TORONTO - It's hard to believe electro-pop-rock act Garbage have been around for a decade.
But the band celebrated that fact at Kool Haus on Monday night with a generous representation of the band's 1995 self-titled debut during their 80-minute set.
Garbage almost packed it in before they released their fourth album, Bleed Like Me, two weeks ago. Instead, they're still creatively holding their own, judging from the slow-building but ultimately satisfying concert in front of a sold-out crowd.
As usual, all eyes were on mesmerizing lead singer Shirley Manson, a sexy vision in scarlet tones from her red patent leather ankle boots to her backless fuchsia mini-dress to her flaming red hair.
This charming Scottish import has got it all -- a strong voice, confident stage presence, glamorous star quality and yes, even witty banter, which alternately recalled Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, and Patti Smith.
"I can take you out with just a flick of my wrist," snarled Manson, during the song Supervixen, and you really believed her.
Backed by her American cohorts in Garbage -- Duke Erikson and Steve Marker on guitars/synths, Butch Vig on drums and touring bassist Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction) -- Manson was in constant motion, stalking the stage like a panther in heat when she wasn't falling to her knees to really let a note rip or showing off a fan's hand-drawn picture of herself.
A recording of Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt played before the band walked onto the stage in darkness.
Aided by nothing more than slick lighting and four flat-screen TV monitors, Garbage basically let their loud, bold music speak for itself.
When you have a spokesperson like Manson at the helm, however, it's not a hard sell.
(She's not superhuman, since she did forget the words to You Look So Fine, but still managed to charm the audience.)
She opened with a slower-than-usual version of Queer, from Garbage's first album, and followed with Bad Boyfriend from Bleed Like Me.
Songs from those two records made up the bulk of the evening's material, along with tunes from 1998's Version 2.0.
Stupid Girl, the fourth song of the night, complete with blazing lights and rousing energy, was the first to really get the crowd going.
Other standouts were Supervixen, Hammering In My Head, When I Grow Up, Vow, I Think I'm Paranoid, Push It, I'm Only Happy When It Rains, and Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go). Lips was the only track from 2001's Beautiful Garbage.
Of the new songs, the title track and the first single Why Do You Love Me, outshone all others, including Bad Boyfriend, Sex Is Not The Enemy, Metal Heart and Right Between The Eyes.
