 years ago (cant believe it’s been that long) since we saw Vancouver’s Powerclown who were dressed as clowns doing all Iron Maiden cover songs. Since the lead singer is back from his stint in a Japanese prison, will we see Powerclown back? I hope so!
“Frying Pan” (“Iron Man”)
I have frying pan
Cows we’re going to grind
Hope your stomach is well lined
Do I have the gall?
Chopping onions makes me bawl
At this point Ronald is flippin’ burgers as high as he can in that pan above the grill, he only had one drop and put it back in the pan, likely what they really do at that restaurant chain. No Ozzy impression would be complete without Ronald biting the head off a bat (fake of course) and mumbles something thereafter, much like Ozzy would.
They end the evening with the last song with “Pair-a-Buns” (“Paranoid”) and a little tease of the beginning “Gravy Train” (Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”). So this was lots of fun actually! Lots of shenanigans you might see at a magic show, with Ronald squirting water from mustard and ketchup bottles or throwing confetti instead of water at the very appreciative crowd. I think it was great value for like 33$ for a ticket. Definitely some great Parody of rock and metal songs, as well as lots of greasy riffs from a handful of bands, especially Cake. Don’t say CAKE!
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