The Burning Hell‘s Mathias Kom on Wax Mannequin’s “Thing Game”:
Wax Mannequin [aka singer-songwriter Chris Adeney] is and will always be one of my favourite humans. When people talk about him, they often comment on his stage antics; this is both understandable and good. When he rips roses from his chest, unveils the chrysalis, or lets the wax from his head-candle drip down his face while singing, he means every part of [his performance], and you will be changed in the process. But underneath the live experience sits a nest of beautiful and endlessly inventive songwriting, and this is what I love the most.
Choosing [to cover] “Thing Game” was easy and instant. It sits where it has sat for years very near the top of my mind-heap of songs I care about most. It’s a ballad, it’s a dirge, but it’s an anthem too. Once, I covered it in a church and Vish Khanna stood up in the pews and led the audience in meowing through the bridge, and it became a hymn. The melody is simple and perfect. The lyrics, as usual, are obscure but meaningful. What is a Thing Game? What do the buttons do? Press them, all at once. You’ll see!
The Burning Hell‘s version of Wax Mannequin’s “Thing Game”, recorded and mixed by Jordy Walker in Whitehorse, YT, will be available as a free download on June 30, 2017, as part of DOMINIONATED IV, our fourth compendium of Canadian songs covered by Canadian artists.
