MUDHONEY

Pop the cork on pacific punk

Not long ago, Pacific Northwest’s Mudhoney managed to cash in on a more discerning investment, something finer than a gratuitously priced bottle of vintage. This is not about a ‘90s Seattle sitcom or wineglass toting crew of celebrity. Instead, they traded in their full-time “rock star career” stocks for a different set of high notes. You will not find these four glued to the couch or caught up in complacency. By the time the Friday arrives, Steve Turner, Mark Arm, Dan Peterson and Guy Maddison bypass the velvet upholstery and strap on the jetpacks making their way to exotic venues near you. Still poking fun at those day-to-day forces of irrationality with a punk rock stick.

PAMPERS

‘Because Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys was already taken!

It’s true, just Google it. But try searching for the band in question and you get nary a blip on the Internet save for a Bandcamp page. That page reveals a couple of links, one of which is a YouTube clip of the Fat Boys. Where I am going with this, you ask? Well, the plump pontificates are from the borough of Brooklyn, home to the gutter-garage scrawl of Pampers, who assault your ears quite righteously with a din of noise somewhere between the sharp punk jabs of the Spits and the cathartic crunch of the Cheater Slicks; basically a perfect fit for In The Red Records, their present label lair after a pair of now-extinct singles funded by their illegal puppy-breeding business (read: record label) Jack Shack Records.

DIECEMBER FEST 6

A not so silent night

“Burning Ghats has been lucky enough to play every single Diecember Fest! Some of the best heavy bands in the city, blowing your eggnog riddled brain for two nights at one of the best venues in town, all for a great cause. Would you rather be at your creepy uncle's house singing Christmas carols?” jokes Cam Strudwick of Burning Ghats.

Christmas may only come once a year, but Diecember Fest comes twice and once again the musical underground of Vancouver will congregate for their annual holiday party. This event keeps gathering momentum and has become a tremendous tradition in this city. Johnny Matter from Apocalypse Productions has been at the helm since day one. He created a festival that has gained a life of its own and since then has since enlisted fellow local promoters Crowsnest, Invisible Orange and Nothing Is Heavy. “Crowsnest has been an essential part of the fest for the last four years and NIH has helped out for two. [Working] with co-promotion and getting on board some of the bands they manage,” says Matter. “I wanted to invite Invisible Orange to the promoter roster this year. They book some of the best metal shows this city has to offer and are wonderful to work with.” Add in some of Vancouver’s cream-of-the-crop bands and you will have what they call a plum treat.