Fairview Pub, Vancouver, November 15 2013
PunkRockaRolla101 - Showin' The Kids How It's Done - Gloriously Reckless
I hate to be an asshole and show up late to a show – especially when the kickassery meter is as high as an Liquor Kings and IBraineater/Jimmy Cummins double side kick in the balls opening one-two - but I was a late ass crotchety old man on this particular evening. I freakin’ missed two of the city's best live acts – cuz I had to take a nap. Yes, I am old...everyone involved in this show was old, and you know what – we kicked your Main Street hipster iconic beardo asses very nicely on this night. It was real, it was sweaty, it was high on the vibe-o-meter and... shit, it was punkrockarolla101. I kid you not.
So, after my beauty sleep, it was time to get out and kick up a ruckus. Hittin' the Fairview on this rather busy Friday night in “No Fun City” what with not one, not two, but THREE fuckin shows to regale ourselves in. I reset my pacemaker gathered my mojo and headed out to catch former Lowlife, Personality Crisis and TT Racer axeman Richard Duguay supported admirably by a who's who of Vancouver's elite punk rock icons. His ragtag bunch of miscreants on this evening included Tony Balony tossin’ amazingly gnarly solos over, under, sideways and down our throats. Stellar riffage complimenting Duguay's own Syl Sylvain-meets-Joe Perry ass kicking blooze like some twenty-fingered axe slashin mo-fo. The songs were anchored in fine fashion by the rather tidy rhythm section of Mr. Doug “Donut” Proulx and Ben “Fuckin” Lightning (Death Sentence for starters!)
A true redemption-filled set from a resilient band of people who honestly should be dead from their misspent collective brain draining excesses. But that aint how this story goes kids, cuz these fellas came to show the YOU how it is done. Damn straight! No bullshit punkrockarolla. Are you listening? And, wait Ginsu 3000 fans – there's MORE!!!!
Miss Althea Rose providing a fine set of gams AND, some sugary yum-MAY to the vox and a veritable who's who of LEGENDARY tub beaters sittin in for select tunes. North Vancouver's forgotten son Jimmy Joe Pearson (No Exit,Toxic Reasons) on a ragged by right version of the Thunders-via-Shangri La's gem “Great Big Kiss” and a face melting romp through the Personality Crisis stone punk rock CLASSIC “Vampire's Dream” which reunited Duguay with PC alum/KILLER drummer Jon Card which they leaned into like it'd only been a day or two since they last kicked out this sinewy jem – not 30years ago. Donut did his best Mitch Funk and the people in the club were swallowed up whole by punkrockarolla lava.
Yep. It happened one night in “No Fun City” and, did I mention that 13th Floor Elevators legend Roky Erickson AND the Fleshtones were each ALSO playing well-attended shows this “gloriously reckless” November. Fuckin Eh!
- Boy Howdy
