Of Agent Orange, Gustaf, Crummy, Hellbent, Night Court, the Dumpies, etc: live notes and photos from a busy May going to shows

I have been to more concerts this month than I have been in the rest of the year in total, I think, but I'm starting to burn out, even from a merely physical perspective. What with standing up for Night Court on May 1st, Gustaf on the 2nd, IDLES on the 3rd (on the punishing concrete of the PNE Forum), and the Violent Femmes for the 4th and 5th, I ended up with an inflamed, lumpy fascia on my left foot, which hurt a lot whenever I put pressure on it. Dr. Google suggested it might be a fibroma, but it was just a temporary swelling, a response to my overuse. I've been popping turmeric to soothe the inflammation and treating it with a topical anti-inflammatory/ pain relief, but it has slowed me down a bit (I also caught a cold of some sort which left me sidelined and seated at the DOA/ Dead Bob/ WAIT//LESS/ Alien Boys gig the other week, though I did get up to shoot a bit of vid of Dead Bob). 

I have also wiped myself out in regarding blogging, too. I feel a certain responsibility to document everything I do, gigwise, since there seems to be a general lack of coverage of live music of the type I care about, right now -- especially local live music. There also seems to be an end-times, apocalyptic vibe to concert going. I don't really relish the thought of having COVID every few months for the rest of my life. Packing into crowded spaces without protection to collide into each other and shout moistly into each other's ears actually doesn't seem a very good idea, especially since we're all going unmasked (what's with that? I'll wear a mask on a half-empty bus to a gig that has a few hundred people in it, where I'll only wear a mask if I'm actively feeling sick and probably shouldn't be there in the first place).  

The fact is, I very seldom get to just relax and enjoy a gig. I'm not even sure I'm attending gigs for the enjoyment -- I can't separate out the motivations for going from what I do as a writer, which has turned gig-going into something very much like work (mostly unpaid). I did get to have a nice time for a few songs at Agent Orange the other night, and shot a rather hilarious vid that captures my phone getting knocked out of my hand by a mosher, and me bending over to pick it up. But mostly when I'm at a show I'm filtering it through the awareness of either having written about it prior or my intention of writing about it later. I'm not losing myself in the music; even if I don't have a notebook, inwardly, I'm taking notes, my inner observer jabbering all the time. 

So I'm wiped, folks. I have some things I've promised to do, writing assignments I must soon focus on. With the 20th anniversary of Alienated coming up this fall, I'm inclined to do something significant here (and then maybe just stop this!) but... 

Anyhow, here are some of my favourite photos of the last few weeks, which have not already run on my blog (I've already posted what IDLES and Violent Femmes photos I had that I liked -- see the links in the first paragraph). 

Blind Marc of the Dayglos mans the merch table, listening to Crummy

As for the gig I just went to, the Dayglo Abortions tonight were tighter, faster and fiercer than ever and Murray seemed to be in good spirits, but my battery was long dead by the time they took the stage, so I have no evidence to share of this, but I was real glad to see Crummy, too, and I shot vid of "Andy Warhol" and "Fucken' Disaster" (...sic, as they say). Was wholly unprepared for their cover of the Butthole Surfers' "Goofy's Concern," but it's perfect for them. 

All photos by Allan MacInnis, not to be reused, etc. (except the one of Betty, near the end, by Gordon E. McCaw). 

Crummy/ Hellbent, Waldorf, May 18 

Hellbent (from Hamilton Ontario) (same gig): their music was not my thing -- was this "screamo?" One o' them newfangled genres, in any case. But there was no denying their live presentation!

Agent Orange, Cobalt, May 15

No, I generally do not go to the Cobalt. I did go a few years ago to see Pere Ubu -- some amazing Bob Hanham photos here -- because I figured I would never see them again, and indeed, they have not played Vancouver since (a show was booked at the Rickshaw, and then cancelled due to health issues; I am not sure if they have toured since, other than a few gigs in the UK, where singer David Thomas lives). But there were tales behind the scenes and on social media that made some folks stay away, dating back to (but not exclusive to the issue of) Wendy's ouster circa 2010. I went once since, after that Ubu gig, when I believed (along with Betty, who was celebrating her 40th birthday there) that the issue was no longer an issue, but it was my impression that we (Betty included) were mistaken on that count; but the gig was booked and went ahead. 

I have no fuckin' idea if it is cool to go back to the Cobalt now, but I was offered a free ticket to Agent Orange. What, should I have said no? 

The pit was especially fun to behold. Pits in general seem to have evolved since COVID; I have seen few fights, few people getting aggro. Even though the moshers knocked my phone flying, they were delightful to spy on -- nothing but enthusiasm and fun here:

To be totally honest, I found myself not really interested in openers Big John Bates. I mean, there have to be bands that are just not my cuppa -- they were fine at what they did, they were just doing things in genres that I don't much care about, a mixture of psychobilly, rockabilly, surf, and... whatever genre the Deadcats are/ were in? I did love the decorations on their standup bass, tho'...

Gustaf

I have seen Gustaf twice now. Knowing nothing of them, I caught them (and shot them) opening for the Sleaford Mods last year, and with zero expectations, was stunned at how much I enjoyed them, which reaction built slowly over the course of a few songs, going from, "Well, musically they're not my thing but they're good at what they do" to "Holy shit, this is great: WHO IS SHE?" (because Lydia Gammill, the vocalist, really does steal the show). They do an infectious, artful dance-punk that brings to mind my very favourite moments in the catalogues of bands as diverse as the Bush Tetras, the Slits, and the Talking Heads. There are probably some New York No Wave and leftfield disco associations, as well, but I can't speak to those as yet -- I do not know exactly what bands count as overt influences, but I'm hoping to find out soon. Gammill is the most captivating frontperson I've seen in years, getting deep into her performances, contorting her face (even channeling DeNiro in "you talkin' to me" mode, at one point), gesturing theatrically, smacking herself, and generally stalking the stage. Watching her is like watching a cheetah pace, but a cheetah who survived art school? All the while, she is delivering neurotic/ obsessive lyrics that turn self-consciousness and angst into something akin to mantras (check their songs out here).  

Sharon shoots!

The whole show was great, but by far, the most fun thing that happened in the live set at the Fox -- which I also shot vid of, here and here --  was that they Facetimed their absent friend Penny, got the crowd chanting her name, then passed her (in phone form, you understand) down into the audience to crowd surf. 

Sharon Steele is seen in a couple of these photos. She's as floored by how great Gustaf are as I am... She apparently has amazing photos of this night, which I hope will soon illustrate an article. More to come, there -- they're still on tour!

Night Court/ Dumpies

With promises secured to get a missing insert and hear "What's It Like to Be a Bat, Man?" -- the song by Night Court that first grabbed me, in part because I have my own bat song out there, but also because I really enjoy the inspirations for the song -- I went to see Night Court at Red Gate opening for the Dumpies and Tall Mary, despite hearing that Emilor had busted her flipper (she slipped on frigging BLOSSOMS, man, can you believe it? I laughed aloud and didn't even stop when she told me, before the show, that it was okay to laugh!). I at first thought the gig, without Emilor on drums, would be value-subtracted, because Night Court without Emilor is, I dunno, like Public Enemy without Flavor Flav. But with Jessica of the Dumpies on drums, Emilor -- holding a drink in her damaged hand and the mic in the other, with surgery scheduled for the following day -- elected to party like this would be the last gig she would be doing in quite awhile, taking up a sort of frontperson role in what surely will be a one-off performance, singing songs, offering Pet-Blessings style cheerleading, dancing, and, uh, getting a bit sauced in the process! 

So it turned out to be value-added!

(Emilor's lobster-themed coat gave me an excuse to tell her about Red Herring's "The Crab Song," more on which here).

 

Before my battery died, I did take one shot of the Dumpies, and bought their record, which is a comp of their singles and such. It's tight, fast, fun punk with songs, like Night Court's, that are not afraid to clock in at a minute or so in length. See here for for their half of the split 7" with Night Court; see here for Night Court's side! 

Emilor assured me it was okay to post vid of her -- if she's doing it in public, it's fair game, she said -- so I did, here and here (also some Dumpies stuff!). Here's hoping Emilor is back in full form for the Pet Blessings and Night Court shows at the upcoming Rickshaw fifteenth anniversary in mid-June (Emilor's bands will play the nights of the 15th and 22nd).  

By the way, speaking of bats, here I am with David M of NO FUN, wearing a relevant shirt (David took a selfie). 

As for things coming up, Betty Bathory's main band Daddy Issues have an album release gig on May 31st that I must note somewhere. As I say, I've told a couple other people I would do things about them already, so I won't be doing things about Daddy Issues, but this is a gig to be at (and I'm very glad they have an album coming out, though there is no vinyl planned, sadly!).  I think I may just attempt to go to this and enjoy myself... another related project, Sucker Trap, with Pinto Stiletto, has a gig coming up too... wrote about them here, last time... 

A final three photos for now: photographers Erik Iversen, Bev Davies, and Bob Hanham descending an elevator at Granville Station after the May 11th DOA/ Dead Bob show: 

Another view:

And Bob on our couch the next morning! 

All photos except the one by Gord McCaw (of Betty) by Allan MacInnis, not to be reused without permission. Can I take a break, now?