SPITFIRES

The SPITFIRES loosen things up!

It's just Rock n Roll, that's all...

So somewhere on the very outskirts of Vancouver, around 1995 some pals got together to make some noise. Out of that clamour, shot out some fast, furious and unabashed rock n roll. Think, Humpers and Pagans. In the midst of post grunge copycats and eccentric indie super tours, their fuelled up and stripped back punk and roll was as refreshing as a can of cold beer. So with packed venues, spilled drinks and broken glass, the good times spread across Canada, US and the UK. After a bunch of touring, they continued to jet away on four-fourteen day blowouts. These days the frequency may have toned down to special occasions, but the intensity hasn’t been diluted. “Now our mission is to get together and hang out like old pals do!!” explains, front man Jay and that they do very well. So with a quick nine-ten question spread, we interrupt the lead singer’s Christmas dinner to find out the status of this fine tooled lot of scoundrels.

88 MILE TRIP

Through The Thickest Haze - Independant

Vancouver’s reputation for quality stoner rock bands has been gaining huge steam. But for the most part, the bands have been a sludgy, doom ridden and noised out.

Enter 88 Mile Trip. A serious breath of fresh air exhaled onto the scene. With soulful clean vocals and warm fuzzy riffs they bring a sunny laid back vibe reminiscent of the California stoner bands of yore like Kyuss and Fu Manchu.

Through The Thickest Haze kicks off with a huge bong hit of wonder and keeps burning. It travels on tasty leads and rampant bass runs. Where some bands might slow it down, 88 Mile Trip keep the groove upbeat and feeling just right. With stand out rompers like “Sky Valley”, “Burn The Saints”, and “Song Of The Dead”. Vocalist Dave Bell croons like a graceful stallion riding over these stoney tones into the glowing moonlit desert. He’s definitely got a cool Ian Astbury thing going on.

JERK IN THE CAN

Ching Ching A Ling - Independant

If you like your music a tad psychotic and over the top experimental, then Jerk In The Can may just be right up your alley. I am not sure what the hell these guys are on, but Ching Ching A Ling borders on pure insanity. Channeling the Residents and Disco Volante era Mr. Bungle this quick five song EP is extremely chaotic as it downward dives into lunacy.

 It is a good thing the songs are short because they beat you relentlessly with some sort of fucked up mind warp that is best served in small doses. Songs like “Bath Salts” and “I Know You Don’t Know Me” are slow spooky bewilderments. While “Killer Owls” and “Fake Phoney” drive in some schizophrenic spazz.

WEIRDING

Driving that mountain

In a thick sea of genres this three piece has spent the last year in the studio pushing through the low, slow and heavy. Attaching a handle to their sound may not always be accurate. As with all good things, music, the common variable maintains an uncompromising attitude, exponentially. This approach yielded a new ten-inch recording aptly titled Mountain, which is about to make its way out to the public ear, as early as the new year.

KEITHMAS V

Rich Hope and partner have been Keithmass staples

This Rock n Roll fundrager turns five

So, what does Rich Hope and His Blue Rich Rangers, The Jolts, Sh-Shakes, Strange Things, Johnny De Courcy, The Highway Kind, La Chinga, The Midnight Ramblers and The Rentalmen all have in common? Well, this handpicked crew of nine bands are gonna deliver nine takes on Keith Richards and 100% of the proceeds go the Vancouver Foodbank. Rocking into their fifth year event organizer John Hewer fills us in, on how they roll.

REMEMBERING BRIAN GOBLE

Bev Davies photo

“Wimpy Roy”

We are at a loss for words and would like to extend our condolences to members of Vancouver’s first wave punk rock community, friends, family, fans and colleagues at Portland Hotel Society.

By now the notice of Brian "Wimpy Roy" Goble’s passing has circulated broadly. He had suffered a heart attack December 7, 2014.

Many know him for his antics as the front man for the Subhumans, but also as the bass player for The Skulls and D.O.A.

There has been an outpouring of emotions within the music community and social circles. We extend our compassion and sympathy to those who knew, were inspired by and laughed with him.

Vancouver photographer, Bev Davies has shared two of her memories with us here. Davies is a highly respected documentarian and friend of Vancouver’s early Punk Rock music community.

Wimpy with Dimwit in Rude Norton at the Buddha, July 12 1979, top left.

The Subhumans go to College - Oct 8, 1980 - Bev Davies photo

LIVE NOTES

LIFE AGAINST DEATH - RICKSHAW THEATRE DECEMBER 2014

HELLO FOLKS, well, actually, the volatile front woman here is probably the sweetest person you will ever meet! A moment with Twitch from Life Against Death giving it all. So it goes!

As we finish off 2014, we are busy updating behind the scenes to bring you new albums and formats! We are adding in some extra release reviews as well, focusing on some locals that might get overlooked as everyone flocks to the top ten list.

The 2014 live reviews and photosets are going through a rebuild to accommodate for functionality changes and elements that are no longer supported within our parent host, the old and new. Yes, that is technology for you. Since, advertising dollars does not drive us, things are built in a DIY manner on a volunteer basis. Do bear with us as we swap content around and find a better solution. Some of 2014, 13, 12 live reports are back online as to not leave an empty space. 2014 hopes to finish off with year-end round up as soon as the pieces come together.

ORANGE GOBLIN

Ester Segarra photo

Back in the groove

Stoner rock has become somewhat of a vague term when describing heavy music. Like the weed that gives the genre its name, it has many branches. It’s fair to say though, that the seed was planted with British icons Black Sabbath. So it seems odd that over the years the U.K. would fail to clone similar bands. However, there are a few that have sprouted up and London, England’s Orange Goblin have been smoking grooved out riffs since 1995 – around the time the stoner rock movement began to take shape in the U.S.

SUBCULTURE DECEMBER

I’m not a person that takes to being censored in any way very well. The muckity mucks at BeatRoute don’t like when I go off the musical beaten track in my columns but how can I not when all this shit is happening around us. How many times can I discuss shitty turnouts, poor stage changeover manners or cross booking newbie promoters.

I was looking over all my articles since October 2011 when I started writing for this paper. I touch on political issues a lot. I’m a punk. A lot of activists are punks. It’s my salute to their tireless work. Someone has to give a shit about the ‘man’ running civilization into the ground. I had written about music in reference too. I had lamented about the former shitty DJ at hockey games and people potty training at the bar. I had given up the idea of ever starting the Hellhole in this gentrification-obsessed city and wonder why I can’t sell off the Cobes fixtures I have in storage. I talked about my pickled liver and quitting the booze. I memorialized those that have passed.