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| RAMPAGE - Bev Davies photo |
FEBRUARY 2013 - RICKSHAW THEATRE
It was a multigenerational audience for the D.O.A. final show send off. From the first wave of the 1970s, the birth of Vancouver punk to successive generations and new fans spread out across the venue from the floor to the balcony. Tickets for the Friday night send off sold out well in advance and due the the popularity of the event, The Rickshaw added a second night for D.O.A. fans. Rebel Spell returned and Real Problems replaced Fierce Creep and Trail of Broken Treaties were scheduled in to start off the Saturday night. Two Skinny Mag writers chimed in on their experience of the punk rock finale.
- Ed.
A tremendous wave of excitement was going through Vancouver at the announcement of D.O.A's last shows and 35 years of rocking the globe is about to come to an end - or is it? Joe Keithley is about to run for office in the NDP Coquitlam/Burke Mountain riding very soon.
Arriving at the Rickshaw early to see the new pounding grungy three piece Fierce Creep with just bass, drums and a female vocal do their thing was a joy!
The crowd slowly started pouring in with many young people in the house as Rampage set up. These guys are made up of scene veterans with two ex DOA members: Zippy Pinhead and Randy Rampage in the ranks. They played a tight, high energy rocking set with several early punk tunes thrown into the mix. Duane Nickull on guitar was especially on fire this night!
The Rebel Spell arrived next. A fiercely independent local crew who have three albums out. They deliver a passionate and high speed set with some violin on some tracks. Having a female guitar player is also very cool. With an anthemic, almost folk punk style. Shades of New Model Army? Truly great.
- Rene Milord
Why was the 36th Chambers of Shaolin playing on the big side screens? Ghostface Killah leave a copy in the dressing room or something?
Speaking of incongruous, Rebel Spell now has a violin player. Less curveball was a good solid set of working class punk, topped with a brisk cover of “The World Turned Upside Down” that got the audience singing along.
The first half of the DOA set was distinctly lackluster, due in large part to inaudible guitars. Relative standout was a version of the War on 45 classic “I’m Right You’re Wrong.” They’d play most of that EP through the night. After a particularly weak “I Live in a Car” (and it was hard not to smile at the irony of Senator Shithead singing it) Joe said something like ‘what the hell was that’ and this seemed to wake him and/or the band and soundman up. Energy and sound were much improved as they kicked into “General Strike” and for the rest of the set.
Things really got entertaining for the encore, when a slew of DOA alumni joined the trio onstage. The band played Devo’s “Mongoloid” as Joe introduced his guests. Brian Goble, Randy Rampage, Zippy Pinhead, and a hilariously energetic Ford Pier plus a few lesser known former members then joined him for renditions of “I Hate You”, “Marijuana”, “The Enemy” and a star turn by Rampage singing lead on “Thirteen”. Shithead humourously riffed “Deep in the Heart of Texas” before launching into closer “Fucked Up Ronnie”. A second encore added “Takin Care of Business”, a rousing cover of “Fuck You” and the song that started it all: “Disco Sucks”, a sentiment as true now as it was then. The night was a solid dose of punk, enough to tide most fans over until the next round of D.O.A. last shows.
- Dave Bowes
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| FIERCE CREEP - Bev Davies photo |
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| REBEL SPELL |
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| REBEL SPELL |
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| D.O.A. |
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| D.O.A. |