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.

OBLITERATIONS

Marc Gabor photo

Strip it down to the wires

First off, lets tear out some of pages from this black book of rock’n’roll and piece together the six degrees of separation between vocalist Sam James Velde, guitarist Stephen McBean, bassist Austin Barber and drummer Flo Schanze. A question still remains in this rat’s nest of punk and metal wires. Which one of these connections will cross and which of these bare cables will burst into Obliterations?

BAPTISTS

Ryan Walter Wagner photo

Lords of the north

Vancouver! Take notice and pay attention, because in local heavy music, lesson number one is Baptists.

“Our label owner, Greg, made me some crazy concoction before we played with Pentagram in San Francisco. I don't know what the hell he put in it, but I ended up smashing a bottle over my head onstage and then crushing some dude in the crowd. I think I got carried back to the van that night,” estimates the Baptists’ front man/vocalist Andrew Drury. That pretty much sums up the agitating menace that is Vancouver’s ‘cleanup hitter’ of heavy bands. If you haven’t already, you might want to take notice and get on board.

RED FANG, WE HUNT BUFFALO, BLACK MASTIFF

The Venue - October 8th 2014 

Vancouverites seem to have a fond liking for Portland and lately everything that has been popping out of its crispy, sweet, music filled city. Red Fang is no exception and people flocked to see them perform at The Venue on a Wednesday night.

We Hunt Buffalo started off the evening right with some awesome rocking tunes. This Vancouver based stoner rock threesome cover their riffs with enough fuzz to make your ears turn into peaches. No complaining here.

THE SONICS, FLINTETTES, THEE MANIPULATORS

THE SONICS - RICKSHAW THEATRE - tiina liimu photo

The Rickshaw Theatre - October 2, 2014

It can be a gamble when you go to see a band play and the youngest member was a full-grown man before you were born and it’s been 50 years since the first single was recorded.

Showing up to the packed Rickshaw, you could see the anticipation in the faces of silver-haired record nerds, young hipsters and aging punk rockers alike.

THE BAD BEATS

Just wanna see you dance

What are these sounds of Beat? Well, you might find yourself walkin’ down a lane, one foggy Vancouver night and suddenly your feet just start to shuffle to some nearby rhythm. It could just be you are passing by the Bad Beats rehearsal garage as they bite through songs like the snotty "She Don't Talk To Me” or the moody “It Breaks Me Down.”

THE LIVING DEADBEATS

Who killed the Living Deadbeats?

With a new EP releasing mid October at SBC and a track in an upcoming compilation, it seems like there is no end in sight. However, this is also their final show.

The Living Deadbeats have been together for six years. They have several tours including a six-week cross-country tour under their belt, one full-length record and a series of smaller recordings and compilations with an EP titled Brain Candy on the way. Their sound and live show defies categories, playing garage shows and punk shows alike to a loyal fan base. With all this, one might wonder why they’ve decided to throw in the towel. Why did Vancouver’s female fronted garage punk favourites, the Living Deadbeats, call it a day?

SUBCULTURE OCTOBER

Every time you turn around online there's a new 27 or 32 ways blog article on reasons to hate either bands, venues or anyone associated in the game of music. What always amazes me in these articles is the lack of understanding on what it takes to be a cog in the wheel and the misinformation that exists between these necessary allies. These two entities need to coexist to make local live music a reality.

People that complain about a venue's booze prices fail to realize that the place has a shitload of fixed expenses.
You pay rent, they pay rent. They also pay for staff salaries, insurance, hydro, all levels of government taxes and licensing, or to fix damage to the premises caused by asshole patrons. How about that $10 roll of toilet paper or soap dispenser refill you snuck home in your bag. That barely scratches the surface.

NIK TURNER'S HAWKWIND, WITCH MOUNTAIN, HEDERSLEBEN

NIK TURNER'S HAWKWIND - VENUE - tiina liimu photo

The Venue - September 26, 2014 

Space Ritualized:

Much to the chagrin of fellow original member, Dave Brock, there have been a few sects of Hawkwind. One of which is Nik Turner’s Hawkwind, not to be confused with "the" Hawkwind (which is fronted by Brock), who played to an eager audience of gamblers. A risktaking crowd, not sure what to expect.

Hawkwind’s backing band starting off the evening aka Oakland California’s, Hedersleben, who were no slouches in the psyche, ambient, space rock realm. When Nik joined these three guys and two girls, magic filled the Venue. Hit after hit from the early Hawkwind albums were assailed onto the startled audience. From classics like “Brain Storm,” to “Time That We Left The World Today,” which sounded bang on, considering Mr. Turner is a 74-year man.

ART BERGMANN, THE COURTNEYS, C.R. AVERY

ART BERGMANN - Commodore Ballroom - tiina liimu photo

Commodore Ballroom - September 6, 2014 

After a lengthy “retirement” Canada's punk rock poet laureate Art Bergmann seems to have reclaimed his muse. Driven by his own anger, passion, exile, and bitterness, Bergmann is packing enough vitriol and vengeance to lay waste to pretty much any current artist who dare cross his path. On the heels of a killer batch of new tunes featured on his 2014 EP release Songs for the Underclass, his recent Commodore Ballroom performance found Bergmann fronting a crack band featuring guitarists Steven Drake & Alex Varty, bassist Kevin Lucks, drummer Jon Card and - for my money the evening's secret weapon – Paul Rigby on “Sleepy Pete Kleinow” steel guitar and occasional mandolin.

CROWBAR

Zack Smith photo

NOLA brothers fight the good fight

Make no mistake; Crowbar is Kirk Windstein’s band. As vocalist, guitarist and chief songwriter, it is his baby, vision, and his mission. Windstein recently made the bold leap from the commercially successful band Down to concentrate on Crowbar and allow it consume his life once again. With a history that dates back to the eighties, Crowbar hits the road with what might be his favourite line-up yet. “All the members are in sync,” confirms Windstein.

POISON IDEA

Kings of punk ride again

"Mötley Crüe wrote books about abusing women and shit, we could just write a book about abusing each other," says Jerry A. of Poison Idea, their long-standing front man. He sheds some light on the infamous Portland, Oregon hardcore punk band, their sordid history and lineup changes. Still active and significant since the band’s 1983 inception, the singer has a lot to say.

DEATH SENTENCE

Live to die

With a near riot at the 1984 Shindig contest and apparently a beer can to the MC’s head, the notorious Death Sentence garners a second-place spot. This reckoning force of Vancouver’s hardcore and second wave punk is now a name synonymous with early Canadian punks D.O.A. and the Subhumans. Keep in mind that Death Sentence was bottled fed in the cradle of a Burnaby haunted house and that upbringing that would come to foreshadow their tumultuous ride. This band would emerge swinging with the ferocity and danger of what a live show should be. “Their tour shenanigans would make Mötley Crüe blush,” says drummer Doug Donut.

The trail of their recording history includes the 1984 demo with two tracks on the celebrated Undergrowth compilation, collaboration with Collector's RPM Undergrowth label led to the 1985 EP Not a Pretty Sight. After touring and sold out local dates, they recorded the 1987 full length Stop Killing Me! for Fringe Records. A 1989 metallic and rock tinged demo titled "Girls, Guns & Guitars" was recorded but never released.