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.

DIECEMBERFEST 2013

Holiday tunes that matter

It’s that time of year again kids! It is Vancouver’s annual Christmas party for the underground. This is not your boring drab of an office party with dreadful catering, lack of alcohol and secret Santas. Nope, this is Diecemberfest. And it promises to be filled with rowdy patrons, cheap domestic beer, and ear splitting music. It’s an opportunity for the extreme music scene to take a break from the holiday doldrums. Where you can hoist a brew, snarl, spit and rage. All the while chaotic riffage, bomb dropping beats and tormented screams put an end to all silent nights.

Now in its fifth year, Diecemberfest in reality, has nothing to do with Christmas and everything to do with celebrating the dynamic heavy music populace that Vancouver has going for it. You’d have to go back to the 1990s to find it in a healthier state. The aught years brought a lull of sorts. The broken pieces from that period were picked up and buried, but not for good. Several years ago a shovel struck the cold winter earth and exhumed a healthy crop of new bands full of a fresh breed of flesh, stubborn scene veterans, and a resilience that only heavy music can provide. This did not go unnoticed by Diecemberfest creator Johnny Matter of Apocalypse Sunrise Productions. “About five years ago I noticed there was a big resurgence of new bands in Vancouver that were just starting out, many from old bands,” Matter recollects. “So I thought to take it upon myself to try and put on a little festival based on the concept of new era Vancouver bands coming from old bands that have broken up.”

The festival has come full circle from the original night five years ago that saw a four-band bill pack Pat’s Pub. Diecemberfest now commands a double night of mayhem. With the help Crowsnest Productions (The Rickshaw) and No Bullocks Events (Funkys), Diecemberfest will invade two different establishments that have carved out a legendary place in this venue starved extreme music landscape. Sixteen local bands in all will become a spectacle to feverish supporters that chose the night as their winter wonderland. And that amount of bands only scratches the surface of what Vancouver has to offer. Every year it’s all blood and no tears for Matter, who literally has to turn away dozens of want-to-be Diecemberfest bands. That’s just how healthy this scene is.

In a season of mistletoes and lack of live shows, the month of December makes for a perfect platform for locals to come together. “Obviously people are out shopping and leaving town. But people are also going out for drinks, living it up and having fun,” says Matter. “I don’t really celebrate the holiday, so Diecemberfest is my Christmas. It’s a way that I can celebrate with friends and have cheers, beers, play music and have fun. That’s what it’s all about.”

And in the true spirit of the season, Matter is awarding gift bags for food bank donations to help the less fortunate. “Aggressive music gets a real bad rep. Outsiders think we might be real scary, not-good people. That doesn’t fairly represent the people who play this type of music. Most of which are some of the most genuine people you will meet. So it is kind of my way of saying we are part of the community, we’re helping out,” he adds.

The first night features featuring Archspire, Burning Ghats, Sinned, Anion, Nihilate, Ogroem, Dungeons, and Nautilus. Night two unleashes Tyrants Blood, Life Against Death, Zuckuss, Abriosis, Dead Again, Memorial, Destroy All and Witch Of The Waste.

So, if you haven’t heard, there is a Christmas party for all you miscreants out there. Diecemberfest is the two nights your true love for music gave to thee.

Diecemberfest happens December 13 at The Rickshaw and December 14 at Funkys.

DIECEMBER FEST IV

draws attention

by Jason Kolins and More Betty

Diecember Fest 2012 returns for two uncompromising days of the loudest and most diverse local lineup of subgenres: punk, metal, thrash, noise, hardcore, sludge, grind, and doom.

“I wanted to start a festival that showcased some of Vancouver’s aggressive underground scene,” says local metal musician and ANION front man, Johnny Matter. In 2010 he had just started a new band, about the same time a slew of recent ones were also forming from the ashes of previous groups. Thoroughly impressed with this influx, he came up with an idea to give these new bands some exposure. Rather than looking out of the city at larger headliners, festival organizer Matter draws his attention to our own rich talent. "I'd like to keep Diecember Fest always local. To support the local scene and shine some light on new bands generating in Vancouver," says Matter.

Year one started with four hard-hitting bands playing their first show. “The first Diecember Fest was almost too big for Pat’s Pub. The place was packed and the sound system limited,” explains Matter. “I'd needed a larger venue. I got hold of my good friend Denyss McKnight at the Rickshaw and with his help we made it happen. The growth came naturally with adding more bands, which in turn brought more people out to the show.”

Anion, Burning Ghats and Galgamex return to the fest along with newcomers Abriosis, Mendozza, Life Against Death, and featuring the first shows from both Ancients and the Villain Avian Symphony. The third year moved to the Biltmore Cabaret with a substantial jump in attendance plus lineup additions of Cathar, Memorial, Silverback Gorilla, Sabrael along with alumni.

"All my fests, I try and have some what of a theme or do something a little different,” explains Matter. “I think the possibilities are endless. I just try to be creative about it and give people another reason to come out to the shows."

He runs Apocalypse Sunrise Productions and does two festivals per year: Diecember Fest in the winter and co-produces the well-liked summertime bash, Burgerfest along with Scott Bart.

Last July, with a bit of help this full time chef-musician turned promoter made 400 beef and vegan burgers from scratch for the event. When asked what he likes most about doing Diecember Fest every year, “for me it’s about helping out the bands and to try and get everyone out for a good time,” he answers. “I keep the ticket prices low enough,” says Matter. “After costs, I give all the money to the bands…. it’s a labour of love for me.”

In 2012, the popular festival is expanding once again. “I’m doing two nights at the Rickshaw, 10 bands a night,” says Matter, who hopes to see another hundred new supporters.

“We will also be accepting non-perishable food items for a local food bank this year in exchange for five dollars off the already affordable door price,” says Matter, encouraging everyone coming to bring something in. The festival will showcase returning artists: Abriosis, Burning Ghats, Galgamex, Life Against Death, Memorial, Cathar and first timers: are Mete Pills (punk alternative), NEEDS (post punk noise rock), Harvest the Infection (tech death metal), Elevator Compactor (experimental noise), Astrakhan (progressive rock metal), The Nautilus (progressive metal) Anchoress (hardcore melodic punk), WTCHDR (hardcore grind), Aquanaut (ambient doom), Excruciating Pain (death metal thrash), Dig Your Graves (hardcore metal), Bear Mace (stoner metal hardcore), Night Mother (ambient noise), Dungeons (doomy metal). “I like to try and mix up the shows I put on,” says Matter, and he’s done just that. Head down with your food-bank donation for two days of 20 heavy bands. You can’t lose!

DIECEMBER FEST 2012 is December 6 and 7 at the Rickshaw Theatre