tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87620752024-03-18T16:01:52.462-07:00Alienated in Vancouver(rants and observations on outsider culture, music & cinema in The Big Wet)Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.comBlogger3767125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-90813725256895331422024-03-17T01:38:00.000-07:002024-03-18T09:39:57.356-07:00Ghosts and Galena: Ioana Vreme Moser, Vancouver New Music event, March 16, 2024<p><i>Note: since initial publication, these piece has been augmented with quotes from Dan Kibke and Alex Varty. </i></p><p>What was that Nietzsche quote...? From<i> Twilight of the Idols</i>, I think: "Once and for all, there is a great deal that I do not wish to know. Wisdom sets bounds even to knowledge" </p><p>Don't tell that to <a href="https://newmusic.org/parallel-06-ioana-vreme-moser/" target="_blank">Ioana Vreme Moser</a> (that's the Vancouver New Music page; her official page is <a href="https://www.ioanavrememoser.com/ivm" target="_blank">here</a>. Photograph of her below by me). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaR6OPa0qnjTJyV8NkL5mhbtwpdio69k_KvBqSIJrnSILce-pH_OBYtsrnkpBuQGMdE6SDS76BKZ-095Wc42o8jhx7Y-1oJzteDWBYXxevcHJhK79XDtSHCQ3m8WngTWIBddTbQlrjZSnPjKHnMDrPywZRYmCoIPyYQCXY2dOUx8xTg3EQ0fAh/s3968/IMG_20240316_211851.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaR6OPa0qnjTJyV8NkL5mhbtwpdio69k_KvBqSIJrnSILce-pH_OBYtsrnkpBuQGMdE6SDS76BKZ-095Wc42o8jhx7Y-1oJzteDWBYXxevcHJhK79XDtSHCQ3m8WngTWIBddTbQlrjZSnPjKHnMDrPywZRYmCoIPyYQCXY2dOUx8xTg3EQ0fAh/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_211851.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>At the end of last night's Vancouver New Music event with Moser, I turned to a friend whom I'd stumbled across -- after receiving a last-minute invite out -- and remarked that one thing I had learned beyond a doubt from the evening was that <i>even basic information that is fundamental to actually understanding the world</i>, no matter how simply, coherently and cogently it is laid out, can be extraordinarily intimidating if a) there is enough of it, b) you feel like you should know a great deal of it already; and yet c) all of it is <i>totally new</i> to you.</p><p>He said something back like, "I'm glad it's not just me." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH10RFrpTwk1zt2oy1kxhauJisu8Pnr0Oyin9CILruQgaSnbMRuiA4Be_LuyELWlP03FWQDLekXNQaxtRWRmmzEDCbUMCw4vAIpNkuZEqgJ2HsSTN-fyDbOdIqgomYHOv6UJg36VAFyZh7Dj6X65DKhOgIqyNsN72wqWWs-XBbcqX33o4sw2do/s3968/IMG_20240316_211927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH10RFrpTwk1zt2oy1kxhauJisu8Pnr0Oyin9CILruQgaSnbMRuiA4Be_LuyELWlP03FWQDLekXNQaxtRWRmmzEDCbUMCw4vAIpNkuZEqgJ2HsSTN-fyDbOdIqgomYHOv6UJg36VAFyZh7Dj6X65DKhOgIqyNsN72wqWWs-XBbcqX33o4sw2do/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_211927.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Like, take a minute: what does a circuit board inside your cell phone look like? What minerals are used to manufacture each circuit? How many different minerals are there in your phone? Which of them are common? Which are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_element" target="_blank">rare earths</a>? (What's a rare earth? I think there might be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_(band)" target="_blank">a rock band</a> with that name, but that's the only association I have with the term. The band was not actually discussed last night, but rare earths were briefly explained, though I cannot replicate that explanation now. Incidentally, Alex Varty, on reading this, notes, "for some intriguingly fictionalized background on rare-earth mining and DIY electronics, I highly recommend the film <a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/neptune-frost" target="_blank"><i>Neptune Frost</i></a>!"). And what about the material conditions under which the materials in question were harvested? Which of them come from conflict zones? What is the history of their mining? How bad were conditions in those mines? How does this connect to the history of the country (were the mine operators a colonizing force? Were the actual miners indigenous labour? Were they slaves? If they were paid, how much? What were the mined items used for by said colonizers, at the time?). Are these minerals toxic in one way or another? If so, how dangerous are they? What are the effects on miners, if particulate from the mine gets inhaled? What if it gets in the water supply? </p><p>You will be trying to process the answers to these questions, which, if you are like me, you have never even thought to ask before; but though each bit of information is clearly and cogently delivered, you will find that before these answers are firmly fixed in your understanding, that<i> Moser has moved on,</i> and you find yourself learning about the history of lead pipes, going back to the Roman Empire. Did you know once that people used to use <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/sugar-of-lead-a-deadly-sweetener-89984487/" target="_blank">lead as a sweetener</a>, because added to liquid, it has a sweet quality? It was<i> a bad idea.</i></p><p>And did you know that lead is actually just really old uranium that has lost its potency? What does that mean, exactly? (Who was it that said that if you really know something, you can explain it in simple terms? They might have been talking about Moser; she has done an amazing amount of homework to be able to do what she does). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLhqsseaGBbxwikjFEES90IcRNcZ8UdTAZ6CDlnyfJtn-CL2DwPOq-Fo-5hkypJyWPU7xqI3wvpY_RA3ZBPnpfdyNTQrPgBmSA12L_xgjRk1OcoKzahEcDEzbAtolcXpbCzrHpeVIOhaJ2MC5MmDYC8pHoiUzvfvUOJYfdQkOZ8WywGvP9kVs/s3968/IMG_20240316_211744_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLhqsseaGBbxwikjFEES90IcRNcZ8UdTAZ6CDlnyfJtn-CL2DwPOq-Fo-5hkypJyWPU7xqI3wvpY_RA3ZBPnpfdyNTQrPgBmSA12L_xgjRk1OcoKzahEcDEzbAtolcXpbCzrHpeVIOhaJ2MC5MmDYC8pHoiUzvfvUOJYfdQkOZ8WywGvP9kVs/w480-h640/IMG_20240316_211744_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>The above captures maybe twenty minutes worth of material as Moser works her way forward from the first time one of the substances in question was mined (the gateway to her presentation was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena" target="_blank">galena</a>) to its use in communications technology. Shortly thereafter, you're learning about how radio frequencies work, Moser connecting the dots for you. How do we get from mined lead to a communicated signal? (How do sound waves travel when there is no wire to act as a conduit?). How does any of this material we take utterly for granted actually work? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3ZiDClXYs9Hr5Fkv18r7FybyA8My2tRLxWQK1GsUyG1VEsUCzHIaqPk1cLOmIMul1rtVb9l5LONHVPiLobZWuYIyxCJ9BXABIU83EZ8LzySbzKsiUDmBHz-dMcmB_DCT5nXBkyh2eiv7aUkzOaYW4q90TnAv-7SbBwRmXseJTMtv8xohUy6N/s3968/IMG_20240316_211944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3ZiDClXYs9Hr5Fkv18r7FybyA8My2tRLxWQK1GsUyG1VEsUCzHIaqPk1cLOmIMul1rtVb9l5LONHVPiLobZWuYIyxCJ9BXABIU83EZ8LzySbzKsiUDmBHz-dMcmB_DCT5nXBkyh2eiv7aUkzOaYW4q90TnAv-7SbBwRmXseJTMtv8xohUy6N/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_211944.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Moser is not intending to make her presentation into a shamefest, does not set out to taunt you with your ignorance, and unlike me, above, poses no overt questions of her audience; she just tells you the information, guiding you along from one answer to the next, to questions you could have and should have asked before (but didn't). But regardless of her lucidity and lack-of-intent to one-up or shame the audience, to some extent, shame was still an effect for me, noted and analyzed as I became aware of it, and thus dispelled, but nonetheless briefly extant: a blush of embarrassment about how ignorant I am. Seeing how clearly Moser understands her stuff makes it feel like you should have thought about it yourself a bit, given that she's talking about technology you use every day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z2Ktve5oLtDOUW1p8dflXusdR0_OfOaVUWanCyu2DeSvBb7JbYsUuC0ZiECNlGBtPUY3l1vtYqNeM71PzljwrQAxP55ZUx_QhychFG4TPHrNdWGDRuxcW1FP1yrLviHKdeDSUs5tdTHWm-h33w3qtVW7U1yTO0-laBkyoORjmKLA-7VrjLz0/s3968/IMG_20240316_212013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z2Ktve5oLtDOUW1p8dflXusdR0_OfOaVUWanCyu2DeSvBb7JbYsUuC0ZiECNlGBtPUY3l1vtYqNeM71PzljwrQAxP55ZUx_QhychFG4TPHrNdWGDRuxcW1FP1yrLviHKdeDSUs5tdTHWm-h33w3qtVW7U1yTO0-laBkyoORjmKLA-7VrjLz0/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_212013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Know here that normally, my actual understanding of how technology works runs only a few notches above the level of a cargo cult. It might as well be ghosts and magic. And I had done no homework; I was out thrifting under the influence of an <a href="https://edisoncannabis.co/age-verification" target="_blank">Edison Jolt</a> when I got my invitation to last night's event, and didn't actually intend to keep it, at first; it was by surprise that, as the event started, I was not far from the Annex, still out and about (I had thought to be home by that point, watching <i>Frankenhooker,</i> in fact). But I learned, as I tried to keep my mind on task, that at some point, <i>ignorance becomes almost a self-defense strategy,</i> because it just seems like every question one asks leads to an answer that touches on five more questions you do not know the answer to, some of which may actually have historical, political, environmental, or ethical implications; it will also just be so time-consuming, so mind-altering, so potentially life-complicating, to make it all make sense...<i> How is the sausage made?</i> (no, she did not go into sausages; I'm speaking figuratively). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgvAO61OoU2NXySD7XTGQihBeUpXjz7V3ZYBVRMs24ONaeJv73xFGVRNjpDDkMG1QCXVmOpgJnclMTwnpkdDqvIO-BdaR9UHzGFRvvQrTEXLgphZGKvWN91SPowTYrQ9og9Ji7H13uQ0tR2_T8HQkU1uK5pc9eUzTcIDcg6Gq6_MdcxupRuNk/s3968/IMG_20240316_212038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgvAO61OoU2NXySD7XTGQihBeUpXjz7V3ZYBVRMs24ONaeJv73xFGVRNjpDDkMG1QCXVmOpgJnclMTwnpkdDqvIO-BdaR9UHzGFRvvQrTEXLgphZGKvWN91SPowTYrQ9og9Ji7H13uQ0tR2_T8HQkU1uK5pc9eUzTcIDcg6Gq6_MdcxupRuNk/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_212038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>By the half-hour mark of her presentation, Moser had completely overwhelmed me. I contemplated myself as Homer Simpson, dreaming of a donut, drooling. Occasionally my mind wandered (text the wife, also out, but not with me: <i>is the cat with the neighbour?</i>). Occasionally I just lost myself in the projected images and produced sounds. But the presentation was to some extent only the tip of things; Moser had actually come to town to guide other people in <i>a multi-day workshop, </i>a workshop which<i> really is the work </i>(to paraphrase something she said), going (we presume) into still greater depth on the matters discussed with the participants, and helping them in building their own circuits that can be used to generate... radio signals? Was that what was being generated? It all connected somewhere to radios, and causing oscillations... umm... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOvEJ0ezqBOQjimEouGnOENuLgQgco3HTbPRnMMr-5EDX0-tdjP6o8gFtvZoI68O9M-JKKIR18GWhlMcxrLAZ5htf0jm2Cz-QAzDoPp5M2A9BHd715T4E2WLifXJ2l6Ceqg7Ovj4ODbmgyrVYZtOaBZYsKZzxyvJwUl8I3C9Ramn4uIewTh9e/s2614/IMG_20240316_211808.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="2614" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOvEJ0ezqBOQjimEouGnOENuLgQgco3HTbPRnMMr-5EDX0-tdjP6o8gFtvZoI68O9M-JKKIR18GWhlMcxrLAZ5htf0jm2Cz-QAzDoPp5M2A9BHd715T4E2WLifXJ2l6Ceqg7Ovj4ODbmgyrVYZtOaBZYsKZzxyvJwUl8I3C9Ramn4uIewTh9e/w640-h276/IMG_20240316_211808.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Dan Kibke, one of the participants -- his hands are pictured above, and he's in a few of these photos -- elaborates:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>the device built in the workshop it's technically a crude oscillator using a diy makeshift transistor that relies on early principles of radio. If you want to get really technical it's a "zinc negative resistance oscillator" as explored by Nyle Steiner where Ioana took her practical jumping off point from.</p><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/zincosc-el.htm&source=gmail&ust=1710813898717000&usg=AOvVaw2aQO-EQZT5mJE_gQFTQN4u" href="http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/zincosc-el.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/zincosc-el.htm</a></div><div><br /></div><div>He is much more well known for his other work in music technology with the invention of the EVI (electronic valve instrument) and subsequent EWI (electronic wind instrument) instruments and controllers which were designed to allow trumpet and wind players a familiar interface to play synthesizers with instead of a keyboard. The technology was first developed in the 70s and later licensed to Akai and Yamaha. He's also produced synthesizers such as the Synthacon and a modular.</div><br /><a href="https://www.patchmanmusic.com/NyleSteinerHomepage.html">https://www.patchmanmusic.com/NyleSteinerHomepage.html</a></blockquote><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNqioEr_oSQAjuQDmgG_ODujfqFZmkSQtu2lCBU5ZDks25dD2RCT4nycTjrqouw53r_LWk2pMav5CVMI1VISZQYEA2nVi5eTIAVFddjcRoUxEu5Y3ZMexKA95ZLOB8xfOEPAeu6pycFnpJ63okdJi5ctFVQM-RDHeiN-Nn_oIVXnR8nb27FW9/s3968/IMG_20240316_212131.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNqioEr_oSQAjuQDmgG_ODujfqFZmkSQtu2lCBU5ZDks25dD2RCT4nycTjrqouw53r_LWk2pMav5CVMI1VISZQYEA2nVi5eTIAVFddjcRoUxEu5Y3ZMexKA95ZLOB8xfOEPAeu6pycFnpJ63okdJi5ctFVQM-RDHeiN-Nn_oIVXnR8nb27FW9/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_212131.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>If it was more of a talk than a performance, there was a sort of performative aspect to the end of the night, when all the workshop attendants joined Moser to produce sounds in "concert" with one another. One of them had invited me (thanks, Dan!). People prodded at things with things, and sounds were produced, with some participant's handmade radios (synthesizers? sound generators? circuit boards?) working better than others to make things oscillate, and some not working at all... </p><p>As I joined people on the floor to wander between performers, I reflected on my reaction: "Maybe I'm just ashamed of my stupidity?" Some people asked questions of the "performers," but typically, not knowing where to start, my grasp of the fundamentals of what I was seeing and what it meant so tenuous, despite having had it all explained at some length in advance, I just kept my mouth shut... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTGX4fRzS-QGBhvlTiKm9esI5mDDxSmEBdhxKXzu0h7Kssj0IkX5myJQy3sG9FtxR1e9mAEsJjrx3RDgyXOSOBEZM4XtL3al-tTQW00GpAqpNFo6jIEa8C1XgtrMYaTaF4ZyPg7Zh6uMusSDByWmS8ua5H1Nyuk5kJ4bYSnBCSkWkqTOmzLS_/s3968/IMG_20240316_211938%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTGX4fRzS-QGBhvlTiKm9esI5mDDxSmEBdhxKXzu0h7Kssj0IkX5myJQy3sG9FtxR1e9mAEsJjrx3RDgyXOSOBEZM4XtL3al-tTQW00GpAqpNFo6jIEa8C1XgtrMYaTaF4ZyPg7Zh6uMusSDByWmS8ua5H1Nyuk5kJ4bYSnBCSkWkqTOmzLS_/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_211938%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I wonder what Moser makes of the barriers that make any of what she said less than common knowledge. Are we in some way, ala Nietzsche, afraid to ask these questions? Is there a conspiracy among the figurative sausage-makers to discourage these questions? Were there any barriers she faced, herself, getting from one point to another -- lessons she had to learn about our protective bubbles of ignorance, in bursting them? Were any of the new understandings in any way threatening to her? Why is it more frightening to know how the technology in your pocket works (and where its constituent parts come from) than it is to be dependent on technology you don't understand at all? And how has her work changed her consumption of technology?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6vTJ4619D7ypj7iVN2aAMFvq8ihhLP_CO8Ls32YcPan-voBJ8mpHVRCuIAFWoZckZ4XJrh2WlVW9t40tSFFG8FzvUpNZiSOICaeZNaPfAQkUpDENi1O8iWvYuUKM1CPLgJ_Dlw8SyUrpgqZkBXzktYW4V7z0Uv9axTHTCNKC-M3J2J0m9HQg/s3968/IMG_20240316_212117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6vTJ4619D7ypj7iVN2aAMFvq8ihhLP_CO8Ls32YcPan-voBJ8mpHVRCuIAFWoZckZ4XJrh2WlVW9t40tSFFG8FzvUpNZiSOICaeZNaPfAQkUpDENi1O8iWvYuUKM1CPLgJ_Dlw8SyUrpgqZkBXzktYW4V7z0Uv9axTHTCNKC-M3J2J0m9HQg/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_212117.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It was a phenomenally useful inquiry. I do not know the content of her website, but I would <a href="https://www.ioanavrememoser.com/ivm" target="_blank">hasten there</a> to explore it, if this is of interest, because I am sure there is a lot more to be learned there than here. Made for an unexpected, fascinating night out. Note: I did ask her if she has any thoughts of offering her workshop virtually, but there are challenges, as part of what she does involves getting hands-on with people's circuitry. So people who attended were fortunate indeed. </p><p>It was nice to see Heather and Giorgio of Vancouver New Music again, too! It was the first Vancouver New Music event I had seen in years, and a fascinating and provocative one. There is more in this series to come -- from <a href="https://newmusic.org/osmosi-422-nancy-lee/" target="_blank">computer sentience with a (decaying) twist</a> to <a href="https://newmusic.org/afrorack/" target="_blank">hand-built African analogue synths</a> with parts scavenged from computer repair shops (sounds like the film <i>Neptune Frost</i> might actually be good "advance homework" for that... hm). Both nights will doubtlessly feature artist talks as compelling as this evening's. Check them out...?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h1xDh4BA4vhIkZD8pTFqa_pEL7CY8B_5IsTW8uSGMF4jILmREiulAD8Ajzq5QpGxInYCGJBw_A37ZlnM4Bo8etYWxS4EXhAYneSXgjHF4QvePtwbxAJe1DyxcqWgbVedN3qLXBkwYFu0sXCEWcdr0ts22Wo_R4zeOg1viJkWg2hyJVXdU2_o/s3968/IMG_20240316_211732.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h1xDh4BA4vhIkZD8pTFqa_pEL7CY8B_5IsTW8uSGMF4jILmREiulAD8Ajzq5QpGxInYCGJBw_A37ZlnM4Bo8etYWxS4EXhAYneSXgjHF4QvePtwbxAJe1DyxcqWgbVedN3qLXBkwYFu0sXCEWcdr0ts22Wo_R4zeOg1viJkWg2hyJVXdU2_o/w640-h480/IMG_20240316_211732.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-41131791445596579132024-03-15T14:08:00.000-07:002024-03-16T01:04:14.115-07:00Of Night Court, Pet Blessings, TWO cool garage sales, and a few different bats <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Note: a previous version mistakenly said Night Court would be touring the west coast, but the graphic I found was from last year! They are doing no such thing. Sorry! </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwRtuI1uwVRmKMe4H1eATxqnOYMLMGHVDSgDq6gfUAnNyublONtWbUcnz8hmhN9kiUz5ezM5wOqm_ffS_u9o8G460xiDK9uprAEDpVdHT43T3nimMNRvgY9qALa0o4vqu-azkUmtTgmvMtrcy-pt6BMWyoOWegIlDHbNieB0rKTXJQQnzN-j8/s1500/split.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwRtuI1uwVRmKMe4H1eATxqnOYMLMGHVDSgDq6gfUAnNyublONtWbUcnz8hmhN9kiUz5ezM5wOqm_ffS_u9o8G460xiDK9uprAEDpVdHT43T3nimMNRvgY9qALa0o4vqu-azkUmtTgmvMtrcy-pt6BMWyoOWegIlDHbNieB0rKTXJQQnzN-j8/w640-h640/split.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_e5mIwspSaCNr7sHq0rEp-YY5nbl6awGBTHQdZS7owIUmaIiz_aqR7NT-lrimSluAfgJkK7jXErzpDjVUZDHkG_ExMuM2sWO3fK8X46p0Djxgeld9GFDaiaJpz2sJppsUHGs7ECRJbPmEbqN3bKTsEjW6tjpOGo0cipaXa-Hv8jQ0wRsAie5/s2048/pbgig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1144" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_e5mIwspSaCNr7sHq0rEp-YY5nbl6awGBTHQdZS7owIUmaIiz_aqR7NT-lrimSluAfgJkK7jXErzpDjVUZDHkG_ExMuM2sWO3fK8X46p0Djxgeld9GFDaiaJpz2sJppsUHGs7ECRJbPmEbqN3bKTsEjW6tjpOGo0cipaXa-Hv8jQ0wRsAie5/s320/pbgig.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>Hola, <a href="https://nightcourtpunk.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Night Court</a> fans -- there is news! Some of this is not quite ready to be broken yet, but my favourite recent Vancouver band -- a tuneful lo-fi power-pop/ punk band previously the subject of blog ravings <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/09/of-humans-bats-and-cover-art-night.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/11/night-court-interview-two-bride-of.html" target="_blank">here</a> -- have a show coming up May 1st at the Red Gate, to mark the release of a split 7" with Portland's <a href="https://thedumpies.bandcamp.com/album/greatest-hits-so-far" target="_blank">the Dumpies</a> as well as <a href="https://tallmary.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Tall Mary</a> and <a href="https://mathbat.bandcamp.com/album/something-out-demo-ep" target="_blank">Math Bat</a>. There is a bran new, very fun video that has been made for one song on said 7", which I have had a peek at, but is is all still kinda top-secret til April 1st. The vid is partially shot in Mexico and is every bit as colourful as, say, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzzMDL0BNTY" target="_blank">Surfing Iona</a>;" there are also some riffs on and props from Night Court's video for "Titanic," so those wanting to be on the inside of the in-jokes should go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_MTdzfhgak" target="_blank">here</a>. <p></p><p>Lots of weird cell phone toys, too. I don't think any are actual vintage phones. But perhaps I give too much away...</p><p>There is also <a href="https://petblessings.bandcamp.com/">Pet Blessings</a> and Emilor Jayne news! Pet Blessings, who I have long wanted to revisit since getting enthusiastic about Night Court, also have a gig coming up, and a mini-tour. The first show is on March 21st, at Green Auto, just three days before the <a href="https://selinamartin.bandcamp.com/">Selina Martin</a>/ <a href="https://thesmoke23.bandcamp.com/album/first-offence">Tony Bardach</a>/ <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/08/jfk-end-of-summer-blow-out-plus.html">Minimalist Jug Band</a> gig I am helping with (some backstory on that <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2024/03/a-tale-of-two-gig-posters-selina-martin.html">here</a>; more to come). Emilor is even more dynamic as a frontperson and lead vocalist than she is as a drummer; I enjoy her drumming, but you get to see the full force of her personality when she's singing. I am very much looking forward to this get (next Thursday at Green Auto, with Stories End and Spectra opening, neither of whom I know). Then they go east!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ad118Y4LthEuiU9CO5mIhG6FxWVHkHygCwkvGGJVv-UqbmsSUaXY4BEwT-bqAASYxFdWCVZNK81Krke5RDr-KkjWSJROpxoZ1VkDZn8uQcx5RTFsdqnau0Poo8XuOXzMKmTuo4-zzKMnKDh8F94pTjjdFmakTVOc3OIwE2yd3Dbnn8Zq8_ua/s2732/PB2024Promo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="2732" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ad118Y4LthEuiU9CO5mIhG6FxWVHkHygCwkvGGJVv-UqbmsSUaXY4BEwT-bqAASYxFdWCVZNK81Krke5RDr-KkjWSJROpxoZ1VkDZn8uQcx5RTFsdqnau0Poo8XuOXzMKmTuo4-zzKMnKDh8F94pTjjdFmakTVOc3OIwE2yd3Dbnn8Zq8_ua/w640-h508/PB2024Promo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>There will also be a garage sale, as Emilor and (if I've got this right) her partner (am I allowed to say who? I din't check but watch<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXHf2ma_tEQ&t=61s" target="_blank"> this vid</a> that I shot last weekend for a clue; Emilor pops up!) are being forced to downsize and are going to have a ton of stuff for sale! The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/770058624713678/?rid=10159465181201851&ad_id&rt=1&refID=0&refType=0&referral_code=commerce_attachment" target="_blank">Facebook Marketplace listing</a> describes a "huge moving sale of multiple families! Clothes, Book, Furniture, Records, Kids Stuff, LEGO, Art, So much stuff!!!" -- Emilor describes it as a "collection overflow." This is going to be cooler than your average garage sale, folks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ghsAQ729dDAA-x0llfqBkC3nQ1VWuE4Zt9o623bUlRcsgcTh2l2QSc-a9N33PN3GuZ-oxTJnJkjjZ8kQdF3oJcN1SDpowmGRQhcib6z3qqE1I7nvkBL_wxgiYGoX0q_Bez5wyfzFUTo8TYlD_0aUTsiYZcio5dIH9Nb6JGflYS_3hUFrbBFB/s1516/MarchSALEFLYER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ghsAQ729dDAA-x0llfqBkC3nQ1VWuE4Zt9o623bUlRcsgcTh2l2QSc-a9N33PN3GuZ-oxTJnJkjjZ8kQdF3oJcN1SDpowmGRQhcib6z3qqE1I7nvkBL_wxgiYGoX0q_Bez5wyfzFUTo8TYlD_0aUTsiYZcio5dIH9Nb6JGflYS_3hUFrbBFB/w386-h640/MarchSALEFLYER.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br /><div>So that's fun, but, uh, wait, there's more. I won't provide individual Facebook links -- but if you go to <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/" target="_blank">the Rickshaw homepage</a> and scroll down, you will see that there a series of four 15th anniversary shows, which involve both Pet Blessings (playing June 15th) and Night Court (June 22nd) and a HOST of other bands (including Tony Bardach's main band, the Pointed Sticks; Night Court had to bow out of a past show opening for them and the Avengers because Dave got COVID, so I'm happy to get a second chance to see them play there). More on that later -- plans are a-cooking. I have seen eleven of the sixteen bands performing and have interviewed members of at least six of them (have I ever interviewed Black Wizard? Not sure!). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X2iNtRHhIIeT2kk5Qw5IsfwtXCcrridQRnBtXxqLK94j2_d-9YBGrk8YFFG5BhxGD6oq8Xsa5vm18DNPwUClXITcM6Auf3jVNwFggYm1z6Z5xaOxefKmwS-AotNjOXUnVrdT0DjfrqbEHxR5anSs7qIOkk8nKzE22bImxmbpxUH-mp2VjBqR/s1669/rickshaw15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X2iNtRHhIIeT2kk5Qw5IsfwtXCcrridQRnBtXxqLK94j2_d-9YBGrk8YFFG5BhxGD6oq8Xsa5vm18DNPwUClXITcM6Auf3jVNwFggYm1z6Z5xaOxefKmwS-AotNjOXUnVrdT0DjfrqbEHxR5anSs7qIOkk8nKzE22bImxmbpxUH-mp2VjBqR/w414-h640/rickshaw15.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div>And while it has no direct bearing on Night Court or Pet Blessings, there is ANOTHER garage sale happening in New Westminster that is going to be a killer, I think: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/richard.chapman.988373" target="_blank">Richard Chapman</a> of Northern Electric is also doing a moving sale mega-purge, which started today and also continues through the weekend. He's had a "busy, busy first hour" but I think there will still be some very cool stuff left, given the photo he has posted. He's asked FB friends to DM him for his address (if you are not his FB friend you might have to request a friendship in order to make sure your message does not get spamfiltered by FB but I hope you can figure it out!). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgXZX4DE7GjgY24nyZsys4EvMDq7KfHLHnN0L0uNHk7X5SdB_K66uZrgYaNM3OO-JvCnHxMujMu0E6p4W_45VEkXPFG33hogk4gJGa4tnVdtc80CiNifycMefoOwiCNMEi4A2OKHPVcRa0nzvKeivEftb_ivypu2l1ZyAIMkntga0KFhlBc_C/s2048/richard-sale.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1636" data-original-width="2048" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgXZX4DE7GjgY24nyZsys4EvMDq7KfHLHnN0L0uNHk7X5SdB_K66uZrgYaNM3OO-JvCnHxMujMu0E6p4W_45VEkXPFG33hogk4gJGa4tnVdtc80CiNifycMefoOwiCNMEi4A2OKHPVcRa0nzvKeivEftb_ivypu2l1ZyAIMkntga0KFhlBc_C/w640-h512/richard-sale.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>A final note: Night Court are, I think, going to heed my request to play "<a href="https://nightcourtpunk.bandcamp.com/track/what-is-it-like-to-be-a-bat-man" target="_blank">What's is it Like to be a Bat, Man</a>?" at that Dumpies split release, which I have never heard them do live, which should be quite piquant with a band called Math Bat on the bill. But I must tag on some bat news of my own: NO FUN and their label Atomic Werewolf will be dropping a new single on March 18th of a song I wrote the lyrics for, "If I was a Bat." David M. first performed this song on March 18th, seven years ago, AT MY WEDDING to Erika Lax, where M. was best man; there is a whole complex backstory to this that I will not go into here, but it delights and touches both Erika and I that David and the fine folks Atomic Werewolf -- more on whom <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/04/no-fun-on-atomic-werewolf-kent-lindsay.html" target="_blank">here</a> -- have conspired to officially release a version of the song for our seventh anniversary. So be sure to check in on March 18th on the <a href="https://atomicwerewolf.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Atomic Werewolf bandcamp page</a>. I think there is something involving some mega-celebrity being released that same day, but I'm there for the bats. </p><p>(I see superb groundwork for a future benefit for bat conservation in BC being laid here). </p><p>Eep eep eep eep, eep eep eep. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtCFWXLV2TtPxxhOugKZrsm2LsX8sUyPgNaj7nIBA_nj5pYuFrxkAf4f4KSwHeAedhWqgu7S0Qarbwl_1GvFq0F5OBWFUH_i00Xfz2-7nqQgoEuPxZo7rypK2LO74R3Um9srrnulxUS-rCv2MLBu1eq-pzhQ4e3PkBVOTqb9XRTUY5TbZ9Bxy/s2048/bat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="2048" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtCFWXLV2TtPxxhOugKZrsm2LsX8sUyPgNaj7nIBA_nj5pYuFrxkAf4f4KSwHeAedhWqgu7S0Qarbwl_1GvFq0F5OBWFUH_i00Xfz2-7nqQgoEuPxZo7rypK2LO74R3Um9srrnulxUS-rCv2MLBu1eq-pzhQ4e3PkBVOTqb9XRTUY5TbZ9Bxy/w640-h492/bat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-43192140326271466552024-03-15T06:28:00.000-07:002024-03-15T12:51:22.518-07:00A Tale of Two Gig Posters: a Selina Martin / Tony Bardach / Minimalist Jug Band gig, behind the scenes<p><i>I can't find Erika's fucking glue sticks. </i></p><p>It is 4:38 AM as I write this. I got out of bed a) to pee, b) to adjust my CPAP mask straps, which had come loose, and because I figured I would, while awake, c) wrap her anniversary present (a 1992 Charles van Sandwyk); and could d) creatively and quietly amend some gig posters for an event I am helping promote while she slept. The first three items are taken care of, but <i>my plans have been otherwise foiled </i>by the complexity of her art supply area. Her studio space is not quite on the level of Francis Bacon's...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_b3Ms4N6SxUAQj3Fawan_PZRq64s9upgiRw4Z_oHmIh8C_zsbeJujMYDFGv_Ae06bj1s4U4mghZ0lVfZrBCMQH7ThtZbynEf1BYaH8T3qGxymRXXv4W53x6OmQOdO99m88pKSxmaD2apeO1-kYZmEOuGEUdR4mZlskxpYIewHF1tJNHF5UiUV/s733/Bacon-Studio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="733" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_b3Ms4N6SxUAQj3Fawan_PZRq64s9upgiRw4Z_oHmIh8C_zsbeJujMYDFGv_Ae06bj1s4U4mghZ0lVfZrBCMQH7ThtZbynEf1BYaH8T3qGxymRXXv4W53x6OmQOdO99m88pKSxmaD2apeO1-kYZmEOuGEUdR4mZlskxpYIewHF1tJNHF5UiUV/w640-h426/Bacon-Studio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...but, y'know, it's nowhere near as orderly as MY stuff. If you wanted, say, to <i>find my Goddo records, </i>there is a G section on the shelf of the rock area that is easy enough to locate. Movies are another matter, organized by genre or country or filmmaker, or sometimes even actor -- because, you know, I have several Kevin Bacon movies, for instance, most of which are<i> not </i>directed by auteurs, but can still be grouped together, so I don't have to be going, "Now where the fuck did I put <i>Stir of Echoes</i>?" (I have no section for Richard Matheson adaptations), though where I do have movies Bacon is in by a filmmaker I admire and/or recognize as an auteur (Greg McLean, say), it's in the filmmaker section. <div><br /></div><div>No connection between Francis Bacon and Kevin Bacon should be inferred. <br /><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk8TLCR0nMRHNPtbAPzyIKvDqPkCmDuR16kHkdAEOd2gl8eH2MWI2F9MoOZgiRN3ki6vj8-NCvCl8sDEdSVrDxpYIT9cmVvkyzMZRv1TQ5o7t34ojjTOxDrN2elKjp-BuoLAC1-n42XKQjFeqOmmp9xZOlzCnWJQBBzPS1DL2yxKwHwVzeqzh/s3012/IMG_20240315_045323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="2976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk8TLCR0nMRHNPtbAPzyIKvDqPkCmDuR16kHkdAEOd2gl8eH2MWI2F9MoOZgiRN3ki6vj8-NCvCl8sDEdSVrDxpYIT9cmVvkyzMZRv1TQ5o7t34ojjTOxDrN2elKjp-BuoLAC1-n42XKQjFeqOmmp9xZOlzCnWJQBBzPS1DL2yxKwHwVzeqzh/s320/IMG_20240315_045323.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />(And yes, you are right, film fan, Kevin Bacon is not actually IN <i>Chattahoochee, </i>but Gary Oldman is, and Gary Oldman is in <i>Criminal Law, </i>which DOES have Kevin Bacon, and Oldman has no section of his own; it makes sense to ME, anyway).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(I may have to go move <i>Chattahoochee</i> closer to <i>Criminal Law</i> now). </div></div><br /><div>Sometimes more than one system of organization applies: my small selection of anime is kept in the animation section, along with <i>The Plague Dogs</i> and <i>The Iron Giant</i> and <i>Paranorman</i>; this section is nowhere near the live-action Japanese movies, but the Japanese anime discs have their own subsection, and the Miyazaki movies are grouped together within that subsection, too, a cluster (Miyazaki) within a cluster (anime) within a cluster (animation). The point is, the logic is more complicated than mere alphabetization, but <i>it could be learned and understood, if one were interested</i>. Some randomness exists, requiring memorization -- like, there is no good reason why my John Boorman section is just above my Kevin Bacon section -- but both are on the "mainstream American films" shelves (I know that Boorman is British but there is no space in the British section and, like, just how British are <i>Point Blank</i> and <i>Deliverance</i>? By the same logic I could put <i>Chattahoochee </i>next to <i>Threads</i> in the British cinema section, but Mick Jackson is not an auteur, by my reckoning, and the two films have nothing much else in common). </div><div><br /></div><div>By contrast, in Erika's art space -- well, obviously, there is no G section (for "glue stick") among the piles and drawers of art supplies. (She would be mortified to have them documented photographically, so I'll just leave you with Francis Bacon's studio image instead). I can find multiple roles of Scotch tape, but apparently her art supplies are not organized by attributes such as "sticky things;" there are no glue sticks with them. If there is a "small cylindrical object" section, I cannot see it. There may be, somewhere, <i>an actual glue drawer, </i>but having looked for it in vain for fifteen minutes, I have chosen instead to give up in the fear that, in fact, there is <i>no order at all. </i>Jordan Peterson would<i> have things to say </i>about Erika's artspace. But in truth, there probably is some order, and were Erika awake, she would find the glue sticks without much hesitation. It may just be that (trying to keep the lights out and noise down, so she can go on sleeping in the other room), the order is simply not one I can perceive at present: "How was I supposed to know that the John Boorman movies are above the Kevin Bacon movies? Kevin Bacon isn't in any John Boorman movies! And look, why is <i>Chattahoochee</i> here? What's <i>that</i> about?" <div><p>Anyhow, suffice to say, my plans are foiled! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzCEtiyha5d7LPSc2WJOwILab2Ccfhpllg3E_ZGSM7SRKIChhMyUVNSk0W19MBsIrkazQhY9r2yWjuCyMIuW1oUV3QkmNCgNXXCW6_aXRrceVKcZHwSC8GIrAj-obR47UfiIjojPvF828kMT5CNxHI-cgzCbOw4j15gCgNc4If1zkVIoFaI_W/s1080/selinagreenIG2-rev.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzCEtiyha5d7LPSc2WJOwILab2Ccfhpllg3E_ZGSM7SRKIChhMyUVNSk0W19MBsIrkazQhY9r2yWjuCyMIuW1oUV3QkmNCgNXXCW6_aXRrceVKcZHwSC8GIrAj-obR47UfiIjojPvF828kMT5CNxHI-cgzCbOw4j15gCgNc4If1zkVIoFaI_W/w640-h640/selinagreenIG2-rev.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>All of this relates to a gig you should go to <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/selina-martin-slowpoke-the-smoke-and-minimalist-jug-band-tickets-840444641547?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR3DrKMMWZbTpIbvJaxOSbZWSwCjMinomA8wjhalz-cEzcI9z0UCLixAgh8" target="_blank">at Green Auto on March 24th</a> (next Sunday; you have no conflicts, I hope; that's the Eventbrite link, but also see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/731965778708459/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A1367015370773456%7D%7D]%22%7D" target="_blank">here</a> for the FB event page). Ontario-to-France transplant (and <a href="https://deadbob.bandcamp.com/track/life-like" target="_blank">Dead Bob contributor</a>) Selina Martin is headlining, coming in from Europe on a tour of the west coast; if you don't know her music, I suggest starting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd0aACsjb1U&t=116s" target="_blank">here</a>, which is a charming video for a genius piece of Pixies-esque, power-poppy songcraft from her 2010 album <a href="https://selinamartin.bandcamp.com/album/disaster-fantasies" target="_blank"><i>Disaster Fantasies</i></a>; it makes more sense to begin there and move forward to the more sophisticated, artful, multi-layered music of <a href="https://selinamartin.bandcamp.com/album/time-spent-swimming" target="_blank">her most recent album</a> than it does to start with the latter and move back (I felt I approached her in the wrong direction, myself). My past big interview with her is <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/04/being-between-selina-martin-interview.html" target="_blank">here</a>, when I was still more or less a novice to what she does. She's great.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnOZaP9rn99WsdqlOjKutpQhg63QZmK8itFRjkgXebz3EsP_XCHBYp04CqSebNhjvqxrQLZhZIExGXlujDXev9-zffSTB-An3JUOQfgLgxhQYUMMo9BZTcqgkTR9TDaGBd8_3b1P2rUXEzkzpUhOwD5bQtu6xmOjEU7tzSiwMuaToBedzWxiJ/s1200/smoke.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnOZaP9rn99WsdqlOjKutpQhg63QZmK8itFRjkgXebz3EsP_XCHBYp04CqSebNhjvqxrQLZhZIExGXlujDXev9-zffSTB-An3JUOQfgLgxhQYUMMo9BZTcqgkTR9TDaGBd8_3b1P2rUXEzkzpUhOwD5bQtu6xmOjEU7tzSiwMuaToBedzWxiJ/w640-h640/smoke.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I haven't gotten to my gig poster problem yet, but I should also mention that Tony Bardach's <a href="https://thesmoke23.bandcamp.com/album/first-offence" target="_blank">newest iteration of Slowpoke and the Smoke </a>is playing that gig, which is different enough from previous iterations that it was almost not going to be called that (it is less of Slowpoke's goofy fuck band doo-wop and more a quirky, musically varied, but more fully-realized "outsider pop" oddment that seems like something Shimmy Disc might release in their heyday). In the tradition of simplifying overlong fuck band names, removing, say, the Radicos from Los Radicos Popularos, "Slowpoke" almost ended up in the cutting room, until Tony realized -- I think -- that a band called "the Smoke" was not necessarily search-engine optimized, unless you were looking for something to inhale. And brand recognition is important too! </p><p>By the way, my not so big, somewhat old, but still fun Slowpoke and the Smoke interview is <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2009/02/of-tony-bardach-part-two-slowpoke-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>Where this gets complicated is that -- y'see, the Minimalist Jug Band was not originally on this bill. Those of you who have seen the early-iteration gig posters for this at Red Cat, Video Cat, Carson Books or Audiopile know that <a href="https://yepyepyep.bandcamp.com/album/reprimand" target="_blank">a band called Yep</a> was going to be playing, but -- after those posters were printed, Yep had to drop off; something came up (yes, variants on "Nope on Yep," "Yep is now Nope," etc., got said). But in helping with arranging the gig -- I was the guy who actually put Selina and Tony together! -- I had chatted with Al Mader, the Minimalist Jug Band, who some of you know from the LAST gig I had a hand in, with John Otway at LanaLou's. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqUMZgmn590dEeTESRNrG7wBSMbq2hz-KCc_6wp2VCn-hGEZgaGH1144A1HpvEsVoOEmRE5zLTX8foWKyI7_pwvwccSYJft76JsX_wB4o93j3M93ur-9hB9DMEPmW5JSXH_TCY6j_ksCYki_58T2kv5ISy22OuztgVDw7YTHEDpt34TUvznko/s3968/al-audience.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqUMZgmn590dEeTESRNrG7wBSMbq2hz-KCc_6wp2VCn-hGEZgaGH1144A1HpvEsVoOEmRE5zLTX8foWKyI7_pwvwccSYJft76JsX_wB4o93j3M93ur-9hB9DMEPmW5JSXH_TCY6j_ksCYki_58T2kv5ISy22OuztgVDw7YTHEDpt34TUvznko/w640-h480/al-audience.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Al Mader at LanaLou's, onstage, with a cast of notables, including John Otway (standing at the pillar), and on the table to the right, ARGH!!, Hamm, Ed Hurrell, and Judith Beeman. I almost called her <a href="https://judithbeeman.com/" target="_blank">Judith "Back of a Car" Beeman</a> but the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIy783wiIIQ" target="_blank">Big Star reference</a> is lost). </i></div></i><p>But someone else (forget who) suggested Yep, who seemed a fine fit, and someone said yep to Yep before I even got round to suggesting Al; hence the posters getting printed initially with Yep on them. Al was fine with it, and happily displayed a Selina Martin/ Slowpoke and the Smoke/ Yep poster on the wall of the bookstore where he works - because he knows Selina, and was happy to have just been asked; I think I even said to him, "Maybe if something happened to Yep, you could still get on the bill?"</p><p><i>This has come to pass.</i> So here I am, with 20-odd gig posters with Yep prominently displayed on them, as well as 20-odd gig reprints with the Minimalist Jug Band on them, because he is now the opener. Then in popping by the bookstore, I see that the resourceful Al has used stickies on the gig poster that I had already given him to put his own name over Yep's.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE17KuKIUlUJ65n3GmBtFx02ANXJUejPyUhLDAmtolB1G1dpuZ4ROD7HqpZTFkiy_VCFuPt-PHDvolH37jz9MYYuLwmAxNBD-fy7vGGVWfG5tntac6bO0aaX4cnoTuRRMD66YY3W3TNRFT89nkJWNnD2_rmMeyDzK5APpPHo52tQA-2pim5-hd/s3968/IMG_20240312_191348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE17KuKIUlUJ65n3GmBtFx02ANXJUejPyUhLDAmtolB1G1dpuZ4ROD7HqpZTFkiy_VCFuPt-PHDvolH37jz9MYYuLwmAxNBD-fy7vGGVWfG5tntac6bO0aaX4cnoTuRRMD66YY3W3TNRFT89nkJWNnD2_rmMeyDzK5APpPHo52tQA-2pim5-hd/w480-h640/IMG_20240312_191348.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>...which is hilarious. I took the photo just to show Selina and Tony, then realized: wait a sec, I could print this out, cut it up, and stick it on the already-printed posters over Yep's name! This would double the supply of posters I could put up and make for some amusing storytelling (which you are now in the thick of; I hope you had fun). </p><p>Which is exactly what I came out here to do, except<i> I've only got to the glue stick phase. </i>So now the trick is just to wait ONE MORE HOUR -- not even! -- for Erika to wake up and get her to show me where the glue sticks live. </p><p>Then I can go back to bed for awhile (meantime, I'm going to go put <i>Chattahoochee</i> next to <i>Criminal Law</i>, because that's going to bug the hell out of me). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3y_LyJcrFftffWx09YbHED8Z4wOw9yrLArUzSkMXmlUDVSPFtAGXr0sEqxgPSIk2N_bSJDtvQGlQ5hj0VdSUvdIBq1gp-UjBGpOCZrZqYn0Mr6fxWPJscAZvTB2dFl1Mso1mDvuPDH3ItMTBdhpQjyqkKbe08jiIQfx2A2pXBsLEm-V5xZL7b/s3968/IMG_20240315_120834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3y_LyJcrFftffWx09YbHED8Z4wOw9yrLArUzSkMXmlUDVSPFtAGXr0sEqxgPSIk2N_bSJDtvQGlQ5hj0VdSUvdIBq1gp-UjBGpOCZrZqYn0Mr6fxWPJscAZvTB2dFl1Mso1mDvuPDH3ItMTBdhpQjyqkKbe08jiIQfx2A2pXBsLEm-V5xZL7b/w640-h480/IMG_20240315_120834.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>Post-script: </i></p><p>Erika (who, alas, was awakened by the light from my computer screen even though I am in a distant room) quickly and easily located the glue sticks before going to work: "They're right here!" I was sleepy enough, making breakfast, that I accidentally reached for a Kirkland container of garlic instead of a Kirkland container of cinnamon and put a shake of garlic in the French toast; I had to start over, despite many Facebook friends saying I should have just rolled with it (Erika would disagree). I have now a double-helping of printed posters, a borrowed tape gun, and a plan. </p><p>Oh, and I talked to Tony Bardach about the new project. More to come on that. Still haven't moved my <i>Chattahoochee, </i>though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ocaI5dMUFcSsyvNWzWkH5_EWHUJUo6KWMkjpXMN40hQID1aGTAnChrt90yfROu-jjGvDC_Vp7-3OpzG439zq6IFZBc438_SYDvk8UkK8yTQoZLL-LORsflHeMo1S-xq37IVho-V-HX74sn4ETRoKMHEMoZBTzOQUVCEY0yAiygHJDvRpK7NF/s3968/IMG_20240315_120535_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ocaI5dMUFcSsyvNWzWkH5_EWHUJUo6KWMkjpXMN40hQID1aGTAnChrt90yfROu-jjGvDC_Vp7-3OpzG439zq6IFZBc438_SYDvk8UkK8yTQoZLL-LORsflHeMo1S-xq37IVho-V-HX74sn4ETRoKMHEMoZBTzOQUVCEY0yAiygHJDvRpK7NF/w640-h480/IMG_20240315_120535_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-25451015804885050322024-03-14T08:48:00.000-07:002024-03-18T16:01:20.725-07:00From the Violent Femmes to John Cage, by way of Sun Ra: vintage Brian Ritchie interview (from 2009) and more<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The article has been mildly revised, on checking in with the band: <b>they will be playing both albums both nights!</b> (So I guess I'm going to see both albums twice!). The presale code is no longer relevant and the prices have gone up for the first of the two nights (when people are perhaps assuming the first album will be featured), but there are still tickets in the $93 range for the second night, and you will still hear that first album AND their second, whichever night you go! </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83bvFKaKUmltdkxv9JyN6Pn_izhAZluWscE-KAVyLJmSqPHI1IXB6Fn2BCxATSPa-Z5QSmQg34xb8S73lVJiKPlKPrJY5ydLvblInzuEYXXbgKizb6BquGr2nS_vBskmFLyTqKEClnj28qWFX75wAGZo7q3MKwbu5jS6obtQdIdkPwotEOeVE/s526/femmes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83bvFKaKUmltdkxv9JyN6Pn_izhAZluWscE-KAVyLJmSqPHI1IXB6Fn2BCxATSPa-Z5QSmQg34xb8S73lVJiKPlKPrJY5ydLvblInzuEYXXbgKizb6BquGr2nS_vBskmFLyTqKEClnj28qWFX75wAGZo7q3MKwbu5jS6obtQdIdkPwotEOeVE/w640-h640/femmes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I have a long history with the Violent Femmes. Their debut album, released in 1983 when I was 15, was in fact the first album of theirs I purchased, making them (like Nomeansno) one of the rare bands I have followed more or less from the start, at least recording-wise (I never saw them busking in their housecoats in Milwaukee, or however that story goes, but my first Femmes album was their first Femmes album, and I owned them all in sequence up to <i>Why Do Birds Sing?, </i>which was about when I jumped ship from rock altogether -- I didn't stop following the Femmes so much as plunge headlong into free jazz and ignore most rock music entirely, shortly after that album came out). As I recall, I had read about that first LP in<i> Rolling Stone</i>, found it in some record store or other, and immediately fell in love; no one ever gave voice to teen angst like Gordon Gano, and goddamn, Brian Ritchie's basslines were right up there with Rob Wright's. </p><p>Friends who I played that album for looked at me like I was crazy: "Why are you listening to this whiny crap?" But even people who thought that first LP annoying, as I recall, started to see the light with the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfPhZmGBD8w" target="_blank">Ugly</a>/ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg7dQjToEAk" target="_blank">Gimme the Car</a>" single, also released in 1983; I had it on 7", I think bought at Zulu Records (CDs had only just started to be made, at this point, so this was no bonus cut). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLHkv4w0lRiMd8MvDa1SCTSef2uIi9_cYa_6hPkvUplqySN2QHegXq9Wtys32wg0JrvFXVLls3fAoqvjN_F7GmPEIG-l0SHFbUN3MicHWt5DUATMW_YVh2PDpgKKQX1JpjJ6-iH06zNA905tDs1GZOrdIXPj-aYDXQ732Sus2WOLRBvri6OYh/s600/ugly.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLHkv4w0lRiMd8MvDa1SCTSef2uIi9_cYa_6hPkvUplqySN2QHegXq9Wtys32wg0JrvFXVLls3fAoqvjN_F7GmPEIG-l0SHFbUN3MicHWt5DUATMW_YVh2PDpgKKQX1JpjJ6-iH06zNA905tDs1GZOrdIXPj-aYDXQ732Sus2WOLRBvri6OYh/w640-h640/ugly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I did manage to see the Femmes once, at <a href="https://www.last.fm/festival/777067+Lollapalooza/lineup" target="_blank">Lollapalooza, on August 28, 1991</a> -- where I was disappointed by Rollins, impressed by Fishbone, terrified by Body Count, and passed out under the merch tent for the Butthole Surfers (I had slept poorly the night before and had tried to counter my exhaustion with something I'd been told was acid, but I think was mostly strychnine, so it didn't wake me up so much as cramp me up; I remember thinking that in my twisted state of mind, I was in no shape for the Butts, though I dimly remember hearing "Human Cannonball" in the background as I snoozed). But I was standing in a sea of people when the Femmes performed. I remember that they did "American Music," and remember that they amusingly acknowledged the weather -- standing there at the front of the stage, deLorenzo, Gano, and Richie, lined up in a row, none behind the other -- with a performance of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4EXfna4qQE" target="_blank">I Hear the Rain</a>." It looked a bit like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-tj0cPfgGM&list=PLao_yBRgvOOAOb_9iHUJjS12PXxZ5pnjK" target="_blank">this</a>, though this isn't the Seattle show. I don't remember much else from that day.</p><p>My favourite Femmes album remains their second, <i>Hallowed Ground</i>, which is a stranger, darker, deeper record than their first (check out a recent live performance of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aACATdZKHxc" target="_blank">Country Death Song</a>," which I knew years before I first heard "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8xkxy3tXTA" target="_blank">The Ballad of Hollis Brown</a>," its most obvious predecessor, at least in terms of relatively recent American popular music; there may be earlier murder ballads out there that the Femmes were aware of, but I wasn't. They basically introduced me to the concept of the murder ballad, with this song). It's also the first time I, and maybe you too, heard <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyvBN3fCNAI" target="_blank">John Zorn</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31qJ1LFmYs5soKPaAiZv6xg49d0of1RdDk0nXoGNysflEupw03ZTmlGi6hXIVfuSILbfchDpLyffzAMbE09ivXDx5vXerAf6BYH73cYQaiIs6ynVcFfpBc0HSYaMy9E6h5QG8mYHWBmrwgNQIZsrjX2SfnjHUn4zukHt86qEFAL8bYeOsKEgZ/s1400/femmes2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31qJ1LFmYs5soKPaAiZv6xg49d0of1RdDk0nXoGNysflEupw03ZTmlGi6hXIVfuSILbfchDpLyffzAMbE09ivXDx5vXerAf6BYH73cYQaiIs6ynVcFfpBc0HSYaMy9E6h5QG8mYHWBmrwgNQIZsrjX2SfnjHUn4zukHt86qEFAL8bYeOsKEgZ/s320/femmes2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I also interviewed Brian Ritchie once, whose solo album <i>The Blend</i> is also a favourite of mine; check out "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK9wDE0KVSs" target="_blank">Alphabet</a>," for starters. The Femmes were on hiatus at that point, with Ritchie suing Gano over his having licensed "Blister in the Sun" to Wendy's. I reached out to him on Myspace (remember them?) and sent him some questions, mostly focused around his support for Eugene Chadbourne, in fact (Eugene was coming to town at that time; the Femmes' rhythm section had backed him on the album <i>Corpses of Foreign War </i>and I thought having an interview with Ritchie would help get people out to Doc Chad's show; I did the same thing with Victor Krummenacher). Hard to believe this was 15 years ago... I have not read it since it was published. If I remember, the issue of <i>The Skinny</i> it appeared it had a kind of unusual, unimpressive format compared to what they usually did, so it may not have caught all that much attention when it came out. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKlAECMNJBRQiehbw9bVbkEOlIj4MQP3o2CmWKFAgGeyHyOJQYk3SQP49Qv44VyxjznFNsRkaeBrF4n1hoEe9lEucKnhqJof61zPlwsK7StOhD5MfvCkuoqGKoNFteb8_JDqowV-2e4UAH-_0SUU_oxlgYZJL5mLe0dCxrQv6a0tcgUNKYBZ4/s1200/ritchie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKlAECMNJBRQiehbw9bVbkEOlIj4MQP3o2CmWKFAgGeyHyOJQYk3SQP49Qv44VyxjznFNsRkaeBrF4n1hoEe9lEucKnhqJof61zPlwsK7StOhD5MfvCkuoqGKoNFteb8_JDqowV-2e4UAH-_0SUU_oxlgYZJL5mLe0dCxrQv6a0tcgUNKYBZ4/s320/ritchie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>From the Violent
Femmes to John Cage, by way of Sun Ra: </i><i>Catchin’ Up With Brian
Ritchie</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By Allan MacInnis</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In August 2007, Violent Femmes bassist/ musical director
Brian Ritchie filed suit against Femmes songwriter/ vocalist/ guitarist Gordon
Gano, who had sold the rights to use “Blister in the Sun” in a Wendy’s
commercial. Ritchie’s angry statement about Gano/ Warner Brothers’ “<span lang="EN">dubious or in this case disgusting uses of
our music,” made before he filed suit, can be read on the Femmes’ Wikipedia
page. Wondering about the suit has been a two year niggling itch that I finally
decided to scratch by way of an interview. Unfortunately, when asked about this
ongoing situation, Ritchie can only say that he is “</span>not really at
liberty to discuss” it; he tells me the band is on “hiatus,” which beats
hearing they’ve broken up.<br />
<!--[endif]--><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sadly, there are also no plans to follow up the terrific Femmes
<i>Live In Iceland</i> archival release of a
couple of years ago. “I am not really focussed on exploiting the Femmes legacy
at this point,” Ritchie explains via email from his home in Tasmania, Australia.
“CD releases are also kind of pointless now that the record industry has
collapsed. The main reason for making new CDs would be creative.” At the
moment, Ritchie’s creativity finds expression in instrumental music. “To me
there is more freedom for interpretation there. Lyrics tie you down.”</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKA3-r5XBdLRWJRm6OYs1GBOFCvokb1Qdu_BmWsoBp9vEi7QVlhfhragSlH8FLrd890qX5Jg3m2Cq-VniMPxniouL2D7JkE3nCvM5QUTo5UfQP9TSSJ2494eNzdKMClci08yAYNIiDzTcfXnnwHoiKdezC1yUHcskpvwI7uHsQMxql0tlnBh2/s599/ryoanji.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="599" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKA3-r5XBdLRWJRm6OYs1GBOFCvokb1Qdu_BmWsoBp9vEi7QVlhfhragSlH8FLrd890qX5Jg3m2Cq-VniMPxniouL2D7JkE3nCvM5QUTo5UfQP9TSSJ2494eNzdKMClci08yAYNIiDzTcfXnnwHoiKdezC1yUHcskpvwI7uHsQMxql0tlnBh2/s320/ryoanji.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of Ritchie’s most recent CDs is his 2006 recording of
one of John Cage’s most beautiful pieces, <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hIUEfP70co&list=OLAK5uy_nalhehjNRvvZEEhJkqbi8FbYcxbbDiMiI" target="_blank">Ryoanji</a></i>
- named for a Zen temple in Kyoto. Ritchie describes it as “a composition for
many instruments which can be done solo or overlapping in any combination.
[Cage] originally conceived it for <i>shakuhachi</i>”
- a Japanese bamboo flute - “but couldn't find someone to perform it, so it was
premiered on normal western silver flute. My recording is the first <i>shakuhachi </i>rendition of it,” Ritchie
reports. “I'm proud of that. Of course it has been completely ignored by the
academic classical scene, but that's to be expected...”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ritchie has been playing the <i>shakuhachi</i> for about 13 years now, and is now a licensed teacher, given
a Japanese professional name, “<i>Tairaku</i>.”
“Japanese traditional music is vast,” he writes. “It's a deep well and I enjoy
exploring it.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ritchie has long been a sonic adventurer, his tastes ranging
far beyond the folk-punk pop of the Femmes. “I got into improvised music fairly
young,” he explains. “I suppose there were a few rock bands I was into that
laid the groundwork, for example Syd Barrett, Velvet Underground and Soft
Machine. But almost immediately after getting into those bands I discovered
Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler and it went on from there. There was a good
jazz DJ in Milwaukee at the time, Ron Cuzner, who played some of this stuff.”
Ritchie says he has had “nice interactions” with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, recent jazzfest attendee Sonny
Rollins and others, and of course, the Violent Femmes output includes guest
appearances by Fred Frith (on <i>The Blind Leading the Naked</i>) and John Zorn
(on <i>Hallowed Ground</i>).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ritchie also covered Sun Ra’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ciqJCI-nU" target="_blank">Nuclear War</a>,” on his first
solo album, 1987’s <i>The Blend </i>- and wrote
a song about him, “Sun Ra - Man From Outer Space,” on 1989’s <i>Sonic Temple and Court of Babylon.</i> He
saw the bandleader several times and also got to know him. “We did a gig
together and he liked my music and said he could hear the Sun Ra influence in
it.” As for "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19cjbG-MkWw" target="_blank">Sun Ra - Man From Outer Space,</a>" “that is a song Peter
Balestrieri and I wrote about him. Sun Ra did an interview on the radio and the
DJ played it. Ra said, ‘Oh that's David Ritchie, I love it when the teenagers
write about me.’ I was in my late twenties but that was nice. Some of the
Arkestra members I bumped into on the elevator said ‘Oh Sunny loves that song,
he listens to it repeatedly on the bus.’ Even if it entertained him for a few
minutes I'm happy about it.”</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiDs17Ty0e_vkBJ98zN__csdOwAXTr7VW_2_0UvlK0DQ3XbogavDk7-QVQa6-aoLihc6rnP2Qk3yXDgj9XRAmwGoiC60s9NGTGHBU9ubthIIQy-gjkISPzcxSXs9OmcMNax4vMRQkyWsIGLUGTvKQthxbZvgVFGm_g6snnsiCbcsXRgkrRZUD/s600/sonic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="600" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiDs17Ty0e_vkBJ98zN__csdOwAXTr7VW_2_0UvlK0DQ3XbogavDk7-QVQa6-aoLihc6rnP2Qk3yXDgj9XRAmwGoiC60s9NGTGHBU9ubthIIQy-gjkISPzcxSXs9OmcMNax4vMRQkyWsIGLUGTvKQthxbZvgVFGm_g6snnsiCbcsXRgkrRZUD/w640-h638/sonic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">This brings us to Eugene Chadbourne, a former Calgary-livin’
draft dodger, early Zorn collaborator, delightfully bugfuck guitar and banjo
player, and the only musician I’ve interviewed who cites both Bugs Bunny and
Boris Karloff as influences. Brian Ritchie, Femmes’ drummer Victor DeLorenzo,
and Femmes collaborator Belestrieri all played on Dr. Chadbourne’s<i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66gnpRvmAVk&list=PLxKgIFUY7Td1XoCRK8WQaVYYkgkf-cq06" target="_blank">Corpses of Foreign War</a> - </i>the best known
Femmes/Chad tie-in, and probably the most fun. “I really like <i>Corpses</i>,” Ritchie tells me. “It's
amazing that 20 plus years later it's still musically and politically valid. I
would not have predicted that when we made it. But some of the other records we
made in New York like <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8V3OO2-o8A" target="_blank">Insect and Western Party</a> </i>are also groove thangs” - which you can order direct from Eugene
through the <a href="https://eugenechadbourne.com/" target="_blank">House of Chadula</a>, by the way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZszoWdBGqz27HOkxnPbbTnvQn8uLTSwfwwMtK_MesU2ZW5yy4mPEF30Jh49VJK8ZVB1mKCi_iZAez5YlnDZU5lqIZFaT_3q69U00IigTyn1KebIhs24YPvwrO4oNyDSUH1i_igRkbShQceVuvidmIir-PLX9JF4qybqEpR17Ip1T_7OcTk7f/s1080/insect2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1080" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZszoWdBGqz27HOkxnPbbTnvQn8uLTSwfwwMtK_MesU2ZW5yy4mPEF30Jh49VJK8ZVB1mKCi_iZAez5YlnDZU5lqIZFaT_3q69U00IigTyn1KebIhs24YPvwrO4oNyDSUH1i_igRkbShQceVuvidmIir-PLX9JF4qybqEpR17Ip1T_7OcTk7f/w640-h618/insect2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Collaborations between Brian and Eugene began when Dr.
Chad’s rock band, Shockabilly, “opened up for the Femmes’ at a place called
Tut's in Chicago. I was blown away by the weirdness and individuality of
Eugene,” Ritchie says. “So I called him up and asked him if he'd like to make a
record together.” As of 2009, Ritchie, DeLorenzo, and Chadbourne have played
“many shows in the States, Europe and Australia.” “I brought him down as an
artist in residence to Tasmania for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54eEuz6zo-w" target="_blank">MONA FOMA</a>” - a “fun” and “radical” festival
of which Ritchie is artistic director. “That really got people going. As a
result Hobart, Tasmania is probably the city with the highest per capita Dr.
Chad fans in the world.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These days, Ritchie occasionally plays “feral blues rock”
with the Tasmanian band <a href="https://www.bang-records.net/bands/green-mist-the/" target="_blank">Green Mist</a>, and collaborates with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkIcmHYLxlM" target="_blank">Zen Circus</a>, “an
excellent Italian rock band with a flair for the absurd. I produced and toured
with them in Italy and Australia several times. They are idealists, they helped
restore my faith in rock and roll.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why relocate to Australia? “My wife and I have always loved
Australia and we just decided to move down here and see what it would be like.
So far it's been fantastic. It's a great lifestyle here and I doubt I'd move
back to the States.” Ritchie reports that he is “having all kinds of wonderful
musical experiences. I don't want to reveal some of them just yet due to losing
the element of surprise, but I am collaborating with some of the best musicians
in the southern hemisphere on projects.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those unaware of Brian Ritchie’s solo output should rush to
eBay, where his OOP 1980’s SST CDs are available on the cheap. His recent
recordings are also available online. Meanwhile, keep an eye on future Skinnies
for a chat with Eugene Chadbourne; while there is no telling when Brian Ritchie
will next make Vancouver, Dr. Chad will play the Cobalt on Fake Jazz Wednesday
on August 19th. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***********************</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>End vintage interview! Doc Chad is NOT coming to town, but this time, Brian Ritchie is, with the band he is most famous for, the Violent Femmes. Tickets for night one <a href="https://www.commodoreballroom.com/view-all/2024/5/4/vf" target="_blank">here</a>; tickets for night two, <a href="https://www.commodoreballroom.com/view-all/2024/5/4/vf-ecf7f" target="_blank">here</a>. Don't wait -- these shows will sell out (though take heart, if you can't get tickets for the show that showcases the first album, the second is equally amazing, if less well-known!). </i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Post-script: a happy discovery on vinyl at Neptoon (I've only had it on CD for years and didn't much figure I would get it on wax again, but there it was, for a mere $12!). </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V8kzlv2_Ay0E7EZlTiHLk8TbYU9lDkcEqkBwTKGdTNuOupgH6KskPYQm2LBU1QLAcSEJuFzqjoDjzNIc7jfrXOUgLopUit_luKBTuQh_5i28GCFJ-u_wwnN6ZCBOIhREanmQjLDmamxNut5YUO0hhSmkueDoYVqa5yZC96OpYCgEF4RQ-Idm/s2834/IMG_20240318_154923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="2169" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V8kzlv2_Ay0E7EZlTiHLk8TbYU9lDkcEqkBwTKGdTNuOupgH6KskPYQm2LBU1QLAcSEJuFzqjoDjzNIc7jfrXOUgLopUit_luKBTuQh_5i28GCFJ-u_wwnN6ZCBOIhREanmQjLDmamxNut5YUO0hhSmkueDoYVqa5yZC96OpYCgEF4RQ-Idm/s320/IMG_20240318_154923.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><p></p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-50190213309799685232024-03-08T17:37:00.000-08:002024-03-10T08:35:22.759-07:00Powerclown: Not So Scary After All (Show review, March 7th, 2024, Heavy Wood / Hollywood Theatre)<p style="text-align: center;"><i>All photos in this post are by Allan MacInnis. Nothing on this blog is to be used without permission. Comments by unknown parties will not be read or published. Thanks! See my interview with Matt Fiorito (and Blind Marc) here: </i><span style="text-align: left;"><i>https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2024/03/matt-fiorito-and-blind-marc-interviews.html (and see Matt, AKA Sketchy Clown, tonight with the Dayglos)</i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5zC2LJQRh6PuN4RMc2b06bX3RMpQLgB6ekr2rki4CzZLosigFSa4zRagFcC1e8PB2gsdJkNrqMhWYGg1Lv3NAmgN-MG9KqpGRSKAOkZWs5LYg_r5BUFvvnxjEwMKWkKT5uDDE-kMVv6SsYrVC_Kxjir6nADggbumEzV0Elc5k3JiWKmHPMws/s3968/IMG_20240307_223918.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5zC2LJQRh6PuN4RMc2b06bX3RMpQLgB6ekr2rki4CzZLosigFSa4zRagFcC1e8PB2gsdJkNrqMhWYGg1Lv3NAmgN-MG9KqpGRSKAOkZWs5LYg_r5BUFvvnxjEwMKWkKT5uDDE-kMVv6SsYrVC_Kxjir6nADggbumEzV0Elc5k3JiWKmHPMws/w640-h480/IMG_20240307_223918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Okay, so I discovered something last night. I think I may have been mildly afraid of Powerclown. </p><p>Can't say whether that is due to a slight, unconscious case of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/clown-phobia-2671682#:~:text=Coulrophobia%20is%20a%20fear%20of,or%20fool%20of%20ancient%20times." target="_blank">coulrophobia</a> or a sense that the band was on some level unwholesome, debauched, and dangerous, but I have actually, despite countless opportunities, avoided them quite deliberately... until last night. </p><p>I mean, it's not because I don't like Iron Maiden. I've seen Maiden twice, even: once on the <i>Piece of Mind</i> tour, in my youth, and once on the <i>Legacy of the Beast</i> tour, a few years ago with Erika (I had the opportunity to get us comps and thought it important that she not miss the chance; she had fun, too!). I do not care about Iron Maiden the way some people might, and I think I have only two of their seventeen studio albums on vinyl (and maybe two others on CD)... but I like'm, sure! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrarb3DL1kpB0xqgaHunw7ODT4t7DmqmcsV9Ax4OfB3F07Ww1HJSJXBOBWCJB6EFFLqmOG1MtmhNa24PwLxDGlRfzrjtScwyd2CS8VFfCAuZ_Pev1cETw0WJyzmt01TwEm_dHWQ8CLWlt2fHOA4PoeRFTe-T2DHod4VVJ4DMmS1lk1UHnj8CH/s1600/maiden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrarb3DL1kpB0xqgaHunw7ODT4t7DmqmcsV9Ax4OfB3F07Ww1HJSJXBOBWCJB6EFFLqmOG1MtmhNa24PwLxDGlRfzrjtScwyd2CS8VFfCAuZ_Pev1cETw0WJyzmt01TwEm_dHWQ8CLWlt2fHOA4PoeRFTe-T2DHod4VVJ4DMmS1lk1UHnj8CH/w640-h480/maiden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Maybe having just finished <i>AHS Cult</i> -- in which a Trump-loving posse of killer clowns terrorize a community -- has put Powerclown in perspective, or maybe my brush with mortality and cancer has made me more inclined to lick whatever honey I find on the cliffside, but whatever my reasons for having avoided Powerclown previously, I can say only this: <i>they were fucking dumb</i>. <div><br /></div><div>No, no, not Powerclown. They were quite <i>witty</i>, if in a faux-dumb way. No: <i>my reasons for having avoided them</i> were dumb. Let me illustrate <i>just how menacing and unwholesome</i> Powerclown were with an example of the level of humour at work last night at the Hollywood: at one point, Sketchy dedicated a song to "Kaopectate and immodium." </div><div><br /></div><div>That song proved to be "Running Free." Get it? (They're anti-diarrhea medications). That's essentially a Dad joke, fer fecksake. I bet some of these clowns ARE Dads:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPyrmOHA3hxWhZFBNmc10kGoplRIY0dZEjO76q1W1yADXMpHH6mHx_ffXiPz3SB3QoSqfxD9-c81bS1yiB2qxZ-FUewVBEsILg870Kt9_oSnexOtRvNC7VWPT48caxVeNqM8biH0bGEnaHMTZsG0JBrEJbRXYZHLwRizSYflW6AFQfLsqERmD/s3968/IMG_20240307_223542.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPyrmOHA3hxWhZFBNmc10kGoplRIY0dZEjO76q1W1yADXMpHH6mHx_ffXiPz3SB3QoSqfxD9-c81bS1yiB2qxZ-FUewVBEsILg870Kt9_oSnexOtRvNC7VWPT48caxVeNqM8biH0bGEnaHMTZsG0JBrEJbRXYZHLwRizSYflW6AFQfLsqERmD/w640-h480/IMG_20240307_223542.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>So menacing, pshaw; Powerclown are (is?) very (very) silly, in the most delightful, liberating way possible. They both mock and yet joyously celebrate this thing we all love called music; it is not possible to parse the distinction. The singer, whose clown persona is named "Blaze Daily," jumped around from foot to foot, punctuating the guitars with honks of a bicycle horn and occasionally affecting a Bronxish accent. He began the night by releasing a garbage bag full of balloons into the audience (see above), which people delighted in popping throughout the evening. A couple of those balloons had been previously employed, before the band took the stage, when Blaze was wandering the Hollywood (AKA the Heavy Wood, for the purposes of the Invisible Orange series) with giant, ridiculous balloon-boobs; what with the boobs, the gender-neutral clown costume, and the pigtails, on first glimpse I actually was not entirely sure what kind of gear this clown was packing, though a telltale glimpse of male pattern baldness ultimately gave it away, when I caught a glimpse of the back of his head. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjtUb2pL_ykzQkG-Ab43-1t_aUklF1jiDRphS8sTmIJL__K3FDZ6yejaJzdE5NCWGBhj3nAL2f-QOKTM4UCtoH2LRAimntOSJ-_aLwpo0vHZJNR9_elJqqkuddg6VrSJ37Nul1gu21OTNSxa6GBhSQvfCffpXBHc9NLbNMGZfCC2KWDdT76Oa/s3968/IMG_20240307_223753.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjtUb2pL_ykzQkG-Ab43-1t_aUklF1jiDRphS8sTmIJL__K3FDZ6yejaJzdE5NCWGBhj3nAL2f-QOKTM4UCtoH2LRAimntOSJ-_aLwpo0vHZJNR9_elJqqkuddg6VrSJ37Nul1gu21OTNSxa6GBhSQvfCffpXBHc9NLbNMGZfCC2KWDdT76Oa/w480-h640/IMG_20240307_223753.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I also found myself wondering about some of the clown shoes. Are these, like,<i> Amazon clown shoes</i>, or something more custom, more homemade?* </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0Y3J1dMVbJfr4n-DHd8vp3ipX_iJdm_2nVYLaYmhfqwFpEdCHh_thSKSv470YrytLawmvAa6-Xtp0P42mr1FIk-P_uKNgtVSS0Qhxz_9_vtpBpFWi3gONWhrAqqjdLxOe0hOtSJs8MWBZslS_cd4c1Dt_XHODuhq8nUgiysGMODhKajz3hSV/s2036/IMG_20240307_223804%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="2036" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0Y3J1dMVbJfr4n-DHd8vp3ipX_iJdm_2nVYLaYmhfqwFpEdCHh_thSKSv470YrytLawmvAa6-Xtp0P42mr1FIk-P_uKNgtVSS0Qhxz_9_vtpBpFWi3gONWhrAqqjdLxOe0hOtSJs8MWBZslS_cd4c1Dt_XHODuhq8nUgiysGMODhKajz3hSV/w640-h218/IMG_20240307_223804%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Blaze -- Denton -- was very deliberately non-clown-shoe'd, electing to wear red sneakers, the better to jump around in. I support this decision and marvel that anyone COULD perform with clown shoes on. Maybe they're more comfortable than they look?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GjXQxf7UVSycJFMT69xOvFim6oZ0sLfi2y_77arRwDY7enrvEvAwHVlsTF_O3jPaO3udYVuh-sPExjKeonOfiM_iDNkHmZcBckeuHM4WFMI2RmWfCVnF5pq7s-0faja327ut6J6_MyATZFVTzPYHdWZTtViA6Ef7kjIAI_Nf6nLkNMls3dhm/s3968/IMG_20240307_223804%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GjXQxf7UVSycJFMT69xOvFim6oZ0sLfi2y_77arRwDY7enrvEvAwHVlsTF_O3jPaO3udYVuh-sPExjKeonOfiM_iDNkHmZcBckeuHM4WFMI2RmWfCVnF5pq7s-0faja327ut6J6_MyATZFVTzPYHdWZTtViA6Ef7kjIAI_Nf6nLkNMls3dhm/w640-h480/IMG_20240307_223804%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Blaze had various silly bits of stage patter during the night, talking something about how the band were well-qualified to offer moral instruction in the dangers of <i>flying too high</i> (referencing their other singer's arrest at Narita airport in Japan, apropos of "The Flight of Icarus;" Dan's bust -- his arrest, that is, not any balloon boobs he might have sported -- also popped up in "Running Free," with a line about spending the night in a Japanese jail). </div><div><br /></div><div>It was fun, too, to contemplate just how stunning Matt Fiorito is as a musician. It's harder to catch this seeing him on bass or drums -- which are more supportive things by nature. As a guitarist, though -- cripes, Sketchy is hot. </div><div><br /></div><div>By the time I ducked out, Powerclown had in fact played my very favourite Maiden songs ("The Flight of Icarus," "Aces High" and "The Trooper"). I had also learned -- not being the deepest devotee -- that Iron Maiden in fact have a wicked song from their early years about "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VOhqanyuSY" target="_blank">The Phantom of the Opera</a>," which clearly informed some of Powerclown's merch, previously mentioned on this blog. So I learned a Maiden song which I had missed previously. They also did covers of other early Maiden that I do not know so well, "Wrathchild" and "Iron Maiden." I captured MOST of the latter tune <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_dKu3VCrk" target="_blank">on video</a>. Has anyone ever uttered the words, "Scream for me, Kitsilano" before, I wonder? They seem slightly incongruous. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then my battery died. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo5EkKDgpUMSyN2kyoEiwx1zLw-9rJuijaESgsomb8HgH7943KvQHU8dvXjvGNrQfNAdeUiqWzIdeKETOZt5kN5jcC_G8zYRrY55j51fS9mbfZEqYmEr-oLasscnXcj27JApxSXAwSss2vChAuqqVuFAVj8QAuZYD6fnUvTZG8KqA8vyuni9D/s2048/clown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo5EkKDgpUMSyN2kyoEiwx1zLw-9rJuijaESgsomb8HgH7943KvQHU8dvXjvGNrQfNAdeUiqWzIdeKETOZt5kN5jcC_G8zYRrY55j51fS9mbfZEqYmEr-oLasscnXcj27JApxSXAwSss2vChAuqqVuFAVj8QAuZYD6fnUvTZG8KqA8vyuni9D/w480-h640/clown.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As they kicked into "The Trooper," maybe eight songs into their set, it was after 11; with a 45 minute commute ahead from Kits to Metrotown, a desire to stop for food, and a 7am scheduled wakeup, I elected not to wait for a bus and splurged instead on a birthday taxi, wherein I had a chatty ride with an Indian cabbie. At one point, I talked about running across a delightful album of Indian disco, I think called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysnip-5ijxo" target="_blank">Babla's Non-Stop Disco Dancing Volume 2</a>; I regret to this day not having bought this when I had the chance: </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SXyLb6kebPSFakpJHMrGM6Gr6tHmS93LqQNWTN9tpvNOkK1f5BClBkYYq_R8pFq_Lp1J3p6jb_DNqtP-PtezAwLUBDujbtrJQVfTZb727a1bB8esEmlkh5ntX9kfW8741riqZ1h0acFPXw1O4QC_AbhGFZR1WaB_8Arap-2HODcm2PyMxZF7/s599/disco.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="587" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SXyLb6kebPSFakpJHMrGM6Gr6tHmS93LqQNWTN9tpvNOkK1f5BClBkYYq_R8pFq_Lp1J3p6jb_DNqtP-PtezAwLUBDujbtrJQVfTZb727a1bB8esEmlkh5ntX9kfW8741riqZ1h0acFPXw1O4QC_AbhGFZR1WaB_8Arap-2HODcm2PyMxZF7/w628-h640/disco.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br /><div>The cabbie and I also got into an unexpectedly philosophical conversation about the nature of the show I had just seen: were the members of Powerclown actual clowns, or, as the cabbie observed, <i>musicians who dress up as clowns? </i>I mean, I dunno: is there more to being a clown than dressing in a clown suit? ("It's not like you have to go to clown university," I remarked). Or, like, do you have to be professionally employed as a clown to earn the name? (Can you have "hobby clowns?"). If you've got the shoes, the nose, the makeup... if you entertain people in a clown suit... is that not enough, even if you are playing Iron Maiden songs? What is the difference between a clown playing Maiden song and a musician playing a Maiden song while dressed as a clown...? Am I a butterfly, dreaming I'm a man? </div><div><br /></div><div>...I hope the cabbie was amused.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6xF0bLrxzpsYVan66uEsWe8WuyK7PkLuCofuFiwO5WLQp7Ew3Ef_w0aiZq3iXERJQtjJ4SsM4WT7TqMKV83F10wpROThqHa4X4Z8R_-RKMgs0wpcFGqSQSd64LJyYe3n3zssl_ZFgyUz7urxXfpF7NcLzEFHWyD9vTuLh8Nhg2FXfX03ynwu/s3968/IMG_20240307_200118.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6xF0bLrxzpsYVan66uEsWe8WuyK7PkLuCofuFiwO5WLQp7Ew3Ef_w0aiZq3iXERJQtjJ4SsM4WT7TqMKV83F10wpROThqHa4X4Z8R_-RKMgs0wpcFGqSQSd64LJyYe3n3zssl_ZFgyUz7urxXfpF7NcLzEFHWyD9vTuLh8Nhg2FXfX03ynwu/w640-h480/IMG_20240307_200118.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Somewhat to my surprise, openers Tuff Duzt, with Penny, formerly of Red Cat, on drums, did my second-favourite set of the night; I really had fun watching them, despite my being somewhat vexed by the creative misspelling of their name. There are creative misspellings which actually are phonetically more accurate than our own piss-poor spelling system allows, but "Tuff Duzt" is not one of them. </div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonBm_znCRc4sR2gWW0HhHOq2rqxXWhom_PideIAUUkL8IrTTIUjf5dpHqyDwB99abzHHBgDEo3C8Q77NquqmKbX64eXaoAwxUd9NMw3lUb9IuaZoVdYOUUdJgpl1vG7oJcNo6qNAyu2w9EorBmSNF-ytY4cZYxgAf783AVILjw3Fp-EjnQ7YN/s2048/merch2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonBm_znCRc4sR2gWW0HhHOq2rqxXWhom_PideIAUUkL8IrTTIUjf5dpHqyDwB99abzHHBgDEo3C8Q77NquqmKbX64eXaoAwxUd9NMw3lUb9IuaZoVdYOUUdJgpl1vG7oJcNo6qNAyu2w9EorBmSNF-ytY4cZYxgAf783AVILjw3Fp-EjnQ7YN/w640-h480/merch2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This may get a bit pedantic, but having taken phonetics courses as part of my ESL-teacher training, I can assure you, we are not really making a Z sound when we say the word "dust" (we are, however, really making a Z sound when we talk about, say, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FRATeocV2I" target="_blank">the Godz</a>; their stylized spelling is <i>actually an accurate representation of what we are doing</i>, with the -S assimilating to the voiced "d" sound before it; see <a href="https://tfcs.baruch.cuny.edu/s-endings/#:~:text=If%20a%20word%20ends%20in,when%20you%20pronounce%20%2Fs%2F.&text=If%20a%20word%20ends%20in%20a%20voiced%20sound%2C%20then%20the,will%20sound%20like%20%2Fz%2F." target="_blank">here</a> for more, and note that there is a similar rule in place for -ed endings, which sometimes sound like "t," sometimes "d," and sometimes "ed," as an extra syllable -- one of many complex things English speakers do instinctively without realizing it). Unlike "Gods," which looks like it should end on an -S sound but actually ends on a -Z, "dust" is, in fact, an phonetically/ orthographically more-or-less correct representation of the sounds we make when we say it; it's the kind of word that someone learning English will have little trouble producing correctly, based on the letters used, compared to, like, "phone," which in spoken form begins with an F sound but which, when spelled, might suggest to someone newly acquainting themselves with our weird spelling rules, or coming from countries with aspirated P's, as rhyming with "mahone" (note: as creative misspellings go, I have no trouble with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt9MpzObYuc" target="_blank">Kidz Help Fone</a>, who are at least misspelling on the side of the actual sounds made. They have a gig with the AK-747s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1179256210124225/?ref=newsfeed" target="_blank">later this month</a>, by the by. But "Kidz Help Fone" is actually how we say those words; if we spelled phonetically, that's what it would look like!). </div><div><br /></div><div>Vexed, I even checked with Penny last night, at the merch table: "We're not supposed to try to pronounce this as 'duzzzt' or something, are we?"</div><div><br /></div><div>We are not.</div><div><br /></div><div>But <a href="https://youtu.be/_LM7mxC0aG8" target="_blank">I liked Tuff Duzt a lot</a>. They embraced the kind of goofiness of metal in a vintage 80s way that made them an ideal support for Powerclown. Rob Halford would approve of their fashion choices, and there was a playfulness in their retro-ness that wasn't really there for the somewhat "deathier" Fearbirds and only marginally present in thrashers Terrifier. Who I think might once have been called Skull Hammer; I may have even caught them under that name at Funkys, a long time ago (I certainly had their CD). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKU9aKj-0eb_LFo8pbREl_Kx4Ar1DnlgWaVHJcQDuLLT27oB0wKCJn6c53Do6WrJSCVYvEh3cezBW18qH6UgpEmanbi_IeqFVJcF1ntQuLeFcWgFTdJcxNHas4K-PukJ3VE1AA3sloiS0dWiq5GxTazz6xz9dTNHyKHcRLxsFbFe5AMZRUcWE0/s3968/IMG_20240307_204709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKU9aKj-0eb_LFo8pbREl_Kx4Ar1DnlgWaVHJcQDuLLT27oB0wKCJn6c53Do6WrJSCVYvEh3cezBW18qH6UgpEmanbi_IeqFVJcF1ntQuLeFcWgFTdJcxNHas4K-PukJ3VE1AA3sloiS0dWiq5GxTazz6xz9dTNHyKHcRLxsFbFe5AMZRUcWE0/w640-h480/IMG_20240307_204709.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>If <a href="https://fearbirds.bandcamp.com/track/big-talk" target="_blank">Fearbirds</a> (who I got no vid of, sorry) were a bit on the "serious, intense" side for me -- lately I prefer my metal goofy and joyful, or at least possessed of a range of emotions beyond "brutal" -- they did have the best t-shirts, and the best taste in band shirts, of the night (re: the guitarist's cool Bison shirt, above). I'm not really into the whole "name three songs" thing -- it's a strange hobby, going around making people justify their shirt choices -- but I like the plague doctor imagery just fine!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b5sfo5RsQEERvvdUIJGRXBxle-ECMj2yWAIjR27xMKSpNfNXjvTZCLjZRdGprIlEaaePr7N9LoWjR6gCkCHHnQ4SaCCILfi77D9vu0TABMUcQjufub8PLT83hCAal-OmIdMgBioCdE9HP58eL4Bc7o6-FBxgdcGhk5VlCS2MW9zCs8jpUeQh/s2048/merch1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b5sfo5RsQEERvvdUIJGRXBxle-ECMj2yWAIjR27xMKSpNfNXjvTZCLjZRdGprIlEaaePr7N9LoWjR6gCkCHHnQ4SaCCILfi77D9vu0TABMUcQjufub8PLT83hCAal-OmIdMgBioCdE9HP58eL4Bc7o6-FBxgdcGhk5VlCS2MW9zCs8jpUeQh/w640-h480/merch1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edxt7n6yrjI" target="_blank">Terrifier</a> had fearsome musicianship and a singer who reminded one, physically, a bit of Ronnie James Dio, but they also weren't quite silly enough for me. It was interesting that I got to get right up close for that set and only got jostled a few times by moshers, so spread out was the pit. In fact, even when Powerclown were playing, I was surprised how un-crowded the floor was; I guess it might be down to it having been a Thursday, and the Hollywood being a pretty big room, but you kind of got the sense that a lot of people were missing out, last night.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT_uux6gLdu7ho46Tb14HmY-c8DQJBQZ-iBBG-knISlmqmDYwMM4sASHh91gFgMj7v-EBZa4n058H-t2yc9QMMUXzpdSE-OGHz3fsKC0gvFkdjqc7KSV00-95KGM5o_FnsxB_xD39QwS9JGMgkLDkSUlvCUAs6p4S4jtgLp8HITZLL8lNXbSI/s3968/IMG_20240307_214447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT_uux6gLdu7ho46Tb14HmY-c8DQJBQZ-iBBG-knISlmqmDYwMM4sASHh91gFgMj7v-EBZa4n058H-t2yc9QMMUXzpdSE-OGHz3fsKC0gvFkdjqc7KSV00-95KGM5o_FnsxB_xD39QwS9JGMgkLDkSUlvCUAs6p4S4jtgLp8HITZLL8lNXbSI/w480-h640/IMG_20240307_214447.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Terrifier had pretty cool merch, too, but, like, seriously, "Trample the Weak, Devour the Dead?"<i> Can't we just have a pizza?</i> Great cover art, though, cool logo, and <i>Weapons of Thrash Destruction</i> is an amusing title; surprised not to have seen it before. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_GKmME0g76AD6JyEuTf8gUfsNPFQMxnVobQUyLWneVBz6TdhsD7f4KAt3tBx_AjSP9S3727hqxeK-776a3gQWloKQKHYa67PWD5cERq222i-V7tSYfEBtbS4XvWBtp0UPrJ3DjjSLVX70BOt2du989c4aE58CBuWVU7F16eEM9dRqi-MQKuQ/s2048/merch3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_GKmME0g76AD6JyEuTf8gUfsNPFQMxnVobQUyLWneVBz6TdhsD7f4KAt3tBx_AjSP9S3727hqxeK-776a3gQWloKQKHYa67PWD5cERq222i-V7tSYfEBtbS4XvWBtp0UPrJ3DjjSLVX70BOt2du989c4aE58CBuWVU7F16eEM9dRqi-MQKuQ/w640-h480/merch3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>On the other hand, Terrifier's singer had an interesting habit of building up to a statement and then shrieking the conclusion so that it was completely incomprehensible: "How you doing Vancouver, are you ready to BAJKAA-SHAGGA-smoo-CHA!" That happened a few times, so I have no idea what any of their songs were about or what the band might believe; I basically never understood the last six words of any sentence he said. But he had some really great moves, really great charisma, and the band played tight and fast and tunefully, so even though I'm not really a thrasher these days, I liked 'em! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQVwlUk26iAvu4y_sJz97aZEOfFDpjjZknmHrAn5X0HX3JSeFYBgtvkJkfmrIU2Tjbl4DVWLska-NSswpOc2BJhUpvcS0uP7rfYBRP3-vX9FgDrEKZ68rMonfl8QsZDparFCQWllsqQwQa0hi_OedPGl2BA6axyFW3MFvc8qa5a8SBW0BHGcB/s3968/IMG_20240307_213702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQVwlUk26iAvu4y_sJz97aZEOfFDpjjZknmHrAn5X0HX3JSeFYBgtvkJkfmrIU2Tjbl4DVWLska-NSswpOc2BJhUpvcS0uP7rfYBRP3-vX9FgDrEKZ68rMonfl8QsZDparFCQWllsqQwQa0hi_OedPGl2BA6axyFW3MFvc8qa5a8SBW0BHGcB/w480-h640/IMG_20240307_213702.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div>On the way out, I high-fived Mayo, the Invisible Orange promoter. It was only my second trip to the Hollywood for a show (the first being the Residents, a couple years ago) but the space reminds me quite a bit of my still-favourite live music venue in Vancouver, the Rickshaw, except the neighbourhood is harder to get to, much more yuppified, and way less dodgy (which these days means you won't be walking by people who just might be dead, wondering if you should call 911, which is about where the DTES has gotten to, lately). Alas, cool a room as it is, it doesn't seem to have caught on as much as it might have; so I checked in with Abelardo to ask. Was the sparse attendance a deal killer on future shows? Will there be more "Heavy Wood" to come?</div><div><br /></div><div>Take heart, music fans, his answer is hopeful indeed, for at least a few more shows! Abelardo (AKA Mayo) writes: <br /><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>This is the first of a series of showcases at the Hollywood called Heavy Wood, in which we will showcase local talent. It will happen once per season, so about four in the year: March, June, September, December. For now all presented by The Invisible Orange with support from The Hollywood to open the space for local talent. We hope to find sponsors for more events.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">About other gigs we are excited about, well we have a lot on the works this year. Last year was our busiest ever and this one seems to be in a similar route. We are celebrating 15 years of The Invisible Orange and we have a lot of events around that, like Wake at The Rickshaw on March 30, and Unleash The Archers album release shows in Victoria and Vancouver in May.</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>More from the Invisible Orange on <a href="https://theinvisibleorange.com/" target="_blank">their website</a>. Speaking just as a fan, I hope that regular bookings of the Hollywood continue, and that the "Heavy Wood" phenom catches on, because last night was terrific. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc_TdulZmQBm21XMs28Z5P7Z3IzQk3G251sSgt2EWOzF1vvDiKoIN0rmvZUeINBf0w0UvHKvYYskflH6FEvDO9PlYVR9Ji-4M5gf-T2rdaNYlN77ugBxNtKNzhSbTSzySrCsDhkJGO0qQA-id13S5061uh82_dfcp4o8601YTxGEcfAT0tvF3/s2048/room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc_TdulZmQBm21XMs28Z5P7Z3IzQk3G251sSgt2EWOzF1vvDiKoIN0rmvZUeINBf0w0UvHKvYYskflH6FEvDO9PlYVR9Ji-4M5gf-T2rdaNYlN77ugBxNtKNzhSbTSzySrCsDhkJGO0qQA-id13S5061uh82_dfcp4o8601YTxGEcfAT0tvF3/w640-h480/room.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>*Matt Fiorito on Facebook, re: the clown shoes: "I made them."</i></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-62729025984098909432024-03-06T09:17:00.000-08:002024-03-06T17:05:14.743-08:00Brock's Birthday: Interviews with Brock of the SLIP~ons and Jeffrey of the Tranzmitors, plus much more, re: gig at Green Auto, March 8th <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFW9b4gy03xqhVGPI3w3YqiOdlJ0KBTyTIjwanHFrvd52HE2BOt_pL2OObg4aehFrtipWe34_2r70wBfNF5IjAtRxc1pAWsHX5QLgrnQXmxG9PLYrKGe-_ZKI-7utqxFL-fIZKuLEU4h5pyq_e6yss-xixJMacBte_YdMjbBmx9WKT19_myrx7/s940/Slips-banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="940" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFW9b4gy03xqhVGPI3w3YqiOdlJ0KBTyTIjwanHFrvd52HE2BOt_pL2OObg4aehFrtipWe34_2r70wBfNF5IjAtRxc1pAWsHX5QLgrnQXmxG9PLYrKGe-_ZKI-7utqxFL-fIZKuLEU4h5pyq_e6yss-xixJMacBte_YdMjbBmx9WKT19_myrx7/w640-h320/Slips-banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>If circumstances allow me to inhabit the best of both worlds, I'm going to be able to see both <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brocks-birthday-party-with-slipons-tranzmitors-knightwolfs-and-more-tickets-812017906417" target="_blank">the SLIP~ons and Tranzmitors sets at Green Auto this Friday</a>, then rush off to the Waldorf for at least a part of the Dayglo Abortions (I'll miss Car 87 but I'll get to see them, at least, next week at Bully's; more on those gigs <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2024/03/matt-fiorito-and-blind-marc-interviews.html" target="_blank">here</a>... it <i>might</i> be doable). It'll be one stacked Friday! But my first duty will be to the SLIP~ons, because hey, whattaya know, SLIP~ons leader Brock Pytel (last interviewed by me at length <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2022/03/brock-pytel-on-slipons-doughboys-his.html" target="_blank">here</a>) has a birthday the same week as I do! (And they're a great band that I haven't seen in what feels like a year, so...). </p><p>The following article will talk about two things; Brock will catch us up to date on the gig and the new SLIP~ons EP, <i><a href="https://slip-ons.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-machinery-ep" target="_blank">Heavy Machinery</a>; </i> then we'll follow my first feature interview, ever, with Jeff of the Tranzmitors. I've seen the Tranzmitors half a dozen times since I first caught them at the 2007 Scratch Birthday celebrations, and have ALWAYS loved what they do -- one of the best live bands in Vancouver. But I've never actually interviewed them! </p><p>I did also reach out to James Farwell of Bison about his poetry reading, but he would prefer to let his poetry speak for itself; note that Bison will be next playing in mid-June, as part of the Rickshaw's 15th anniversary celebrations, in a bill also featuring a specially re-formed Black Wizard!</p><p>But that's June; let's stick to this Friday. By the way, Brock would like me to emphasize that Whiskey Six will have pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, and a vegan option for sale, so you can actually have dinner out at Green Auto. The restaurant, <a href="https://www.whiskeysixbbq.com/" target="_blank">Whiskey Six BBQ</a>, is actually shutting down on a Friday night to cater the show, so let's make it worth their while... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn-P4uTMzgvekIg199rjn6x0fp5ARPT8JE5sNmeu7baPDr2yGS8BzAIJXNBigKo8NSZm4szn1pxh8J3a98pX5VXvp-zpjoJfPMU81UQ6Bio46WUch61x6quyRnCCvim5NI4-kEZePmzb0JH5Pg6_V5M3_6RtqUzO3zTJLrc6m2ntomKIMn24T/s1200/heavy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn-P4uTMzgvekIg199rjn6x0fp5ARPT8JE5sNmeu7baPDr2yGS8BzAIJXNBigKo8NSZm4szn1pxh8J3a98pX5VXvp-zpjoJfPMU81UQ6Bio46WUch61x6quyRnCCvim5NI4-kEZePmzb0JH5Pg6_V5M3_6RtqUzO3zTJLrc6m2ntomKIMn24T/w640-h640/heavy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b><u>Part One: Brock Pytel on <i>Heavy Machinery</i></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: Were the songs on the new EP all written about the same relationship, after it ended, or were you still involved </i><i>with the person in question when you wrote <a href="https://slip-ons.bandcamp.com/track/heavy-machinery" target="_blank">“Heavy Machinery"</a>? (There seems to be a bit of an arc </i><i>to things). I assume that the moment that that song is written around is actually drawn from life; </i><i>how soon after that moment did you write the lyric?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: I would say half of these songs were inspired by the same relationship, and "Heavy Machinery" was one ("<a href="https://slip-ons.bandcamp.com/track/soldier-dont-say-goodbye" target="_blank">Soldier, Don’t Say Goodbye</a>" was the other). The refrain of "Heavy Machinery" was a quote from a real life conversation which stuck with me. It seemed kinda made to be a song lyric so I worked it in there. Up to that point, we had been singing some goofy nonsense lines about being wasted at a party in that part of the song. I am pretty sure I wrote it down very soon after it happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>The remaining songs aren’t specifically about that relationship, but are similarly broken-relationship inspired. I guess I’ve been butthurt for a while! "<a href="https://slip-ons.bandcamp.com/track/nothing-is-good-enough" target="_blank">Nothing Is Good Enough</a>" was more about my father, but I suppose it works the other way as well. Sometimes I don’t really know what the song is actually about until after it has been finished. It starts off being about one thing and then winds up being about something else entirely after I have lived through a certain experience.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhKG-mPEHp5z2H8FoRuCwY3eKW6AVThqxtMqC5CSVdsedHIdOxEbPxu90hbjt63ZULm73W98lnvPcefpr-db2IxQ8-y1Hpqnz8YrmJfe7KewgfCB-ix_UEBh6UDD4eV4RPU4IvrubSGCtRJP605aBEKgLA_t0uffgEzPBjC0Xg7_sL1L7evs8/s4032/IMG_6596.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhKG-mPEHp5z2H8FoRuCwY3eKW6AVThqxtMqC5CSVdsedHIdOxEbPxu90hbjt63ZULm73W98lnvPcefpr-db2IxQ8-y1Hpqnz8YrmJfe7KewgfCB-ix_UEBh6UDD4eV4RPU4IvrubSGCtRJP605aBEKgLA_t0uffgEzPBjC0Xg7_sL1L7evs8/w480-h640/IMG_6596.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: I love how concrete the lyrics to that song are, when it comes to naming specific places in Vancouver. A whole lot of people hearing it locally will have memories of sitting in Grandview Park, say -- it makes it very real. And I love when lyricist hides meaning in a reference like this for locals - like when Tom Anselmi sings in "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEIf_Ztf_gQ" target="_blank">Dust</a>" about walking down Hastings Street, "Sears Tower at my back," you can figure that he’s probably heading into the DTES to do some self-destructive things, but if you don’t know the city, you won’t get that. So first question -- is</i><i> there significance to Kitchener and Cotton? I don’t know that intersection, really. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: Thanks for the fine compliment! Absolutely there is. Kitchener and Cotton St was where I remember being when I had that conversation. In real life, it is Cotton Drive, but “street” worked better. I went back there later when I got to the second verse, and wandered around, but it was quite different, so I pieced it together as best I could from memory.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Do you have other favourite specific city references, Vancouver or otherwise, in song lyrics (yours </i><i>or otherwise?).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: I love these kinds of references! There’s of course that Samiam song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrZ8tpu_VCQ" target="_blank">Dull</a>” which mentions Gilman Street in Berkeley, which generally makes me smile when I hear it. ALL has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwMn8uyVH4w" target="_blank">Alfredo’s</a>” about the Mexican restaurant in Lomita they used to eat at. The phone number is in the song, and the place became kind of a destination for fans.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m working on a song currently which is inspired by some early trips to Detroit that I made with the Doughboys. We used to play this place called the Graystone, not the big ballroom, but the hall. I’ve reached out to Scotty and Bond Head to ask what they remember, and it is fascinating to learn how each of us recall different details about the same events. Slips are debuting "Graystone" on Friday but I haven’t finished the lyrics yet.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn7NuA-xNUF5BfxaqP9RMu94rXmY_UX01Oi_aUaxhKpXtZLSKaP9h-erIeW-05TlZxPHukRM0KhIS6xzaAmJpHXuw5OV_ArGJ12w5HHb6DgxcyzxhIHzfT1Z7o6q9Z69QIqDPgy5WpMt2wuZb3sSalIm_kfPe6UxmG-G9kgl4RhCMSF64tu-u/s4032/IMG_6575.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn7NuA-xNUF5BfxaqP9RMu94rXmY_UX01Oi_aUaxhKpXtZLSKaP9h-erIeW-05TlZxPHukRM0KhIS6xzaAmJpHXuw5OV_ArGJ12w5HHb6DgxcyzxhIHzfT1Z7o6q9Z69QIqDPgy5WpMt2wuZb3sSalIm_kfPe6UxmG-G9kgl4RhCMSF64tu-u/w480-h640/IMG_6575.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: I had thought of the SLIP~ons mostly in terms of the Replacements, once upon a time, but this EP, I am hearing much more Bob Mould, especially track 2 and 3 (1 and 4 remind me more of Soul Asylum). Is that just because these are biting relationship songs, which is something Mould excels at, or was he looming large for other reasons (if I recall, I saw you and the person-in-question AT a Mould show, and he played Vancouver two or three times during the period when this album was being written...?).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: I agree, Track 3, "Nothing is Good Enough," is definitely in the Husker vein. I wouldn’t attribute that to anything in particular, other than that band’s influence on me in general. There’s a thing that sometimes happens when you write songs on an acoustic guitar, maybe with a bunch of cowboy chords, then bring it into a band and play it faster. Shockk kind of hates that we get compared to Husker Du but I think it is a fair comparison.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Allan: Without wanting to criticize anyone -- I wonder about the need for/ wisdom of preparing two ver</i><i>sions of “<a href="https://slip-ons.bandcamp.com/track/mosquito-explicit" target="_blank">Mosquito</a>.” Like, SOMETIMES it makes sense to do this -- Frazey Ford’s “Done,” say; the version with “fuck up” on it won’t get on the radio, most likely, but “mess up” will: fine. But are the SLIP~ons getting radio play? Did doing two versions of the song have a meaningful impact?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: We only released <a href="https://slip-ons.bandcamp.com/track/mosquito-clean" target="_blank">a [clean] version</a> of “Mosquito” because the US radio promoter requested it specifically. “Heavy Machinery” the single came out a month before the EP, so they decided “Mosquito” would be the single they wanted to work when they began their campaign. Slips got radio play on a dozen or so stations in America, and here and there in Canada. I don’t know that that qualifes as Meaningful Impact, but I look at it like due diligence. The songs are meaningful to ME, and I consider it part of my job to help them reach as reach as far as possible.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: BTW when I read “explicit lyrics” on bandcamp, I was all het up for something raunchy. It was a very underwhelming moment: “Oh, it’s just 'fuck!'” Then I was like... “Why?” It distracted me from the song itself.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: Yeah, in hindsight, I probably could have just left the clean version off the Bandcamp EP. The song is the song, and it is a bit weird to have it appear back to back there. [The clean version is] not on the vinyl record, nor should it be.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvMUolW7f9ygkvka0duPBMCUVZmp3IvFrF0ILoin8-55ofhHDp_SDw722hrL5OIpnBbwh8QnBBns2rFiHwyWkzR8hmCDJMBniFpwQr_pAVThLBFLA0n4e0bsC1aKdo29NI1wEGOholsoS_mC-uoPTWKjygeI3i0yoWE7v9DvwNuT-63C-F-4n/s2048/slips3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvMUolW7f9ygkvka0duPBMCUVZmp3IvFrF0ILoin8-55ofhHDp_SDw722hrL5OIpnBbwh8QnBBns2rFiHwyWkzR8hmCDJMBniFpwQr_pAVThLBFLA0n4e0bsC1aKdo29NI1wEGOholsoS_mC-uoPTWKjygeI3i0yoWE7v9DvwNuT-63C-F-4n/w426-h640/slips3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>SLIP~ons by D.Ballantyne: Brian, Brock, Shockk</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: How old are you turning? (I’m turning 56 on March 7th). Any other special plans or wishes for your birthday, besides this show?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: I’m turning 57. This whole show kind of IS the special plan. We celebrated my birthday the last two years in this way by hosting a party at our rehearsal space. Its just what I like to do most in the world. Back then we were one of the only tenants in the building and it was no problem for our friends to spill out into the hallways or gather outside the bathroom, in the parking lot, or on the stairs or whatever. Now, there are about 20 other bands in there and it is just not cool to do that anymore, hence Green Auto.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Allan: Any thoughts about <a href="https://thetranzmitors.bandcamp.com/album/look-what-youre-doing" target="_blank">the Tranzmitors</a>? The SLIPs surely have shared a bill with them before... </i><i>any stories there, favourite moments, favourite songs? you ever see them when Fergus was in the band? (I never did, but I love a couple of their songs as much as I love any power pop ever crafted, esp “<a href="https://thetranzmitors.bandcamp.com/album/i-see-the-writing-on-the-wall" target="_blank">I See the Writing on the Wall</a>” and “<a href="https://thetranzmitors.bandcamp.com/album/look-what-youre-doing" target="_blank">Look What You’re Doing</a>” which is one of my favourite songs griping </i><i>about radio neglect and irrelevancy - wanting a soundtrack to your life but turning on the radio to find that“the songs are older</i><i>” than you are...).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: We actually have never played a show with the Tranzmitors before now. I think the only time I ever saw them was just a few months ago when they played with Autogramm at Red Gate. I just love that they sound kinda like Stiff Little Fingers meets the Undertones! I recently sat down with Jeff over coffee and we chatted until Bump & Grind kicked us out. He is a fine human.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLYHweI0JBRmsUJP3F4Neo3ONWjkGRFC-IpqRY_ICc1QDqdxpJZn0CY2qyV1d3p6C-e60XiTJXa09mFSHYugGm1jiZ6CUNyMergJw8-Vn7STMwFzxFlrgZy0kDU_Td9LH_GSTmh4GQJ1GRba9C7h2hoKl_qIGbk6-vvga03hKwX3yrkSGNDji/s997/Untitled%20design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="997" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLYHweI0JBRmsUJP3F4Neo3ONWjkGRFC-IpqRY_ICc1QDqdxpJZn0CY2qyV1d3p6C-e60XiTJXa09mFSHYugGm1jiZ6CUNyMergJw8-Vn7STMwFzxFlrgZy0kDU_Td9LH_GSTmh4GQJ1GRba9C7h2hoKl_qIGbk6-vvga03hKwX3yrkSGNDji/w640-h584/Untitled%20design.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: Who are Knightwolfs? I do not know them, and all I can find are some <a href="https://www.instagram.com/knightwolfs_band/reels/" target="_blank">Instagram clips</a> that suggest they're mostly a stoner metal band. Do you know more?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: Knightwolfs are our rehearsal space mates. I have known John Stewart, their drummer, for many years. He is a Winnipeg guy who used to be in a band called Red Fisher. He also played in Burn the Eight Track, Mico, and did a stint in the Halos after Jay Millette left. The last time we had my birthday party, we talked about having Johnny Trash play, but Johnny left that band and formed Knightwolfs, so here we are.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Allan: Anything else you want to say about the show - about James Farwell, about Whiskey Six bbq (I </i><i>am assuming that is actual food and not a badly-named band?).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Brock: I was hoping to have a nice messed up blend of genres for this show, like in the old days, where we would play a “hardcore matinee” with speed metal bands or whatever. James and I have a side project together called SÖLS, but we’re not quite ready to play a show yet, and I didn’t really want to do double duty (I’m the drummer), so I just asked James if he would contribute some of his dark poetry. Whiskey Six is my neighbour Marc Wicks’s awesome BBQ place and he was there the day the courier showed up with hundreds of vinyl records. This seemed like the perfect time to team up!</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaRnDhVcIK-uksWs_4tD7XusKJl4TNJIAPrj_-e4e_b3iGMKyhW0x64YGihboz_WTT8NqMWFUtVp3IOG4U0j3JuRIl2kbIeoADiEaBlUs7ax8YPIAoOUW3j96pA1mM5fDQiTCaVKfYUcYn62U5DGqOuy52KRjQKex3twSwNl2ejpE0DG7yC5O/s2048/duoredbullys.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaRnDhVcIK-uksWs_4tD7XusKJl4TNJIAPrj_-e4e_b3iGMKyhW0x64YGihboz_WTT8NqMWFUtVp3IOG4U0j3JuRIl2kbIeoADiEaBlUs7ax8YPIAoOUW3j96pA1mM5fDQiTCaVKfYUcYn62U5DGqOuy52KRjQKex3twSwNl2ejpE0DG7yC5O/w640-h426/duoredbullys.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>SLIP~ons at Bully's by DBallantyne<br /></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Part Two: Jeff (or does he prefer Jeffrey?) of Tranzmitors</u></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>All (vintage!) Tranzmitors photos by bev davies! Thanks bev! </i></p><p style="text-align: left;">I first saw the Tranzmitors at the Scratch Records 20th anniversary celebration shows, along with Vancougar, Thor, and a host of other cool local bands. They made a heck of an impression, having an energy and a level of, say, "performative orchestration" that are rare in Vancouver, with similar suits, similar haircuts, similar body types, similar moves, and a similar attitude towards performing that kind of quadrupled or quintupled the force of the show (were there four of them back then, or five). Plus they had some extremely hooky songs ("<a href="https://thetranzmitors.bandcamp.com/album/look-what-youre-doing" target="_blank">Look What You're Doing</a>" was in their set even back then. My observations in the Nerve Magazine -- at least what I sent'em; it might have gotten edited out of the final version -- read as follows:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Though they’re not in the same league as Thor
(for which I am sure they are eternally grateful), the Tranzmitors were by far
the tightest, brightest, most energetic band of the second evening. Their best
songs (“Look What You’re Doing,” say) rival the output of their idols, the Jam
and the Undertones. I can never escape the feeling when I see them that I’m
watching a Guy Ritchie movie about the Mod Revival; Nick looks like he’s going
to whip out a machine gun at any moment.</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Over the years since, I've seen the Tranzmitors open for the Sonics and Wreckless Eric; I'm pretty sure I caught them at that Japan Earthquake relief gig; and who knows where-all-else... I always enjoy what they do. Founding member Jeffrey Pop took the time to scratch a few of my itches, and Bev dug up some astonishing photos, going back to 2007. If you haven't seen them, you will not be disappointed (especially if you love bands like Stiff Little Fingers, the Undertones, or the Jam). No further introduction is needed, surely: let's get to it (note: Jeff likes capital letters more than I do! He seems to prefer MOD to Mod or mod. Both of the latter seem fine, but MOD seems like we're talking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.O.D." target="_blank">Method of Destruction</a>, so... my blog my rules!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPuS_4FzxyV8DT4LnaYwocQjpzEU57vdUguXtSkVV5HVECAR_CKGE-JPDTRCxI0yeXWZOR36UnKfjGh17Z4ebj6DCM9kExE7ZI9hx9RCOX1SYLL_s9TFsJtdoJjnuUR6iMgSUue9GyTN_uZvgpM-YPEh_SSBd-R_qxX6sdynImjSfW__FRNLI/s3000/IMG_7932Tranzmitters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPuS_4FzxyV8DT4LnaYwocQjpzEU57vdUguXtSkVV5HVECAR_CKGE-JPDTRCxI0yeXWZOR36UnKfjGh17Z4ebj6DCM9kExE7ZI9hx9RCOX1SYLL_s9TFsJtdoJjnuUR6iMgSUue9GyTN_uZvgpM-YPEh_SSBd-R_qxX6sdynImjSfW__FRNLI/w640-h426/IMG_7932Tranzmitters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tranzmitors by bev davies at Pats Pub, Nov 9, 2007. Jeffrey: "I'm on the left, Bryce is in the middle and Mike (glasses) on the right. However, there is no Nick."</i></div></i><br /><i>Allan: I think of the Tranzmitors as a sort of "Mod Revival revival," like your most direct influences are bands like the Jam. Is that correct? Where did that start? (Does anyone in the band have direct connection to the UK or the Mod scene that should be noted?).</i><div><br />Jeff: I feel the Tranzmitors for sure have elements of the Mod Revival movement, especially the one from 1979. However, there is some seriously deep record collecting that takes place within the band so the collective influences we are all pulling from is all over the rock 'n' roll spectrum. This said, I do love The Jam, but I can only think of one song I have ever written ("<a href="https://thetranzmitors.bandcamp.com/album/sunday-morning" target="_blank">Sunday Morning</a>") where I was intentionally trying to get all my Wellerisms in, and I was mostly just trying to write a song that had a "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4EFDGP4yg" target="_blank">Down in the Tube Station at Midnight</a>" vibe.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: What about first generation Mod stuff?</i></div><div><br />Jeff: I can't speak for everyone but watching <i>Quadrophenia </i>as a kid definitely had an impact on me! My first vehicle was a 1972 Small Frame Vespa 90, however, I'm not sure if taking scooters into the skatepark is a very Mod thing to do so...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsSXNjQ1-y8mj-YHluOB39jhKQQEehAoA138ToeHPbKNCZfacSsDODdnO03K850r2JMgI58uxCb71qLoE0dhxolloGWl4oLrcDogsnrQ2vpxFcZm_IltKtCPlKbBx4TDB3iUIHtZZ6B60PcS8YKvC8T6pyNwts_nG3WTD2xo_cgbkHTtSOzp6/s1000/who-sdtk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsSXNjQ1-y8mj-YHluOB39jhKQQEehAoA138ToeHPbKNCZfacSsDODdnO03K850r2JMgI58uxCb71qLoE0dhxolloGWl4oLrcDogsnrQ2vpxFcZm_IltKtCPlKbBx4TDB3iUIHtZZ6B60PcS8YKvC8T6pyNwts_nG3WTD2xo_cgbkHTtSOzp6/w640-h640/who-sdtk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone has a pretty deep love for the music of the 60's which includes the early Mod groups. I am pretty sure everyone in the band has family still living in the UK and Nick sees his Welsh family quite regularly. however, I don't know of any direct link to the 60's Mod movement. My 2nd aunt lives close to the QPR grounds and will send me passive-aggressive hate messages because I support Chelsea FC, so there is that!<br /><br /><i>Allan: Do you have any sort of rule for clothing? The band has a "look" in keeping with the Mod thing -- I don't think I have ever seen the band perform without suits on. I wonder if that has in fact been a constant, if you all have the same sources for clothes, or if there are any agreements about what you're going to wear? (No such luck as to have a clothes sponsorship, eh? I gather a few years ago - maybe still - Brixton had a deal to provide clothing for a few Vancouver bands -- maybe the Vicious Cycles, with Nick, was one of them? I forget. They should definitely send the Tranzmitors some suits, if they aren't doing it already).</i></div><div><br />Jeff: I worked as a tailor for many years so there are all sorts of clothing rules I adhere to, so by my standards it should be said that most people make some seriously horrible fashion choices when they leave the house! But there are certainly no rules within the band. We have played plenty of shows without suits but we are always very mindful of what we look like on stage. We all agree that part of getting on the stage as a band is feeling like a band or a gang! The way a band looks on stage is a big aspect of what wins me over, especially in a live situation.</div><div><br /></div><div>[And there are] no clothing sponsorships...I remember when Brixton was hooking bands up with Flatcaps a few years back. A side note regarding flatcaps is that Bryce's last name is Dunn which is also a fantastic British hat company. In fact, a few of my favourite flatcaps are from the Dunn Company. Although my favourite flatcap which is more of a tartan riding cap is made by Richards and Thirkhill and the reason it's my favourite hat is because I have the matching scarf, It really does look quite good.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nelWRQxXnSig-_xuhc0YLjKB2AHl8RU58jYblNmNJz93Q8cMDXFRf7QM3MYBEe7Z1mYnd3xG5URwx49FdaVVL7PPylbUHUS92iEOu_bVolr9bmmzJHz0OICeRu8CEem_cWXn_aYtp-1MdXWFM6OdnthEn3g3QoiRxOvXvovXf8TgzOA1TzKz/s3000/IMG_9218tranzmitters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nelWRQxXnSig-_xuhc0YLjKB2AHl8RU58jYblNmNJz93Q8cMDXFRf7QM3MYBEe7Z1mYnd3xG5URwx49FdaVVL7PPylbUHUS92iEOu_bVolr9bmmzJHz0OICeRu8CEem_cWXn_aYtp-1MdXWFM6OdnthEn3g3QoiRxOvXvovXf8TgzOA1TzKz/w426-h640/IMG_9218tranzmitters.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tranzmitors by bev davies, March 16, 2008: Nick is bottom right. Is that Jarrod, above him?</i></div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Allan: Speaking of the UK, Nick confirmed for me not long ago that Fergus from the street punk band Emergency was actually an early member of the Tranzmitors (something Dale at Noize to Go had mentioned years ago). What was Fergus' history with the band? Did he write any of your songs? (Which?). Did he leave to join another band, or to go back home, or...? Who replaced him?</i></p>Jeff: Fergus, Nick, Bryce and I started the band together. Fergus plays bass on the first four singles and sings lead on some of those tracks ("Some Girls," "Teenage Filmstar" and "Invisible Girl"). I was a fan of Emergency so I'm sure that's how Fergus and I met although both Bryce and I worked at a Record shop called Singles Going Steady around the time Fergus moved to Vancouver so we may have all met there. Nick and Fergus met while working together with special needs people, and they were the first to have any rock 'n' roll connection as Fergus played sax on one track on the last Smugglers album (<a href="https://smugglers.bandcamp.com/album/mutiny-in-stereo" target="_blank">Mutiny in Stereo</a>). Fergus left the band because he was moving away for family reasons. We are all still friends today.</div><div> <br />After Fergus left, Jarrod (keyboards) and Tyler (bass) joined and this version of the band released the S/T album. Shortly after the album was released Tyler left and was replaced by Mike. This 5-piece lineup put out a handful of releases and did a bunch of touring until Jarrod left after a tour to California and we stayed as a 4-piece to this day. <br /><br />Allan: Two of my favourite Vancouver power-pop songs ever are by the Tranzmitors: "I See the Writing on the Wall" and "Look What You're Doing To Me." I can make out enough of "Look What You're Doing to Me" to figure it is complaining about the staggering irrelevancy of commercial radio but I have no idea what "I See the Writing on the Wall" is about! Any explanation and insight into either song is welcome.</div><div> <br />Jeff: "Look What You're Doing to Me" was as you mentioned calling out the irrelevance of commercial radio, but there is also a certain sadness within the song for me in the sense of loss that the current state radio made me feel (this song was written in 2006). This song was written when streaming sites were in their infancy so radio was still a viable medium to hear new music but mainstream radio had lost the plot. The college radio scene was still very relevant but the days of the mainstream DJ were long gone. There is a line making reference to Little Steven's Underground Garage which was a decent show that was reaching a larger audience at the time but it was not a regular radio show. I am basically just sad that radio went the way it did because I enjoyed listening to it. Oh well.</div><div> <br />"I See the Writing on the Wall" is about not learning from our history even though we write it down and document it so future generations don't make the same mistakes but ultimately we never learn. I always liked the intro lines to this song "They say the pen is mightier than the sword when it's used to claim a just reward."</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: It is my impression that the Tranzmitors have had a few hiatuses over the years, is this correct? I seem to remember when I saw you open for the Sonics that you had been inactive for some time -- remember thinking, "Ooh, the Tranzmitors are back!" But you seem to be gigging regularly now...? (Are you recording?). What determines when you are going to go on breaks? Do you all have decent dayjobs or more lucrative bands that you play in (It seems like Nick is in the most other bands, but maybe I'm wrong about that...? Do you have another band?).</i></div><div> <br />Jeff: We are all quite good friends so we've been able to go in and out of activity over the years. Everyone has actually has been in other projects when the Tranzmitors are in and out of action. Nick is in the Vicious Cycles (who just recorded a new album) and the Evaporators. Bryce also played in Vapid, Mikey was in the Flitettes and is also in Rempel and the Rousers who also just recorded a new album. I was in Fashionism and also put out some solo Records. So nobody ever stopped playing while the Tranzmitors took breaks.</div><div> <br />Yes we all have day jobs and nobody has ever played in a lucrative band!</div><div><br /></div><div>The Tranzmitors are working on a new album that we will be recording in the fall. <br /><br />Allan: Any stories - or ones you can tell publicly, anyhow - from that Sonics gig? That was the last time the mostly-original incarnation of the Sonics played Vancouver; I think there is only one original member left now, but Gerry Roslie and Larry Parypa were there that day, as I recall. It seemed a very fraught gig: the Sonics had had border issues, arrived late, were making panicky last minute rearrangements to their setlist, and Roslie, as I remember, was particularly flustered, having difficulty with the lyrics to "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj4fEqavRgE" target="_blank">The Witch</a>," despite having written it (Freddie Dennis, the "new guy" bassist, took over and rescued it). I wasn't surprised that Roslie retired soon after. They still did an amazing job -- it was really an energetic, impressive set, but it seemed SUCH a fraught gig, I'd be curious about ANY stories you have. (The Tranzmitors rocked that night).</div><div> <br />I think the Tranzmitors, the Flitettes and the Vicious Cycles all played with the Sonics at different times! I don't have any stories to share regarding the Sonics show. It was very cool to get to share the stage with them!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMY41i_L96wPIxnWgJ4W707qAn2TOUf79rBHj6qrIZFr1d09zkmfaMaTu00oZn3Zw9b35S4L4J1ff87jMO4ej9GGOYfjurBg3gwhE_snn2OO-aSuoS2r79WdkuH-CGygXHFWBIDUZD5uyUWkrP_Gn0quo3H-JKntGBQJk3UJs8DioeiVWL0NpU/s640/wreckless.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="640" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMY41i_L96wPIxnWgJ4W707qAn2TOUf79rBHj6qrIZFr1d09zkmfaMaTu00oZn3Zw9b35S4L4J1ff87jMO4ej9GGOYfjurBg3gwhE_snn2OO-aSuoS2r79WdkuH-CGygXHFWBIDUZD5uyUWkrP_Gn0quo3H-JKntGBQJk3UJs8DioeiVWL0NpU/w640-h362/wreckless.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wreckless Eric at the Astoria, 2016, by me</i></div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: Speaking of fraught gigs, that feckin' Wreckless Eric gig at the Astoria -- which I am SURE is the last time he will play Vancouver -- was another one. Again, the Tranzmitors were awesome, but I recall Eric being stressed out about the lack of a rider or much of a green room (I regret to this day not inviting him to come over to the table for a slice of the pizza we ordered -- I had tried to interact with him but he seemed a bit shy, so I didn't, but later he mentioned on Facebook or such about how there was no food and nowhere nearby to go for it -- turns out he was super hungry and there was a moment where I was DIGGING INTO A LARGE PIZZA with Ed Hurrell, Nick Mitchum and my wife and I actually LOOKED OVER AT HIM at the far end of the room and DID NOT MAKE A "COME HAVE PIZZA" GESTURE -- man I wish I had!). And the audience were so loud and disrespectful... the Tranzmitors rocked as always... but again, a very fraught gig. Did you get to interact with Eric much? He must surely be someone the Tranzmitors have love for (he was great that night in spite of it all, I thought).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Jeff: That Wreckless Eric show was mental, It was terrible and sort of amazing at the same time. Eric was not in a good mood at the show and it really showed in his performance. He played Vancouver a few years earlier at the Railway Club and that show was very good [<i>I was there too!</i>]. When he was basically just sitting on the floor and twisting knobs on his pedals to create noise he basically cleared the room.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWorLznXRrGUIBCQkHbvUjclCrfVVmyd8o3eyvxXKAVjrO5NjR8fT9q4lNYFdo_N3_Xn7E5-QOJas_WRy0xnUTMb9SEh1kxsdBo8WDF5lcPVXJAtGobbeik34TgJxVv_P7BXDP1yLIVRDpQ-q4yavjEB6MCnbHwS5b0FTa-1OO_YqWXKiieZYu/s3000/IMG_7776tranzmitters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWorLznXRrGUIBCQkHbvUjclCrfVVmyd8o3eyvxXKAVjrO5NjR8fT9q4lNYFdo_N3_Xn7E5-QOJas_WRy0xnUTMb9SEh1kxsdBo8WDF5lcPVXJAtGobbeik34TgJxVv_P7BXDP1yLIVRDpQ-q4yavjEB6MCnbHwS5b0FTa-1OO_YqWXKiieZYu/w640-h426/IMG_7776tranzmitters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bev: "Tranzmitors at UBC Sub Ballroom Nov 3, 2007 their legs so skinny"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: start;"><i> Allan: I do not know MOST of what the Tranzmitors have done, so I wonder if there are other stories about notable gigs -- heroes you have opened for, marvelous crowds, weird locations? Any memorable stories are welcome...</i><br /><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: start;">We have played with a lot of fantastic bands over the years but nothing comes close to having our album released on Stiff Records and doing the UK Stiff Records tour to support it! This still sort of blows my mind.<br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: start;"><i>Allan: Is there anything new in the works -- albums, singles, big shows coming up?</i><br /><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: start;">Jeff: You mean other than world domination? Well like I mentioned earlier we are writing a new album that we will be recording in the Fall. Once the Record is done the plan is to go back over to Europe/UK to support the album.</div><div style="font-style: normal; text-align: start;"><br /></div></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MFGfL6NYYVKCn_H7We6faEUIE_rcViJuVMh5-ELRUkITiyPZyyT5gQFgZYmT7h0NMKerAv3awe8t4_eMimqaFQPFsGWeUumMQjrMQZRidSgnmY4TxdkZ3Ge0LBJkaJCiT48NPPDC8rbvo2oCFHHrB5lZb3JvVs6iJVdP3lSFNfjxZok8so2f/s1080/IMG_7747tranzmitters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MFGfL6NYYVKCn_H7We6faEUIE_rcViJuVMh5-ELRUkITiyPZyyT5gQFgZYmT7h0NMKerAv3awe8t4_eMimqaFQPFsGWeUumMQjrMQZRidSgnmY4TxdkZ3Ge0LBJkaJCiT48NPPDC8rbvo2oCFHHrB5lZb3JvVs6iJVdP3lSFNfjxZok8so2f/w426-h640/IMG_7747tranzmitters.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jeffrey and Mike, Nov. 3, 2007 at UBC SUB. Bev: "I seem to have played with this one"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i><div><i>Allan: Anything to say about the show -- connections with the Knightwolfs, James Farwell, or the SLIP~ons? Special things that are planned? Is anyone in the Tranzmitors also having a birthday in March? (Mine is the day before)</i>.</div><div> <br />It's a double dip birthday party!!! I don't think anyone in the Tranzmitors camp will also be celebrating the joys of ageism but the show is going to be great, so many fantastic people are involved with the show you know it's going to be a blast. But I will be expecting a piece of birthday cake at this show so I hope someone has this all sorted.<br /><br /></div><div>No connections as such between the various bands but I did go out for a nice coffee/chat with Brock a couple weeks back and I think he had his first Cortado so I was very happy to be part of this big step in the right direction for Brock's future coffee consumption.<br /><br /><i>Allan: One final question: Why do you figure the spelling "Tranzmitors" is so much cooler than Transmitters? Was the band ever just called the Transmitters? Who decided on the stylized spelling? (Your way is linguistically accurate, btw -- the "s" in transmit is ACTUALLY PRONOUNCED as a Z, when people say it, because both the N and the M are voiced sounds; the S assimilates to the sounds around it. It would sound really dumb if someone made an S sound for the S letter when saying "transmit.")</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Jeff: Because the "Z" is a way cooler letter than the "S". And SS is a bit problematic. Plus it looks cool when you stretch the Z out! Everyone should make sure that have a cool logo for their band so that it has the potential to be a school locker tag or a binder doodle!</div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakEigdTlgbAdxnN0Q3MHU9qahkf_Lai8geVw93vHBlYymeZtoweB5u75IMlR5VHkmfivpxauzO9U2RZCx2v1I8X1MBB4AAva9RM4-2tm3us-q_zLlueA1-MllBd5WN-6JDTIWVRgI5wGZYrRkjwRZox8mxC0d-DjmiQgHVP2mvN16vMoCFvl5/s3000/IMG_8970Tranzmitters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakEigdTlgbAdxnN0Q3MHU9qahkf_Lai8geVw93vHBlYymeZtoweB5u75IMlR5VHkmfivpxauzO9U2RZCx2v1I8X1MBB4AAva9RM4-2tm3us-q_zLlueA1-MllBd5WN-6JDTIWVRgI5wGZYrRkjwRZox8mxC0d-DjmiQgHVP2mvN16vMoCFvl5/w640-h426/IMG_8970Tranzmitters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tranzmitors by bev davies, March 16, 2008: Jeffrey, Nick, Bryce, Mike, and...Jarrod?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For more information on the gig, go <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/409853421608826" target="_blank">here</a>!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Or <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.com%2Fe%2Fbrocks-birthday-party-with-slipons-tranzmitors-knightwolfs-and-more-tickets-812017906417%3Faff%3Debdsshios%26fbclid%3DIwAR0X5lLCyp8hO35TXb_6JeijM2Fvf6Mk8BMHW35iaGGPWfwXfSBrwmGUsa0&h=AT39say7g4Tg5mi8a32qct6vQiQ9La3NfrCnBKmfXEH8jNW43L0LU0hLVlwzrBTA5HhuBTXDJV9hmMzWedheOC3m_j_lPW74k1f-aZamegud86P6y917EjQitkjvxYGWdIxGSGzh568h2cPLFA&__tn__=q&c[0]=AT0-1g-oSHglnJiiDdVQ4GMw85z6VZRMlifJgrhQKwjgN2wWUVZb74i1SuWCJsanfLVmKhV-v2ZM5npavEoeRqJSVQgJ4ocnUR1W3E0t9UU3D0bQEB3AcpVV0WbSq7tXCeQ" target="_blank">here</a>! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Thanks to Brock and Jeffrey for the answers... happy birthday Brock... Seeya Friday!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXMdF_U9Y3WK3feObiDCuMFWSRygG5IVDSj-Gc2L1zZJx25JRpRzD9O8pUctPkNSbJS2yfL7SNw7aW0jYsoaL0JD8GcoU3DkryjAHHPn5Bne-q7VbZEgiCnNhM0N8lm7Phz2KKiwQMeCNTXyUMwEdSPb9TPJhJsNzcUkXR3RcNY842Ft_9oHJ/s2048/gig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1466" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXMdF_U9Y3WK3feObiDCuMFWSRygG5IVDSj-Gc2L1zZJx25JRpRzD9O8pUctPkNSbJS2yfL7SNw7aW0jYsoaL0JD8GcoU3DkryjAHHPn5Bne-q7VbZEgiCnNhM0N8lm7Phz2KKiwQMeCNTXyUMwEdSPb9TPJhJsNzcUkXR3RcNY842Ft_9oHJ/w458-h640/gig.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><i>(stolen from Jeffrey's Facebook)</i></div></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-59617532725944665902024-03-06T05:48:00.000-08:002024-03-06T07:29:59.551-08:00Matt Fiorito and Blind Marc interviews on POWERCLOWN, the DAYGLO ABORTIONS, and ISOLATED EARTHLINGS, all playing in the next couple of weeks (but in separate gigs!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkie4MfBD34RsUZIKSxVkIseeqVs8grBgV3gYjfXClFoi51Jp0QWhR_vTksW7WbMGdJdRPSqU1jPnoxdi9bPw2ui3elrSZl7Yz7_53s0Me8Ccca391G0vxOu4wOHDmPl9PlpvOwm5qqSiKnKc-9iw8CGm4sqtjdyTzSySLqVDphDAzQ9KYglB/s969/sketchy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="775" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkie4MfBD34RsUZIKSxVkIseeqVs8grBgV3gYjfXClFoi51Jp0QWhR_vTksW7WbMGdJdRPSqU1jPnoxdi9bPw2ui3elrSZl7Yz7_53s0Me8Ccca391G0vxOu4wOHDmPl9PlpvOwm5qqSiKnKc-9iw8CGm4sqtjdyTzSySLqVDphDAzQ9KYglB/w512-h640/sketchy.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Sketchy Klown, AKA Sketchy Clown, AKA Matt Fiorito, by Bob Hanham</i></div><p>Last year, apropos of my enthusiasm for all-things Dayglo, I <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-matt-fiorito-interview-of-dayglos.html" target="_blank">interviewed Dayglos' bassist Matt Fiorito</a>, dealing with not only the bands he has played in but his growing up in Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit). It's a fascinating read, if you missed it; there are fuckin' <i>narwhals,</i> man: read it for the narwhals. But Dayglo Abortions are not the only band Matt will be playing in this week: under his alias of Sketchy, he'll be playing guitar in the clown-themed Iron Maiden tribute band <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clowntothepowerofdeath/" target="_blank">Powerclown</a>, who have a <a href="https://www.hollywoodtheatre.ca/events/heavy-wood---rock-metal-showcase" target="_blank">gig this Thursday</a>, and who also apparently have cool new Lon Chaney Sr.-themed merch! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oNQy8QcWrl8lC39xeBL1uz4Ya_Pm00XezMS7PwW0dkfSW_imbvRQtH1zJe3v2_RpirEVw60o17iX2xT0YQjIYyYOUc_G-f5hCHvaTVHJESWnGwQGI9H8wq7LM_XKcqnbgbC7Hg2_pyPtUiOcXKogCR1AOXe_cTxrSKFFlo4vc2TLRWSp259i/s2048/clown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oNQy8QcWrl8lC39xeBL1uz4Ya_Pm00XezMS7PwW0dkfSW_imbvRQtH1zJe3v2_RpirEVw60o17iX2xT0YQjIYyYOUc_G-f5hCHvaTVHJESWnGwQGI9H8wq7LM_XKcqnbgbC7Hg2_pyPtUiOcXKogCR1AOXe_cTxrSKFFlo4vc2TLRWSp259i/w480-h640/clown.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In fact, that Phantom shirt is kinda curious, because the Dayglo Abortions (<a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/dayglo-abortions-w-golers-potbelly-skull-car-87-tickets-796782095697" target="_blank">playing the next day</a>) ALSO have cool new Lon Chaney Sr.-themed merch, too; I think someone in one of these bands must be on a Lon Chaney bender (assuming you've already seen <i><a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/666311/the-phantom-of-the-opera" target="_blank">The Phantom of the Opera</a></i>, those curious and possessed of a library card are advised to sign into Kanopy and watch <i><a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/burnaby/video/114697" target="_blank">The Penalty</a></i> forthwith, a dark tale in which Chaney plays a criminal mastermind seeking revenge on the world for the amputation of his legs; he was advised by his doctors not to bind his legs as he does, and some of his stunts -- leaping from surfaces to land on his knees -- will make you wince. Tod Browning's <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/711037/the-unknown" target="_blank"><i>The Unknown</i></a> on Tubi is also pretty amazing, too, in which Chaney plays a man with no arms, who throws knives with his feet; except he's really a man who not only has arms, but extra thumbs! There's a whole freak-vs.-strongman motif that resonates off Tod Browning's essential film <i>Freaks</i>, which was originally supposed to star Chaney, who died before it could be made... that one you can <a href="https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Freaks?id=nBGbFlyTldY&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1" target="_blank">pay to watch</a>, if you want... one of us, one of us...). <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0vjuNKgkBWIGNJU1E6-cx_sf2fEZWB4lVhCrLe9n9PHO3u4y-cHFty94CqKf6ZeO4GeWWpSHwGtk1V3kDlJ9AgRAeMrnK_eVIJ4iqdpBgn8_ded8B7O8XTubiWDSPZtRIolPCO-dcOmnBIrNkZWdWHLxTIMLbDtp73ltQkhzDDYCyTaxC6o5/s960/chaney.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0vjuNKgkBWIGNJU1E6-cx_sf2fEZWB4lVhCrLe9n9PHO3u4y-cHFty94CqKf6ZeO4GeWWpSHwGtk1V3kDlJ9AgRAeMrnK_eVIJ4iqdpBgn8_ded8B7O8XTubiWDSPZtRIolPCO-dcOmnBIrNkZWdWHLxTIMLbDtp73ltQkhzDDYCyTaxC6o5/w494-h640/chaney.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Bob already has this one but if it comes in 3XL...)</i></div><div><p>I wonder if Danny of (Vancouver 80's punk band) <a href="https://youtu.be/iQZ4Out4MKg" target="_blank">the Spores</a> wants one of these shirts? He has a bit of a deep investment in Chaney, himself... imagine one of those t-shirts AND this tattoo? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR-nDuKBvaGpE9xqoiv48_uySIBUYPt0nn2TpN8yWetnVVxoQXJLk0F3izCL-8TS8ol9ICPiwgYb5nd5H4JgTA-WcP17xG5YPA4wVjFVeQoyoKMlHxqPDITffh5YLbzRCy67NYa54fJ5OIdu1tLbMwvkHgmBG9f4JbEqo0I1Qd-IOEwV7zJgZ/s2488/IMG_4032.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2488" data-original-width="1753" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR-nDuKBvaGpE9xqoiv48_uySIBUYPt0nn2TpN8yWetnVVxoQXJLk0F3izCL-8TS8ol9ICPiwgYb5nd5H4JgTA-WcP17xG5YPA4wVjFVeQoyoKMlHxqPDITffh5YLbzRCy67NYa54fJ5OIdu1tLbMwvkHgmBG9f4JbEqo0I1Qd-IOEwV7zJgZ/w450-h640/IMG_4032.jpeg" width="450" /></a></div><p>Anyhow, I digress... gig this Thursday or not, fans of Powerclown should take note: Dan Scumm, AKA Dicksee Diànno, is <a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/powerclown/clown-musician-arrested-in-japan-for-alleged-drug" target="_blank">not out of detention</a> yet and will<i> not</i> be performing. "We’ve played a few shows without Dan," Matt explains. "Our bro Denton has been keeping Dan’s whoopee cushion warm." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlg2S8mZemup94-CKhzzJBpMRrXzYIj-a2kyKsM4c3tUgKo-4SVp_2LQ1bDoRC90YBiJk9dNyLFEuVtg_b8bDMBF5jODzJhV7wzuRkfdiV2OHIXhFr-ICMCV4U6u39F8bLkbmboy3E3otsa3E9SaBl3olUJi6MR9rZ1mxyYBTzfPfx24DpvfyC/s639/powerclown%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="639" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlg2S8mZemup94-CKhzzJBpMRrXzYIj-a2kyKsM4c3tUgKo-4SVp_2LQ1bDoRC90YBiJk9dNyLFEuVtg_b8bDMBF5jODzJhV7wzuRkfdiV2OHIXhFr-ICMCV4U6u39F8bLkbmboy3E3otsa3E9SaBl3olUJi6MR9rZ1mxyYBTzfPfx24DpvfyC/w640-h486/powerclown%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Powerclown by Bob Hanham; Sketchy far left, Dan Scumm on the far right</i></p><p>But nor does this mean that Dan is still in a Japanese prison, Matt continues. "It was supposed to be on the hush but the cat's already been let out of the bag: Dan has been transferred back to Canada to serve whatever they make him serve to finish it all up. Def plan on resuming with him whenever he’s able to."</p><div>So since Dan's not back, is there an occasion for this gig? Warming up for Dan's eventual return? "No occasion. Mayo of Invisible Orange is trying to get shows there [at the Hollywood, re-christened the Heavy Wood] on the reg, so this is like a trial run." </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r9TXsv2CSqCGANsV9hlMRQU9woA6zo6PbIPcv1dz7Zc_UBTwRtfN7JQ8elvG2ZBFw47mas1IAje1UxWRKy0Pgz9Csh5Ll4IDw3Dm1swQgH5jubPFJfV3Jmzajb16YHMosGMnkYjahbg2usFMktqprZrQuPwiAtORc1ysfe0dHxI53Do2B38t/s640/matt3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r9TXsv2CSqCGANsV9hlMRQU9woA6zo6PbIPcv1dz7Zc_UBTwRtfN7JQ8elvG2ZBFw47mas1IAje1UxWRKy0Pgz9Csh5Ll4IDw3Dm1swQgH5jubPFJfV3Jmzajb16YHMosGMnkYjahbg2usFMktqprZrQuPwiAtORc1ysfe0dHxI53Do2B38t/w640-h512/matt3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Matt Fiorito of the Dayglo Abortions, by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria</i></div></i><div><br /></div><div>People who saw the Dayglo Abortions <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/05/dayglo-abortions-live-show-review.html" target="_blank">last year at the Waldorf</a> know how formidable and tireless Fiorito is as a musician, playing in both Motorama and the Dayglo Abortions that night. Murray Acton had received his cancer diagnosis at that point, and some of us, to show support, bought "Fuck Murray's Cancer in the Ass" buttons off the merch table (a charming double meaning there, not that cancer has an ass in which to fuck it; it's one of the more disturbing anal images the Dayglos have had me contemplating, but not <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFA02CpcLlo" target="_blank">the only one in their realm</a>; see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXLQ-lWBER0" target="_blank">also</a>; I wonder if Murray is going to attempt to therapeutically dig deep into the anal aspect of the band's catalogue on Friday, or completely banish it from sight for a few years, deciding that <i>this shit</i>, so to speak, <i>ain't funny</i>...?). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4m5kdFqSq5CfkbEE0IIcC8aarEtEy5ki2zqMChhOiobMbPyLwf1xPm67lC7MOLXU-LtCs1fu-kmmIPDtklXB6gij7uoCiCpGYNKfL4ztgNzYVBtRJGSD95H9kOBUwAty_ZkYVakRI_GfvjrwehMjE34v0VrdhFKnHfEggGRqrcAXcxdH-Pny/s1149/murray.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1149" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4m5kdFqSq5CfkbEE0IIcC8aarEtEy5ki2zqMChhOiobMbPyLwf1xPm67lC7MOLXU-LtCs1fu-kmmIPDtklXB6gij7uoCiCpGYNKfL4ztgNzYVBtRJGSD95H9kOBUwAty_ZkYVakRI_GfvjrwehMjE34v0VrdhFKnHfEggGRqrcAXcxdH-Pny/w640-h512/murray.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Murray with the Dayglo Abortions by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i><div>People who follow Murray on Facebook (or who have been through cancer treatment) know a bit about how difficult a ride Murray has been on. My father died of the same cancer Murray had, and went through some of the same surgeries, and of course I've had my own cancer surgeries to my tongue. But Murray is apparently fully recovered and in fine form, "playing better than ever," Fiorito reports. And planning a tour, he continues; the Dayglo Abortions have "a short stint up north in the Caribou region first week of April and following that a coast-to-coast (still unannounced) run and Canada Day in Edmonton. Working on a full USA tour for after that, in later summer."</div><div><br /></div><div>This is, of course, great fucking news. I'll actually be arriving late at the Waldorf, as I've made commitments to catch <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brocks-birthday-party-with-slipons-tranzmitors-knightwolfs-and-more-tickets-812017906417" target="_blank">The Tranzmitors and the SLIP~ons at Green Auto</a> on the 8th -- more to come on that -- since it turns out that Brock Pytel of the SLIPs and I share a birthday week (mine is actually the night of the Powerclown gig; turning 56!), but I am hoping to be there near the end of the night, because I have yet to deliver copies of the German magazine that I did a feature on Murray for -- I got copies for Murray and Matt and Blind Marc too (I have no idea if there's technology that would allow him to read print, but it doesn't matter, because the thing is in German, anyhow...). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4mUpTAPuMHHGWgp7qO7kYjZTwwSoDr0jOjcqe6FaJr9vEvk2_wuQCdx3YUlU2-CCZumTU2EOhYMONAflh-AyWErTiuPUBo6Le1-vYmgAUaVlVIhF6vQN5GDFySYKjSjMYcecfJIfKFnw4yIB_1EWV9tjX6Q26dZ-TWKU3FbvH5NCxILb6YXa/s3163/IMG_20240305_085918.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3163" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4mUpTAPuMHHGWgp7qO7kYjZTwwSoDr0jOjcqe6FaJr9vEvk2_wuQCdx3YUlU2-CCZumTU2EOhYMONAflh-AyWErTiuPUBo6Le1-vYmgAUaVlVIhF6vQN5GDFySYKjSjMYcecfJIfKFnw4yIB_1EWV9tjX6Q26dZ-TWKU3FbvH5NCxILb6YXa/w640-h602/IMG_20240305_085918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Speaking of (Dayglo drummer) Blind Marc, note that his own band, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1130914551598059" target="_blank">Isolated Earthlings, will be performing at Bully's in New West</a> on March 15th. You can check their music out on their bandcamp <a href="https://blindmarc.bandcamp.com/album/isolated-earthlings" target="_blank">here</a>; Marc has a pretty delightful sense of humour and a bit of a pop culture addiction. He also has kind of beautiful, world-weary eyes, as seen in this recent pic by Bob Hanham:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgBuQgyO8GHF4YL4zC-O__HT02cSvzFBuS8k_LA2X35IJenkR3Q_DKGrjle3WtdghTjGibnthcdGSFvxXJdwP1cpw8iDFjDbPFuY3sSLg_U2lmNzP3jZvt-Ty7b3UaM1Q0zv3LNWq8V9d1M0wPi563XLquCq2o6c2EqHD5ea2w1SZjucEMDfL/s953/marc1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="763" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgBuQgyO8GHF4YL4zC-O__HT02cSvzFBuS8k_LA2X35IJenkR3Q_DKGrjle3WtdghTjGibnthcdGSFvxXJdwP1cpw8iDFjDbPFuY3sSLg_U2lmNzP3jZvt-Ty7b3UaM1Q0zv3LNWq8V9d1M0wPi563XLquCq2o6c2EqHD5ea2w1SZjucEMDfL/w512-h640/marc1.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Above and below: Blind Marc at an Isolated Earthlings gig, by Bob Hanham, shot on Feb.23/24 at the Quadra Punk House, Victoria</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/05/blind-and-proud-blind-marc-on.html" target="_blank">interviewed Blind Marc</a> last year, and had heard from him that the March 15th gig would contain both Isolated Earthlings songs and Mutated Earthlings songs. So I fired him a few more questions, too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMUX1mE0zBg4yZtcoWQIn-aMhDwOHdFlplkJLjSyx02x3f0J7de06L2YkgPcBxNVtYDoPkDNvGhRclFeEhEJMlvdaq3LswlKxXYtfQWChmhdBfuSD7xqkzoAq5LixqH7qLaSA6hDif-UA-yJfP9t_wXOxv2BgUi0IJzBQZOcIi0I3RXb85tXb/s700/mutated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMUX1mE0zBg4yZtcoWQIn-aMhDwOHdFlplkJLjSyx02x3f0J7de06L2YkgPcBxNVtYDoPkDNvGhRclFeEhEJMlvdaq3LswlKxXYtfQWChmhdBfuSD7xqkzoAq5LixqH7qLaSA6hDif-UA-yJfP9t_wXOxv2BgUi0IJzBQZOcIi0I3RXb85tXb/w400-h400/mutated.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I began by asking who actually was in the band at the time. "I’m playing guitar and singing," Marc explained. "I got my buddy Big Rick on the drums and my buddy Matt Nourish on the bass. It’s too hard to play the drums and sing, plus I wrote all the songs so I know how to play them so playing the guitar plunking away on the power chords is the easiest way to get things done."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6RTY4ri0_GQPCnyH6d89rHwH4FmmHew5E47HoSnPwsUy9tG1kEMhuvZkpCti1QCADJnKX7eq2MJPCY6E3yhRFi5ou3d6PpN9APICjOgRiz9m_2BPuyrbjwT6KSxGWsavp3W0VvybteVMw92REC2_tCKO8Y1spWSX_v-PjUEYf-TJsGG2wjJM/s1350/isolated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6RTY4ri0_GQPCnyH6d89rHwH4FmmHew5E47HoSnPwsUy9tG1kEMhuvZkpCti1QCADJnKX7eq2MJPCY6E3yhRFi5ou3d6PpN9APICjOgRiz9m_2BPuyrbjwT6KSxGWsavp3W0VvybteVMw92REC2_tCKO8Y1spWSX_v-PjUEYf-TJsGG2wjJM/w512-h640/isolated.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We're going to slip into a Q&A style format for the next few answers. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXGbG36LgpxflGCqHpJ85_XUtCPs6EA1oLrsp9P-DF7MLtCvhAuREpSBI0vRbgk0Pgb6wUcAWzorQ7GhdA2QW2amDtWZAzrP-JnKqUC9BFVaQy6QwnIhz2UKjmAyLlmJ2_yyEJi6mzPo8hVntyvYVmuPK6ql884ox7WUDRWzeDNe41w8Pob0o/s1057/quadra.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXGbG36LgpxflGCqHpJ85_XUtCPs6EA1oLrsp9P-DF7MLtCvhAuREpSBI0vRbgk0Pgb6wUcAWzorQ7GhdA2QW2amDtWZAzrP-JnKqUC9BFVaQy6QwnIhz2UKjmAyLlmJ2_yyEJi6mzPo8hVntyvYVmuPK6ql884ox7WUDRWzeDNe41w8Pob0o/s320/quadra.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>Allan: Looks like <a href="https://car87.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Car 87</a> is headlining. Haven't seen them in a looong time. Any history with them, or the other bands on the bill?</i></div><div><br />Marc: As far as I know Car 87 is headlining. We’re playing right before them. I’m not sure who is in the band right now besides Bryce the singer, I knew him back in the day when he sang for Thought Crime. Also the <a href="https://hippiecritz.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">hippieCritz</a> from Kelowna are playing that show with us too and then they’re coming over and playing with us <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/330420623324022/?ref=newsfeed" target="_blank">the next night in Victoria at the Quadra Punk House</a>. Isolated Earthlings are opening the show and the Dayglos are headlining so I got double duty that night.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Allan: Curious about something: you ever do cover songs? I've written about some of your originals but I'm always interested in who people cover. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Marc: I actually recorded a cover of an old Billy Joe Shaver song last summer it’s up on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@IsolatedEarthlings" target="_blank">my YouTube channel, Isolated Earthlings</a>; it’s called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzmaF6Pm3rc" target="_blank">Black Rose</a>." He was one of the old Outlaw country guys from back in the day. I grew up in Alberta -- my grandpa was the chuckwagon champion in the Calgary stampede all through the 30s -- so I grew up listening to country music like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, all that kind of stuff. I also just recorded a cover of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYTAllEZVFc" target="_blank">"Rain Street" from the Pogues</a>, it’s my tribute to Shane MacGowan. I Weird Al'd it a little bit though and changed it to "Main Street" and changed some of the words around, so it's all about the downtown Eastside.</div><div><br /><i>Allan: I have never seen "Weird Al" used as a verb before. I like it. Hey, a question: you ever hear about Mat Fraser? He's best known for </i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Horror_Story:_Freak_Show" target="_blank">American Horror Story Freak Show</a> <i>and</i> <a href="https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80174074" target="_blank">Loudermilk</a><i>, but he's a drummer and a punk who has really unusual arms, from his Mom using Thalidomide during pregnancy. Here he is doing "</i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d58f7toLxI" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Bones of a Dog</a><i>," with Steve Ignorant of Crass; or there's "</i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cZmDF1vm1M" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Radioactive Japanese Jellyfish</a><i>" by his band <a href="https://thespazms.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">the Spazms</a>. I bumped into him watching a documentary called </i><a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/burnaby/video/10605067" target="_blank">Code of the Freaks</a>: The Story of Hollywood's Exploitation of Disability,<i> and now I'm kind of hooked. He seems like he'd dig what you do.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPkC1WlS0sh0Zm0pejLs2fe_kEUAK1qfMwzaeoefMi9XCY2iKPXuMVehZTz5mogQUr5gGDVjEUuUP8B-ZPgjB9IIqbXBejcMSRPkGxqbA8DDe7uEY6mrpqVbtkMeaoYX-LgWwkzpE6gvpp20E6zXI5b7BzWgwdiqUiv4uk5wzuHQj-GabzJej/s1200/spazms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPkC1WlS0sh0Zm0pejLs2fe_kEUAK1qfMwzaeoefMi9XCY2iKPXuMVehZTz5mogQUr5gGDVjEUuUP8B-ZPgjB9IIqbXBejcMSRPkGxqbA8DDe7uEY6mrpqVbtkMeaoYX-LgWwkzpE6gvpp20E6zXI5b7BzWgwdiqUiv4uk5wzuHQj-GabzJej/w640-h640/spazms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Marc: No I’ve never heard of that guy but that’s pretty awesome for sure. I got nothing bad to say about my fellow mutant Brothers in Arms, specially when we use our powers of playing music to make people happy and make people realize that life’s not that bad, you just gotta play the cards you’re dealt.</div><div><br /><i>Allan: Any history we can talk about with Powerclown?</i><br /><br />Marc: Oh yeah I’ve known all the power clown guys for 25 years, probably first played with them back at Naughty Camp in like 2000 up by Whistler, big punk fest that our buddy Creepy Simon put on. It was like a three day fest with the whole shit load of bands; my old band Betty Ford played one day. Sketchy the Clown plays bass in the Dayglos too.<br /><i><br />Allah: Yeah, he says Murray is doing great now! Must feel good to be playing with them again.</i><br /><br />Marc: Yeah I’m stoked that Murray’s back for sure the last few shows been playing have been really good. We’re going up north beginning of April to Prince George and all that and across Canada in May.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>(End Marc interview!)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYbiZz1cDT_g8nx4eziZ6iVxF4fDFmYn0nWCiNGpA4RsngGf4RwFp_QiJ9mPKgp61FWpAcOlfG_9iei98sl7p3g5Y7xCaxFntJsXMNdi-N0_EIkLPpp0_lhheOVwpYa9LStgfYzKv2slBI0kPSN61iRvBLWB5Uv8yZ2KWYhBRtXkjNHcS9dq1/s1192/marc-isolated.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1192" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYbiZz1cDT_g8nx4eziZ6iVxF4fDFmYn0nWCiNGpA4RsngGf4RwFp_QiJ9mPKgp61FWpAcOlfG_9iei98sl7p3g5Y7xCaxFntJsXMNdi-N0_EIkLPpp0_lhheOVwpYa9LStgfYzKv2slBI0kPSN61iRvBLWB5Uv8yZ2KWYhBRtXkjNHcS9dq1/w640-h512/marc-isolated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(also by Bob Hanham, </i><i> Feb.23/24 at the Quadra Punk House, Victoria)</i></div><br /></div>Thanks to Marc and Matt for indulging my interview questions. As for Murray Acton, Dayglo fans may want to know that Murray also has an active side project, Hearts of Stone, some of which he is previewing in demo form on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheCretinDayglo">his Youtube channel</a>. I was actually trying to get him on the bill with the John Otway show I helped with last November, but he had to pull out to get some of his surgery reversed (this seems to be a theme of late; apparently being a punk of a certain age means <i>gigs get cancelled for surgery</i>, since those of us who saw <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/04/piss-and-bacon-sleaford-mods-and-fear.html" target="_blank">the Dayglo Abortions open for FEAR last year</a> were only doing so because Joe Keithley of DOA was having a hernia operated on. Meantime, I'm helping with another gig at the moment where the lineup is changing because one of the opening acts' members also has to go for surgery; it's starting to seem like a running theme). <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBKOdXkFPatJ8GVumyxcI_M9tr_cltVjsgNyPyDRX_5daqERjX-9FOtNyyzWeIShBCFoI318KE1W5vSjEINHp8FcSno6iKYsy-5eLpd-FAD0eXXJ7S6gtXRwIFOTVqzbLeGwQtrGyLYubov7CK41mfcO2YzUVIK6N8ulgxlIhBd2ZFQsU9B0y/s919/murray2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBKOdXkFPatJ8GVumyxcI_M9tr_cltVjsgNyPyDRX_5daqERjX-9FOtNyyzWeIShBCFoI318KE1W5vSjEINHp8FcSno6iKYsy-5eLpd-FAD0eXXJ7S6gtXRwIFOTVqzbLeGwQtrGyLYubov7CK41mfcO2YzUVIK6N8ulgxlIhBd2ZFQsU9B0y/w512-h640/murray2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Murray with the Dayglo Abortions by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria</i></div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>Some of Hearts of Stone's material is quite, uh, somber and terrifying, like this song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65xwt1ks-Vg" target="_blank">To the Needle I Am Wed</a>," about opioid addiction. Murray's comment at the time was that his Hearts of Stone material "might be a shock for some people. Very far from what is probably expected of me. It's pretty damn dark so I'm going to throw a bit of humour in it too just to lighten things up a bit."<div><br /></div><div>There was a funnier Hearts of Stone song on Youtube (albeit one about murdering your wife), but I can't find it now; but in perusing TheCretinDayglo on Youtube, I stumbled across Murray's very unexpected <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAWPrPU2Avw">cover of Diamanda Galas</a>, of a song variably called "Go Down Moses" and "Let My People Go." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSc5-RkndnQ">Galas' original</a>, about AIDS, riffs on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLcELU1brA">a Paul Robeson version</a> of an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Down_Moses">older, traditional folk song</a> about slavery, which in turn riffs (I think) on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity">Babylonian captivity of the Jews</a>; but Murray covering it makes it seem like it's again about the opioid crisis! Galas' lyrics: "The devil has designed my death/ And is waiting to be sure/ plenty of his black sheep die/ Before he finds a cure." I mean, opioids are where I go with it, anyhow, with the authorities not trying very hard to solve the problem because they don't really mind if addicts die... it's interesting how the same song can mean something completely different depending on context...</div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluSp38Cl5chZ722dWQUM01cFGyrcQlG9JXMmni9a2l65Tto71SKxh2kEx35XFR1XZMG7Y0h8pzANT2hKguD6XSNdueFIwONnwzxTtmGmFWyRpWNKH4DKRKrEPOa7zVNqvcAJcEXFwdRbWrsqa_QJ5lTsHwjkf3w8yrItaRdcdj9yjugslELyw/s1191/murray-matt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1191" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluSp38Cl5chZ722dWQUM01cFGyrcQlG9JXMmni9a2l65Tto71SKxh2kEx35XFR1XZMG7Y0h8pzANT2hKguD6XSNdueFIwONnwzxTtmGmFWyRpWNKH4DKRKrEPOa7zVNqvcAJcEXFwdRbWrsqa_QJ5lTsHwjkf3w8yrItaRdcdj9yjugslELyw/w640-h512/murray-matt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Murray and Matt of the Dayglo Abortions by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>Anyhow, here's waiting for a Hearts of Stone gig. Meantime, if you haven't seen the Dayglo Abortions lately, you might just want to make your way to the Waldorf on Friday, <i>Hate Speech</i> -- their 2022 LP, I believe it is -- is just a terrific album, my favourite new punk album since about 2015, easily my favourite Dayglo Abortions album since the days of "Hide the Hamster," boasting some of the wittiest, sharpest songwriting Murray has ever done and some delightful, mind-bending solos (note that the solo on "White People" is referencing "Free Bird" -- a bit more on which here, in <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/05/murray-acton-on-smart-food-eating.html" target="_blank">an English-language excerpt from that German interview</a>). Check the who album out <a href="https://murraythecretinacton.bandcamp.com/album/hate-speech" target="_blank">here</a>! </div><div><br /></div><div>A couple of gig posters and some event info links follow, but this is, in fact, <i>the end of this article.</i> Thanks Matt, Marc, and Murray... I might actually try to make all three of these shows, or at least catch a portion thereof...</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUo10qNVLUZnL-qYdwWWZ8o4Y_2EKFf-UVSjE9LNYA1dQ0N6YRSMUI0YwgzdH8N8AJiZZAtM58ckb2sggz9jckUa-bhg-F9myQauATSPcbzLlx4lYmofWuzQX6Qb8MBiGZ8PFmiBPY_cX8kyuCSFf3KPuVtDPasjaIhyphenhyphen6tJ4xUYiFSoV1xc55/s1280/dayglos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUo10qNVLUZnL-qYdwWWZ8o4Y_2EKFf-UVSjE9LNYA1dQ0N6YRSMUI0YwgzdH8N8AJiZZAtM58ckb2sggz9jckUa-bhg-F9myQauATSPcbzLlx4lYmofWuzQX6Qb8MBiGZ8PFmiBPY_cX8kyuCSFf3KPuVtDPasjaIhyphenhyphen6tJ4xUYiFSoV1xc55/w360-h640/dayglos.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawfd1FRKDK8w-530F2dpv-bFiwqY-TB7FUH4ZvYIzA_bdwHUSy8WQLtNqRU2Hv_9zjQMuc1IMuBTd1ynj_8xB3hyz-ft2jlCo-fa9UHsXhAUp8R8vWuDxuphtz-Hp9w6X4MflsqJy6x4EbCDPKoDjCGwYXpv8Os7f_yoly0FrIQo_gM3jaL9f/s1700/powerclown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawfd1FRKDK8w-530F2dpv-bFiwqY-TB7FUH4ZvYIzA_bdwHUSy8WQLtNqRU2Hv_9zjQMuc1IMuBTd1ynj_8xB3hyz-ft2jlCo-fa9UHsXhAUp8R8vWuDxuphtz-Hp9w6X4MflsqJy6x4EbCDPKoDjCGwYXpv8Os7f_yoly0FrIQo_gM3jaL9f/w414-h640/powerclown.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p><i>Powerclown gig info <a href="https://orangetickets.ca/detalles_evento.php?id_evento=1769&fbclid=IwAR0eOB5cL6Cvv_hSFVU1onR4llnxCQeklvJWBR-CdpzmoIAa1D0-VWq9Fbg" target="_blank">here</a>; Dayglos gig info <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/dayglo-abortions-w-golers-potbelly-skull-car-87-tickets-796782095697" target="_blank">here</a>; Bully's Studios you're going to have to figure out yourselves, because the Car 87/ Isolated Earthlings gig is not mentioned on their events page, which hasn't been updated in awhile; but <a href="https://www.bullysstudios.ca/events-1" target="_blank">this is their events page</a>, if you like (maybe they'll add it?). They're kinda between Columbia Station and Edmonds Station, Skytrain-wise -- a fun little room. I think the 106 bus goes right by, but Google Maps it or something. Seeya! </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmibZAJZVoml5lx1XbUFpLt11_3-OrRZJ9yQwqILXKPzVzfiAi9wVE8H6n-KOvfkt1122Ue2taW60JpaA3z1OF-8hjxGP4yHXu9j_45xjFI6MjOGN4Ac-jYPB8tSI-ytZ7U-oJv5C9X7_ep4KvorJPWbqAxtRJAvaUiaDu8pqY3HHL-dmo2nTM/s2048/chaney%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmibZAJZVoml5lx1XbUFpLt11_3-OrRZJ9yQwqILXKPzVzfiAi9wVE8H6n-KOvfkt1122Ue2taW60JpaA3z1OF-8hjxGP4yHXu9j_45xjFI6MjOGN4Ac-jYPB8tSI-ytZ7U-oJv5C9X7_ep4KvorJPWbqAxtRJAvaUiaDu8pqY3HHL-dmo2nTM/w300-h400/chaney%203.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-50993570263452586122024-03-05T07:18:00.000-08:002024-03-05T07:18:30.429-08:00Strange dreams of the death of my fatherFor reasons unclear to me, my dreaming brain, last night, chose to completely reinvent the circumstances of my father's death and put me in a story about it that has little apparent bearing on real life. <div><br /></div><div>My father died, in reality, of colon cancer that had spread to his liver, having lived for two years with the varied discomforts and indignities of a colostomy and chemo. He was in hospice. My mother and I were by his side and had been all day. We had been playing some of his favourite music and, alas, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGKatCAQed0" target="_blank">Elvira</a>" by the Oak Ridge Boys was the song he went out on ("giddyup!"). He opened his eyes, seemed to look off into something in the far distance... and his breathing slowed and stopped; he seemed to -- I mean nothing supernatural by it -- "leave" his body, moving towards whatever it was he was looking at, while the rest of him faded away, changed from human to corpse before our eyes. I think there was some machine monitoring his pulse that might have confirmed this was happening; it was very clear. My mother and I were both crying, but we were definitely there, and he knew it, though he was having great trouble communicating that day, was barely acknowledging there were people in the room, not really able to speak. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the dream, which came to me for no reason I can understand, my father had not been sick at all, but had some weird thing happen in his head that he didn't understand (and that I don't recall the details of -- some mild aneurism or such). He was nervous about it, but also not making a huge deal of it; he seemed okay. He and my mother were living in a somewhat different building, with some of the features of the place they used to live in, but in an upstairs suite (in reality, since my father was the building caretaker, they lived downstairs in "the big suite" of the building; in the dream, this was turned into some sort of bingo hall/ movie theatre/ social space). Like I say, he seemed okay, but the episode was disturbing. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next day, I had been planning a road trip with some friends -- including one guy who actually disappeared from my life around the time my father died. He was the driver, in the dream, and determined to continue the road trip, but I was insisting that I had to check in with my parents first, because I was worried. Besides, I had forgotten my cell phone at their apartment (I didn't even have a cell phone at the time of my father's death, but I didn't want to go on a road trip without it). We were sitting in a car in an underground parking lot arguing, and finally I just got my stuff out of the trunk -- I was packing my CPAP machine, because we had been planning to stay overnight somewhere, maybe going to Vancouver Island -- and I told my friends I would see them later, and walked back to my parents' apartment. There were some hard feelings that I wasn't going, but it seemed important that I not join them; they thought I was being foolish, but I didn't care.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I arrived, the people in the building who I met were very friendly to me, but no one said anything about my father. They were coming out of some sort of social event, a film screening I think, that had happened in that big social area downstairs. The ones I talked to were not in fact actual tenants' in my parents' last building; I think my brain switched them out for coworkers of mine at my present job. I spoke with a couple of them; then, as I was going upstairs to my parents' suite, a male tenant (a completely fictional character, I think -- my dreaming brain recognized him, but I don't think he was anyone I really knew) was coming downstairs and said to the people behind me, "Has anyone told Allan that his father died?"</div><div><br /></div><div>I was not entirely surprised. "You just did," I said. And then I had a conversation or two about it, I -- about how he'd had some sort of neural episode, was thrashing in his bed, in pain, saying that his head was on fire. Then he just died. My mother was talking to someone, getting some counselling (whoever told me this said "she's being processed now," which seemed an odd way to put it). Their suite was locked. I went to the elevator and was going to get on it when my mother got off, and we hugged, crying. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's about all I remember. At some point I was back downstairs in the social space talking to people about my father and what had happened. I was very glad I had not gone on the road trip. People were very kind...</div><div><br /></div><div>Why my brain chose to rewrite the scenario, I have no idea, but I woke up remembering a lot more than I usually do of my dreams. And now I'm doing something on the Dayglo Abortions -- my next post; their singer just survived the kind of cancer that killed my father, and went through some of the indignities he suffered, so that might explain a little of the timing, but...</div><div><br /></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-72639099163913175762024-03-03T09:29:00.000-08:002024-03-03T15:44:12.884-08:00Lou Reed Tribute 2024: well, that was weird (and fun, but not the way I expected)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7HePQqLxfIbixdj17s1XrAInApc-4Gerwsc1YzpM5smANHadH8Fu8THS-10elj3kv1eIyO7os6V4D6GebiL5ttg3I5E1PTWbTDdG6oUaYXXREgg-UCfYq6pFLEJU4t_KxHHKQwvrAQDEy53Ma6h4NZf8cjByCSVrPNcVXBiA6IShyphenhyphenfHajFQV/s3968/IMG_20240302_200531.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7HePQqLxfIbixdj17s1XrAInApc-4Gerwsc1YzpM5smANHadH8Fu8THS-10elj3kv1eIyO7os6V4D6GebiL5ttg3I5E1PTWbTDdG6oUaYXXREgg-UCfYq6pFLEJU4t_KxHHKQwvrAQDEy53Ma6h4NZf8cjByCSVrPNcVXBiA6IShyphenhyphenfHajFQV/w640-h480/IMG_20240302_200531.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>David and Danielle (somewhat blurry)</i></div><p>So that was fun, but a bit of a weird night. It began, for me, on the #7 bus on the way to the Princeton, where, with my mutant tongue loosened by a cannabis lozenge (Edison Jolts, AKA the strongest way to get an edible at a government store), I cut loose on a bus driver who had been trying to throw an elderly First Nations woman (with an elderly dog) off the bus because he had decided that she was just riding around without getting off anywhere. I actually stuck up for him while chatting with this woman, who had taken offense, making peace, trying to make her feel better while I was at it: "he probably has rules he has to enforce -- don't take it personally, he's just trying to do his job. What's your dog's name?" ...Except he then pulled out from a stop just after picking up two more elderly people, one with a walker, one with a cane, who were still trying to get into their seats at the front of the bus when he began veering back out into traffic. Both almost fell over. So rather than just pretending that hadn't happened, I actually ended up going right up front and rather loudly telling him to <i>slow down, pay attention to what's happening on your bus, and let people with walkers and canes get seated before you pull out:</i> "You're a <i>public servant,</i> and this is your <i>public.</i> It is not their fault if they are old or poor or disabled! <i>Wait for them to sit down</i>! You can do better than this!" </p><p>I am sure my spastic voice served my cause further. It's not often you get people with a mangled locution who speak with the voice of moral authority. I wonder if Jesus had a lisp? (Art Bergmann and I talked lisps briefly the other day; he had asked me if I had gum in my mouth, seeing my white tongue, which is, in fact, a somewhat common, and fair, mistake: how often do you encounter twin-tone tongues in the world?). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAk_DYeM5zOGhfLLXM-GrAPjRPIAwXThhjmt7io4GlLQPcTSUZqTIO2aNiivlxZZjUU07w4sMCdbtvte6SoigjgXIBihLO7cpL9dg2_QK0GuwZvgI5CmF4qhIRaTIYURADF4DzPnnUjy5ANivvFF-EiMnS4cfxFXOpEgX96QOeaOnUM0VzeOm/s2048/art-and-i.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1943" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAk_DYeM5zOGhfLLXM-GrAPjRPIAwXThhjmt7io4GlLQPcTSUZqTIO2aNiivlxZZjUU07w4sMCdbtvte6SoigjgXIBihLO7cpL9dg2_QK0GuwZvgI5CmF4qhIRaTIYURADF4DzPnnUjy5ANivvFF-EiMnS4cfxFXOpEgX96QOeaOnUM0VzeOm/w608-h640/art-and-i.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Art Bergmann and I by Patricia Kay</i></div><p>Anyhoo, this ended up making me great friends with a few fellow passengers, it seemed; they were grateful and some quite chatty afterwards, as was I (it was the cannabis talking). But then the bus driver sort of redeemed himself a bit: when he was barking at her previously, he had demanded that the elderly First Nations woman tell him what stop she was getting off at, so he would know where to eject her and cut her freeloading ride around town short, and then, even after I'd given him a bit of a drubbing, started in on her again: "You said your stop was Gore, and we just passed Gore, so it's time to get off!" </p><p>Which was probably just him not wanting her to keep riding on his bus (because you can't just ride around on a bus all day, you know, to which I say, <i>Why not? Who cares? She's not disturbing anyone)</i>. Except she HAD said she was getting off at Gore, and we had passed Gore, so since his gruff manner was just provoking her again, I stepped in, using my lubricated people skills to ask her, kindly, "Did you actually want Gore?" She was dug in on the defensive ("I know where I'm going and I'll get off when I'm ready!"), but it developed that<i> she had, in fact, missed her stop</i>, so<i> the bus driver was, uh, actually right,</i> though he was still (kinda) being a prick about it. The fact that he was still doing his job, however badly, seemed weirdly meaningful and redeemed him a bit, so when I eventually got off, a few stops later, I apologized for having yelled at him, and told him I was NOT going to call and complain about him, which I had previously threatened to do. He got all the punishment he deserved from my mutant tongue lashing -- I mean, maybe he was just having a bad night. </p><p>I have'm too. </p><p>Anyhow, whatever happened further was not my problem, but the above will end up the strongest memory of the night, because -- at least from the seats in the rear where we ended up, the Princeton show was <i>not very musically engaging, </i>which was not entirely the fault of the bands: with the only seats available being way in the back, there were maybe a hundred people sitting between us and the stage, and maybe a third of them were performers, who were mostly happily socializing amongst themselves while their friends played. <a href="https://youtu.be/5N0l9HeJAY8" target="_blank">Video exists</a>: try watching David M. sing Lou Reed's "The Bed" while everyone at our table, including his bandmates, wife, myself, my wife, and some other friends of mine have overlapping conversations! </p><p>Good fuckin' luck!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilU95tC5ZI8_BpBKao70tbWW4So5AJuidEYb0BX7uA3ltPfbzTd1jNRBKeH0gWPkh9p_siD1BTB6cfspA6YfjwInUes4JJQSjcQXRpzig4YjyZW3l-ELhZS-9aQ3rnZIS-sZbNVwSRafYPnvjeXSpsWQpmOtwu-6R9gvrVGznzv5HFJ8Jbu_iu/s2346/IMG_20240303_090816.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="2346" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilU95tC5ZI8_BpBKao70tbWW4So5AJuidEYb0BX7uA3ltPfbzTd1jNRBKeH0gWPkh9p_siD1BTB6cfspA6YfjwInUes4JJQSjcQXRpzig4YjyZW3l-ELhZS-9aQ3rnZIS-sZbNVwSRafYPnvjeXSpsWQpmOtwu-6R9gvrVGznzv5HFJ8Jbu_iu/w640-h488/IMG_20240303_090816.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>EddyD and I: HE IS WEARING AN ECSTASY T-SHIRT!!!!</i></div><p>The songs, by the way, are "The New Reindeer 2013," part of a Christmas tradition of M's (documented on record in a couple of variants, on <a href="https://nofunofficial.bandcamp.com/album/five-wenceslases-and-27-other-contemporary-no-fun-christmas-classics" target="_blank"><i>Five Wenceslases and 27 Other Contemporary NO FUN Christmas Classics</i></a>, which I guess is actually my favourite Christmas album) whereby he picked a recently-deceased celebrity and appointed him a replacement for a shot Rudolph (the deceased celebrity here being Lou; as far as I know, this was the only song in the evening that had nothing written in it BY Lou Reed, a brief closing riff on "Sister Ray" not withstanding, but that was instead ABOUT Lou Reed, sorta). I believe that this tradition (appointing new reindeer to the sleigh) ended when David's long-time collaborator, Paul Leahy, died; while David developed a suite of songs in honour of Leahy called <i>Leahy Stardust, </i>including a very inspired original, "You Need Your Tongue to Stand Up," which I don't believe has had any official release, he did nothing so glib as to appoint Paul the lead on Santa's sleigh. An exhaustive list of celebrities who received that honour, previous to that, is not within my grasp -- I think there might be a Dal Richards reindeer out there, too -- but there is definitely also one about Elizabeth Fischer (of the <a href="https://canadianbands.com/animal-slaves/" target="_blank">Animal Slaves </a>and <a href="https://darkblueworld.bandcamp.com/album/dark-blue-world" target="_blank">Dark Blue World</a>), whom David liked because she was friendly with his little dog Ozzy; that version of "The New Reindeer" is actually a slightly acerbic anti-assisted suicide song, relating to Fischer's choice, in the pre-MAID days, to <a href="https://www.straight.com/music/554361/stephen-harper-ban-physician-assisted-suicide-pushes-vancouver-artist-elisabeth-fischer" target="_blank">go to Switzerland</a> for an escape from the pain of terminal lung cancer, which I think David found startling and problematic. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n4XQPgcqF92KIDJFdnvvHvKhl5tVSQQLpce0UahszgyMwAg6Jfayftj_Wx_cNs0a0oFMNwvAcelZ5HgeUOD_1yM5BCoTt65Jyz9EEkH8gBUdDeOYrl7TIhqkc9fwqgviBB5tuJn4EIof3u2yo9vzKxpGdjYVrHuN8YMJa9J0WxNnvgAywXX_/s1332/FB_IMG_1709499061628.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n4XQPgcqF92KIDJFdnvvHvKhl5tVSQQLpce0UahszgyMwAg6Jfayftj_Wx_cNs0a0oFMNwvAcelZ5HgeUOD_1yM5BCoTt65Jyz9EEkH8gBUdDeOYrl7TIhqkc9fwqgviBB5tuJn4EIof3u2yo9vzKxpGdjYVrHuN8YMJa9J0WxNnvgAywXX_/w518-h640/FB_IMG_1709499061628.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>David M. and Ozzy, by Dan Harbord; see more of his caricatures <a href="https://danharbord.wixsite.com/caricatures" target="_blank">here</a></i></div></i><p>Note: the Residents are working on an album about Jack Kevorkian; Hardy Fox actually died via assisted suicide himself. David M. occasionally covers "Santa Dog," but this is still a digression. </p><p>As for actual Lou material, besides "The Bed," David also got Dave Dedrick (not the biggest Lou fan) to hold the Gorgo for "Take a Walk on the Lime Side," then closed his set with "Ozzy's Vicious," a full-length rewrite of "Vicious" but written about his (dearly loved, now departed) dog misbehaving. I had never heard it before, and I barely heard it last night, but I enjoyed what I could make out. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5Wumr2gIzkpU3EMrvQ8nvS0vc5zsqL-YuDgrx0lXYSOhYaIoVaO0odzqwmZBjuqhE0sQMPvHeFggFRMrgGyHzKcO4WJWN9jnjX5MQdEsCzAOw1ExnCbUp_98LfUq91Oq_fhfjEYZCuPBnKXCS9LPsaOBonZMetVCJfP6VYkpDJGed45w6S8f/s3968/IMG_20240302_212143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5Wumr2gIzkpU3EMrvQ8nvS0vc5zsqL-YuDgrx0lXYSOhYaIoVaO0odzqwmZBjuqhE0sQMPvHeFggFRMrgGyHzKcO4WJWN9jnjX5MQdEsCzAOw1ExnCbUp_98LfUq91Oq_fhfjEYZCuPBnKXCS9LPsaOBonZMetVCJfP6VYkpDJGed45w6S8f/w640-h480/IMG_20240302_212143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>If, sonically, it was pretty much impossible to enjoy the music from the back, given such circumstances, the night was VERY fun socially. I don't think I've talked to so many people I knew in months. A short list of people I talked to includes Ani Kyd Wolf, Eddie Dutchman, Leonard Pennifold, a couple of teaching colleagues, Adam Kates and his gal, David M. and his gal, my gal, Tim Chan, Tanya Van ("Is that ANI FUCKING KYD?!"), Scott Beadle, Cora of Cora and the Moon, Nicky Noodles (by whatever name you know him - Gnick, Cam, whatever), and a couple of the people who occupied the table to the left of us. I also waved at Dan Harbord, Talesha Zimmerman, Mo Tarmohamed, and Tony Lee. But with everyone, including the musicians, happily socializing, unless you were Dan Harbord (or sitting at his table, right up front), you weren't going to be able to exactly ENJOY the performances much. The vibe was OVERWHELMINGLY too social for that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhUJSZxc9L2HyiMcMH2lZgXQnOC_8DQAmYeUHDKbpgp96G2aXTqq8ksS-RUexD-gUAgjwtZgn86NO0ajiK-kRP_k-ON2CqxJseMuaLI661y-nVi7elCRdx1lKMn1IKb6YrmSVDa2lJh2y0rVRAxyOH3Z8bXFqqmFVjV92e_pwARsZWiW-5hg_/s3968/IMG_20240302_222552_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhUJSZxc9L2HyiMcMH2lZgXQnOC_8DQAmYeUHDKbpgp96G2aXTqq8ksS-RUexD-gUAgjwtZgn86NO0ajiK-kRP_k-ON2CqxJseMuaLI661y-nVi7elCRdx1lKMn1IKb6YrmSVDa2lJh2y0rVRAxyOH3Z8bXFqqmFVjV92e_pwARsZWiW-5hg_/w480-h640/IMG_20240302_222552_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>It's Nick!</i></p><p>But that doesn't mean that piquant things didn't happen. Before I comment on the second band, Cora and the Moon, let me note that I am TOTALLY CURIOUS about them, now; but also was very confused by the contrast between their bandcamp and their live presentation, which was more, uh, "Outsider music," if you'll forgive me, than the gorgeously produced, slightly Lynchian dark Americana of the album (Paul Rigby, it transpires, is NOT a performing member of the live band, just a friend of theirs who made their material sound great). Their sound was more Moe Tucker than Lou Reed, which is not meant as a complaint: I love Moe Tucker's recorded output, even if she's ended up in a weird cranky Trump-lovin'-grandma kind of place (I tried being her Facebook friend for awhile and, yeah, no, Moe and I are not on the same planet. <i>Life in Exile After Abdication</i> and <i>I Spent a Week There the Other Night</i> are still great records). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwUSC5KZ6aQ3xud8IZU-B75-DBimGianPy-IJBP_enryCTEgTR37aTbb4A9aAmSvCLZ-902HwAVISrnLXJg9niSFnblUkICpO6I3cDEk2aYBJlKVUyX8RU595d77AapN_mBeZrmE63_Ts2wK7-NEMtjptSevyJC_LtBgnPYwfd1e96lIvqf34/s3968/IMG_20240302_210355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwUSC5KZ6aQ3xud8IZU-B75-DBimGianPy-IJBP_enryCTEgTR37aTbb4A9aAmSvCLZ-902HwAVISrnLXJg9niSFnblUkICpO6I3cDEk2aYBJlKVUyX8RU595d77AapN_mBeZrmE63_Ts2wK7-NEMtjptSevyJC_LtBgnPYwfd1e96lIvqf34/w640-h480/IMG_20240302_210355.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cora and the Moon from the back of the room</i></div><p>But I digress. Anyhow, I really liked that Cora and the Moon changed up one song that they had proposed for "Average Guy," almost as if they were <i>heeding my wish </i>for more post-<i>Transformer </i>Lou to be repped, but that prompted an odd conversation with the person to my left about <i>why the singer was calling herself a guy. </i>"Because the song was written by Lou Reed, who was a guy," I explained, then had to <i>keep</i> explaining to this person that pretty much all the songs we were hearing were by Lou Reed. They kept asking me, every few songs, "Is <i>this</i> written by Lou Reed?" and I kept saying, "Yes, it's a Lou Reed tribute show," without realizing for some time that<i> they did not know what that meant. </i>Some of this is down to the nature of bar conversations, which are not ideal for the exchange of information; but eventually, when I figured out the source of the confusion, I did a better job explaining. There were still about five instances of, "Is <i>this</i> by Lou Reed?" before that. </p><p>What was weirdest about that, though (sorry, Cora!) was that (stoned, you understand; I was high; please do not accuse me of transphobia!), prompted by this question about "Average Guy," I then began to wonder, from my seat way at the back, if maybe Cora was in fact trans or a drag queen? I mean, I didn't know anything about this band, besides having really kinda dug what I heard of their album (I'm arranging to get a CD of it), but there sure seemed SOMETHING quirky about the singer -- I just couldn't tell HOW quirky. She was dressed in a very cute frilly vintage-Americana top, like she'd just flown in from a Nashville cowboy bar, and had quite a fullsome head of hair -- fullsome enough that I began to wonder, "Is that a wig?" My somewhat dope-addled speculations were not helped by the fact that we far enough away that I couldn't really make her out; while it seemed very unlikely that a female-presenting transperson (or drag queen) would make an ironic gesture out of singing "Average Guy," which, surely you realize, was ALREADY an ironic gesture on Lou's (gender-non-conforming) part, I actually <i>utterly loved the idea:</i> I would LOVE it if there were someone from the trans community (or a drag queen) in a frilly top singing Lou Reed tunes, you know? I'm sure Lou would have dug the idea, too; that aspect of Lou was not really visible last night. </p><p>...And speaking of the trans community, at one point I told Erika that "Mo is sitting at the table over there," and she heard me say, "Beau is sitting at the table over there," and, before we cleared it up, she got all excited that Beau Wheeler might be performing. I bet he could pull off a hell of a Lou Reed cover, actually -- maybe even "Average Guy!" Note for 2025...</p><p>Anyhow, later I chatted with Cora and yeah, uh, no, <i>she's a biological female</i>. (I mean, I didn't ask, but it seemed fairly clear). She's been around for some time, making music, apparently, but I still don't really know much about her, except that she loves how Rigby made her record sound. I plan to investigate further. More to come, maybe? If she's not too pissed off at this! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjJOddiqDZJ-9247Och_iamK-UGIQWr0Ghvs0DLRSdVbrd-ycLwV82X6XFl0a21NYfwVgDVmKOjj8K0LapnyUk8E6JXwyz9_j0l9JEme2XN5WDWHSfW2BYxVTknGt1EqpTmyMgUPo86anAVBsc6-tR9fUUtfGrzZRPoSgw6Puf38umlZiIH9d/s5632/IMG_20240302_194732.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4224" data-original-width="5632" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjJOddiqDZJ-9247Och_iamK-UGIQWr0Ghvs0DLRSdVbrd-ycLwV82X6XFl0a21NYfwVgDVmKOjj8K0LapnyUk8E6JXwyz9_j0l9JEme2XN5WDWHSfW2BYxVTknGt1EqpTmyMgUPo86anAVBsc6-tR9fUUtfGrzZRPoSgw6Puf38umlZiIH9d/w640-h480/IMG_20240302_194732.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Ani Kyd Wolf and I</i></p><p>...You begin to get the sense of the kind of night it was. By the time of Ani Kyd's set, I basically gave up trying to appreciate the music and reconciled myself to socializing ("One of us, one of us"), because no matter who played, there were a hundred conversations happening between me and them and no matter what was happening onstage, I wouldn't have been able to properly listen. I still tried to get a gander of Ani doing "Heroin," and Ani looked like she was enjoying herself (to answer my own previous question, it was much more a reading of the Velvet Underground and Nico's version of "Heroin" than Lou's<i> Rock n' Roll Animal </i>"Heroin," btw)... but focus was not really possible. </p><p>Determined to enjoy at least one set of the night before we escaped, I got right up front for Pill Squad. It worked; they were the only band whose music was not impacted by the packed room, who at that point were <i>to my back</i>. Seems sitting right up front is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY if you really want to get into the music at the Lou tribute. Otherwise, bring people to talk to (or be prepared to talk to whoever's at your table, which is sometimes fun, too!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbZq9EJQTNiIr5KlbHh4G9kZ_kvYC5YJ-gosWQBvtD1smEPhRbHMlOVCF6o76P-WKjjVluvfwiwwKK4UFjP0VQLw9ffd9J3JYJsZBqj8zn046Smct4KHV3ybOjJKLM6ADmy9de5B0CSLF_R3p8yZbofK69RKiky37W2XviP1_Yi9fetJsTlQ7/s3968/IMG_20240302_214625_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbZq9EJQTNiIr5KlbHh4G9kZ_kvYC5YJ-gosWQBvtD1smEPhRbHMlOVCF6o76P-WKjjVluvfwiwwKK4UFjP0VQLw9ffd9J3JYJsZBqj8zn046Smct4KHV3ybOjJKLM6ADmy9de5B0CSLF_R3p8yZbofK69RKiky37W2XviP1_Yi9fetJsTlQ7/w480-h640/IMG_20240302_214625_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>By the by, Pill-Squad-wise, I also shot <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2KVHPQzSPs" target="_blank">this vid</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp_Mh9Qb6t4" target="_blank">this vid</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9Du81a_PM" target="_blank">this vid</a> (with Scott's assent). Turns out that Kelly, the bassist of Pill Squad, was the one singing "Femme Fatale," not Tracy. After that, our little group left in a cluster to go hang out for awhile at David M's place, where we watched the first half of John Carpenter's <i>Starman</i>. </p><p>Dear Nick "Monsterdog" Mitchum: this means I did not stay long enough to see Leonard Pennifold's set, let alone video it, as you requested. Hell, by the time we turned off <i>Starman </i>and Erika and I went home, Pennifold still wouldn't have taken the stage. I did, however, chat with Leonard briefly, when I found myself standing next to him, to apologize that I wasn't going to see his set and to let him know that a friend of mine was a big fan... though he was less excited to learn that he had a fan when he figured out that it was, like,<i> just you,</i> not because there is anything wrong with you <i>qua</i> fan, but but because he thought for awhile that he had a fan HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. But no, it's just Nick Mitchum: "Oh, that guy! Yeah, I know him."</p><p>Anyhow, I said hi for you.</p><p>It ended up being a fun night, but not for the reasons I had hoped. I missed a bunch of people I had hoped to see, but I have no regrets -- we left when we had to leave. And now, having completed my report between my 6am pee-and-feed-kitten wake up and the present moment (9:29 AM), I am going back to bed for awhile. Next up, if they write back, will be piece on the SLIP~ons and Tranzmitors, playing a March 8th birthday gig for Brock (competing with the Dayglos at the Waldorf, but I may be able to catch all three bands that I care about if I time it right -- the Dayglos seem to be going on a bit later). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWeUIej1FT-8PdBrd8qB3-iHt3LIPzv4ZCwKXiyURUgIfa0Cmwkq8RAlmhedg8nJGr5ljqgayXwe4W3_Gx9r35q02agU5nPjIAcot5cw7IWc6nY3_h-iKjGJqY1lDq9s3NogUqXI6_I1Vm7szsWel-g6bD3sg3WGrnOI8-LeokPFtpQU7B86e/s3968/IMG_20240302_223155.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWeUIej1FT-8PdBrd8qB3-iHt3LIPzv4ZCwKXiyURUgIfa0Cmwkq8RAlmhedg8nJGr5ljqgayXwe4W3_Gx9r35q02agU5nPjIAcot5cw7IWc6nY3_h-iKjGJqY1lDq9s3NogUqXI6_I1Vm7szsWel-g6bD3sg3WGrnOI8-LeokPFtpQU7B86e/w640-h480/IMG_20240302_223155.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>Oh, by the way, in other news, Betty Bathory's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063517725282" target="_blank">Paranoid Romantic</a> has a gig coming up. Didn't see that coming! In my experience,this is "Betty lite" -- if you want the full-on shock rock effect, see Daddy Issues, but if you just groove on Betty's singing, sans theatrics, she's great in whatever she does!</i> </p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-4330088753715160932024-03-01T10:33:00.000-08:002024-03-01T16:12:26.953-08:00Lou Reed Tribute Night 2024: Setlist Leak! Spoiler alert!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWZFax9AoB5fJBSjOmHfi2kHF_pv_xjvmMrffrnvKtcdTLTOwE8zy0fjLKjHpX7TfR9FgFeIo2rRfuSBtp_w6nXhjZZPQ0Ju24JWzlSACNmhu9cuMo2UGx6mjSAsiLmjYsgnMaNMiC20gWHSdtgxNPgavRFURjfb1bt6pfWiPWV3UKA8rHH59/s1518/lou.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1518" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWZFax9AoB5fJBSjOmHfi2kHF_pv_xjvmMrffrnvKtcdTLTOwE8zy0fjLKjHpX7TfR9FgFeIo2rRfuSBtp_w6nXhjZZPQ0Ju24JWzlSACNmhu9cuMo2UGx6mjSAsiLmjYsgnMaNMiC20gWHSdtgxNPgavRFURjfb1bt6pfWiPWV3UKA8rHH59/w640-h452/lou.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Above we see a Lou Reed Japanese gig poster from October 2000: I was there only for the first night, at the Akasaka Blitz, the setlist for which is <a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lou-reed/2000/akasaka-blitz-tokyo-japan-23d0c057.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Lou did what then was <i>mostly </i>new material, both off the album represented in the art here -- the stellar, Hal-Willner-produced <i>Ecstasy --</i> and his equally underrated <i>Set the Twilight Reeling</i>, leaning into guitariffic jams with Mike Rathke, the two men clearly having a lot of fun just interacting with each other without any interest in recapturing past glories or duplicating solos note-for-note; it was fresh and exciting and felt like a real privilege, like Lou wasn't catering to us so much as letting us in on what HE was into at the time. 10/13 songs in the main set are from those two albums. The other three ("Turn to Me," my favourite song off <i>New Sensations</i>; "Romeo Had Juliette," off <i>New York;</i> and "Smalltown," off <i>Songs for Drella</i>) were all welcome but certainly not hits. About my only disappointment, in terms of older-songs-not-played, was that he omitted one of my favourite-ever Lou songs, "The Blue Mask," which he did on some other dates on this tour, including <a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lou-reed/2000/queen-elizabeth-theatre-vancouver-bc-canada-bd0c182.html" target="_blank">the Vancouver leg</a>, which is a bit more fullsome and has more Velvets stuff to boot. In any event, I enjoyed watching Mike and Lou jam so much during that main set that I probably would name the show as one of my top ten concert experiences ever... </p><p>By contrast, the encore, which did acknowledge some fan favourites, seemed bored and rushed and obligatory, and I would have much rather had fifteen more minutes of him jamming out on recent tunes with Rathke than doing "let's-get-this-over-with," forced-march versions of songs that seemed to be kind of dead to him. I can name five songs at the drop of a hat off the two main albums they drew from ("Possum Day," "Sex With Your Parents," "Hookywooky," "Big Sky" and "Hang On To Your Emotions") that I would have preferred to the versions of "Sweet Jane," "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day" that we heard; they're not songs I care much about, of Lou's, but I care even less for the idea of seeing him practically rolling his eyes to have to play them yet again ("Dirty Blvd" was still pretty great, though). </p><p><i>C'est la guerre.</i></p><p>If people are curious, there is a great live CD from the same tour, recorded in Germany -- it might be some sort of bootleg (tho' it exists in a couple different cover variants; maybe one is more legit than the others?). This one was available at some locations of Sunrise Records, last I looked (but not Metrotown; I bought that one):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_bmlxHtK49x3Qf4FqMu5sQhmZtpTY1xsOeu7cuhHC14DJlzxj0i1A6MAByEPtX9r-y7ldgREJ0ZjAggDYcPmz2NzYwEpef4it51g8HrZTjzu9bWocvx43KpeA0gWnIQRKIZa-lK1rEKgk7yZ4tA9Uwm52GpG0pskfTLvy6gpEVe9eqX57sek/s602/lou-duss.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="587" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_bmlxHtK49x3Qf4FqMu5sQhmZtpTY1xsOeu7cuhHC14DJlzxj0i1A6MAByEPtX9r-y7ldgREJ0ZjAggDYcPmz2NzYwEpef4it51g8HrZTjzu9bWocvx43KpeA0gWnIQRKIZa-lK1rEKgk7yZ4tA9Uwm52GpG0pskfTLvy6gpEVe9eqX57sek/w390-h400/lou-duss.png" width="390" /></a></div><p>But back to the main point, which is the Lou Reed tribute on Saturday at the Princeton (1901 Powell). If you plan to go, know that this is a popular event and you should <i>arrive early to secure a table</i>. The food at the Princeton is decent, note -- I've had the nachos and the fish and chips and recommend both (the steak was okay but it was pretty much you expect from "affordable pub steak;" I recall being more impressed with the fries). Non-drinkers can take heart that they have Philips Iota beers, which are very tasty; and there may be a meat draw, if you want to gamble for meat (we will be packing a cooler bag and ice). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVHKSZG6c-HIgQo9IYG-ByOuwRMdbYyEhbOhCoPkCrZDyjBAv9ufSMcAaBt_YFC4QCqXnLbjONsi2WrwXlhFYPd_IRu-vElFiuEuAkwAa7xVFBeDuNeerO6c6FyOwtX1A2pWxtHxqy1-MptKzb9CtjfbcmRbkbIN0JIvnDNDSGm7TMA5tqJqv/s640/meat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVHKSZG6c-HIgQo9IYG-ByOuwRMdbYyEhbOhCoPkCrZDyjBAv9ufSMcAaBt_YFC4QCqXnLbjONsi2WrwXlhFYPd_IRu-vElFiuEuAkwAa7xVFBeDuNeerO6c6FyOwtX1A2pWxtHxqy1-MptKzb9CtjfbcmRbkbIN0JIvnDNDSGm7TMA5tqJqv/w480-h640/meat.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>I promised a leak, though: with apologies to the event organizers, at the bottom of this page, I am sharing something maybe I shouldn't: s<i>omeone posted the top-secret list of bands and songs</i>.</p><p>I mean, <i>you don't have to read it if you don't want to. </i>I am posting it right at the end so you can still read this and only have a FEW songs spoiled. I don't blame you if you want lots of surprises; me, I'm real grateful to see what's happening (<i>no, Al, no one is going to cover "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wh5QeiVpS0" target="_blank">Future Farmers of America</a>," so don't get your hopes up</i>). I have no idea if I'll make it to the end of the night -- I doubt Erika will, and she's my ride; tho' I definitely want to stay to see the Lulu's, with Eddy Dutchman, Ed Hurrell, Lisa Lloyd, and... who is the drummer this time? </p><p>Anyone going on after them, I'm apologizing now (1am is LATE for us workin' Burnaby residents). </p><p>Some notes follow before we get to the actual photo (which just lays it all out). There are a lot of bands that I just don't know, some of whom have no internet presence that I can detect, like - who is Rubarb? And a lot of the songs are Velvets tunes and 70's Lou favourites that require no comment from me. I mean, delivery is everything, so even songs I've had enough of can be brought to life by the right performer doing a terrific performance. I generally don't get excited about the prospect of seeing "Femme Fatale" live, say -- surely the most-covered Velvets song ever? -- but Pill Squad (the band of event organizer Scott Beadle) could just be PERFECT for it -- Tracy has a kind of deadpan, wry delivery and no one does deadpan and wry like Nico, so...</p><p>But I will remark on a few pleasant deeper dives (mostly from earlier in Lou's career, not later, but still appreciated). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vTsfGAQiX18IuUzN6OIKC-KLLXDlW_obgVR3TzF-cu8A7sBudgAKhuseNkJLEtk9cS0JohSSZG73wikYAgddwYFK_iY-LVSeWtSEc7CsXF3JnLqOg4IXQpLfgcgFPMVyVgndP13tRiZVmuys2t3-wb7FRO_rrmh7tdM9mD_cQUNCTpWp3w-l/s3968/david-lou.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vTsfGAQiX18IuUzN6OIKC-KLLXDlW_obgVR3TzF-cu8A7sBudgAKhuseNkJLEtk9cS0JohSSZG73wikYAgddwYFK_iY-LVSeWtSEc7CsXF3JnLqOg4IXQpLfgcgFPMVyVgndP13tRiZVmuys2t3-wb7FRO_rrmh7tdM9mD_cQUNCTpWp3w-l/w480-h640/david-lou.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>David M. is the person that I (obviously) know best of the players, and his voice is ideally suited for "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU5bArEiA7U" target="_blank">The Bed</a>," which is a real outlier of the songs people are choosing: "bummer Lou," off <i>Berlin,</i> Lou's most depressing album. But it's nestled between humorous material ("The New Reindeer 2013" can be heard <a href="https://nofunofficial.bandcamp.com/track/the-new-reindeer-2013" target="_blank">here</a>. from the year of Lou's death, plus there's a song inspired by David's delightful, departed animal companion Ozzy, who once humped my leg, and a Gorgo ad -- a very silly David M/ NO FUN tradition.) So you get a bit of everything, there -- suicide and whimsy, the David M. way. </p><p>M. is the person I know best of the people on the list, obviously. But I didn't know <a href="https://coraandthemoon.bandcamp.com/album/just-a-phase" target="_blank">Cora & the Moon </a> were before just now, and now I want their record (cute cover, cute title... wow). "I Found a Reason" is my favourite song off <i>Loaded, </i>and they sound perfect for it<i>.</i>.. and it looks like Paul Rigby is in the band! Holy crap! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUo1ROWTVnwp1gt41aPo9iuonTsWxsapRSrukifDBd0OkTy_a-SHy9zEsTUetosYLoSyI8D-HN-2UVNDeyXuySyIOFgw8n7lKbP65GPoOPKL55Sn-a0SjYFEo91tE1xICjLKlqZ1JjkBkllxgZzhuW38fgQtim5oKyyyc9OJ_2vD54wTzwcYK4/s1200/cora.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUo1ROWTVnwp1gt41aPo9iuonTsWxsapRSrukifDBd0OkTy_a-SHy9zEsTUetosYLoSyI8D-HN-2UVNDeyXuySyIOFgw8n7lKbP65GPoOPKL55Sn-a0SjYFEo91tE1xICjLKlqZ1JjkBkllxgZzhuW38fgQtim5oKyyyc9OJ_2vD54wTzwcYK4/w640-h640/cora.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>DB3 is Ani Kyd Wolf's new project with Don Binns and Don Short... isn't this also her in the pic for <a href="https://newspacepimps.bandcamp.com/track/space-girl" target="_blank">a song by New Space Pimps</a>, too? Is she in two bands, or...? I wonder if the DB3 will be following the Velvets' version of "Heroin" or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRG3wHaQVR4" target="_blank">the <i>Rock'n Roll Animal</i> one</a>? I gather Ani is clean and sober, looking really fit and bright these days, so "Heroin" is a somewhat provocative choice. Incidentally, there are some appealing "reaction" videos to "Heroin" on Youtube... I liked watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJSVYUVvIbc" target="_blank">this guy</a> hear the song for the first time -- how he perks up when Lou starts the vocal, say; I was impressed that he instantly picked up Lou's Bob Dylan influence, which is not so obvious on this song (but is elsewhere on the album)...</p><p>Pill Squad is doing three songs -- one the aforesaid "Femme Fatale," but also, the prospect of Tim Chan singing "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTBpapWCDDo" target="_blank">Kill Your Sons</a>" sounds pretty cool... "Kill Your Sons" is a great, unheralded mid-period Lou song and could easily be connected to the horrible shit going on in Gaza right now (Tim may not intend the connection, here -- it's his bandmates who tend to the political, generally - but <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/1/global-condemnation-grows-over-israels-killing-of-gaza-aid-seekers" target="_blank">Israeli soldiers shooting into a crowd of starved Gazans getting flour is just fucking horrifying</a>. I mean, I hated Hamas for what they did on October 7th but they have so effectively provoked Israel into atrocities that I'm now starting to wonder if there might not be a lasting peace after this current war. It seems unlikely, and there are <i>way too many martyrs</i> for it to seem worth the cost, at this point, but maybe when all the blood is spilled there will be some cause for hope? I was ranting here awhile back about <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2024/01/7am-and-reading.html" target="_blank">how obscene "the War of the Flea" seems</a> -- deliberately provoking your enemy to inflict mass casualties on <i>your own population,</i> then claiming it is your enemy's fault -- but I guess I'll judge the tree by its fruits, as they say. Anyhow... I digress). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqz4JdRH1NcPIuSZg9feG9rqKax8EPKpy0mkZq157xhtD4Ymdby1hm8l03mEP5DS1QQgxvsbndGWuZlXYVDX-BteoR9tYdA-BC0aHu3P-vPjLtHDn47ILngx4rYDKHjmwdJriv1rJ3-hIckXJ_MLk3vexIRXknHHoBkaeTqjvCpoenqI2EA4ff/s600/magic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="600" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqz4JdRH1NcPIuSZg9feG9rqKax8EPKpy0mkZq157xhtD4Ymdby1hm8l03mEP5DS1QQgxvsbndGWuZlXYVDX-BteoR9tYdA-BC0aHu3P-vPjLtHDn47ILngx4rYDKHjmwdJriv1rJ3-hIckXJ_MLk3vexIRXknHHoBkaeTqjvCpoenqI2EA4ff/w640-h636/magic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Re: Zafirios, it's really nice to see "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO0uxodErD0" target="_blank">What's Good</a>" repped (the only song off <i>Magic & Loss </i>in the night, unless I missed something, and subject of a video I never saw, which I just linked; this is another essential Lou album for people who are stuck in the 1970s and has another song I'd love to see covered at a future event someday, "Warrior King"). I love the image of "bacon and ice cream" in the lyrics and in fact have a playlist on my phone called, no foolin', <i>Bacon and Ice Cream</i>, which starts with this song. I think I have seen Zafirios once before but not sure when... great song choice...</p><p>...and speaking of (kinda) later Lou, <a href="http://www.dougandrewmusic.com/" target="_blank">Circus in Flames</a>, fronted by Doug Andrew of Shanghai Dog, is going to crack the seal on <i>New York,</i> which, like I say, is one of the only Lou albums to appear in that Akasaka Blitz main set, in the form of one of the songs Doug will be doing. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J-aQAkz94Q" target="_blank">This clip</a> of that song (I am leaving the title out to not to spoil it for surprise-seekers) is from that Dusseldorf concert but is a fair approximation of what I saw in Japan that night. As for<i> New York</i>, Crushed Velvet (who?) will also be doing "Dirty Blvd" off that album, later... </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFKtOcJUefszCZO7SndQ22KF9X6oduHu69qkuV2h-EIX1pMKeC4DOl-6RHPoxhG0DSpxIfbbEVNDX-C7jSZclq1pxhZAOC9h5kz5-hOxNaqsfEC-0GklgJgKlNd-sbeYMQMMsPagftPs9OqA7bu8yKGe_UxuaaqOLyMxyEVXv79BVfIWvJhuA/s970/lou-vicious.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFKtOcJUefszCZO7SndQ22KF9X6oduHu69qkuV2h-EIX1pMKeC4DOl-6RHPoxhG0DSpxIfbbEVNDX-C7jSZclq1pxhZAOC9h5kz5-hOxNaqsfEC-0GklgJgKlNd-sbeYMQMMsPagftPs9OqA7bu8yKGe_UxuaaqOLyMxyEVXv79BVfIWvJhuA/s320/lou-vicious.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>I think the Lulus are doing mostly the same set as the last year but with a different drummer, plus I am not sure if they did "Rock'n Roll." The Eds gravitate towards that mid-70s Lou thing, which I do not -- the least-played Lou Reed album in my house is probably <i>Transformer -- </i>but they did muscular, pumpin' versions of "Vicious," "Hangin' Round" and "I'm So Free" last year, with Tony Lee on drums. And their spelling mistakes can be fun at times: "Viscious," in the red bubble below, has prompted me to go a step further into singing, to the same tune, "<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viscous" target="_blank">Viscous</a>," as in, "Viscous... you got me thick and sticky... you're slimy and you're slippy... oh baby you're so viscous." <p></p><p>It is really unlikely I will still be there after that -- it will be around 12:30 when they finish, if things go to plan (which they don't always do). I am glad <a href="https://soundcloud.com/leonard-pennifold" target="_blank">Leonard Pennifold</a> is putting "Sunday Morning" into the mix but it will technically BE Sunday morning when he performs it and... well, we'll see.</p><p>Rocket #9, the second-to-last band on the bill, gets some credit for deep diving, but their deep dive goes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r998weOUiM" target="_blank">pretty far back in time</a>, to those early, primitive Primitives recordings Lou and Cale did, pre-Velvets. But I wonder how sincerely they're going to attempt to replicate the first "song" on their setlist? If they do more than a minute of it, they could clear the room... </p><p>Which is too bad, because <a href="https://gnashrambler1.bandcamp.com/album/gnash-rambler" target="_blank">Gnick Gnash</a> gets kudos for the cleverest song choices of the night, doing a suite of three songs whose titles share a common element. I like the closer, in particular - a great song to end the night on, for those who stick it out to the very end. </p><p>More about the Lou Reed Tribute Night <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/346074088297360" target="_blank">here</a>. Now does Red Cat have that Cora and the Moon record...? I think I have a stamp card nearly full...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjko7Wjcn3UK4RK5spq_8iSk3wcfgDS0RkwlUjShOs-NIs46ucC-xgv8P7RN27uClbwK7eR6ZTkahB0YKg-7pCEktflBf1iiGpzF6anXahJqBSUShnJfebMh8Dc4Bsoa_YHw81OQzcqZ48fEsHfcLsODIkAHzc8kLUOfqU0NpqbLLpFS7G8nWox/s844/lou%20nite.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="844" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjko7Wjcn3UK4RK5spq_8iSk3wcfgDS0RkwlUjShOs-NIs46ucC-xgv8P7RN27uClbwK7eR6ZTkahB0YKg-7pCEktflBf1iiGpzF6anXahJqBSUShnJfebMh8Dc4Bsoa_YHw81OQzcqZ48fEsHfcLsODIkAHzc8kLUOfqU0NpqbLLpFS7G8nWox/w640-h514/lou%20nite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-39447310577808703602024-02-24T09:15:00.000-08:002024-02-28T15:05:02.985-08:00BUT WILL THERE BE SNAKES? Some thoughts on the Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter and charismatic Christianity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNDccUz8oFJ5Zklve3EF56Y5VV8csY3KondfTVApgET4oQ9DbUmUZvN_jyNGW3M4BNyNkvqFHWRk4mvWW7RsyvUtZYTPAJWUaH73_6a4qp7QpKAYOeqcVvtQiIaXw5a96ssXcQjHHCi8IIp2FBsM_L8BTv2HG6O94lrPDfN0sFY0RaiGZ9nr_/s1300/cancelled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1300" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNDccUz8oFJ5Zklve3EF56Y5VV8csY3KondfTVApgET4oQ9DbUmUZvN_jyNGW3M4BNyNkvqFHWRk4mvWW7RsyvUtZYTPAJWUaH73_6a4qp7QpKAYOeqcVvtQiIaXw5a96ssXcQjHHCi8IIp2FBsM_L8BTv2HG6O94lrPDfN0sFY0RaiGZ9nr_/s320/cancelled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">DAMMIT THE SHOW IS CANCELLED, and not in the sense that it's become politically verboten: she's got a fever and is sidelined in Portland.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">DAMMIT! So it goes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/reverend-kristin-michael-hayter/ </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF79fDIPid706VFGU5O3AGw8SQVlnie2dxRPIbROjGC5op4Q9PCsTOqr-xf21rEX4RcezpA8ggwMkxd__y1xeFnqC6e-MKDWCksbjWMsXcVkNN8LXLjytIIGVX0PHFaWS9os3hPFThI6L7bUukYb-rdBfXrw3ovoyuRxwGD8II7LLMHV6_lMK8/s2700/hayter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="2700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF79fDIPid706VFGU5O3AGw8SQVlnie2dxRPIbROjGC5op4Q9PCsTOqr-xf21rEX4RcezpA8ggwMkxd__y1xeFnqC6e-MKDWCksbjWMsXcVkNN8LXLjytIIGVX0PHFaWS9os3hPFThI6L7bUukYb-rdBfXrw3ovoyuRxwGD8II7LLMHV6_lMK8/w640-h640/hayter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>EDITED TO ADD: I am coming fresh to the Reverend Hayter's works and wrote this without much foreknowledge of what to expect. I had not paid attention to Lingua Ignota, and did not realize that she'd done sold-out shows here under that name, also at the Rickshaw. There are lots of things to play catchup with, lots of better-informed readings of her work than mine (see </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VPPRjsN4yE" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">here</a><i>, for instance, for a record review of her current album, </i>Saved!<i>, or </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHIwxV7_Cws" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">here</a><i>, for a past interview with Hayter nearing the end of the Lingua Ignota project). Do note that Wednesday's show at the Rickshaw will be all-seated; that </i><a href="https://www.tickets.f7entertainment.com/reverendkristinmichaelhayter-rickshawtheatre" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">some pages</a><i> (though </i><a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/reverend-kristin-michael-hayter/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">not the Rickshaw's</a><i>) note that Vancouver noise artist </i><a href="https://therita.bandcamp.com/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Rita</a><i> will be opening; that there are actually two albums of relevance to the show, </i><a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/album/saved" target="_blank">Saved!</a> <i>and </i><a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/album/saved-the-index" target="_blank">Saved! The Index</a><i>; and that in many ways the standout track on those albums, at least on short exposure, is "</i><a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/track/how-can-i-keep-from-singing" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">How Can I Keep from Singing,</a><i>" which has piano that reminds one of Diamanda Galas, vocals that do not, and a layered background track of glossolalia (speaking in tongues), which you really need to stick around for to get the full effect. Yes, I have let Chris Towers of <a href="https://www.canuckistanmusic.com/index.php?maid=685" target="_blank">The New Creation </a>know about this gig. . </i></p><p><i>Oh, also note that she apparently really did get ordained (I believe I heard that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeSUS1ySYTs" target="_blank">here</a> -- she describes it somewhat archly, disparaging her own qualifications, making it sound like the "Vegas wedding" of ordinations); that her background is also, it turns out, Catholic; and that I'm going to bring a copy of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_on_Sand_Mountain" target="_blank">this book</a> to gift to her as a gift, though no, there won't be snakes; my title is cheap. But snakes are not irrelevant and I really do hope to get one of those t-shirts... </i><i>Now we go back in time to me, knowing nothing of the Reverend Hayter or Lingua Ignota, trying to orient myself: </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLwpp2yAakOK5lhnFlOVGxL38PLuaWO-pzj_IPw_8IAwplBIhtuMjKmQuwQGXYS_88Mm6Oi7dXYykhRVXd4jZTKR3BlorL-cUv279b25OaFe6sa6zlc-93wOIaQkGo4h7sHcz6HC58IeHY8ZYlQ0_qlW1vjGgIOe6-K7p0m4LhaOum9Guob_L/s500/salvation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLwpp2yAakOK5lhnFlOVGxL38PLuaWO-pzj_IPw_8IAwplBIhtuMjKmQuwQGXYS_88Mm6Oi7dXYykhRVXd4jZTKR3BlorL-cUv279b25OaFe6sa6zlc-93wOIaQkGo4h7sHcz6HC58IeHY8ZYlQ0_qlW1vjGgIOe6-K7p0m4LhaOum9Guob_L/w414-h640/salvation.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>I was raised Catholic. Going to church on Sundays was fucking dull, often smelling strange (worse than the worst New Age bookstore, a cloying incense reek) and involving bizarre ritualized behaviours that were hard on the knees (kneel/ sit/ stand/ kneel, over and over; I never knew what the cues were, just followed everyone else, and never received an interesting or satisfying answer to the "why are we doing this" question; I wasn't convinced my parents knew, either). Everyone seemed stiff and uncomfortable, there was always a baby crying in the back, there were prayers that I could get little meaning from and some of<i> the dullest fucking music ever made</i> (there is LOTS of great gospel out there but none of that happened in our church!). It's kind of bizarre how un-moving the services were, considering they were generally about the teachings of someone who did things like throw people out of a house of worship for conducting business, who even allegedly "<a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/MAT.21.12-13" target="_blank">overturned their tables</a>," while he was at it, suggesting some<i> passion</i> in the act. Christ instructs people to go out and minister to the poor, to reject material wealth, to confront hypocrisy, and to <i>not make an idol of him</i>; I don't think gathering in your Sunday best in front of his statue and talking about how great he was or how devoted you are to him actually would impress him much: "Why aren't you gathered in here instead of being out there, ministering to the poor? Why are you dressed like that? <i>What's with the statue of me?</i> Didn't you read the part where I said..." </p><p>On the other hand, I think Christ would at least be <i>entertained </i>by charismatic Christianity: "Okay, no, to be clear, this is also <i>not what I meant you should do</i>; but it's way more fun than what they're doing down the street." Electric guitars? Speaking in tongues? Drinking strychnine to prove your faith? Feckin' <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling_in_Christianity" target="_blank">snake handling</a></i>? ("What on earth does this have to do with my teachings? No... what?... these people are<i> insane</i>... but let me watch for a minute.")</p><p>I actually wrote a paper on snake handling, once, so I know a bit about its origins -- that its founder, George Went Hensley, was inspired by a piece of gospel that suggested that "these signs shall follow" the faithful, that they would not succumb to poisons, nor die if bit by serpents: which made him all excited to go find a rattlesnake, pick it up, and see what happened (he ignored that other bit of scripture about <i>not tempting the Lord thy God</i>, and his followers apparently ignored the fact that years later the same man would <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Went_Hensley" target="_blank">die vomiting blood</a> after having been bitten by one of his rattlers, which kind of suggests either that <i>the signs lied </i>or that <i>he was not one of the faithful,</i> either of which, you might think, would serve to discourage people from following his example, to say nothing of his painful, spectacular death, which he embraced while refusing medical treatment, because it's God's will and all that; if that's not enough to put you off a movement, well...). Note that that one dubiously-interpreted passage aside, there are<i> no scriptural precedents</i> for picking up snakes as an act of worship, though there was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophites" target="_blank">an early snake-worshipping Gnostic sect</a> called the Ophites who thought the snake was in fact the second coming of Christ (it's been awhile since I wrote that paper so pardon me if I can't explain). But the snake handlers are not Ophites, and the snakes they handle aren't, in their eyes, manifestations of Christ, as far as I know (which is what the Ophites believed), but, uh,<i> actual snakes </i>(or possibly symbols of Satan?). Conversely, while<i> </i>the Ophites were into the snakes, from what I've read, they didn't hand them around -- they kept them on the altar and prayed to them, or something, but didn't dare them to bite. </p><p>The things people do in the name of religion...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJmRMYti-lHBaNBb6KO7eHb2nNwJotAy_kHiJHRNYWCqNvRj1D1ibXjLDCo4L5Y9SC7yXWNv_Yh_7KdXZ0H9uHs7nXh8eJqy2z3s2AK5u7M4Migk0F3FzWC2LAG8CEj3aNBMed4R-QX5PQOPPsA1Pr_TYd5ANmmUvwycZSAwtWAfzZoBEMv6K/s512/snakes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="512" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJmRMYti-lHBaNBb6KO7eHb2nNwJotAy_kHiJHRNYWCqNvRj1D1ibXjLDCo4L5Y9SC7yXWNv_Yh_7KdXZ0H9uHs7nXh8eJqy2z3s2AK5u7M4Migk0F3FzWC2LAG8CEj3aNBMed4R-QX5PQOPPsA1Pr_TYd5ANmmUvwycZSAwtWAfzZoBEMv6K/w640-h516/snakes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In fact, I am assuming that the Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/reverend-kristin-michael-hayter/" target="_blank">playing the Rickshaw on Wednesday</a>, draws a line in her artistic/ spiritual practice <i>well before you get to rattlesnakes.</i> Which is fine by me: much as I love the idea of snake handling -- since <i>I like snakes</i> and can think of no more insane (or colourful) manifestation of Christian worship; it's like passing around a partially-loaded gun and saying, "If you trust God, pull the trigger" --<i> if someone breaks out rattlesnakes</i> at the Rickshaw on Wednesday, I'm fucking leaving. </p><p>Or at least moving to the back. </p><p>HOWEVER: </p><p>1. It does sound like <i>there may be some <a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/track/tongues-extended" target="_blank">speaking in tongues</a>! </i>(There certainly is on the two records of relevance to this show,<i> Saved! </i>and <i>Saved: The Index</i>). </p><p>2. What the Reverend (really!) Hayter is doing sounds extreme enough in some of its manifestations that there is at least some cause for concern about her mental health. Her dissertation, we gather, was entitled <a href="Burn Everything Trust No One Kill Yourself"><i>Burn Everything Trust No One Kill Yourself</i></a> (!), which sounds a bit extreme, as, we gather, is <a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/album/all-bitches-die-2" target="_blank">some of her previous work as Lingua Ignota</a>. And according to <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/reverend-kristin-michael-hayter/" target="_blank">the show description on the Rickshaw page</a>, her speaking in tongues is achieved by "self-imposing a variety of conditions; sleep deprivation, fasting, repetition of prayer, and sensory overstimulation." <i>What?</i> I've seen some pretty bizarre hijinks in my time as a punk -- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx2MpMBnvQY" target="_blank">Facepuller</a> throwing a running lawnmower* into the pit at a show at the Cruel Elephant remains a favourite example, as does (though I wasn't there) the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQZ4Out4MKg" target="_blank">Spores</a> show where Danny swung a length of cow intestine like a lasso, not realizing it was still full of blood and shit -- but I haven't heard of anyone using <i>sleep deprivation</i> as an aspect of their performance. </p><p>Plus the same show description itself touches on the question of mental illness: " SAVED! is a renunciation of life. Here solace is found in absolute retreat from the world, far from pain and sin, burning with the holy fire until the end comes. And it is written: as you are when the end comes, so will you be when you must face Him. Whether this is enlightenment or insanity is up to the listener to decide."</p><p>3. And while I brought up snake handling mostly to be provocative, it turns out that it's way more relevant than I realized when I began writing this: for instance, Hayter's label, Perpetual Flame Ministries, did have a snake handling t-shirt for a time. To which I say, "Does it come in 3XL?"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcnYqwpJIXS8s5tL8XW9hC3OwPNn4fRZKZ3J49e7fvkpc1VacTJ7S4TLCFip1QFyOUNv0oG41FtRYrlWNMfgRUlCx_hrsrU6IrT6HFK6mDoOyWiUH4la5_V4WSrrrWB3UjWpAYoLp8dTIyxrz-qZtLNl5lip_c-BskWFybSnzWYUTAwBvq0U-/s271/snakes2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="186" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcnYqwpJIXS8s5tL8XW9hC3OwPNn4fRZKZ3J49e7fvkpc1VacTJ7S4TLCFip1QFyOUNv0oG41FtRYrlWNMfgRUlCx_hrsrU6IrT6HFK6mDoOyWiUH4la5_V4WSrrrWB3UjWpAYoLp8dTIyxrz-qZtLNl5lip_c-BskWFybSnzWYUTAwBvq0U-/w274-h400/snakes2.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><p>And in fact, if you Google "<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=kristin+hayter+snake+handling&rlz=1C1ONGR_enCA1027CA1027&oq=kristi&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEEUYJxg7Mg4IABBFGCcYOxiABBiKBTIICAEQRRgnGDsyDQgCEC4YgwEYsQMYgAQyBggDEEUYOTIPCAQQLhgUGIcCGLEDGIAEMgYIBRBFGDwyBggGEEUYPDIGCAcQRRg90gEIMzM5OWowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Kristin Hayter snake handling</a>," you get a few hits, though they are descriptions of her recorded music, not her concerts (ie., "I get snake-handling church vibes through the way this song is arranged," from <a href="https://medium.com/the-riff/album-review-saved-by-reverend-kristin-michael-hayter-605d2983829e" target="_blank">this site</a>, talking about the song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYDto_cLLSI" target="_blank">Nothing but the Blood of Jesus</a>"). And there is even an image from a snake handling service on one of Hayter's posters, which is also used as their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/perpetualflameministries" target="_blank">Facebook banner</a>. Which image, I think, involves some of the same people photographed above, actually...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMGJvCj-R7q4xDUrvSP0LtM-PLQgqSB6AeLyIE5937mS7veWy0xQ8T8BK8ih11LelxwkC8kEWAJ9D9CvgX5HZf9T2UdgfzJ3hyphenhyphenIQCOazZ4pgDfqL6dW6TH1sN67zyoaAwR7PGpldVz3QMUKNQ89oMbtkHz77_779QnZ7i7I7SQ7srRitqGcn0/s1275/PerpetualFlame11x17-small.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMGJvCj-R7q4xDUrvSP0LtM-PLQgqSB6AeLyIE5937mS7veWy0xQ8T8BK8ih11LelxwkC8kEWAJ9D9CvgX5HZf9T2UdgfzJ3hyphenhyphenIQCOazZ4pgDfqL6dW6TH1sN67zyoaAwR7PGpldVz3QMUKNQ89oMbtkHz77_779QnZ7i7I7SQ7srRitqGcn0/w414-h640/PerpetualFlame11x17-small.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p>I expect, piquant as all this is, that in fact, what we will see on Wednesday might actually resemble more of an least<i> somewhat </i>conventional concert -- that it's going to have more in common with seeing, say, Diamanda Galas than an actual tent revival (<a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/track/were-you-there-when-they-crucified-my-lord" target="_blank">Hayter</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLb4PDg6qG8" target="_blank">Galas</a> cover the same song, even; I prefer Hayter's version). I could be wrong, but the impression I get from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeSUS1ySYTs" target="_blank">seeing Hayter interviewed</a> is that of an intelligent, sincere artist who is using elements of ecstatic Christianity as an entry point into self-exploration (see also <a href="https://www.kerrang.com/reverend-kristin-michael-hayter-kerrang-cover-story-interview-lingua-ignota-new-album-saved" target="_blank">this <i>Kerrang!</i> interview</a>). She is some sort of on-and-off Christian, so it's not an insincere or ironic engagement with faith that we're witnessing, but she has said that her relationship with God is complicated, which all the best relationships with God are... I assume that <i>none of the things that actually make me uncomfortable about Christianity will manifest </i>-- that none of us will be expected to kneel on the floor or the Rickshaw (though I bet it's more comfortable than the bar we had to kneel on in church); that no one is going to threaten me with hell if I don't join their dumb little club; and that Hayter isn't going to go on any rants about homosexuality (leave it to the guy with the microphone who testifies out in front of Metrotown Station, telling us that we must have "no homo sex;" you kind of wish he'd just<i> get over it and suck some cock,</i> like he so obviously wants to do). In fact, relevant or not, in emphasizing stuff like speaking in tongues and snake handling, I've been trying to titillate readers, to get people curious about the show, but really what I think the reasonable selling point is, is, uh, <a href="https://linguaignota.bandcamp.com/album/saved" target="_blank">the music</a>.</p><p>Which I really like, so far. It sure beats the shit out of the hymns of my youth. I actually want to save my experience of this for the concert setting, so I've only dipped a toe into the recorded works, but I'll be there at the Rickshaw Wednesday to see what this looks like in the flesh. I don't really know what to expect, but isn't it more exciting, that way?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1-qjabz3Qoy6THcKOoqTD7lIf5HLBXmMsuEEnIRwxXWQJdJ26gaifWRyf_mxOtU54cd0ytgTgCwjduD9CXwWHd5dapOjcwN7HWZAGfwLm0Q6AJwjcAfk7yhWP6NesA863x0i8YaV_1rS2JlgiqD5kN8ZU7n8xyLOcZNk7lXkk6ErsP8zRu1C/s1200/saved.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1-qjabz3Qoy6THcKOoqTD7lIf5HLBXmMsuEEnIRwxXWQJdJ26gaifWRyf_mxOtU54cd0ytgTgCwjduD9CXwWHd5dapOjcwN7HWZAGfwLm0Q6AJwjcAfk7yhWP6NesA863x0i8YaV_1rS2JlgiqD5kN8ZU7n8xyLOcZNk7lXkk6ErsP8zRu1C/w610-h640/saved.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><p>More about the Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter <a href="https://www.perpetualflameministries.com/" target="_blank">here</a>; more on the Rickshaw show <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/reverend-kristin-michael-hayter/" target="_blank">here</a>; and listen to the song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpfxWktjEKA" target="_blank">All My Friends are Going to Hell</a>," while you're there (and check out this song by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8m5RLAXFsQ" target="_blank">Knights of the New Crusade</a>, while you're at it; they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrzaIfC0Ji4" target="_blank">speak in tongues</a>, too!). </p><p>Oh, and by the way, Perpetual Flame Ministries also involves one of the people from Ontario metal band <a href="https://www.vilecreature.net/" target="_blank">Vile Creature</a>, <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/lingua-ignota-and-vile-creature-kw-campol-launch-chicago-arts-festival/" target="_blank">KW Campol</a>, though I have no idea if he's on this tour. </p><p><br /></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>*the lawnmower was </i>sans<i> blade, it turns out, but none of us knew that at the time. </i></p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-10625456009014708262024-02-21T07:21:00.000-08:002024-02-21T19:06:34.062-08:00Was that a wet dream? (...a strange random queer orgasm in the night)<p>...So there is some sexual detail in this blogpost, as you may gather. </p><p>I think my last wet dream was in 2008; I was staying at my parents' for a weekend visit, back when both were still alive, sleeping on their couch. I don't think my Mom had had her stroke, yet. I dreamed that a local writer I know (male!) was sucking me off and woke up with a wet spot in the front of my shorts -- an embarrassing thing to have to conceal and clean up when your parents are awake before you! Anyhow, I would have been 40, then; if I have had a wet dream since, I haven't noticed it.</p><p>I do sometimes have sexual dreams, but they rarely involve other people. Usually I'm trying to find a place to masturbate (to straight porn; there is no queer element to these dreams), but I keep getting interrupted; I wake up unsatisfied, with an erection, which usually correlates to a strong need to pee. Never do I reach orgasm in these dreams, even if it is ONLY in the dream; they're quite frustrating -- wankus interruptus. </p><p>The other week, things changed up, however. I had a dream where I was having sex with a young Asian-Canadian man; we were in his bedroom in his parents' home. I am not sure if I was also younger; the dream has no elements of reality in it, so I have no idea who he was supposed to be, or even if I was supposed to be myself. But we were fucking, and he warned me that we should stop, because if we continued, our ejaculations would stain the sheets and his parents would find out about it. There would be no way to clean up and keep closeted. </p><p>I thought about it for a second, considered my priorities, and decided,<i> fuckit, I'm coming!</i> So I grabbed myself, gave a few strokes, and exploded semen all over the bedsheets.</p><p>The young man was freaked out. His sister came into the room and he explained to her, begging her to help. I was sitting naked in the bedsheets, enormous gobs of semen all over the place (it didn't look much like semen, but was clear and had the sparkly sheen of a petroleum biproduct). I felt kind of pleased with myself.</p><p>Then I woke up and checked my shorts to see if it had been a wet dream. It felt like it might have been -- there certainly was an orgasm of some sort involved in the dream, or the sensation of one (can one have the sensation of an orgasm without it actually having been an orgasm?), even if (assuming orgasm and ejaculation can be separated) I had not actually produced any goo, I had all the other feelings I associate with coming -- the tingling explosion of light shooting up the spine, the burst behind the eyes, etc. </p><p>Anyhow, there was nothing in my shorts that I could find. I would have been kind of impressed and kind of mortified (56 years old and still coming in his pants!). </p><p>At least it wasn't another dream where I couldn't manage to jerk off, though. Those are annoying. </p><p><i>Post-script: 20 people have read my sex dream since I posted it this morning. </i></p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-82708211176445649572024-02-20T00:38:00.000-08:002024-02-20T00:38:37.891-08:00Los Furios with Dragstrip Devils (top), Cawama (middle), Melody Mangler (red) and Justin Sane (brunette), February 24th at the Rickshaw!<p>Great night last night at the Rickshaw for the Los Furios homecoming show, their first in Vancouver since pre-COVID times. Very full house, more than Mo or I had expected; it was main-floor only, no balcony, that I could see, but it was still pretty packed, so it looks like <a href="https://montecristomagazine.com/arts/b-c-ska-band-went-big%e2%81%a0-mexico" target="_blank">my press support</a> actually made a difference? (A few people actually cheered when Kyle gave a shout out to "my man Allan" who did the article, so somebody seemed to have read it!). Shot some vid of (Kelowna psychobilly band) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXa-yG6DN2w" target="_blank">Dragstrip Devils</a> (who were fast and tight and playful) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLAE4ECkz8Q" target="_blank">Los Furios</a> (in fine form for their big Vancouver comeback show), but I only snapped pics of (Vancouver/ Latino surf punks) Cawama, because I was saving my battery (but holy hell their cover of "Too Drunk to Fuck" was grand; there is a past clip of them doing it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUwUdvAITKe/" target="_blank">here</a>). I checked out shortly after Los Furios did "Crazy World," which Kyle prefaced with some sensitively-worded stuff about supporting a ceasefire in Gaza, so I missed the last few songs -- footsore and exhausted after a very long day, I stuck around only long enough through "Body Bag" to determine that it wasn't a Nomeansno cover -- but it was really fun to dance to "Revolution Rock," and I learned a few new favourite Los Furios tunes (like the exuberant, punky "<a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/track/one-last-time" target="_blank">One Last Time</a>," which was my fave of the songs they did that I did not already know). They also did a song off their upcoming album, <i>Old Ghosts</i> -- which should surface on <a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">their bandcamp</a> any day -- which gives some sage advice about not opening the door when the doubts and regrets and so forth of your past come knocking. I can't remember the actual chorus now, but I could see Jonny Bones of (fellow ska-punk travellers) the Bone Daddies in the audience, singing along from the gitgo. Bones is a fast study, I guess!</p><p>Nice to be back in the Rickshaw -- feels like it's been awhile, don't think I've been there since <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/12/keithmas-xiv-at-rickshaw-2024.html" target="_blank">last Keithmas</a> -- but Squid and the Reverend Horton Heat are both coming soon. It was good to be back. </p><p>All photos by me. Everything on this blog is "not to be re-used without permission," but, like, just ask (<a href="https://www.adampwsmith.com/" target="_blank">Adam PW Smith</a> has professional-level shots if you're lookin'). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPURYVOTfBW2yYPO7whBoCPwdVZFH23nNaT7hNu38XpYl1z2RosmguDo6fM8b2idkRhhSN060Re0FRXTV5fksOWHEwWqA10163k8jFmlBonVqwVngZk5z9l1dfUf2G4dZ9upIyR6XnnuwK74A_7vGTQD8x9n-If-saWDtnJ0Lo3fUUHHSylf-R/s3968/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPURYVOTfBW2yYPO7whBoCPwdVZFH23nNaT7hNu38XpYl1z2RosmguDo6fM8b2idkRhhSN060Re0FRXTV5fksOWHEwWqA10163k8jFmlBonVqwVngZk5z9l1dfUf2G4dZ9upIyR6XnnuwK74A_7vGTQD8x9n-If-saWDtnJ0Lo3fUUHHSylf-R/w640-h480/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ_-yE7RKg2cXl4R16Q2OGGvprzthxuwi7kUJ3BxieISNuBnSxZ6fpQHCV1ipQS4fmrlkAjeLIB8E_13O_G___yOonsLt_kU1XT2e0BuqNa3N2b9Jf-SKIKEIT_eZBAi3pecD4jJzpwfqOBkH58YcEhL5OwVrKd7GpUO7h1EYNxSkvhLPb-Lc/w480-h640/25.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0NW6F-LHZsjZ3qOEt4xiDoaJJVW3jG9ZXPytU1hrasnTxRAjVzqG59pCZvzGa6VmT8ItdTcwzK1xaijcJ9gvFEPUBKP_L04mOZsgaPX_0pM7sidix0gn1Qd-Nfg3rGhSfy2X5NjRATdJJGPHJ00fOfcpIcNtjwe1o7RPrHNtTU4tljm1TKGz/s3968/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0NW6F-LHZsjZ3qOEt4xiDoaJJVW3jG9ZXPytU1hrasnTxRAjVzqG59pCZvzGa6VmT8ItdTcwzK1xaijcJ9gvFEPUBKP_L04mOZsgaPX_0pM7sidix0gn1Qd-Nfg3rGhSfy2X5NjRATdJJGPHJ00fOfcpIcNtjwe1o7RPrHNtTU4tljm1TKGz/w480-h640/26.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-3353007127104498852024-02-18T08:40:00.000-08:002024-02-20T16:27:09.398-08:00Concert organizer for spring? <p>I know that immunity from COVID does not last long, but still I figure that my last dose of COVID, in January, gives me a little bit of low-risk concert going for a few months, which I intend to take advantage of, even though I may well have caught that last dose <i>at</i> a concert. Here are some springtime shows I am keen on... </p><p>By the way, no one is paying me to promote anything or guestlisting me for a single show on this page. You're welcome to, promoters, but do not presume that that is WHY I am posting any of this. People may misunderstand, but this blog is NOT a commercial venture, just an expression of my love of music and my desire to support the scene. I have occasionally cadged a guestlisting for things based on this -- things I cannot afford, otherwise, usually -- but that is NOT what this is, today. Just some stuff I am excited about! </p><p>Anyhoo, gonna do <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/los-furios/" target="_blank">Los Furios</a> tonight (see <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2024/02/los-furios-sunday-at-rickshaw-and.html" target="_blank">the previous post</a>)... If I am really ambitious it might be a fun appetizer to see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/305082808815282/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_top_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D" target="_blank">Sinead X Sanders at the Princeton</a> starting at 5:30 but that may be pushin' it... After today, the next thing on my radar is La Chinga at the WISE next Friday:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RAnwBvc7P1oqV-vl6PmZPNgMsJx8AxvG4OZoxhRk5mV85NGFLWKjiPi1CE5mqyKctvvDRoaGueg6PDdn4-WKAPG6xDqC104TbUj4glfdWzk7ASCdgKuIWJKqrW-qBG0zSDvTANHWtH7OO2zlPUN2hyQ9CTFDJ8ipv76yZKWi1Jk-TGcdvmQ7/s1920/lc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RAnwBvc7P1oqV-vl6PmZPNgMsJx8AxvG4OZoxhRk5mV85NGFLWKjiPi1CE5mqyKctvvDRoaGueg6PDdn4-WKAPG6xDqC104TbUj4glfdWzk7ASCdgKuIWJKqrW-qBG0zSDvTANHWtH7OO2zlPUN2hyQ9CTFDJ8ipv76yZKWi1Jk-TGcdvmQ7/w640-h360/lc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I quite enjoyed La Chinga at <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/12/keithmas-xiv-at-rickshaw-2024.html" target="_blank">Keithmas</a>. They have a very big presence and I have enjoyed some of their music, but whether I go will depend on my mood and if it is sold out. I suspect it might -- we'll see! That plan may also be scuttled by the chance to see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/680187013754332/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_top_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D" target="_blank">Allison Russell at the Commodore</a>, which kind of has snuck up on me. I might suggest that to Erika... no shortage of options! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNokL8UQK0XALDHi9dGhxZ2tOUhIDcJGq_SzHDf0BFQ-D3zHo6Qd2623oUgHZqM9sRn1r9z-y4NLaoPnBRsNnL7kCo7wILS_3T6M_fEcq1JRiTzmCbefbLsExwA5HgufC0UlgSt8Xs1V6FYObTKV80J5UtSMqanFHkUDJddHaNI2Z2bOj-Cu0B/s1350/allison.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNokL8UQK0XALDHi9dGhxZ2tOUhIDcJGq_SzHDf0BFQ-D3zHo6Qd2623oUgHZqM9sRn1r9z-y4NLaoPnBRsNnL7kCo7wILS_3T6M_fEcq1JRiTzmCbefbLsExwA5HgufC0UlgSt8Xs1V6FYObTKV80J5UtSMqanFHkUDJddHaNI2Z2bOj-Cu0B/w512-h640/allison.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>Saturday the 24th it is <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/squid-2/" target="_blank">Squid at the Rickshaw</a>. Sold out, we gather, but that one I bought a ticket for. Sounds a bit like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU0XoFoqGkI" target="_blank">Don Caballero covering XTC imitating the Fall</a>. Maybe there will be a few tickets at the door?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOhBRcOighuCEg6emM2hrXOq_swn7chDmVheN3nQZVokaFa-CvtJSUAWx5XN1TP1DuWXBUIfgoREMVRr4I05Hvky5oPyFtw3EkQfZS58xDL6lE4GJiAyRQQMPDnyik-9Z35KNmc2oNt_7OhmLgp_xLXt8ZSOWuEahiwqRdZUuEiC40I8l16bR/s435/squid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOhBRcOighuCEg6emM2hrXOq_swn7chDmVheN3nQZVokaFa-CvtJSUAWx5XN1TP1DuWXBUIfgoREMVRr4I05Hvky5oPyFtw3EkQfZS58xDL6lE4GJiAyRQQMPDnyik-9Z35KNmc2oNt_7OhmLgp_xLXt8ZSOWuEahiwqRdZUuEiC40I8l16bR/w368-h400/squid.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><p>Luckily I do not think the other show on my radar that night is sold out, which might suit roots music fans better...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZe3tDxJVyfunzoyAeeZkHwIMXrzxyipHrGPQeHbZpIZBU4_hCx2oLCwCP2TosBPo9QjlIMXkTN-gSyuOfPPd1A2yYligsFAUIz0lZpQHTlC3xgbcFgVSxHXptmolIDcF7OwceZzanu1xgxLymWUScfiuwRMPEazJP5A7p6tNpgYwyqklEGyNA/s910/william.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="910" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZe3tDxJVyfunzoyAeeZkHwIMXrzxyipHrGPQeHbZpIZBU4_hCx2oLCwCP2TosBPo9QjlIMXkTN-gSyuOfPPd1A2yYligsFAUIz0lZpQHTlC3xgbcFgVSxHXptmolIDcF7OwceZzanu1xgxLymWUScfiuwRMPEazJP5A7p6tNpgYwyqklEGyNA/w640-h408/william.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>...that being First Nations country artist William Prince at the Orpheum (I wrote about him <a href="https://montecristomagazine.com/arts/moments-spirit-faith-hope-2023-vancouver-folk-music-festival" target="_blank">here</a> when he was last in town). I liked seeing him! And I liked <i><a href="https://williamprince.bandcamp.com/album/stand-in-the-joy" target="_blank">Stand in the Joy</a></i> best of the music of his I've heard.</p><p>Wednesday the 28th, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1413499922587296/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D" target="_blank">Kitty and the Rooster play the WISE</a>... maybe! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RsK3r89dwtALojFVZ3uPwxyQjWhwpcxF2VElYPcruH2b6nFr0RwVjahzcaa1Aar1a7kVI9ItSAkSdK96IC7IxxhWxcpgLTxfcj5E_4jEB88Bj_YH0on9ygFp-uZm0GusWpIgaVEzFMNHszYgPqmcPhENogme5iMkz-8VylM3_Ps-4wdknbyY/s2048/jc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RsK3r89dwtALojFVZ3uPwxyQjWhwpcxF2VElYPcruH2b6nFr0RwVjahzcaa1Aar1a7kVI9ItSAkSdK96IC7IxxhWxcpgLTxfcj5E_4jEB88Bj_YH0on9ygFp-uZm0GusWpIgaVEzFMNHszYgPqmcPhENogme5iMkz-8VylM3_Ps-4wdknbyY/w640-h480/jc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>March 1st I am considering (Ry's kid) <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/joachim-cooder-tickets-841949261907?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR26yGZcDIG1I1ayr9UPpq17ZsvxbjmmidiuCkewVJEXldJgRow3yEbr8hg" target="_blank">Joachim Cooder at St. James Community Hall</a>. I have seen him twice, again doing other people's music. His voice better suited covering the Grateful Dead ("Ripple" at Steve Dawson's Dead tribute at the last Folk Fest) than it did the Dylan songs I saw him do but his kalimba playing at the Dylan event was exquisite and fascinating. I don't have a full sense of what he does -- I believe I chatted with him briefly that night but only to ask what the heck to call his instrument: it was not your run-of-the-mill kalimba, but some sort of mega-sized electric one, quite compelling to watch. I have not figured out if he lives here or just likes it here -- he keeps playing here! -- but if Erika wants to go to this show, I'm down...</p><p>...though if she doesn't, I might just do <a href="https://crummy.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Crummy</a> that night, I think either at LanaLou's or the Princeton. I would love to see Crummy again but the stars have not aligned, it has been far too long. I gripe about neglecting local heroes in <a href="https://montecristomagazine.com/arts/b-c-ska-band-went-big%e2%81%a0-mexico" target="_blank">that Los Furios piece I did</a> but just because I am aware of the phenom does not mean I am not guilty of it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpB0wp2DouU3MTgYg1zqVRjvbrBA0yBZ-Yo4z34ojAj8GQNmQMfuiaPR6ULIZd2fWdItv4ELkyDuHifF87dBs_b7xycXcBAIe-CQ2NTLzMCC4Cx3jZPT7_SlPbFyiOqaxIqgVoH_BvGo9trq9_HMpqUS3laW7Ko-Lznz6IYm11SDPjJ2iIXop/s2048/crummy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpB0wp2DouU3MTgYg1zqVRjvbrBA0yBZ-Yo4z34ojAj8GQNmQMfuiaPR6ULIZd2fWdItv4ELkyDuHifF87dBs_b7xycXcBAIe-CQ2NTLzMCC4Cx3jZPT7_SlPbFyiOqaxIqgVoH_BvGo9trq9_HMpqUS3laW7Ko-Lznz6IYm11SDPjJ2iIXop/w480-h640/crummy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>But assuming I am going to miss that, maybe Crummy will be playing the Lou Reed tribute night, March 2nd? <a href="http://www.dougandrewmusic.com/" target="_blank">Doug Andrew and the Circus in Flames</a> are, and no doubt the Lulu's, with the Eds and Lisa Lloyd... I know I'm gonna get too much <i>Transformer </i>and not enough <i>Blue Mask</i> or <i>New York</i> and NO <i>Ecstasy</i> or <i>Set the Twilight Reeling,</i> though I might ask David M. (if he's playing) to do "Hookywooky" if he's willing. Someone should do "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlcUtjs7YIQ" target="_blank">Hookywooky</a>," anyhow. But maybe there are people who are going to take on the Velvets? </p><p>Come early for the meat draw, that was <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/03/just-tip-lou-reed-iceberg-and.html" target="_blank">the lesson last time</a>. I am going to keep going to this until I win some meat ("I'm waiting for my meat/ I came early to save a seat/ Down Commercial, the chicken plant stinks/ at least the Princeton has a beer I can drink/ I'm waiting for my meat...")</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom5-Q9aKO3x4-PULLFDxwiSrIcrLXw8TnOMJ0A7a3faaQUzwVtEcin76jrd8l-pRkQ8DyspQ3gevXuKVaaOgoUBAaZA9TS38zRecEqPE5rTf3y8uCBWxRG7PHB7pSYNVWmcnQ3p7VkmYXc-ltn4NMXg6T1DppPEoR_HQ-80mYyEeLGp5mUYSH/s1128/lou-reed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1128" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom5-Q9aKO3x4-PULLFDxwiSrIcrLXw8TnOMJ0A7a3faaQUzwVtEcin76jrd8l-pRkQ8DyspQ3gevXuKVaaOgoUBAaZA9TS38zRecEqPE5rTf3y8uCBWxRG7PHB7pSYNVWmcnQ3p7VkmYXc-ltn4NMXg6T1DppPEoR_HQ-80mYyEeLGp5mUYSH/w640-h280/lou-reed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>March 8th I am very keen to see Murray Acton back in action with <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/dayglo-abortions-w-golers-potbelly-skull-car-87-tickets-796782095697?aff=ebdsshother&fbclid=IwAR1R6lv-3AKknBuEwAYUyeKBVAM-_bBWDitTN_cif6SGySq-KcJJVtLjhrk" target="_blank">the Dayglo Abortions at the Waldorf</a>. I'm hearing great things about the revitalized band and very happy Murray has bounced back from his cancer ordeal. Cancer ordeals suck! Maybe I will wear my "Fuck Murray's cancer in the ass" button.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhdMRCSCi8B3E4z6b396K0C8U18C7k9mCEMQYv3ebRMvhLiSZOxTb_IXVGDIrreVPQKcgLBafRHlcMv0qzU7ghg02M1UKHQ7OxduOoadjmqj-GRqolj0-TQKujxIB9AHkV92eJgN6Y_LlaZ2R5bWf5Xmwy0gaVFqdQR2VRLQnHHItq103ifIT/s1280/waldorf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhdMRCSCi8B3E4z6b396K0C8U18C7k9mCEMQYv3ebRMvhLiSZOxTb_IXVGDIrreVPQKcgLBafRHlcMv0qzU7ghg02M1UKHQ7OxduOoadjmqj-GRqolj0-TQKujxIB9AHkV92eJgN6Y_LlaZ2R5bWf5Xmwy0gaVFqdQR2VRLQnHHItq103ifIT/w360-h640/waldorf.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><p>And speaking of the Dayglo Abortions, I don't know if there's a Vancouver show, but Blind Marc's solo project, Isolated Earthlings -- which Marc and I talk about <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/05/blind-and-proud-blind-marc-on.html" target="_blank">here</a> -- is on Friday, March 15th at Bully's in New West. Can't forget that! Looks like it might be a <a href="https://car87.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Car 87</a> gig... I have not heard them in awhile; as I recall, I saw them open for both The Rebel Spell and Bison, some time ago... I would gladly see them again, but it's Marc I'm coming for! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hMKRwxiW78p8EtQLSI49N2HosOx-sjYzijzl9q635OIHMMgiN0CgLoZza7wkeQWNpPaaKjhruT9oNVgHRg0TuiuJL0CpbiX6fbU8j6pCjqUDI19qBodFtaxIrqeOZfPAC_rhpGHNLdcSEOS1x5_UPzoNoEOGF0vals6LqF-A0ixHKjEIVjVE/s1350/bullys.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hMKRwxiW78p8EtQLSI49N2HosOx-sjYzijzl9q635OIHMMgiN0CgLoZza7wkeQWNpPaaKjhruT9oNVgHRg0TuiuJL0CpbiX6fbU8j6pCjqUDI19qBodFtaxIrqeOZfPAC_rhpGHNLdcSEOS1x5_UPzoNoEOGF0vals6LqF-A0ixHKjEIVjVE/w512-h640/bullys.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>There are probably some other things happening between March 15th and the next show on my radar, but Sunday, March 24th, it's Selina Martin at Green Auto. I interviewed her <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/04/being-between-selina-martin-interview.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If you don't know Selina, I have decided that the first song you should hear is "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd0aACsjb1U&t=100s" target="_blank">The Hottest Day</a>," which is kinda Pixies-ish, but <a href="https://selinamartin.bandcamp.com/album/time-spent-swimming" target="_blank">her new music</a> is more artful and complex and also very compelling. Tony Bardach will be sharing the bill, with <a href="https://thesmoke23.bandcamp.com/album/first-offence" target="_blank">his newest incarnation of Slowpoke and the Smoke</a> -- really a fun album! More to come on that.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVzQ9jUZHclwxKLifhqqO7-15zjYJTHKFOPl4_2WhxK7YhOFQ93AkX7M1Gjb3pnBXvdhI23icOGV60O8e3GhHHmg4ml6bZ4QJYYv0aeZN7NC8TGdWQkWD1y1U0TFrNoTjeK6YisBe2rh3Tzt0e5oAbDrg3Am7diQ6entLEzIbKaiAlNT4PLiJ/s618/rev.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVzQ9jUZHclwxKLifhqqO7-15zjYJTHKFOPl4_2WhxK7YhOFQ93AkX7M1Gjb3pnBXvdhI23icOGV60O8e3GhHHmg4ml6bZ4QJYYv0aeZN7NC8TGdWQkWD1y1U0TFrNoTjeK6YisBe2rh3Tzt0e5oAbDrg3Am7diQ6entLEzIbKaiAlNT4PLiJ/w414-h640/rev.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p>Tuesday, March 26th it's <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/reverend-horton-heat/" target="_blank">the Reverend Horton Heat</a> and some real cool guests whose music I do not know... that show is also sold out! After which, there's a local show I am keen to see a few days later -- the MeBats (formerly Stab'Em in the Abdomen), another local band I want to catch again sometime soon (again with the Eds), with aforesaid Doug Andrew and the Circus in Flames, and a newish band called Sudden Darts, which is actually the new project by John Werner, whom I interviewed at some length <a href="https://www.straight.com/music/1188256/john-werner-furies-pack-theatre-hate-and-vancouver-uk-punk-migration" target="_blank">here</a>. He's one of those mostly-unsung local heroes, playing with the Pack (with Kirk Brandon of Theatre of Hate and Spear of Destiny) in the UK, the (now retired?) Furies (Vancouver's first punk band), and the Graham Brown Band (Jr. Gone Wild connection, there). Sudden Darts is his rootsy new project, which I have not yet caught, but I like John a lot, a gentleman and a scholar and a very enjoyable bassist, so... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SvtR48pqkUeSWj5cd9ITpcIBwA0nG1ZzGyQ4wfkEuQTjDyrccYgvd1nD8oI0QGvrzIhLsP1dNoy5GkDQalhH5liGbNvG8rUNc4HmxuXyIJyQry-wIbOkwPTUI3hK92YvctAhI3y6sy0Z-aknldJ6iDo1hX89r9uVP9Yvd_6YXfyl8OSRnJem/s1309/me-bats.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="1309" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SvtR48pqkUeSWj5cd9ITpcIBwA0nG1ZzGyQ4wfkEuQTjDyrccYgvd1nD8oI0QGvrzIhLsP1dNoy5GkDQalhH5liGbNvG8rUNc4HmxuXyIJyQry-wIbOkwPTUI3hK92YvctAhI3y6sy0Z-aknldJ6iDo1hX89r9uVP9Yvd_6YXfyl8OSRnJem/w640-h464/me-bats.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Running out of gigs I'm aware of, but for sure, on April 19th, I want to do <a href="https://www.roguefolk.bc.ca/concerts/ev24041920" target="_blank">Steve Dawson's Rogue Folk event.</a> I loved the Dylan thing and am enjoying his music at home (I don't know it all, but I just was spinning <i><a href="https://stevedawson1.bandcamp.com/album/we-belong-to-the-gold-coast" target="_blank">We Belong to the Gold Coast</a></i>; it's great). I probably saw Zubot and Dawson live at 1067 once, but do not have clear memories -- that place was almost always just "going to 1067." </p><p>And April 22nd, I'm wondering if I want to see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/928210738564216/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_top_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D" target="_blank">Helmet</a> again. I last saw Helmet at the Town Pump, playing with TAD, around 1989 or 1990. Another show I might not buy an advanced ticket to, just see where the spirit takes me that night. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SYEh2aHtvQ" target="_blank">It's Sinatra's world</a>... do they still play that? </p><p>Also considering <a href="https://rickshawtheatre.com/show_listings/korpiklaani/" target="_blank">Korpilklaani</a> but again, only as the mood strikes me, if it isn't sold out! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVSzB0Cu_nAunMAhM8VfQhlAzUNrWN82YtO0EQEVA2CiLgaSBxyggcB5lLsldsX4Idw03sco10DFcX1zoMAfXjK8lAKmxzQiMCGNHaqqrlq9i7B4emJAx76hWxB91u49WR-wbBzDjDFgqbAoY743Wsl5y0NP2VdeJFCZ03v-DKGVQYtdEJf7e/s1920/gustaf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVSzB0Cu_nAunMAhM8VfQhlAzUNrWN82YtO0EQEVA2CiLgaSBxyggcB5lLsldsX4Idw03sco10DFcX1zoMAfXjK8lAKmxzQiMCGNHaqqrlq9i7B4emJAx76hWxB91u49WR-wbBzDjDFgqbAoY743Wsl5y0NP2VdeJFCZ03v-DKGVQYtdEJf7e/w640-h360/gustaf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Then it's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/745389767074610/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_top_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D" target="_blank">Gustaf, at the Fox</a>... May 2nd... dance punk, did an awesome job opening for the Sleaford Mods... <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B0uNhagXFE" target="_blank">shot some vid</a>... I could dance to this... they totally upstaged the Mods and even have three more views than the vid of them that I shot that night! </p><p>EDIT: My previous draft hinted at a big-time punk show not yet announced. This is Wait//Less, Dead Bob, and DOA at the Commodore. I have no idea how long it's been since DOA played the Commodore but I'm pretty sure I know how long it's been since John Wright played there, because I was there <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2006/06/nomeansno-at-commodore-with-zu.html" target="_blank">at the jazzfest in 2006</a> where Nomeansno did that "Bitches Brew" cover (with lyrics) with support from Italian free jazz band Zu. Which was awesome, but Dead Bob AND DOA at the Commodore...? Yeah!!</p><p>After that, I figure it's time to get my COVID booster. It's been awhile!</p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-31319604259500029372024-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:002024-02-18T06:33:03.352-08:00Los Furios EARLY SHOW Sunday at the Rickshaw (and online in Montecristo Magazine)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRrep_JLZbezuE-otan433fwBFJEX3uViClsFVQGLpDvzwENQHktPWZtXwyFXI9oInScP-gYar6-4BMfm6ibdyckAaFRDBlV1Y9LrH6cAD_f5K0KLpQwMfNjsTJ6ULrIZa9kl_8FgZrZRKGyuFWi_W3cnDXde7J7WgBdwD_DA3_ztqAg_7QjJ/s526/early.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRrep_JLZbezuE-otan433fwBFJEX3uViClsFVQGLpDvzwENQHktPWZtXwyFXI9oInScP-gYar6-4BMfm6ibdyckAaFRDBlV1Y9LrH6cAD_f5K0KLpQwMfNjsTJ6ULrIZa9kl_8FgZrZRKGyuFWi_W3cnDXde7J7WgBdwD_DA3_ztqAg_7QjJ/w400-h400/early.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The last time I saw Los Furios was one of the happiest concert experiences I've had this century, seeing a local band get a totally enthusiastic reception from an audience that were not local at all. It's also my second-favourite Commodore experience ever, after having seen Joe Strummer and the Pogues there. I used this as a key element in a story <a href="https://montecristomagazine.com/arts/b-c-ska-band-went-big%e2%81%a0-mexico" target="_blank">for Montecristo this week</a>, because I could and because I thought they rocked that night... I think Los Furios, accustomed to a certain level of being taken for granted locally, might be slightly surprised the press happened, but their story makes a great read. I have no idea whether it will do them good tonight, but the show is on, starting early, and I am going to the Rickshaw with a yen for "<a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/track/cantina" target="_blank">Cantina</a>" and the intention to get a bit intoxicated and dance my ass off! </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>I have had internet issues this week. so I was not able to do a decent blogpiece with my outtakes from the interview (and it's a bit late now), but there is another factor in wanting to write about Los Furios, and it has to do with hometown loyalty... read on for more...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZpMPPypcgI4Kd3gUBXJnDMSdJaggdkooRzdh9z9SxRUetFgWLppt0-F_Df-By9PjemsdocdHr7oLuR2Kc83VJOjoQGrmm3fPAvmQmjjqyLDDg1diWTqBlNrNg9AZnt4tCzghdUAjiOakyHFV6IYToHYMnG8OLi62zt_jCsWL-wraO8tKpezZ/s1152/22A00DEC-AAA8-44B4-9B7C-B660AC299347.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1141" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZpMPPypcgI4Kd3gUBXJnDMSdJaggdkooRzdh9z9SxRUetFgWLppt0-F_Df-By9PjemsdocdHr7oLuR2Kc83VJOjoQGrmm3fPAvmQmjjqyLDDg1diWTqBlNrNg9AZnt4tCzghdUAjiOakyHFV6IYToHYMnG8OLi62zt_jCsWL-wraO8tKpezZ/w634-h640/22A00DEC-AAA8-44B4-9B7C-B660AC299347.jpeg" width="634" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Corinne Kessel, everyone's favourite member of <a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Los Furios</a>?)</i></div><div><br /></div>Y'see, back in the 1980s, especially in small towns like Maple Ridge, it took a bit more commitment to be a punk than it does now: if you had spiky, dyed hair, for instance, you risked being laughed at, spat at, or sometimes even beaten up. You would be walking alone at night, minding your own business (but looking weird) and a bunch of jock dipshits would drive past you in their Camaro or Mustang or such and -- because any guy who would style their hair must have been queer, which back then was not a reclaimed term -- they'd shout some homophobic slur at you from a rolled-down window, maybe chuck a beer bottle at you or such. If you were walking alone, you'd watch nervously as they slowed their car, idling up ahead, wondering if they were about to leap out and shitkick you. <div><br /></div><div>I was spared most of that action, actually; I never looked scared enough for them -- craven cowards and pathetic bullies, the lot -- to be an inviting target, I guess, but I did get punched in the head once for talking back to someone who used a particularly uninventive homophobic slur on me (I shot back, "Asshole!" and he didn't like it). And I did have a bunch of stoners, smoking up in a park outside Maple Ridge Secondary, in their long-sleeved Led Zep tees and ubiquitous AC/DC shirts, pelt me with rocks once, as I walked by them, listening to the Exploited on my shitty Realistic tapedeck. Which story I have always ended with a punch line: I was <i>stoned by stoners,</i> ha ha... </div><div><br /></div><div>...But it kind of hurt my feelings. Some of them were kids in my class, you know? The rocks didn't hurt much -- a couple pelted the backs of my thighs and calves and bounced away. When I realized what had happened, I turned and stared at them -- a row of at least twenty kids, throwing rocks at the punk, and I guess they could read my disgust and disappointment, because once I faced them, not a rock connected. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyhoo, experiences like that tend to drive members of the in-group (the punks) together, to help define them against the out-group (which included the headbangers, the stoners, the jocks, and the rednecks, who were kind of referred to en masse and seemed to make up 80% of the population of Maple Ridge. There was no internet, there were no places to buy punk music. If there were punk bands from Maple Ridge, I didn't know about them. Except for the first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OlfQPiOPJ8" target="_blank">Ten Feet Tall</a> demo tape. That, I had. Great cover art! </div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uK0FOwiKZ-YddwGZeBFOLDnH0iUXY8LkXqhH64BiiWA88uIjifRM1U5tO7gBGwsgs-YkqWr9whiA4TCsOsETLVvUo5dmNpew6bpirc7dH1g92axgud2pqlL0Z91yyE0a52GNPiwONzLvAvd_euVJaf1eCCWqVmpiox54OVebseiWXLTe7Ksb/s654/ten-feet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uK0FOwiKZ-YddwGZeBFOLDnH0iUXY8LkXqhH64BiiWA88uIjifRM1U5tO7gBGwsgs-YkqWr9whiA4TCsOsETLVvUo5dmNpew6bpirc7dH1g92axgud2pqlL0Z91yyE0a52GNPiwONzLvAvd_euVJaf1eCCWqVmpiox54OVebseiWXLTe7Ksb/s320/ten-feet.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I think it was actually Kyle Fury (nowadays the frontman of ska-punk band <a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Los Furios</a>) who recognized me from back when, and pointed out that Ten Feet Tall had been his band. I don't think I would have recognized him -- I didn't know him well, never saw Ten Feet Tall play live. But I was glad that they existed, that Maple Ridge was represented, and it's utterly great that they have had the success they've had, even if it's been mostly in other places! </div></div><div><br /></div><div>So knowing one of my editors at <i>Montecristo</i> is partial to ska, and having my second-favourite ever Commodore Ballroom stories up my sleeve (after seeing the Pogues -- <i>with Shane </i>-- and Joe Strummer there, filling in for a sick Philip Chevron, some 20 years prior) -- I pitched <a href="https://montecristomagazine.com/arts/b-c-ska-band-went-big%e2%81%a0-mexico?fbclid=IwAR12tJuHOMNmgWxqgBXvPE7aEIQLoIxsVbYub8dZwTANVpEHnrHJmOynJnI" target="_blank">a Los Furios story</a> at the mag, apropos of their Sunday Rickshaw show. Really it's just an expression of tribal loyalty -- Maple Ridge homeboys! -- but I sure did enjoy their set at the Commodore, that night. Read about it in the article...?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxMLdgpebYC4f6SaI5XyXuQ9usAplsMGrJRYGX16vG3r0rY4jV9p0F0BVNvhfPn2OmteCDK-INKDu5G6kzPbM1-UIO24S5ZZMw5VRX_7fol8BNDvrR-sc8AEoq2NLg20cG6Fp_tDftNwvJ_8VMvGKmRAv51e2Armi02h-xJceiZ11FkvSYtXz/s960/IMG_2959.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxMLdgpebYC4f6SaI5XyXuQ9usAplsMGrJRYGX16vG3r0rY4jV9p0F0BVNvhfPn2OmteCDK-INKDu5G6kzPbM1-UIO24S5ZZMw5VRX_7fol8BNDvrR-sc8AEoq2NLg20cG6Fp_tDftNwvJ_8VMvGKmRAv51e2Armi02h-xJceiZ11FkvSYtXz/w640-h480/IMG_2959.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>BTW, my favourite Los Furios release is probably <a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/album/una-mas" target="_blank">this one</a>. Some of the lyrics to "<a href="https://losfurios.bandcamp.com/track/cantina" target="_blank">Cantina</a>" remind me a bit of being stuck in Maple Ridge, as a kid. I think it's a pretty fun piece of writing, and that it's going to be a really entertaining show. Hell, I may even dance... Note, the show is now being billed as an "early show," with doors at 7pm! Apologies in advance for any pressure I may have put on Los Furios to deliver, for their first Vancouver show since pre-COVID (if memory serves). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidf_QY2TIpCRW6GP-TkWQtpVbgsox6aCJMfD-5z9HLMIUBZY845ZnX_mYTEy1A2jthQlow6iuq1ogCMS7kxKn7hylWXWFdOTZ4c6gr_njJ4LOAKKdW0JUodHWhlETWnQ2r_0kUvUeAG4-_tY8mcE8zvZ1Z9klSQlR2jE5KgRohR2zYtn8eeEwo/s526/early.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidf_QY2TIpCRW6GP-TkWQtpVbgsox6aCJMfD-5z9HLMIUBZY845ZnX_mYTEy1A2jthQlow6iuq1ogCMS7kxKn7hylWXWFdOTZ4c6gr_njJ4LOAKKdW0JUodHWhlETWnQ2r_0kUvUeAG4-_tY8mcE8zvZ1Z9klSQlR2jE5KgRohR2zYtn8eeEwo/w400-h400/early.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-79120796993443705502024-02-09T19:37:00.000-08:002024-02-10T13:51:40.190-08:00Nomeansno/ Mudhoney signing at Neptoon, plus a hyphenation/ compound adjective rabbithole <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4YIu2c8dGFrCTyN3nKs6VdNSIVGgL3IsfxvjnhDOA7VSCeFDTFQt_7p0PWscmjmejcDOo78KC1GjjDZ3aLjA79r08dpG6IMtnVQoq4lE6jMcVMQqlOSaGF0gVEq9mXb2FaE27saUnNmjRSAa8JD5ErhGDq0q0Gn9SMpYh8EHvDYLL-0LjS68/s1350/img_1_1707536790143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1013" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4YIu2c8dGFrCTyN3nKs6VdNSIVGgL3IsfxvjnhDOA7VSCeFDTFQt_7p0PWscmjmejcDOo78KC1GjjDZ3aLjA79r08dpG6IMtnVQoq4lE6jMcVMQqlOSaGF0gVEq9mXb2FaE27saUnNmjRSAa8JD5ErhGDq0q0Gn9SMpYh8EHvDYLL-0LjS68/w480-h640/img_1_1707536790143.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dead Bob tour dates for spring! </i></div></i><p>So I work as an English tutor, and have worked as an ESL teacher for many years. Every now and then people in these professions encounter a question that provokes us to observe something about language we don't know. Since I've been in this field more or less since the 1990s, that actually doesn't happen very often: most student questions are about grammar points (or mechanical ones, like capitalization and spelling) that I've dealt with a thousand times before, and I can whip out a spiel without thinking. But on Wednesday, near the end of my shift, around 5:45PM, in reviewing questions from a diagnostic test provided to students by a different department, I encountered a sentence that challenged what I thought was a general truth, something taken for granted: that you hyphenate compound adjectives before a noun. </p><p>I will get to Nomeansno (and Mudhoney) presently, but you have to understand: this observation excited me. </p><p>Consider this sentence: "We spoke to the high-level executive." The compound adjective is, in this case, "high-level." You need to hyphenate it because without the hyphen, "high" (here an adverb, modifying level) could also be an adjective, and you could be talking about a "level" (in the sense of calm, stable) executive who also happened to be high (a comma would be unnecessary, but you could perhaps write this as a high, level executive, if that helps you see what I mean; the hyphen helps prevent this misreading). An example on <a href="https://www.grammar.cl/english/compound-adjectives.htm?fbclid=IwAR2MyGpm9BnCvTbZjcfZ6cwKaRAiqxcOiuOG7r3Yy1h01S9aZdlKT3271HM" target="_blank">this page</a> also gives a fun example of the distinction between "a man eating alligator" ("I've never seen a man eating THAT before") vs. a "man-eating alligator." No ambiguity is possible if the compound comes at the end of a sentence ("That alligator is man eating" and "That executive is high level") so hyphens aren't necessary there, though I don't think anyone would assert that they're wrong. They're just not important. But before a noun, the hyphen guards against confusion. </p><p>However, I discovered on Wednesday that a bunch of people out there -- prescriptivists; people whose approach to language centers on asserting rules, rather than describing common practice -- do generally say that you should not hyphenate a compound adjective when the first word is an adverb that ends in -ly. Do not hyphenate in the case of "highly placed," for example, wherever it may appear: "He is a highly placed executive," say. <i>It means the same thing, </i>as high- level, nd it's still a compound adjective, but by virtue of the -ly, there is no danger of misunderstanding, so there is no hyphen needed, and some would say the hyphen is even wrong. Which is a rule I had not encountered before, and seems extremely nitpicky. I would argue the hyphen is not "incorrect," just unnecessary. </p><p>Questions arose, primarily, even if you COULD omit the hyphen, why the hell would anyone teach that you should NOT hyphenate -- not that it's merely unnecessary, but<i> actually incorrect? </i>Someone formulated this rule for a reason, but what? I would guess that the problem here is that it is actually sometimes quite tricky to determine whether a compound adjective is actually a compound adjective ("highly placed" is clearly a compound adjective; you need both parts to make it meaningful, as you wouldn't likely go around talking about a "placed executive") or just an adverb and an adjective ("a highly successful executive" for example; no one would even think to hyphenate that). </p><p>But <i>what rule is it</i> -- what feature of creating compound adjectives -- that makes it at least TEMPTING to hyphenate them (leaving aside the question of whether it is incorrect or not)...? Why does it read as intuitively okay to talk about a "nicely-made handbag" (even if a bunch of prescriptivists want to get out their red pencils) but not a "lovely blue handbag?" That alligator page above would explain that it's because "nicely made" involves a participle -- that is, "made" is actually constructed out of a verb, the same way that something that confuses you can leave you "confused" -- and, going against the general prescriptivist grain, they authors of that page DO say you should hyphenate these. But there's a <b><i>slightly confused</i></b> tutor here, because one has no temptation to hyphenate "slightly confused," and that IS built on a participle, as well ("confused" is as much a participle as "made"). </p><p>So something more needs to be said, and hopefully something that doesn't involve a further amendment to the rule, which already has its own amendment. It becomes unwieldy to try to explain to students:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>1. Hyphenate all compound adjectives if they occur before nouns</p><p>2. ...Except when the first part ends in -ly</p><p>3. ...Unless that second part is a participle</p><p>4. ...Unless that participle is in very common use, as with a "slightly confused Nomeansno fan" or a "terribly bored Mudhoney enthusiast." </p></blockquote><p>If the presence of participles is not enough to formulate an efficient rule-of-thumb here -- and I don't think it is -- we have to get into the actual construction of compound adjectives. One feature that seems compelling as a lead into a theory (though also not probably useful in explaining the point to people who aren't from here) is that in cases where hyphenation is tempting (even if "unnecessary," etc), the adjective without the adverb would seem funny. In adverb + adjective combinations, you could easily omit the adverb in the following sentences, whether participles are involved... :</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>A slightly damaged watch</p><p>A frightfully exciting film</p><p>A noticeably broken window</p><p>An extremely confused tutor </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span>A highly frustrated student</span> </p></blockquote><p>...Or not:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;">A charmingly morbid joke</p><p style="text-align: left;">A highly elaborate scheme</p><p style="text-align: left;">A terribly hot day</p><p style="text-align: left;">An extremely sweet candy</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">A beautifully harmonious piece of music </p></blockquote><p>I don't think ANY of those register as compound adjectives; there's no temptation to hyphenate them (maybe your instincts differ?). And you can just as easily eliminate the adverbs and produce something meaningful - a damaged watch, an exciting film, a broken window, a confused tutor, a morbid joke, an elaborate scheme, a hot day, a sweet candy, a harmonious piece of music. Right? The adverbs add to the meaning, but you can strip them away and the phrases don't seem weird. </p><p>But if we eliminate the adverb from the following, what we get DOES look pretty weird:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>A beautifully made handbag</p><p>A charmingly attired woman</p><p>A strangely phrased request</p><p>A generously given donation</p><p>A nicely written article</p></blockquote><p>There is something about all of these that makes them compound adjectives, above and beyond questions of participle use, which is why they may seem to beg for hyphens. While you can see, at this point, why the prescriptivists might just want to stop thinking about all this and say, "Just don't hyphenate if the first part ends in -ly," But the value of the adverb here is much different from the previous cases: we wouldn't normally go around talking about a "made handbag," an "attired woman," a "phrased request," a "given donation" (unless we mean given in a different way) or a "written article." It makes perfect sense to say "That is a nicely written article" (and looks okay to say, "That is a nicely-written article," prescriptivists be damned). Or we can talk about a "poorly written" article, a "beautifully written article," a "confusingly written article," etc -- the adverb doesn't make a difference. But it seems kind of weird to say, "That is a written article." OF COURSE it's a written article; articles are written. If it were unwritten, would it actually BE an article...? Ditto the rest -- handbags are made. Women are, generally, when in public, attired, requests are phrased, and donations are given, etc. Saying something is a donation IMPLIES that it has been given. "A generously given donation" makes sense, but take away "generously" and the whole sentence seems daft: "That is a given donation" means, simply, "that is a donation." No? </p><p>Another observation. The latter compound adjectives can be written in a different word order, which might be key to their construction, since it doesn't apply with the mere adverb-plus-adjective constructions. We can say, "That handbag is made beautifully," "That woman is attired charmingly," "His request was phrased strangely," "That donation was given generously," or "This article is written nicely." We cannot do that with those adverb + adjective combinations: "It is a hot day terribly," "That is a harmonious piece of music beautifully." All this seems key, but I haven't gotten to why, yet...</p><p>Anyhoo, there's probably an easy explanation for all this, but sometimes when you encounter a question through the back door -- approaching this not from the point of view of compound adjective construction but hyphenation -- it takes awhile to get clear about what's going on. I will get there eventually. But -- the relevant bit is that <i>I ended up down this rabbithole at 5:45 on Wednesday,</i> interacting with colleagues (PAST our 6pm end-of-workday, I might add) on Teams about it, and it takes me awhile to get to Neptoon by bus, so the Nomeansno/ Mudhoney book signing that I previously wrote about was WELL-underway by the time I squeezed through the doorway. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEOv4zNCYRPZUmokYDDYqb6P3JNlAQ396n3hBbMyT25a3XeNJ2sZIPcQzEdMx2pS0bWws8sYFCgZWYio79OJAQzYegYU9KPgrA3F5GWxWKQCLpboUARBFujGQFvrDv4leLWCXpyGuo5ozZSyWf_F09FztDpv5pP1wF_g7PLnwvgsM2XedgFhR/s2048/neptoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEOv4zNCYRPZUmokYDDYqb6P3JNlAQ396n3hBbMyT25a3XeNJ2sZIPcQzEdMx2pS0bWws8sYFCgZWYio79OJAQzYegYU9KPgrA3F5GWxWKQCLpboUARBFujGQFvrDv4leLWCXpyGuo5ozZSyWf_F09FztDpv5pP1wF_g7PLnwvgsM2XedgFhR/w640-h480/neptoon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>All photos by Allan MacInnis, except the last one</i></p><p>I still was able to make a few interesting observations:</p><p>1. Aaron Chapman, thanks to his recent weight loss, can now fit into his <i>Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy </i>t-shirt (I didn't get a photo). We chatted about the benefits of weight loss in regard ones vintage bamd shirts. Thanks to a couple years of serious illness - not a factor for Chappy, note - I am about 75 pounds lighter than my peak weight (I was pushing 380 at one point!), but I still can't quite squeeze comfortably into my XL<i> Mama</i> shirt (I tried). As I recall, Elizabeth Fischer of the Animal Slaves and Dark Blue World listed being able to fit in her old favourite clothes as about the only bright side to her illness... </p><p>But anyhow, Chapman, when I arrived, was actually back in the records area, shopping. I myself went back there, once I pushed through the throng. I guess that when you're media -- when you've interacted with Wright and Turner before, when you know some of what they're going to say, you can just sort of listen to them talking in the background, you know? And I wanted to scratch an itch, right a wrong, and do a nice thing for John in one swell foop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FA1WGuL0wgiAvDKIsET1jZOullv48uqVYD_XKEJHveSYM3w9Ki5zbzKzyFtIneNdXFmVsDvVYuQOtubcEy3VI1396JFE4dx1UMfnqP_KyJVhOpQw7EQWepnRuIDjtfU0p6CIm8Bzna8echS03uT8gl5SAWJ7q5YMFAc2QNqxzEU8v9v9yGJF/s936/lotus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FA1WGuL0wgiAvDKIsET1jZOullv48uqVYD_XKEJHveSYM3w9Ki5zbzKzyFtIneNdXFmVsDvVYuQOtubcEy3VI1396JFE4dx1UMfnqP_KyJVhOpQw7EQWepnRuIDjtfU0p6CIm8Bzna8echS03uT8gl5SAWJ7q5YMFAc2QNqxzEU8v9v9yGJF/w616-h640/lotus.jpg" width="616" /></a></div><p>Y'see, every time I have gone to Neptoon in the last year, I have flipped through the "misc V" rock section to see if a certain underpriced first pressing of <i><a href="https://volcanosuns.bandcamp.com/album/all-night-lotus-party" target="_blank">All-Night Lotus Party</a></i> (on Dutch East India), by the Volcano Suns, was still there. I've tried to push it on a few people, including Neptoon's Ben Frith himself ("it's Peter Prescott, the drummer from Mission of Burma!"), but it has remained there for far too long, at the gallingly-low (fuckit, I'm hyphenating it) price of $10. It's a great rock record, and it pains me that the Suns seem to have been forgotten (note: Peter Prescott, since Mission of Burma folded permanently, is now playing guitar/ singing/ writing songs in <a href="https://minibeast.bandcamp.com/album/on-ice-album" target="_blank">Minibeast</a>, his new project, whom I'm hoping we'll see in Vancouver at some point; I saw the Volcano Suns once at the Cruel Elephant and was blown away, but won't go into that here. A top ten lifetime concert experience, though). </p><p>Anyhow, I had the idea that I would buy that Volcano Suns record for John, gambling that he might be a Mission of Burma fan. I know I saw Tom Holliston at both Mission of Burma concerts I saw, and on one occasion, at Richards on Richards, ranted at him about how Nomeansno should cover "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjZY1U9VKtU" target="_blank">Fun World</a>," to have him reply that they were, in fact, considering doing "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHJBSd8DPnk" target="_blank">Outlaw</a>." I reasoned that if my gift gesture failed, I could press the album on someone else (Tom, say). But John, when I finally presented him with the record, seemed excited by it (he didn't know it -- I think that's the problem; the Volcano Suns just didn't get the exposure MoB did). Mission accomplished! </p><p>And it was nice to see Aaron.</p><p>2. Once the lineup started, it turns out there sure are more Nomeansno fans in Vancouver than Mudhoney fans! I wonder if that would be the case in Seattle? I am fond of both bands, but much more a Nomeansno, man, myself (thought I have seen Mudhoney three times, including a Hallowe'en show with Nirvana at the Commodore way back when, where I much preferred Mudhoney). I'm not sure how many copies of Jason Lamb's book were at Neptoon, vs. Steve Turner's, but Lamb's book sold out, while Rob was getting Steve to inscribe a small stack of remaining copies of his (still in store, note, in hardcover at $40 per, while supplies last). But the reason I know that more people were there for John and Jason, vs. Steve, is that after about half an hour in line to get stuff signed, I looked over and saw Steve Turner sitting chatting with event moderator Grant Lawrence, with no one at all mobbing him, while John and Jason were stamping and signing, stamping and signing doggedly for a still-long, chatty line (that's the original Nomeansno stamp made, I believe, for the "Wormies" single...). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUc2aAXB6aldMDgMic15XMoiehYTuuSIoTxoCc-agpF_BScCxVNDQslZE2tPdS_7D44wqy8j9Ltyw_UhaHGAX9h9yAYfcrgyRLnveQOqRN0suJspC8mVub04xaklCDK1UkTotc-lV1QaFqRzGJQvrJHr707ZRQULFA7JkA5BGL48a1OzaP5-K/s3968/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUc2aAXB6aldMDgMic15XMoiehYTuuSIoTxoCc-agpF_BScCxVNDQslZE2tPdS_7D44wqy8j9Ltyw_UhaHGAX9h9yAYfcrgyRLnveQOqRN0suJspC8mVub04xaklCDK1UkTotc-lV1QaFqRzGJQvrJHr707ZRQULFA7JkA5BGL48a1OzaP5-K/w640-h480/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, it happens that I wanted a bit of a longer chat with John anyhow -- to give him my Volcano Suns gift and relay a message and get a few things of my own signed, as well. Best not to have 50 people waiting impatiently behind me. And I had bought Steve's book, and packed a few Mudhoney records, so... I started bugging people ahead of me in line: Are you in line for Nomeansno or Mudhoney? John or Steve? Do you mind if I butt ahead?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I left the line n short order, and went to hang out in the Mudhoney corner. I had three Mudhoney records and book signed and was chatting with him about how a founding member of the U-Men, Tom Price, who is in the Monkeywrench with Mark Arm and Turner, is having real trouble <a href="https://www.cityartsmagazine.com/issues-seattle-2010-08-not-fade-away-0/" target="_blank">with Parkinsons</a>... which he's had for awhile, but it's starting to interfere with his performing. I actually only know a couple of U-Men songs, like "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcWoruXRm7M" target="_blank">Clubs</a>," which sounds like an amphetamine-soaked, tribal Birthday Party, but there is no question that they're one of the great Seattle pre-grunge punk bands, a band that deserve serious reconsideration, as important to the Seattle scene as, say, our own Slow was (whose influence was acknowledged by Turner more than once the other night). I also got to be on hand when Nardwuar came up to talk with Grant Lawrence and Steve Turner about the notorious "spit on me" episode at a UBC Sub Ballroom Mudhoney gig, which had been rather hilariously related in detail by Lawrence, who was wearing a vintage shirt from that gig and standing beside the man who had designed it, Scott Livingstone (at the left in the picture below). Apparently at that gig, Nardwuar, in his less-polished early days, had gone on too long in introducing Mudhoney, talking about peripheral enthusiasms (not hyphens -- something about free trade or currency exchange?) and was being pelted with pennies from the audience when he opted to strike a Christlike pose and holler, "Spit on me!" -- which the audience did enthusiastically. His mouth was wide open, too, apparently, which detail Lawrence of course included (this was the story of the night, by me)... By the time Mudhoney took the stage, that evening, it was utterly coated in gob... As was Nardwuar. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alas, Nardwuar -- present earlier in the evening, before I arrived -- was actually downstairs in the Neptoon basement for some of the initial telling of that story, but surfaced eventually ("I thought you'd left," Grant observed); the guys asked me to snap a photo. I did a few on Grant Lawrence's camera, but also a couple on mine. Livingstone-Lawrence-Nardwuar-Turner: a new supergroup! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfB9gDPQ-6FPAoMFpQj-EMIGhx4FqO594fgvixAcAhCBjuXuKGKdxjNU_uWlh9IOatdU-iw4T9yZX0dBLDpkKY7lyXYqSlcGhvB_no6n9867uZA0pOrdKx9aOS03v4mALnS3bS9SOPl_krfls1fkFJSOPDkPKwzOkRdlEtpsUUSiGzBo2UoWQ/s640/nard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfB9gDPQ-6FPAoMFpQj-EMIGhx4FqO594fgvixAcAhCBjuXuKGKdxjNU_uWlh9IOatdU-iw4T9yZX0dBLDpkKY7lyXYqSlcGhvB_no6n9867uZA0pOrdKx9aOS03v4mALnS3bS9SOPl_krfls1fkFJSOPDkPKwzOkRdlEtpsUUSiGzBo2UoWQ/w640-h480/nard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nardwuar and I chatted a bit -- he was impressed that I had the Compressorhead record (which you may still be able to order from Europe, but it requires some finessing; I encourage you to inquire <a href="https://compressorhead.bandcamp.com/album/party-machine" target="_blank">via their bandcamp</a>) and wanted to talk about (<i>Big Takeover</i> editor) Jack Rabid's last trip to town (Jack and his kids got to visit Nardwuar's star but not to meet the man himself, as he was out-of-town and engaged elsewise. I only managed to connect them to Grant at Zulu). It then became a waiting game, during which I snapped a few pics of John and Jason signing and stamping away, ceaseless in their industry... </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIrk1oQMkYpIJvQK-TVfTyndo2tf9Kr3eb_MX_hCFjK60y-eRnND9QSe_9WcQGKmUbFurR7KFpYLUbdee643kA3s8ogTMqn93zT6yjRsLZPOw5DcT8WhY39r2bG7ZibS2CdNMZYkISoWbE2q_bcv-rDhcY6P_tK_vIXrLnXGPn-XcS0S2D8Qz/s3968/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIrk1oQMkYpIJvQK-TVfTyndo2tf9Kr3eb_MX_hCFjK60y-eRnND9QSe_9WcQGKmUbFurR7KFpYLUbdee643kA3s8ogTMqn93zT6yjRsLZPOw5DcT8WhY39r2bG7ZibS2CdNMZYkISoWbE2q_bcv-rDhcY6P_tK_vIXrLnXGPn-XcS0S2D8Qz/w480-h640/2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa9ClV4t5cLbGNi8BgV41U2LgnGijldFmqg8pYtc68Xds0B1T-JAGMWazknWKzbFOM487EYB9gseopWaFvm2dlWevWbRMyNoOmEBVZHUDc4RAVH-bOj5UPQ5UwSUGDWfZOHdS4my9X4SklJTUrQN63FC1bmNGjQgUG5Icmi2SM-sGcbCOVk_m/s3968/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa9ClV4t5cLbGNi8BgV41U2LgnGijldFmqg8pYtc68Xds0B1T-JAGMWazknWKzbFOM487EYB9gseopWaFvm2dlWevWbRMyNoOmEBVZHUDc4RAVH-bOj5UPQ5UwSUGDWfZOHdS4my9X4SklJTUrQN63FC1bmNGjQgUG5Icmi2SM-sGcbCOVk_m/w480-h640/3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(Note the presence of the wrong Rob Wright, not to be confused with the Mr. Wrong Rob Wright)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But to be clear, I was not the only person who liked both Mudhoney and Nomeansno. People DID come to get Mudhoney stuff signed, and to chat with Steve, just in a smaller number. He was very personable! Everyone was low-key, in a good mood, relaxed and friendly. I'm actually kinda looking forward to sitting down to his book -- I wasn't sure when I went that I was even going to buy it (only to join the many other unread books on my shelf), but I liked his self-presentation, and I really enjoyed his telling one of the other fans that he "blames his whole life" on Scott McCaughey, of the Young Fresh Fellows (and now <a href="https://the-no-ones.bandcamp.com/album/my-best-evil-friend" target="_blank">the No Ones</a>), who nurtured Turner's interest in 60s garage rock by making sure the punk section in the store where McCaughey worked included things like <i>Nuggets</i> and <i>Pebbles</i> comps, which invariably caught Turner's eye. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyone who blames their whole life on Scott McCaughey is ALL RIGHT WITH ME. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoEm1MEg2cP39Vn82KTC64aS-uP9NorqnnJ9DbXIqTiV61CqCJg_muR8sUrZUOn07uTgqvWMs4d5RZiGFNu2RuOM3HXfK4VlZg6tB8efeuSsNsNWO5_RVrjPuyg-ne2YrtROLHvZmf3OZyqjCwKBJOiHCfJ9nUqMPtN9nkEYYf2fit0Vf0wSJ/s3968/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoEm1MEg2cP39Vn82KTC64aS-uP9NorqnnJ9DbXIqTiV61CqCJg_muR8sUrZUOn07uTgqvWMs4d5RZiGFNu2RuOM3HXfK4VlZg6tB8efeuSsNsNWO5_RVrjPuyg-ne2YrtROLHvZmf3OZyqjCwKBJOiHCfJ9nUqMPtN9nkEYYf2fit0Vf0wSJ/w480-h640/4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVVUDJ-1U-W9M94N_yjhKDLxzGRmAz8vDGKEptQDnBgC2by_cYwuIXnpEKYtqbejqezvvFDOBdNGziLMr2VmeOb7zSl83w2DWAyVjurkZe_2cOy87fVjeSFbxNNl8T_E02EJH4cn44LrS0HRKcCVKX1xdTEzTCWTyfVxMhW-qPuvEv-P8LxG8/s3968/5%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVVUDJ-1U-W9M94N_yjhKDLxzGRmAz8vDGKEptQDnBgC2by_cYwuIXnpEKYtqbejqezvvFDOBdNGziLMr2VmeOb7zSl83w2DWAyVjurkZe_2cOy87fVjeSFbxNNl8T_E02EJH4cn44LrS0HRKcCVKX1xdTEzTCWTyfVxMhW-qPuvEv-P8LxG8/w640-h480/5%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWJdfLSlKu-k4Co1ZGqmi_jRSI-NBXth5haVHMxFnWOvl8Ox67delLyMyxKfonenrOX6iaxTp94Ud2btNxPxwnLaU11ZxR1DRf3GYmaI1w38nGWcDM6frAPmblmRfM9I77OrqE7oLJUVwj-TBaJ8LJxXdtmnXJ6W76GMh303RhE_Tstt_om4u/s3968/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWJdfLSlKu-k4Co1ZGqmi_jRSI-NBXth5haVHMxFnWOvl8Ox67delLyMyxKfonenrOX6iaxTp94Ud2btNxPxwnLaU11ZxR1DRf3GYmaI1w38nGWcDM6frAPmblmRfM9I77OrqE7oLJUVwj-TBaJ8LJxXdtmnXJ6W76GMh303RhE_Tstt_om4u/w640-h480/5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for getting my stuff signed, I am very pleased to now have the Nomeansno stamp in my book, and John and Jason's signatures. People had some really cool stuff for John to sign, including a copy of the Infamous Scientists EP, Trouble, that I once bought for $10 and had for awhile, before selling it (probably to Ty at the Flea Market). It is probably at least as rare as <i>Mama,</i> and unlike<i> Mama,</i> has not been repressed; unsigned copies on Discogs have sold for a<a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/1967503-Infamous-Scientists-Trouble" target="_blank">s high as $349.99</a>, so a signed one would be worth a fair bit more (OG but original pressings of <i>Mama</i> have sold for<a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/2525428-Nomeansno-Mama" target="_blank"> closer to $600</a>). </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEVSv6p8W2cP_DkKIvrz4CwbDC2kBggTJKGEw2SCTqSq-vVH_kxUafC6gVCOLeeJm6q01MkzF6rSDjSkRbl4MQRtQoOaGF4XKc2YE3CiMwKMX98pladIsH39pFqrlqbPGHPvGcAetpztG3EC4Jf569oMHvj-PCv7Ap7vmH9pYwscKSA_GgF-g/s3968/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEVSv6p8W2cP_DkKIvrz4CwbDC2kBggTJKGEw2SCTqSq-vVH_kxUafC6gVCOLeeJm6q01MkzF6rSDjSkRbl4MQRtQoOaGF4XKc2YE3CiMwKMX98pladIsH39pFqrlqbPGHPvGcAetpztG3EC4Jf569oMHvj-PCv7Ap7vmH9pYwscKSA_GgF-g/w640-h480/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOu3LKziPYCdgd3dtIC-J_rC1XVwztGtplSvlWv1hyphenhyphenhFY-Lki6jPeDSdcXdNlcwb3T1jx9mB5hLlONEhoDQcl49TStn2jR-jICNtOvR4imPaFJlxFeqS42oKJrYOFlvVHvs7n3O7G0al0ZSXaH-dTlShV8YYR640EG9FWsrdEW0L0LuMsUhQx/s3968/8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOu3LKziPYCdgd3dtIC-J_rC1XVwztGtplSvlWv1hyphenhyphenhFY-Lki6jPeDSdcXdNlcwb3T1jx9mB5hLlONEhoDQcl49TStn2jR-jICNtOvR4imPaFJlxFeqS42oKJrYOFlvVHvs7n3O7G0al0ZSXaH-dTlShV8YYR640EG9FWsrdEW0L0LuMsUhQx/w640-h480/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe0MfvJ3UcYZACGa5oUbg8osjeguxmz7WF22BlSmX7oUPeOECm_jhZ3tClHfE14ZvLlbpuTwkVBvuP5seqj8JU3B4lEC3YqNarHFoAua1cwCYZEyQUsYuuWWD0W6UtOjmxPaJ_cNxweO9a3gMm1kgFWmO0FOuIo0chxucfZ6K7lufRr05-FAu/s3968/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe0MfvJ3UcYZACGa5oUbg8osjeguxmz7WF22BlSmX7oUPeOECm_jhZ3tClHfE14ZvLlbpuTwkVBvuP5seqj8JU3B4lEC3YqNarHFoAua1cwCYZEyQUsYuuWWD0W6UtOjmxPaJ_cNxweO9a3gMm1kgFWmO0FOuIo0chxucfZ6K7lufRr05-FAu/w640-h480/9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB18enRvTI9Or11dhZi3tI3DIjo9UUZZpXYBApQBRAJ2IPrC9iCoiXAbwQPHccj-lG1kM8_Sg0ChlI020yxvIjYIOJkesIaoKEHmY_1Gg-HyCHeVrvyEpFtNyDiNdjJCUlMbqAiG_2ig_a9y_IZ2S-xNFw0ZU1nmxBXXYJin_tn3-_zMv719e6/s3968/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB18enRvTI9Or11dhZi3tI3DIjo9UUZZpXYBApQBRAJ2IPrC9iCoiXAbwQPHccj-lG1kM8_Sg0ChlI020yxvIjYIOJkesIaoKEHmY_1Gg-HyCHeVrvyEpFtNyDiNdjJCUlMbqAiG_2ig_a9y_IZ2S-xNFw0ZU1nmxBXXYJin_tn3-_zMv719e6/w640-h480/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is kind of interesting when you read about people who don't like to sign their records unless they're dedicating them to someone, because they don't want people bugging them for signatures just to turn and flip the record. I've never done that. I've sold a few signed items, and even a few signed items inscribed to me, but I've never GOTTEN something signed for the purpose of selling it, scout's honour. So in fact I would have preferred Steve and John sign EVERYTHING to me, you know? (I actually asked Steve, who had signed Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge with a "to Allan," to do the same to the book, "so I won't sell it.") We had a little chat about my favourite Mudhoney song, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unIU27zru2U" target="_blank">Where Is the Future</a>," and I kinda wish he'd put "to Allan" on that record, <i>Under a Billion Suns</i>, too, which I really enjoy (it is quite underrated). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Un any case, everyone was very friendly amd obliging. Most of what John and I talked about was off-the-record, but take heart, friends, the next Vancouver Dead Bob show is coming sooner than I had expected... at a very cool location... ssssh.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxu13X-o9cfftdk6OX4fy-qV1_Kw1x5XmUGM4W0-XXLX4p1mcu62bEyPDIvkRAUUgCN-H5mm5HNg5_tYjsDAZc5jptGVGeMkyOLTMKmAY2rtj2YU5EVtX51cVzZgjDar-DHwvvvqNRDYoS51zoZLO8n4aCBmnZTQ14naInA17Z-psFqnhdhlV/s1440/al-and-john-by-rob-f.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxu13X-o9cfftdk6OX4fy-qV1_Kw1x5XmUGM4W0-XXLX4p1mcu62bEyPDIvkRAUUgCN-H5mm5HNg5_tYjsDAZc5jptGVGeMkyOLTMKmAY2rtj2YU5EVtX51cVzZgjDar-DHwvvvqNRDYoS51zoZLO8n4aCBmnZTQ14naInA17Z-psFqnhdhlV/w480-h640/al-and-john-by-rob-f.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Kudos and thanks to Rob Frith for actually asking me if I wanted a photo taken. I am not much of a selfie-requester, but that's a fun pic! I think I was the only guy in the room with Compressorhead merch... again, see their bandcamp <a href="https://compressorhead.bandcamp.com/album/party-machine" target="_blank">here</a> (vocals and lyrics by John, very much in Hanson Brothers mode, but 100% performed by programmed robots!).</p><p>Now about those compound adjectives... </p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-14393735271005156062024-02-07T06:03:00.000-08:002024-02-07T06:03:06.743-08:00Some Doug Andrew gigs... Mark Bandcouver Bignell Birthday this Friday plus Lou Reed Tribute March 2nd<p>I had call to check in with <a href="http://www.dougandrewmusic.com/" target="_blank">Doug Andrew</a> about unrelated matters, and wanted to plug a few events he's involved in (I think he was at the Jack Keating memorial but I wasn't sure how public that was, and had to be elsewhere, so I didn't mention it). Feels like it's been a very long time since I've seen his band, the Circus in Flames, play: in fact, I haven't seen them since just before COVID, at the Fairview (RIP), around the time of my 52nd birthday, in March of 2020. I remember it well, because he led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to me (!). Eddy D & the SexBombs played that night (last time I saw them, too, I think) and the Graham Brown Band, with John Werner on bass (hey, wait a sec, last time I saw them, too!). </p><p>Then everything shut down. I am pretty sure Eddy will be at the Lou Reed Tribute event at the Princeton on March 2nd, with the Lulu's: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyTQE48HgWb6h1F24OASEPJj5Xyb5j6nFGyG0lI4EtHP-H-bpSvN2TMaCnQXbj5UgFa1czB4RCvEn4XIaHXf0i-rZJoM0RPGRvxHIBRy7HCn3PIaEXSn5WBvdbpjE3IqZIp314lpqyGa78bY5PoEuZt0Df6PCvibNPLpPsOMU8MGwJ-P79npu/s1128/lou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1128" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyTQE48HgWb6h1F24OASEPJj5Xyb5j6nFGyG0lI4EtHP-H-bpSvN2TMaCnQXbj5UgFa1czB4RCvEn4XIaHXf0i-rZJoM0RPGRvxHIBRy7HCn3PIaEXSn5WBvdbpjE3IqZIp314lpqyGa78bY5PoEuZt0Df6PCvibNPLpPsOMU8MGwJ-P79npu/w640-h280/lou.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Since we were interacting, I asked Doug what he was up to of late and if there was anything I should mention (really I just wanted to see him perform again but he wrote something quotable, so...). "As far as The Circus In Flames goes, I'm playing my Telecaster a lot and I've written some new songs, trimmed the band down to a 4-piece and we're a lot more 'electric' right now. I'm pretty happy with how that's going and it looks like we'll be playing the Princeton in February or March, just nailing down a date. The Circus will be part of Pill Squad's annual Lou Reed Tribute Show (benefit for the SPCA) on March 2 at the Princeton and I think I'm doing a solo thing for Mark "Bandcouver" Bignell's birthday at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1140717747292087?ref=newsfeed" target="_blank">LanaLou's on Fri. Feb. 9</a>."</p><p>...which is very fun to note. Not sure who else is involved in the Lou thing (I imagine Pill Squad and David M. are part of it but there were some big surprises last year, so...). But as for the Bignell event this Friday, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/arsenicnoldlace/" target="_blank">Arsenic & Old Lace</a> is an old-timey folky thing, to my recall, featuring <a href="https://sineadxsanders.com/" target="_blank">Sinead X. Sanders</a>, who I've enjoyed a couple of times but don't really know well (yet) and Rocket #9, which is a tight, garagey, space-age 60s-rock unit that happens to feature frequent Eddy D. collaborator Ed Hurrell. Ed is my Facebook friend, so I think of it as "his band" when I think actually he's kind of mostly just the bassist, but I really enjoy what he does with them (I think he does have a song or two in there of his own in there, too, but hell, I'm not sure -- I really enjoyed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owR_p_VWJhA" target="_blank">the last gig I saw them do</a>, anyhow. BTW, if you don't know Doug, I also shot some vid of him, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdsdjgBSAuc" target="_blank">here</a>). I don't think I know <a href="https://soundcloud.com/leonard-pennifold" target="_blank">Leonard Pennifold</a> but maybe soon I will. </p><p>Note: the poster spells both Andrew's and Bignell's names wrong! My attendance entirely depends on how burned out I feel after work that day. As the Pixies sing, "I've been tired..." Time to feed the cat and go back to bed for a bit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvqTrvYiIwoEZ0t-cI4uC2e04vFAmQYtSSdpxE5nyBm1rLOhC5foLArdEH1nV0gaIOePQRGz3KCf_-qPTmF7XaUTxnOGG1LLFYW4fEOgwpqc5eFIWg-Xnos6LZ-Z1JYOC23Kv5_nn1dCaC6qlbmfUG4CsBUWTfJknhSSpWQqYaYDXsyZHMT-z/s704/bignell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvqTrvYiIwoEZ0t-cI4uC2e04vFAmQYtSSdpxE5nyBm1rLOhC5foLArdEH1nV0gaIOePQRGz3KCf_-qPTmF7XaUTxnOGG1LLFYW4fEOgwpqc5eFIWg-Xnos6LZ-Z1JYOC23Kv5_nn1dCaC6qlbmfUG4CsBUWTfJknhSSpWQqYaYDXsyZHMT-z/w590-h640/bignell.jpg" width="590" /></a></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-11133604534811907342024-02-05T19:38:00.000-08:002024-02-10T15:18:22.726-08:00Of Dead Bob, Colin MacRae, Pigment Vehicle, and the Nomeansno/ Mudhoney Book Launch (plus an RIP for the Wildwood)<div style="text-align: center;">A moment in history from the Wildwood Pub in Powell River, back in the distant spring of 2021...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmsJ5QGsyiO6h6DGmt9hzNAvez4CPZ1XkHY6nE9yspwVQ_UomPIcn-RJpi6sH-bBa7u8UUOr3moVi771SJH-fDmjqhsoOiWSkrdYkjSxCdqHLVvwVy3be_yQPU4-4OC6D94SnT-dhC_TvAuORpbUVcnICN-6yH4FN8F8MzzJvcMVMI8ubDJci/s3968/john-and-colin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmsJ5QGsyiO6h6DGmt9hzNAvez4CPZ1XkHY6nE9yspwVQ_UomPIcn-RJpi6sH-bBa7u8UUOr3moVi771SJH-fDmjqhsoOiWSkrdYkjSxCdqHLVvwVy3be_yQPU4-4OC6D94SnT-dhC_TvAuORpbUVcnICN-6yH4FN8F8MzzJvcMVMI8ubDJci/w640-h480/john-and-colin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-a5TSbIdkQRB4zzj1qeKooiCrJUFeKkb-R3_vEJBFbDoEDanDtzw5YifZGMW0u0TpD6An03otvpN81nWJdthKO0pv8CxaMLQGnZDAz1wJG4k5E-arGgpA581uiv-jZWC7nw8L5KZiG0U8djcUZY8a3XdQYBq34skXUz04Jkg-T4FbneYEPIu/s3968/db-colin-john.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-a5TSbIdkQRB4zzj1qeKooiCrJUFeKkb-R3_vEJBFbDoEDanDtzw5YifZGMW0u0TpD6An03otvpN81nWJdthKO0pv8CxaMLQGnZDAz1wJG4k5E-arGgpA581uiv-jZWC7nw8L5KZiG0U8djcUZY8a3XdQYBq34skXUz04Jkg-T4FbneYEPIu/w640-h480/db-colin-john.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>John Wright (Nomeansno, Hanson Brothers, Dead Bob) and Colin MacRae (Pigment Vehicle, Dead Bob) at the Wildwood Public House, Powell River, 2021. Photos by Allan MacInnis</i></div></i><br />I feel very fortunate that I got to go to the Wildwood Public House in Powell River. As far as I can ascertain, it never reopened after the winter closure, at the end of 2022, but in 2021, the pub was still functional, though not all that co-founder (and Nomeansno/ <a href="https://deadbob.bandcamp.com/album/life-like">Dead Bob</a> drummer) John Wright had hoped: his initial plan had been to run the Wildwood as a brew pub, selling his own beer, which ultimately did not come to pass, as Wright explains in <a href="https://absoluteunderground.tv/absolute-underground-magazine-issue-115/">the <i>Absolute Underground</i></a> interview he did this past December. When Erika and I visited three years ago, the (gorgeously designed, very new-feeling) pub was on the verge of its second (and I believe penultimate) summer, surviving the COVID lockdown with ample outdoor seating, "mostly local" beer from East Van breweries <a href="https://bomberbrewing.com/">Bomber</a> and <a href="https://offtherailbrewing.com/">Off the Rail</a>, and a pizza oven they'd bought and brought into town from the old Incendios restaurant in Gastown. I forget which beer I had that afternoon (just that it wasn't John's own, which he was not licensed to sell), but for our pizza lunch, we had the Hanson -- essentially a meat lover's pizza, which I remember as being absolutely jampacked with animal; truth be told, I might have actually preferred one of the other pizzas on the menu, but when you're at John Wright's bar, how can you NOT order the pizza named for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OC0LYPHNNA">one of the bands</a> he was in?<br /><br />"That was the concept, have the pizza and do the craft beer," Wright had explained to me at the time. Wright's history with home brewing is somewhat of a legend in Vancouver punk circles and even the subject of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpg6GFPSgWk">an instructional video</a>, distributed first on VHS and then as a bonus disc with <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Its-Living-Hanson-Brothers/dp/B001FN06SC">a Hanson Brothers live CD</a>. Talking on the patio of the establishment, Wright explained that "originally, we wanted to put in a small brewery in here and make it a brew-on-premise, which is what I would be doing, but we just ran out of money. And space, really – after all the renovations were done, it became apparent that there’s no room in this building for a brewery. Big building, but…"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYXjxqFu1OPABxYLp4hW5pGBO84gm8tyu0CFaa61vSzJdxwBBA2gclNIwTr4qOsOXszU_NwM1W2lHNp53UBphCIv6QPpV-D5Evbj-RHZy7rdpPNKCptNcsELyk6y82NABKjQ3XEAoy2USg1jE7hp8hFAAie-EGd52sPOaiKzMLGhBXw5JP9vi/s3968/db-allan-wildwood.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYXjxqFu1OPABxYLp4hW5pGBO84gm8tyu0CFaa61vSzJdxwBBA2gclNIwTr4qOsOXszU_NwM1W2lHNp53UBphCIv6QPpV-D5Evbj-RHZy7rdpPNKCptNcsELyk6y82NABKjQ3XEAoy2USg1jE7hp8hFAAie-EGd52sPOaiKzMLGhBXw5JP9vi/w640-h480/db-allan-wildwood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Me outside the Wildwood, 2021, photo by Erika Lax</i></div><br />Bassist Colin MacRae, at that point, was one of John's four partners in the bar, the others being Darcy Webb of <a href="https://thestagreels.com/">the Stag Reels</a> -- who had come to Powell River as support for a DOA show that MacRae was promoting at a local bowling alley; Adam Ackerly, a bartender at Victoria fixture Logan's, which <a href="https://martlet.ca/feature-logans-pub-closes-down-after-23-years/">closed in 2020</a>; and Isaac Tremblay, formerly of Quebec microbrewery <a href="https://troududiable.com/en/">Le Trou Du Diable</a>, where <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OC0LYPHNNA&t=1s">the Hanson Brothers once performed</a> (Nomeansno, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHj0bFdlkGk">played the Le Trou Du Diable brew pub</a>, which Wright observed was not unlike the Wildwood in terms of ambience; Le Trou Du Diable also put out one of John's recipes as a beer!). MacRae, at that point, was also running two Powell River coffee shops called Base Camp (both also now shut down -- COVID was "the worst time for a small business," MacRae says via a Facebook messenger check-in). <br /><br />As often happens when I'm talking to people from Vancouver Island, I discovered during that trip that my wife had history with one of the people I was interviewing: as is also the case with <a href="https://supremeecho.com/">Supreme Echo</a>'s Jason Flower, she and MacRae had gone to high school together.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUZ9qvnARuuC2126ZQQFC_L60ppoPzmZ3SM5Dvdb2-_3bXiR2h_mUHJoaS4ocXGel2A1Srk22eeR18qBfB0tqyjj_HDjhlGbJb9V7FdUf9fnjXhlZM9vcdeVN-2707poDonWTjswdRUwUrS_DOrbxMKOCQOrci6BEDv-SqyTCXsOO1U2VBUXu/s3968/db-colin-erika.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUZ9qvnARuuC2126ZQQFC_L60ppoPzmZ3SM5Dvdb2-_3bXiR2h_mUHJoaS4ocXGel2A1Srk22eeR18qBfB0tqyjj_HDjhlGbJb9V7FdUf9fnjXhlZM9vcdeVN-2707poDonWTjswdRUwUrS_DOrbxMKOCQOrci6BEDv-SqyTCXsOO1U2VBUXu/w640-h480/db-colin-erika.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Colin MacRae and Erika Lax inside the Wildwood, 2021, photo by Allan MacInnis</i></div><br />Flash forward three years, and Colin MacRae is now a full-on member of Dead Bob. The whole band, whom I caught at their December 1st show at the Pearl -- the newest incarnation of the venue formerly known as The Venue -- proved remarkably cohesive and potent, and the show boasted many high points, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwMbfDiKT1c">Byron leaping into the pit</a> to mosh whilst soloing during the "Dead Bob" namesake song; Ford's goofy and ebullient interpretive dancing, gravity-defying leaps, and funky original, "<a href="https://soundcloud.com/ford-pier/maybe-it-came-at-the-wrong">Maybe It Came at the Wrong Time</a>;" or <a href="https://rongbandyvr.bandcamp.com/">Rong</a>'s Kristy-Lee giving a glowering, committed vocal lead on Nomeansno's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8tDrsledJk">Dead Souls</a>." Ford Pier had remarked, when I was shopping at Red Cat long before the live band had fully come together, that no matter who had contributed to the album, no matter how much the name of the band suggested a band and not a single artist, I should make no mistake: <i>Life Like</i> was a John Wright solo project. So I'd expected something akin to seeing a Show Business Giants show, which felt like more like seeing "Tom Holliston and friends" more than a, y'know, <i>gestalt</i>. <br /><br />Which would have been fine with me -- I enjoyed the hell out of the Show Business Giants show I saw -- but Dead Bob was not like that; what impressed me most overall that night at the Pearl was how well the diverse elements and personalities melded to make what felt like an honest-to-god BAND, a thing unto itself -- fronted and guided by John, of course, but also its own singular entity. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBK_KnAzLoJ9du-noQDlc2h8aHwlzCzXvZ6EKDZyo7VXs3WTJiJmJF10Nf59FenF-fJksTGRU_s79B-5Lgj9wGEAxHtPYU4GOnQ0IgNBW0GMISwJYFHeryDd9hvGOXRnXKCL4wgknAuPWcQ6JL33LPpT6hdG-teDHTeiL3GeL7shHTGSKXBEq/s1287/kristy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1287" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBK_KnAzLoJ9du-noQDlc2h8aHwlzCzXvZ6EKDZyo7VXs3WTJiJmJF10Nf59FenF-fJksTGRU_s79B-5Lgj9wGEAxHtPYU4GOnQ0IgNBW0GMISwJYFHeryDd9hvGOXRnXKCL4wgknAuPWcQ6JL33LPpT6hdG-teDHTeiL3GeL7shHTGSKXBEq/w640-h458/kristy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristy-Lee Audette by Bob Hanham, Dec. 1 2023, not to be reused without permission</i></div><br />That was the overall takeaway, but if I had to pick a singular musical high point from that night, it was seeing MacRae and Wright do a stripped-down, <i>Mama</i>-style duet on Nomeansno's spare, regret-hued "Long Days," which features one of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jilm8VsxHQ">Rob Wright's hookiest, most mantralike, veritably trance-inducing basslines</a>. Rob, now retired from live performance, will always be, in my estimate, one of the greatest bassists in punk history, and I no doubt have seen him play this very bassline live myself, but in a weird way, it was more impressive to see Colin replicate it, in his own slightly spikier style. I mean,<i> sure,</i> <i>Rob can play it, he WROTE it, but SOMEONE ELSE can do it, too? This WELL? Whoa...</i><br /><br />And I had never seen MacRae play before. I was spellbound...<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH0j7fY83V42J9ixpydtt4dT3bols8c4U72wIYSDnb4m1SgOYKJkJe0WYi9sG6HX3vPQKLizZdHaB5MhSQK_fUC83vRquAuQ9AEeTDrIo-Xhm-Iep93mNLDbbIRaEOMA2YEHjS6vuubFEcZFTj3Otqxu3rpontBB5ymTa4h29rVwG3ERRC4Il/s1149/colin-bob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1149" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH0j7fY83V42J9ixpydtt4dT3bols8c4U72wIYSDnb4m1SgOYKJkJe0WYi9sG6HX3vPQKLizZdHaB5MhSQK_fUC83vRquAuQ9AEeTDrIo-Xhm-Iep93mNLDbbIRaEOMA2YEHjS6vuubFEcZFTj3Otqxu3rpontBB5ymTa4h29rVwG3ERRC4Il/w640-h512/colin-bob.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Colin MacRae with Dead Bob. Vancouver, Dec. 1st, by Bob Hanham, not to be reused without permission</i></div><br />Of course, MacRae had been a member of Nomeansno-influenced Victoria band <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaZjEJr2xcw&list=PLWl-iN-N8N2RXno1HHUmnUAStOqV7NCaU">Pigment Vehicle</a>, one of the bands (like Invasives) that I think of as existing in the "Nomeansno penumbra," clearly worshipping and even emulating aspects of the band while having no overlapping members. Pigment Vehicle had more respect than popularity back in the 1990s, with an obsessive cult following who still reveres them: MacRae recalls hearing tell of a rare Pigment Vehicle CD selling (probably in Germany) for some 200 Euros, and there was even a guy at the Vancouver Dead Bob show in a Pigment Vehicle shirt that must have been 30 years old, shredded to the point where each attempt to launder it must surely have been terrifying... <br /><br />Talking at the Wildwood, back in 2021, MacRae explained that after Pigment Vehicle folded, around the turn of the 20th century, he'd gotten more into art, design, and metalwork, moved from Victoria to find affordable shop space, and with John's help, first set to building Base Camp by hand, then the Wildwood (the interior at the Wildwood, and some of the art, were MacRae's design). <br /><br />But<i> why</i> did Pigment Vehicle fold? <br /><br />"We were the band that got stuck in Victoria and played ourselves into a corner and ended up hating each other," MacRae said with a laugh. They put out a few releases over their span, including one, 1996's <i>Independent Women Are So Damned Good</i>, on the NMN imprint Wrong Records (a few copies of which are <a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/15092158-Pigment-Vehicle-Independent-Women-Are-So-Damned-Good" target="_blank">for sale on Discogs</a>) and supported Nomeansno on tour in the 'States. "The last foray we had, Sudden Death Records put it out" -- 1998's<i> Murder's Only Foreplay When You're Hot for Revenge</i> -- "and Joey would take us out on tour" with DOA. </div><div><br /></div><div>But they never played Europe, though given Germany's love for Nomeansno, they doubtlessly would have been huge. "I think if I'd stayed in it another year, we would have gone to Europe. We did go out with a couple of other bands on jaunts, like with the Dayglo Abortions, but we were way more jazz-oriented and technical, even more than Nomeansno, and we'd go out and play these punk shows, and we'd go, deedeedeedlydeeBUMBUMBUMBUM..." </div><div><br />John Wright had rejoined the conversation at that point and quipped, in an advertiser's deadpan, "Confusing audiences all across Canada!" <br /><br />MacRae chuckled, shrugging: "It worked when we were younger, because we weren't that good as players. But we went through this brutal and technical phase..." (Appropriately enough, MacRae notes later, US-based math rock artists <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed2hpoblBIs&list=OLAK5uy_klwn6ZenxpDQyeS-FrgdmayxOp3R2SaQ8" target="_blank">Don Caballero</a> played a show in the Pigment Vehicle practice space in Victoria, circa 1992-1993). <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkJz5Tv9VWYUDaSkmLIthQbEpmnhse8dmiU1VRr7nHdavQRWZhvc9ndZa41iu8dxJa1GXCtiLyLLcTH3dREx2ra6P9ctsOEfcbMF652tt3DiCMP1S9nkwk6SFlJIF5s9YfsDIksegQgz2-MgqSwIDr4uRjwonuc1PhGCdXWpomv1xbmVSRIOI/s1000/murder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1000" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkJz5Tv9VWYUDaSkmLIthQbEpmnhse8dmiU1VRr7nHdavQRWZhvc9ndZa41iu8dxJa1GXCtiLyLLcTH3dREx2ra6P9ctsOEfcbMF652tt3DiCMP1S9nkwk6SFlJIF5s9YfsDIksegQgz2-MgqSwIDr4uRjwonuc1PhGCdXWpomv1xbmVSRIOI/w400-h395/murder.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>...all of which explains his chops the night of the Dead Bob show, though back in 2021, it was <a href="https://invasives.bandcamp.com/music">Invasives</a> bassist Adam Slack (brother to Dead Bob guitarist/ co-vocalist/ relief drummer Byron Slack, involved from the outset) that had been under discussion to fill Rob's big bass shoes. <br /><br />But "Colin was in fairly early on," John Wright explains via Messenger. "I started rehearsing with him in May/ June last year. I had mused about Adam, and he would be awesome, but he is a new dad, and Colin lives by me, so regular rehearsing was way easier. At least as a rhythm section!"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcRum3-SCX7UIxqWNLlZOtkWytdgIPbSY_OpY9vrQG72VuuXB-HnKyAF5KRNim1pYO-YK4o5vwRsQ6i71qFiRG8WVBs4H5Nm1nuMXJ8GnLgIDGJCjl8Ew3a-cZ5S7FwJfIQBq_WKYq5rZ_KIyc2Ppz3EMrY4kmz89YsMk53NGvfHipDiUQ-fv/s1634/db-bob-fish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1634" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcRum3-SCX7UIxqWNLlZOtkWytdgIPbSY_OpY9vrQG72VuuXB-HnKyAF5KRNim1pYO-YK4o5vwRsQ6i71qFiRG8WVBs4H5Nm1nuMXJ8GnLgIDGJCjl8Ew3a-cZ5S7FwJfIQBq_WKYq5rZ_KIyc2Ppz3EMrY4kmz89YsMk53NGvfHipDiUQ-fv/w640-h360/db-bob-fish.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dead Bob in Victoria, Capital Ballroom, Nov. 26th, by Bob Hanham; not to be reused without permission</i></div></i><p></p><p>MacRae had actually been the more optimistic of the two men about the fortunes of the Wildwood, back in 2021, so losing both his coffee shops and the pub must have been pretty disappointing, but MacRae notes now that the "silver lining" of the Wildwood closure is that "if the pub was successful, we wouldn't be doing Dead Bob!" (He also lets readers know that "the next album is ready to go and it's awesome," and that there may even be some Pigment Vehicle re-releases in the works. Vinyl, perchance, Colin?). </p><p>And Dead Bob has a new whack of tour dates across the Prairies (more on which below), after which they will no doubt continue East. There is no date for a Vancouver return as of this writing; the closest show will be March 1st in Cumberland (updated since initial post). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTdVAqFD4GIfFwRrEFo68Mab0cjsAc1gijw5nPdEbIe3nPCxb2rMTrET-tO34hhXGgoYQvKt88Yl1tRQUK_nZhGAyYVz0gx0YJIHggS5ByLLHQvR6f5aelxv8qEA7cAJ11hL3rb1DevjClkGjv_nM_m0PZ8g3_tVK-sTtuwXuRReB0yUR4ban/s1149/john-bob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1149" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTdVAqFD4GIfFwRrEFo68Mab0cjsAc1gijw5nPdEbIe3nPCxb2rMTrET-tO34hhXGgoYQvKt88Yl1tRQUK_nZhGAyYVz0gx0YJIHggS5ByLLHQvR6f5aelxv8qEA7cAJ11hL3rb1DevjClkGjv_nM_m0PZ8g3_tVK-sTtuwXuRReB0yUR4ban/w640-h512/john-bob.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>John Wright at the Pearl, Vancouver, Dec. 1 2023, by Bob Hanham, not to be reused without permission</i></div><div><br /></div>However, Vancouverites should take heed: there will be, this Wednesday, February 7th, a chance to chat with John Wright at a Neptoon Records book signing for the newly-published, lavishly-illustrated "oral history" of Nomeansno, <i><a href="https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1505" target="_blank">Nomeansno: From Obscurity to Oblivion</a>,</i> with a Q&A moderated by Grant Lawrence and guests John Wright, Nomeansno band biographer Jason Lamb, and Steve Turner of Mudhoney (co-promoting his memoir <i><a href="https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/mud-ride" target="_blank">Mud Ride: A Messy Trip Through the Grunge Explosion</a> -- </i>and<i> </i>note, Mudhoney fans, that my big 2018 interview with Steve Turner can be read <a href="https://www.straight.com/music/1136491/mudhoney-abides-steve-turner-grunge-backlash-nirvana-green-river-vintage-metal-and" target="_blank">here</a>). A Neptoon event of this magnitude will probably fill up, so I would recommend arriving early, ideally with cash in hand; lining up at 5 would not be at all unreasonable...<div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuafN1STovGRJ03wROOf0rt4z23FiCYkn-hMM-5gWBACEuAhfWoQqM5ZVGFCcnEwU8TnW8B-79-2RbioIpjnYUkUaE2qcFLrbIRAoh3073tsu7LeqF8SJ3mm0LO7RwE_QMoVWCIs66_P7hfkJhJ47bfB92wqYt10NhHq5ZvUXLg2t1hpr0qu7d/s500/mud.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuafN1STovGRJ03wROOf0rt4z23FiCYkn-hMM-5gWBACEuAhfWoQqM5ZVGFCcnEwU8TnW8B-79-2RbioIpjnYUkUaE2qcFLrbIRAoh3073tsu7LeqF8SJ3mm0LO7RwE_QMoVWCIs66_P7hfkJhJ47bfB92wqYt10NhHq5ZvUXLg2t1hpr0qu7d/w400-h400/mud.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>...which brings us to the funniest story from the Dead Bob evening. If you scroll back up to the clip of Byron leaping into the pit during "Dead Bob," you will see two members of the audience put their hands on Byron's ass to help boost him back onto the Pearl's stage (go to about the two minute mark, if you're impatient). One of those two men (the one with no hair) is me. With Byron safely onstage, the other man whose hand had been on Byron's bum turned to me and asked if I was Allan MacInnis. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgwzatb-E19aTqhibe12Wr6GNTvHx0rJRFthxDygaVZpSrtyiRADIqgbEJP4NIP4VP9hCpvUWvYZKOjkhYytjdrTWcU8NVdMOArTp8yGmZO2M9sb9tY8OyUHZ3rtD1JUIuv5v7423O-TyRD_eDhjsZHbx3Px4RbOtlUyqPdL4gSqiCUC5TsaE/s919/byron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgwzatb-E19aTqhibe12Wr6GNTvHx0rJRFthxDygaVZpSrtyiRADIqgbEJP4NIP4VP9hCpvUWvYZKOjkhYytjdrTWcU8NVdMOArTp8yGmZO2M9sb9tY8OyUHZ3rtD1JUIuv5v7423O-TyRD_eDhjsZHbx3Px4RbOtlUyqPdL4gSqiCUC5TsaE/w512-h640/byron.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Byron Slack at stage's edge, by Bob Hanham, not to be reused without permission</i></div><div><br /></div><div>This fellow ass-pusher proved to have been Jason Lamb himself, who, to date, is the only man I have met by virtue of having my hand on another man's buttocks (I am sure there are social circles where such things are fairly normal, but I do not move in them). I promptly turned to photographer <a href="https://catashbee.com/" target="_blank">Cat Ashbee</a>, who was standing beside us, and begged her to take a photo. The copy of the book in Lamb's hands was, in fact, the Polish translation, but it is now in print in English -- the cover is the same -- and will be available at the Neptoon signing (and in fact was on the shelves already, alongside the Steve Turner bio, when I poked in a few days ago).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmJrAR8NCmRB6W6Aa-fREQNUw4oLInVY4E9txdsPjya5wwZ6WBAyTz7a8aoDLXXFmgUWlAH3SDU5VOgM7sepszjlZXtuN_R-BaS_0jm_6VTf9vkjdlQy-b6Uf_J5Aebm_4XeI05KxDWxZmv9COCDhbgo4I6_VrVNqk02JgwxrqMFdS5v1rCkk/s8256/Jason%20Lamb%20and%20Allan%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmJrAR8NCmRB6W6Aa-fREQNUw4oLInVY4E9txdsPjya5wwZ6WBAyTz7a8aoDLXXFmgUWlAH3SDU5VOgM7sepszjlZXtuN_R-BaS_0jm_6VTf9vkjdlQy-b6Uf_J5Aebm_4XeI05KxDWxZmv9COCDhbgo4I6_VrVNqk02JgwxrqMFdS5v1rCkk/w640-h426/Jason%20Lamb%20and%20Allan%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Jason Lamb and myself, by Cat Ashbee, with the Polish edition of Lamb's Nomeansno book, in the pit at the Pearl, December 1st, 2023</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">There is actually a bit more to the story than that. Mike Jung of legendary American band <a href="http://www.alicedonut.com/" target="_blank">Alice Donut</a> had flown in from New York to see the show, and Jason promptly introduced me; photos of Lamb and Jung also exist, as do photos of both of them being joined by Rob Wright for festivities earlier that night (it's nice to see Rob smiling, sipping expensive single malt, and enjoying his retirement: Randy Newman has observed that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TleaGxB1Pbw" target="_blank">no one ever retires from rock'n'roll</a>, but Rob always was the exception to the rule). </p><p style="text-align: left;">But I'm going to leave it there for the time being... Colin MacRae tells me he will NOT be on hand for the signing -- but I'm hoping Ford, Kristy-Lee, and Byron will. Presumably there will also be copies of Dead Bob's debut vinyl, <i>Life Like</i>, and other merch on hand. The Alternative Tentacles reissue of <i>Wrong</i> is still a month away, if I understand correctly, but can be <a href="https://alternativetentacles.com/products/v077-nomeansno-wrong" target="_blank">pre-ordered</a> now, if you're of a mind. And of course,<i> Life Like</i> does pop up fairly often at Red Cat Records, if you can't snag it at Neptoon... Perchance there will be other merch?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3Y8hp6baqO3aaiO_LsjU3NnBmnbasVHbJb4kAPvKhYzcLwJ7OVCNOnosdZhY6TeU9E3_C6HGA-Pb_oRNlZnAuz2apwdcFl5aboBogZIfO0J-Ywp95wdEi7WfEYerJvv1q2-XFGhuvd0waa0tnihIwH1oOQBt-0Zk16gi4IpFslb2a4polfr-/s1149/ford.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1149" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3Y8hp6baqO3aaiO_LsjU3NnBmnbasVHbJb4kAPvKhYzcLwJ7OVCNOnosdZhY6TeU9E3_C6HGA-Pb_oRNlZnAuz2apwdcFl5aboBogZIfO0J-Ywp95wdEi7WfEYerJvv1q2-XFGhuvd0waa0tnihIwH1oOQBt-0Zk16gi4IpFslb2a4polfr-/w640-h512/ford.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ford Pier learned trombone (and had to learn to play keyboards the John Wright way) for the Dead Bob shows; photo by Bob Hanham, not to be reused without permission</i></div></i><p style="text-align: left;">So we'll see you at Neptoon, or perhaps at another Dead Bob gig in the not-too-distant future. Check the Dead Bob bandcamp <a href="https://deadbob.bandcamp.com/album/life-like" target="_blank">here</a>, and note that <a href="https://selinamartin.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Selina Martin</a>, who sings co-lead with John on the cover of "Life Like" on that album, will be coming back to Vancouver in March, appearing on a bill with Tony Bardach's new band, <a href="https://thesmoke23.bandcamp.com/album/first-offence" target="_blank">the Smoke</a> (more on that to come; there will be a third band on the bill but that is in flux at present). </p><p style="text-align: left;">Nomeansno remains permanently retired, and the Wildwood too is now officially gone; but... long live Dead Bob! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7XJ5xTszo_idAbfWP_doi74emNA42aM9nIeS2sgUHhuiMpfq3d2HkWzOsaS_T6GpjulvlO6p3YtQ8VGJRyDde93MFB2lyxDPnZfp6M_yLd3bmDaMgc2mRSJod2lyrsTTtUP21y9njdDL1wXb4V8bOxhogxcszsSEC3Bh7McKaMCGSSeI3Ip6/s1149/db-bob.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1149" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7XJ5xTszo_idAbfWP_doi74emNA42aM9nIeS2sgUHhuiMpfq3d2HkWzOsaS_T6GpjulvlO6p3YtQ8VGJRyDde93MFB2lyxDPnZfp6M_yLd3bmDaMgc2mRSJod2lyrsTTtUP21y9njdDL1wXb4V8bOxhogxcszsSEC3Bh7McKaMCGSSeI3Ip6/w640-h512/db-bob.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Dead Bob by Bob Hanham, not to be reused without permission. How does Ford do that? He's STILL PLAYING!!!</i></p><div style="text-align: center;">Upcoming Dead Bob dates (see the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wrongrecords" target="_blank">Wrong Records Facebook page</a> for updates):</div><div style="text-align: center;">March 1 - The Waverley Hotel Cumberland (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/371766742155300/" target="_blank">Facebook event page</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;">March 2nd - did I hear about a secret gig somewhere? You figure it out.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">March 7 BBDB’s Vernon BC - Tickets only at the door.</div><div style="text-align: center;">March 8 The Palomino Calgary AB</div><div style="text-align: center;">March 9 Amigo’s Saskatoon SK - <a href="https://www.showpass.com/dead-bob-w-guests/?fbclid=IwAR0xJedUer6qCR3zKqfl2W1f90b6B6LXgRa8Ptt8kSkxPX8PaGdpEzeQwpw">https://www.showpass.com/dead-bob-w-guests/</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">March 11 The Park Theatre Winnipeg MB</div><div style="text-align: center;">March 13 The Exchange Regina SK</div><div style="text-align: center;">March 14 The Starlight Edmonton AB</div><div style="text-align: center;">MORE SHOWS AND TIX INFO COMING <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/prairiepunk?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZWi2rkvcWL3Vwfn_eaFMOHmwFm7HdttbJf5Tfnw93OtPQGk3CyEHbwN9EnA79z1pt9ibMO7I1t8rcOOwsj7ayhimcONRWbDMC-9N74M8w2ZIbnSXMTAE2Ww2Lw6Na_wpAR5kJoLWxF_s5FQ8g1e_z7cWq2SBtCbx_VSEZLW66ZLkINaUoREk9-QcaRnXpK0En1MbjAUiCwj_iEN0LwrlKaG&__tn__=*NK-y-R">#prairiepunk</a></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Q8TjnMrdmgVCUglYs8NMjjelAXH1ctsiP1MaskHxkoQC_QXvCc-QIqZhnCmwHNlsszB2ZNEjD0d5fReQ3osn25Kezeeaoju_4B4ixHy-9xWVaiKLAGgvPepFJnORayUPo7tMfe80PBt420VQovBj8c2XRpxoeePzh5wdCU8K2_QlLS68PoUh/s2048/launch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Q8TjnMrdmgVCUglYs8NMjjelAXH1ctsiP1MaskHxkoQC_QXvCc-QIqZhnCmwHNlsszB2ZNEjD0d5fReQ3osn25Kezeeaoju_4B4ixHy-9xWVaiKLAGgvPepFJnORayUPo7tMfe80PBt420VQovBj8c2XRpxoeePzh5wdCU8K2_QlLS68PoUh/w512-h640/launch.jpg" width="512" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Note: photos and reportage from this signing, here: https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2024/02/nomeansno-mudhoney-signing-at-neptoon.html</div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-35106684649584203262024-01-27T09:36:00.000-08:002024-01-28T21:53:52.620-08:00Feeding the hungry eye: of horror, sentimentality, ownership, and collecting<p>Why do I care about owning things? </p><p>I went through a phase where it seemed very important to gather towards me the things that I had loved at a kid. There was, for instance, a book of Robert Bloch short stories, a couple of which I remembered vividly, that I had, I think, when I was around 10 years old. The book, in the edition I owned, had a singular and memorable cover:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamV4mssmnnm83K-mklII8lZJm_rSqSkUFs4eoqTQFKtuudeu_XULp_FR1OLLlKRcb7n6Mjkcktn9DX7lkIebmVo_KMCfhWDRWFCiS6VNIRw9vKMVxoQom-KqU9JkiEz02K3SZaiyblrgdLhSRDUDWPUmhJnk6k21Oxxz6KCrHPBfADDmJb-L2/s1000/bloch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamV4mssmnnm83K-mklII8lZJm_rSqSkUFs4eoqTQFKtuudeu_XULp_FR1OLLlKRcb7n6Mjkcktn9DX7lkIebmVo_KMCfhWDRWFCiS6VNIRw9vKMVxoQom-KqU9JkiEz02K3SZaiyblrgdLhSRDUDWPUmhJnk6k21Oxxz6KCrHPBfADDmJb-L2/w382-h640/bloch.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br /><p>That's not even the first printing; there's a more common, probably more valuable edition of the book, maybe more than one if it came out in hardcover, but that cover was the one on the book that I had as a kid, and was a big part of the appeal -- because I used to have horrible nightmares involving the Grim Reaper. They were very realistic, set in the actual condo where I lived with my parents -- maybe when I was aged six or seven, not much older. The mood of the dream would be happy at first: I would be playing outside with my friends, then would go to open the door to go inside, and AAAUUUGH: the Grim Reaper was waiting just inside the door! The whole mood of the dream shifted from playful to terrifying and I would wake up in a panic, heart pounding. At that point I didn't even know who the Grim Reaper was, didn't understand he was the Angel of Death -- it was just some sort of supernatural figure, in dark robes, with a skull for a face, who I'd been terrified by in images in the back of <i>Famous Monsters of Filmland</i>. </p><p>The dream recurred a few times, with a couple of variants, and so I grew to mistrust the landscape of my dreams. If I was walking towards a door in my dream, I would stop before opening it, knowing that this skull-faced entity could be waiting inside. I knew that my dreams might be trying to trick me. One time I even dreamed I was upstairs, and that my mother was calling me to come downstairs, and I decided that it was actually this nightmare figure PRETENDING to be my mother, waiting just downstairs, trying to lure me. I wouldn't come downstairs, in that dream; instead, I fought it, tried to wake myself up, slapping myself in the face. <i>You aren't going to get ME!</i> </p><p>My dreams grew increasingly lucid and interactive, so that, if I thought ol' skullface was going to suddenly appear, was waiting around the corner in a dream that was poised to turn bad, I'd ram myself into the walls of the room I was in, hit myself, etc. Not sure if I actually was hitting myself in real life, lying there in bed, but there was little I had experienced that terrified me more than those nightmares. It seemed imperative I get out of them however I could. </p><p>Which brings us back to this paperback. I loved Bloch -- he wrote gruesome little short stories, which I enjoyed much more than his novels. I read a few of those too: <i>Firebug, The Scarf,</i> and<i> Psycho II, </i>the story for which had utterly no relationship to that of the <i>Psycho II </i>film: it's about a police detective so obsessed with catching Norman Bates that he doesn't realize that Bates is dead and that, in his obsessive need to catch him, his own personality has fragmented -- that the killer he's pursuing is actually himself. It sounds like a fun premise, but I don't remember being very impressed with the book at the time. Bloch's stories, however -- I had several anthologies -- were really fun, almost shaggy dog stories, each one ending on gross-out punchlines that are just the sort of thing to delight a horror-minded kid. There was one I even adapted into a sort of play for drama class, as a young teenager, where an honest cop, a good man, is killed by a corrupt colleague, chopped up, and served as meat to the guests at a barbeque, as a novel way of getting rid of the body. His partner confronts the killer at said barbeque, not realizing that he's actually helping dispose of the evidence in the form of the steak on his plate. When he figures it out, there's a punchline where Bloch reminds us that this cop had been a good man, and "you can't keep a good man down." </p><p>That's your typical Bloch move, there: ending on a one-liner that is equal parts corny groaner and gruesome nightmare. He's the guy who said, famously, that despite his reputation, he actually had the heart of a small child... which he kept in a jar on his desk. </p><p>Anyhow.</p><p>The paperback with that cover actually terrified me, when I saw it on the shelf at a used bookstore of my childhood (Haney Books, RIP). It might have been the reason why I needed to own it, the thing that drew me in BECAUSE it repelled me; it may even have been the first Bloch I picked up, drawn by that cover alone. It's the same logic by which I figure that my utter terror at the flying monkeys in<i> The Wizard of Oz, </i>mentioned in my previous post, were essential in getting me into horror cinema -- the desire to control, understand, and come to terms with that which terrified me, affected me, made me vulnerable. Bloch is for writing what <i>Oz </i>was for cinema, for me, for getting me into reading actual prose, not just <i>Warren Magazines</i> and <i>House of Mystery</i> comics and such. His stories were memorable and delightful to my young mind, if sometimes very dark, and a few of them remained wedged in my brain, like the last sentence of the story "The Hungry Eye," from the very collection under discussion: the tale describes someone possessed by a dark force, killing someone, which he describes in terms of "feeding;" it's not as corny as the usual Bloch punchline, but it really got under the skin (it's something like, "I picked up the knife, walked towards her, and fed the Hungry Eye"). Some of the other stories were more SF than horror, even bordering on Swiftian social satire -- like "Sales of a Deathman," which I still think could be adapted into a memorable movie, a blackly comic trifle about an advertising executive who, to help solve the world's overpopulation problem, creates an advertising campaign for suicide that is so successful that<i> everyone in the world dies</i>, except for a few old executives from the same company, a beautiful young (female) secretary, and the adman himself, whom everyone is counting on to help repopulate the world (the punchline is something like, "I haven't got the heart to tell them I'm sterile"). </p><p>I spent quite a bit of time and effort trying to re-acquire that paperback a few years ago. And like I say, it wasn't just about reading the stories again, or owning the book, it was about <i>owning the book in the edition that I had had as a kid.</i> I went through the same thing with Robert Silverberg's <i>Dying Inside:</i> why would I want a book with this cover:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErCQzJW61BjDWwitElrWGoyF3_AB9CDWkHqrQhP785ipgW0YQ7j7k-Uxb9lrPJ6TABbjBThcSaIjZUgcR8j5RiQhyEEMgZM9jMHtgbUQMgstWOznXFaqbAH193pdHnN2kCjaTNBfl6yIzCGlYqnNFhyphenhyphen2myo9ijAnA5mPn-8zoOdrxwmKBNwC_/s1000/dying1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="571" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErCQzJW61BjDWwitElrWGoyF3_AB9CDWkHqrQhP785ipgW0YQ7j7k-Uxb9lrPJ6TABbjBThcSaIjZUgcR8j5RiQhyEEMgZM9jMHtgbUQMgstWOznXFaqbAH193pdHnN2kCjaTNBfl6yIzCGlYqnNFhyphenhyphen2myo9ijAnA5mPn-8zoOdrxwmKBNwC_/w229-h400/dying1.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><p>When I could have the one that appealed to me as a kid, that had made me want to read the book in the first place:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1HZZWFp8UEODsxqmBc5AKqjEqPKj_a3JrqYVDHq07R0T01Zd-Ue92h-gGsgNX1y325h7VvUSCMsyjHYw4oWoAN6vfqOCsPj3tWGY3h_bix4znA16BHzW5RKMgqqjaKKP6PUZ1ioyTJKg27XgkZ27sJV8LOnyrvb4KuTrql7hVp_a1loA4kGS/s600/dying2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="355" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1HZZWFp8UEODsxqmBc5AKqjEqPKj_a3JrqYVDHq07R0T01Zd-Ue92h-gGsgNX1y325h7VvUSCMsyjHYw4oWoAN6vfqOCsPj3tWGY3h_bix4znA16BHzW5RKMgqqjaKKP6PUZ1ioyTJKg27XgkZ27sJV8LOnyrvb4KuTrql7hVp_a1loA4kGS/w236-h400/dying2.jpeg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><p>...that also being a book I took pains a few years ago to re-acquire in the same edition that mattered to me when I first owned it. I still have it. That one, I actually can justify re-owning, because I think I'd like to read it again; beside its including the first description of an LSD trip I ever encountered, it has a resonant theme -- a man who grew up psychic, trying to come to terms with the waning of his gifts as he ages -- which I think would be more meaningful to me as an adult than as a teenager. </p><p>The Bloch, on the other hand, when I finally got it... I realized <i>I had no desire to re-read it at all</i>. It sat on my shelf for a few months, un-opened, before I figured this out. Like Aurora monster models, the stories of Harlan Ellison, the art of Richard Corben, and vintage episodes of <i>Star Trek </i>and<i> The Night Stalker, </i>it was something I had lasting fondness for from my childhood that really didn't translate into the world of my adult interests. Just like I had wanted to own it as a child so I could control the thing that frightened me, <i>I had wanted to re-own it as an adult because it had meant something to me as a child. </i>The difference was, back then, owning it actually included a desire to read it, the ability to take pleasure from Bloch's (ultimately kind of immature and silly) short stories. Why would I want to re-read them, though?</p><p>When I realized that in fact, <i>owning it was all I had wanted</i>, that the book was just sitting there, unread, and would continue to do so... I brought it back to the used bookstore where I'd acquired it, Carson Books. </p><p>At least the brief owning-it-again-and-discovering-I-did-not-care served to satiate the need, scratch the itch. It also helped me realize that there is a ton of stuff I have gathered towards me specifically because <i>I want to own it, not use it. </i></p><p>It's not always easy to know what's driving the desire, though. Is it JUST about ownership, or is there active interest in the use of the thing? I still think about re-acquiring a comic book that fascinated me as a teenager: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_KhkWDgBntx56jF1YVs4HKmx2gsh8Dz7JjDeIhz6FNPcrTEUGYb0-OIjETaKcw0hZDc3JObZ3nJOnYT9rHm8IpQN3Ij_X463n2vKx4Uhvnd_pn2aA7QChAzxLEeAiJ_OgXo80vGU_6RwcBfN9XFne5WHE2pc0iX8wyyWs97fwoRFqiRsjse6/s547/cancer-comic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="383" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_KhkWDgBntx56jF1YVs4HKmx2gsh8Dz7JjDeIhz6FNPcrTEUGYb0-OIjETaKcw0hZDc3JObZ3nJOnYT9rHm8IpQN3Ij_X463n2vKx4Uhvnd_pn2aA7QChAzxLEeAiJ_OgXo80vGU_6RwcBfN9XFne5WHE2pc0iX8wyyWs97fwoRFqiRsjse6/w448-h640/cancer-comic.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><p>...but why? <i>Why do I need this?</i> Do I actually want to read the stories in it? No; it's just an artifact, the contents of which I barely remember, something that, if I acquired it again, I would PROBABLY just put in a box with the other comic books that I remember from my youth (there are a couple of <i>Slow Death</i>s in there, but not this one). Again, it might mean something more to me now than it did then, given my own dance with cancer in recent years, and it might interest me if, in re-reading it, it sparked a memory of a formative attitude or such, given that it was probably the first time in my life I really thought about cancer; still, I have paused in the re-acquiring it, because I no longer trust the impulse. </p><p>I'm writing this for a specific reason, related to <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/12/lets-try-this-again-new-years.html" target="_blank">my New Year's Resolution</a>, y'see. It's still January, and I'm already struggling. I had decided, on one of my trips to Main Street, that I wanted to flip a couple of records -- because I could surely still <i>trade</i> records for new ones, even if I was vowing not to buy any new ones this year. The problem is that in the process of flipping a couple of things, I realized, holy cow, <i>how can I quit buying records when I don't even have a single Tom Waits LP in my collection?</i> (not on vinyl, anyhow). I had enjoyed a few weeks of feeling like I'd gotten OFF the acquisition-of-stuff merry go round, and have in fact been a bit burned out on Tom Waits for awhile, but I don't deny his genius, and he once meant a great deal to me, so suddenly that peaceful non-acquisatory vibe I had been trying to cultivate was gone. Plus by re-acquiring one of his records (which actually did require a small cash outlay, since I didn't get as much as I'd hoped for the records I'd sold), I'd come close to filling up my Red Cat stamp card... how can I quit when I just have two stamps left to go...?</p><p>This posed a further problem: how can I buy just one Tom Waits record, when there are four of five that I actually really loved, back in the day? I would have to get <i>Rain Dogs</i>, first, because that was the album that hooked me on him, that I bought when it came out...</p><p>...but what about <i>Frank's Wild Years, The Black Rider</i>, and <i>Bone Machine</i>? I could probably make do without <i>Swordfishtrombones</i>, or his early work... except maybe <i>Heartattack and Vine</i>... Hmm...</p><p>And speaking of <i>Bone Machine</i>, how can I stop collecting without having <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKHsSz1dAac" target="_blank">a single Pixies LP</a> in my collection? </p><p>I should never have gone back into Red Cat that day. I went in feeling fairly safe in my resolution, thinking I'd just flip a couple things for one other record, and emerged twitching with the need for at least six or seven more records, which continued to haunt me for days...</p><p>It almost becomes like <i>smoking cigarettes as a way of quitting smoking cigarettes</i>: you can justify smoking that next cigarette because it's YOUR LAST ONE, right? Because it's better to smoke a cigarette if it's your final one than if it's just one more cigarette in an endless series of cigarettes. So if it's in fact your last cigarette, that's okay! One last one and then you're done! </p><p>And then the satiation passes and the cravings hit and suddenly you're thinking about lighting just one more... THAT can be your last cigarette, right? If it's really the last, then that's okay!<br /></p><p>Right?</p><p>How many "last cigarettes" are you allowed to smoke before you have to call bullshit on yourself?</p><p>Anyhow, I'm all twisted up now, because I figured, having gone into Red Cat, and realized that, okay, I'm going to have to feed the hungry eye one more time, I went one more step and sold a record that I had two of, a kind of nice item that I enjoyed owning, because it would allow me to get a couple Tom Waits and Pixies records, which would be the fastest way to stop myself from continuing to think about wanting them... a memorable purchase that I could END things on, you know? And I was still just trading things in, which I was allowed to do. </p><p>...only now I have an offer on the second of the two copies of said nice item, <i>which I hadn't intended to sell at all.</i> It might mean getting a couple of other Waits and Pixies records, and it would compensate a bit for the fact that I indeed spent a little MORE money than I'd gotten for the record I had sold... and it would kind of teach me a lesson that by opening the door to buying more stuff -- well, it wouldn't be the Grim Reaper, exactly, waiting on the other side, but I would LOSE something in the process, and maybe that would help me to stop? </p><p><i>How do I stop</i><i>?</i> Can I credibly use a final-cigarette/ one-last-heist-and-then-I'll-retire narrative to justify continuing to do exactly the thing I am trying (allegedly) to quit doing? It's almost like some perverse variant on Zeno's Paradox... How do I break this habit, of wanting to draw things towards me, of wanting to own them, control them? What drives it? Why can't I just be happy with what I AM, without needing to connect it to what I HAVE? </p><p>Anyhow, I don't actually really want to sell this other record at all, except the guy who wants to buy it wants it for a reason that kind of moves me (as a gift for someone), which actually seems more inherently meaningful than my mere (meaningless?) continued ownership of it. I just<i> like </i>the idea of continuing to own it... like my OWN pleasure in ownership, even as I am tempted towards facilitating his pleasure (he actually wants it as a gift for someone, so it would be TWO people getting pleasure from it, one form of pleasure -- pleasure in giving -- is actually superior, innit, to pleasure in owning. But why should that seem more valid to me? Why should my own continued ownership seem less meaningful than the act of facilitating someone else's ownership? (Is it the changing-hands-of-things that I'm addicted to, even more than the owning of them?). I'm all snarled up about it, and completely unconvinced that (maybe) by letting go of this object, it will make it a memorable lesson in NOT GETTING SO INVESTED IN THE OWNERSHIP OF STUFF.</p><p>Of course, the guy I'm thinking of selling it to is plenty invested in the ownership of stuff, himself. I wonder if he ever second-guesses that, if he ever thinks maybe he needs help? </p><p>Maybe I do? Maybe there are actually MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE THAT I COULD BE THINKING ABOUT? Maybe all of this is just drama, and poor self control, and ultimately unworthy of the time I am devoting to thinking on it?</p><p>It did not seem this way this morning. </p><p>***</p><p>Post-script. I sold that other record, too. And bought all the Pixies and Tom Waits I really "needed." And now I'm gonna try to go back on the wagon... real soon...</p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-67052436472509157872024-01-25T23:45:00.000-08:002024-01-26T05:47:25.361-08:00King Kong (1933) on screen (plus the return of Horrorshow!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zNV3Dl8LAJ2ugMwtBGDmXCCTY5yGJqGjjj7zbKAflV3j0mSSD8jP7rCiyPuWZpkjvtWPg9Z-KWB7dUREaGHy4NNYlGCDcS6NZxQrSvwMcu9J48xSM-Yus8Ngf5LJqBEesMDe7FtvCUZWItinAUr8u6dPm5MyegyyowH2OL9YyGEzuIpNj5fu/s5985/kong2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4791" data-original-width="5985" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zNV3Dl8LAJ2ugMwtBGDmXCCTY5yGJqGjjj7zbKAflV3j0mSSD8jP7rCiyPuWZpkjvtWPg9Z-KWB7dUREaGHy4NNYlGCDcS6NZxQrSvwMcu9J48xSM-Yus8Ngf5LJqBEesMDe7FtvCUZWItinAUr8u6dPm5MyegyyowH2OL9YyGEzuIpNj5fu/w640-h512/kong2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I can't give it fair credit as #1, but the second-most important film screening I ever attended, in terms of shaping me as a movie lover, was <i>King Kong,</i> at the gym at my old elementary school in Maple Ridge, circa 1977, when I was about nine years old. #1, as I've written about somewhere back there, was a theatrical presentation of <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> that I'd gone to, some years previous, also in Maple Ridge, where I was so terrified by the flying monkeys (and so in fear for Dorothy) that I had to be removed from the theatre, shrieking and crying. Film has never since had such a powerful impact upon me; I figure the sheer trauma of the experience was what compelled me, as a child, to want to understand cinema more deeply, and set me on the road to horror film fandom. But I'm not a huge fan of <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>, or anything. It's a fun enough film but it resonates with me today nowhere near as much as that first experience of the original version of <i>King Kong</i>, when our teacher - a youthful, cheerful hippie named Mr. Hansen, who also played a formative role in getting me into song lyrics -- led the class into the gymnasium to see a film print being projected of <i>King Kong</i>. <br /><br />I was a huge fan of dinosaurs, but somehow was unaware of the film. We were, as I remember, brought in late, so that we arrived shortly before the raft scene on Skull Island, which may have actually helped me get into the film: within a few minutes of getting comfortably cross-legged on the floor, there was a dinosaur on screen! I was rapt, and soon to be even more awestruck by the allosaurus (but usually identified as a T-Rex)-vs-Kong fight scene. I loved the movie, and much later, even liked Peter Jackson's remake of it sufficiently that I went back to the theatre to see it half a dozen times...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsnfX3DwU-iwl6-_30x3-oS7m-_HsQsWXV3dLAgKxq6Fsga8q-qOjDP6HoXKPWlIohougO5_bt-_hkufeL3WjQtsbNSvRZhjFmTcaRb3FdshvvNIK01RCT_IhWEUNLP9kRkUKgUs1t7mM4FMz9n421lHKxZzWe9NllrYkU6EE1mSS1mSI6GP8/s650/King-Kong-battling-T-rex-securing-his-prize-Ann-Darrow-in-the-treetops-Source.ppm" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="650" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsnfX3DwU-iwl6-_30x3-oS7m-_HsQsWXV3dLAgKxq6Fsga8q-qOjDP6HoXKPWlIohougO5_bt-_hkufeL3WjQtsbNSvRZhjFmTcaRb3FdshvvNIK01RCT_IhWEUNLP9kRkUKgUs1t7mM4FMz9n421lHKxZzWe9NllrYkU6EE1mSS1mSI6GP8/w640-h482/King-Kong-battling-T-rex-securing-his-prize-Ann-Darrow-in-the-treetops-Source.ppm" width="640" /></a></div><p>...but somewhat unbelievably, I have only seen 1933 <i>King Kong </i>projected one other time, in the 40-odd-years since that day in the gymnasium at my old school, at an outdoor screening in Stanley Park some ten years ago. Fitting, then, that I'll be seeing it again in Maple Ridge -- or, well, technically Pitt Meadows -- this Friday, for the (technically second) film to mark the return of Horrorshow, the <a href="https://theblacklab.bandcamp.com/track/until-i-die" target="_blank">Jonny-Bones</a>-hosted late-night film series, which only recently recovered from its COVID-imposed lockdown. It's screening a bit earlier than the Horrorshows of yore, so it's possible for Vancouver residents to commute out to catch the film, which Bones will introduce. Bones is the frontman for two of Maple Ridge's best punk exports, the ska-inflected <a href="https://bonedaddies.bandcamp.com/album/sinister-city" target="_blank">Bone Daddies</a> and the more oldtimey-influenced <a href="https://stillspirits.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Still Spirits</a>. He took the time to answer a few questions about King Kong and his history with it. </p><p>(And for the record, I had no idea that<i> The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms</i> predated <i>Godzilla</i>. I fact checked Bones, and the former is from 1953, while the latter 1954. I'm seriously impressed; Bones knows his stuff).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXL-NrdewZJXPXAgQSo3HLRL2sqoCLm52A49ni98DSdEIxoWtz3bJuKFriCaQ-VVPNyzYR8BdJOXfTt1SRkIpL2E_KOCRk0ROPpZV8WhEmcuPf6N8qRkSIFp-3mlfvdtDuGqBl0RZaKHcqIyQSKtJ6baFd43PQRmj5gu1D4FzQFXLITAE4zTcE/s2048/kav.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1809" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXL-NrdewZJXPXAgQSo3HLRL2sqoCLm52A49ni98DSdEIxoWtz3bJuKFriCaQ-VVPNyzYR8BdJOXfTt1SRkIpL2E_KOCRk0ROPpZV8WhEmcuPf6N8qRkSIFp-3mlfvdtDuGqBl0RZaKHcqIyQSKtJ6baFd43PQRmj5gu1D4FzQFXLITAE4zTcE/w354-h400/kav.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jonny Bones by Kav Ronin</div><p><i>A: How did you first encounter </i>King Kong? <br /><br />J: I first was shown<i> King Kong</i> by my mother as a very young age. Exactly what age, I don't recall, but likely between 1st & 3rd grade. I came from a very religious household; we also lived out in the sticks of the Stave Falls area, in a little trailer on a hill and had no cable TV, just a VCR and whatever came in through our 2.5 over the air TV channels, so what I had access to/ was allowed to watch was very limited. However, my mother was a big fan of classic black and white and early adventure films, many of which featured the exceptional creature effects work of Ray Harryhausen. Anyways, one day she put on <i>King Kong</i>, either as a TV broadcast or as a VHS rental, I cannot recall. Seeing that film however, I vividly recall. I was awestruck by the images in screen. My mind at that time couldn't comprehend how it all worked, it just looked real... Well, maybe not REAL, perhaps surreal is a better term. But the mastery of effects being blended and layered on that screen made a deep and lasting impression on me that set me forever on a course to keep seeking that feeling of excitement and awe, that surreal feeling of realistic unreality that only monster movies and horror can present. My very Christian and lovely mother had no clue what kind of creature she herself was creating that day in our living room. Without her realizing it, she was forming a lifelong Movie Monster fan. <br /><i><br />A: There was an interesting later-day interpretation of the film by which it is encoding a fear of miscegenation, with Kong as a stand-in for people of colour, from whom our white women must be protected! I think that anxiety might actually be relevant -- but it makes me love the film no less.</i><br /></p><p>J: Yes, I'm very aware of the reading of the film in a racial allegory, and it's an extremely valid reading. From watching the film, you can't help but see the trappings of race and misogyny that are simply inherent in it as a product of the time. Women are the lesser sex, that need to only be rescued or desired, and people of color are only presented as uncivilized savages to serve as small antagonistic plot points. For a film from 1933, I don't really expect much less. I think the theory of reading Kong himself as an allegory for the struggle of the black man in America was likely popularized <a href="https://inglouriousbasterds.fandom.com/wiki/King_Kong" target="_blank">by the scene from <i>Inglourious Basterds</i></a> by Tarantino, and again, I think it's a very interesting and apt reading of the film. But, to me, I think viewing the movie only through that modern socio-political lens, robs the film of its pure marvel of original storytelling and industry changing special effects. </p><p>What people don't often understand about Kong is that nothing had ever existed like it before. It's a completely original concept and story. It was not based on a book or a play or any other pre-existing piece of art. It was created, whole cloth, for the screen (a concept which was rare then and almost non-existent today, especially from any major studio), and the effects work that Willis O'Brien did are nothing short of groundbreaking. This film incorporated, invented and remixed every single form of special effects known at the time, from stop motion, jump cuts, matte painting, rear projection, glass paint overlays and more, all mixed together and combined, sometimes mixing all of them at once in ways that had never been seen or done before (refer to the snake fight scene inside of the mountain lair to see what I mean) and through the combination of all of these things, the film achieved the rare occurrence of puncturing the general pop culture zeitgeist and created the first giant movie monster ever. That even now, 91 years later, still looms large in our minds. Hell <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_x_Kong:_The_New_Empire" target="_blank">Godzilla x King: The New Empire</a></i> comes out in theaters later this year! And without this film, none of the giant movie monsters we know and love, from Godzilla to Cloverfield, or any variety of Japanese Kaiju would exist. </p><p>So, while I think the modern viewing of <i>King Kong</i> is an important reading of the themes on screen, I think it is a short sighted view of just what exactly this film is and what it has done for cinema as a whole. One certainly should watch it, and they would be remiss to write it off due to any sense of social "insensitivity", as they would be losing far more for modern culture than they would gain for moral stature. However, that's the beautiful thing about art. You can enjoy it, consume it, discuss it, dissect it, criticize it, and more. The only thing you should never do it ban or dismiss it. If you don't like it. Simply don't engage with it.</p><p><i>A: Do you have other favourite stop-motion films? <br /></i><br />Yes, I'm a huge stop motion fan. To me O'Brien will always be the king, as I think Kong looms largest over all of the art form. However, Harryhausen is another favourite (himself a student of O'Brien, they even worked together on <i>Mighty Joe Young</i>, itself a direct descendant of<i> Kong</i>). So films like <i>The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Clash Of The Titans, Jason and The Argonauts, Beast From 20,000 Fathoms</i> (itself the precursor to<i> Godzilla</i>),<i> It Came From Beneath The Sea </i>and many, MANY more are all very near and dear to my heart. Luckily for us the artform is still alive and well, with such modern offerings as Henry Selick's:<i> The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach,</i> and of course <i>Coraline,</i> which marked the birth of what I think is the greatest stop motion animation studio currently working today: Laika Animation Studios. If you haven't seen their incredible outpouring of work: <i>ParaNorman, Kubo and The Two Strings, Boxtrolls, The Missing Link,</i> and of course the aforementioned <i>Coraline</i>, you should stop reading this and just go watch one of their films. It's breathtaking work and how they are advancing the medium is truly stunning.</p><p><i>A: Yeah, it's great stuff -- I'm particularly fond of </i>ParaNorman.<i> Any comments on the return of Horrorshow? I'm very glad it's back. </i></p><p>J: Horrorshow is back as a regular monthly event for the foreseeable future. It was shutdown due to the pandemic and I'm glad that I was finally able to get them back on board with the events. I highly encourage everyone to go and support the Hollywood 3 Cinema at all times, not only for Horrorshow. We need independent cinemas in our community. They are vitally important, and are our last bastion against only having mega corporations such as Cineplex, and to a lesser extent, Landmark, as our sole rulers of all cinema screens. I cherish going to the theater to see films the way they were intended to be seen, but the mass takeover of cinema screens by Cineplex and the like is a serious problem. Media and our access to the art held within shouldn't be a monopoly, but it's what we're seeing more and more these days, from our food stores to our movie houses to our film studios and of course our online connection. Independent companies are important. Independent cinemas are important. So, yes, I'm very proud to be back at the Hollywood 3 Cinema, I'm proud to be able to do these nights to share the films I love while also being able to highlight a unique and independent theater in my local area. Please, go support them, they truly need the help and we truly need them in our community!</p><p><i>A: Any gigs to plug? Will the Still Spirits be playing anytime soon? Are the Bone Daddies still active?</i></p><p>J: Currently no gigs. The Still Spirits are on hiatus until our lead singer/banjo player, Skiff, gets back from his deployment on Kuwait. In the meantime, I'm still playing solo shows, which I do whenever I don't have other gigs. You can follow me on instagram: @BonesJonny, I post there about what I'm up to. Follow The Still Spirits on all socials or music platforms of choice, we'll be back this spring/summer. The Bone Daddies are the same group of guys in the Spirits. We just didn't have time for both bands anymore, Spirits was getting more gigs and we were writing more songs in that style currently, but who knows, we may rise from the grave again sometime. We'll see. </p><p><i>A: Ever write a song inspired by</i> King Kong<i>? You'd figure there would be a few of them, but I only know the </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxtVRWShdtg" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Tom Waits cover</a><i> of the </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t9d0V6mys0" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Daniel Johnston song</a><i>...</i></p><p>J: No, I have never written a song about King Kong. I did write one about Lovecraft's short story, "The Call Of Cthulhu," though. So that's fun. Come see me play a solo gig and maybe I'll play it sometime if you want to hear a sea shanty about monsters and madness! I think that's it mate. Cheers! Hope to see you tomorrow for the show! It's truly a marvelous film and if you've never had a change to see it on the big screen, I hope we can change that for ya. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEVectVr4ip2W8YcQExjwax2M2LXRoeO-PonzSdzUJvh339eioPykuyAD5UorDO7JkqAgZLEKz1Bo_BYzKd2UBe7lGiU8e-yLGl7usygkTq9amEdhUDrVSEHqKH48ApdW55EpnSvFk04HO1whnwxxL9CAyzFhvMp98aimDJFrhaFeFwfrqlDQ/s2000/kong3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEVectVr4ip2W8YcQExjwax2M2LXRoeO-PonzSdzUJvh339eioPykuyAD5UorDO7JkqAgZLEKz1Bo_BYzKd2UBe7lGiU8e-yLGl7usygkTq9amEdhUDrVSEHqKH48ApdW55EpnSvFk04HO1whnwxxL9CAyzFhvMp98aimDJFrhaFeFwfrqlDQ/w640-h426/kong3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>Follow Horrorshow on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Hollywood3Horrorshow" target="_blank">here</a>; check out other listings for the Hollywood 3 Pitt Meadows <a href="https://hollywoodcinemas.ca/" target="_blank">here</a>. See you in Pitt Meadows (film screens at 9:30).</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk7VFlJPz-pFQfgwzGJ56s8ZSmwAhoDUSzQTnx7xjKSAhRAjJINzY_1X7rJreD6OXqYiNJ_k3xxnHOtUy55_Zyaf-OfhL7qG6-oljhEXKtdVuNoal10ms4cyUL7oeJ6aDLwAWF4rhFPMc581RGUCnO2XrhCH6PgvK5-Z19jp0K5cBMFhtL19R/s1531/horrorshow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1531" data-original-width="985" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk7VFlJPz-pFQfgwzGJ56s8ZSmwAhoDUSzQTnx7xjKSAhRAjJINzY_1X7rJreD6OXqYiNJ_k3xxnHOtUy55_Zyaf-OfhL7qG6-oljhEXKtdVuNoal10ms4cyUL7oeJ6aDLwAWF4rhFPMc581RGUCnO2XrhCH6PgvK5-Z19jp0K5cBMFhtL19R/w412-h640/horrorshow.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-44270441877363834752024-01-18T23:59:00.000-08:002024-01-18T23:59:43.912-08:00Sidelined<p>Had COVID. Have recovered, but it took a week out of me -- more, really; I was completely unproductive. So I have a backup of writing projects. Might not blog for a bit. </p>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-65551487977996312832024-01-13T07:37:00.000-08:002024-01-13T07:37:54.648-08:00The Bowie Ball Pit: David M. and David Bowie (again) <p>Despite having a fine suite of Bowie songs in his repertoire (see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG0Atw3VpgI" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lb-fGncZNM" target="_blank">here</a>), to date, David M. has participated in the Bowie Ball only <i>outside</i> the Rickshaw, busking the street, some of which was entertainingly captured on video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuJL-GaDoaA&t=15s" target="_blank">here</a>. We've talked about <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2016/01/writing-about-david-m-again-small.html" target="_blank">his Small Salute to David Bowie</a> before, some seven years ago, but this year's Bowie Ball marks a new development: M. has been enlisted to perform at the "Bowie Ball Pit" event, an ancillary, all-ages gig,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/877355050787952" target="_blank"> the day after the Bowie Ball</a>, at LanaLou's (kids under 16 will be admitted free with an accompanying adult!). I asked if there was any news to report (besides whispers of a 4K director's cut restoration of <i>The Linguini Incident</i>, that is; more on that <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DavidBowie/comments/18huiww/4k_directors_cut_of_the_linguini_incident_coming/" target="_blank">here</a>). M writes: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> The "small David Bowie salute" I do hasn't changed much since I first did it in 2016 at my place to cheer myself and a few friends up. It certainly did that, as did the viewing of<i> The Linguini Incident </i>and the good company and conversation afterward. The passing of Bowie was a nasty jolt, casting gloom even on people who might have lost interest in his latter-day music, and my putting together a little set of his songs, almost all of which I was already playing in shows, was my attempt to be more grateful than sad. The idea I had of doing "Peace On Earth", his isolated half of the Bing & Bowie Christmas duet, as an ending felt appropriate. Running through the programme now with this all-ages show in mind, most of the songs strangely seem to have been intended for younger people, even children, as opposed to us painfully hip and knowing older folks. Bowie was a magnet for innocents and misfits because he was innocent and a misfit, and he appealed to young people not just because he was beautiful but because his creativity was childlike. I'm happy to have been asked to do this, even at Lanalou's. I like David Bowie and I like the cause.</blockquote><p>The Bowie Ball is tonight; I won't be there, as I have COVID, and have not fully recovered. David will be leading the Bowie Ball Pit event, performing first at LanaLou's on Sunday, taking the stage at 5:30, followed by the bands WTF, Shag, and Fallen Stars, all also presumably covering Bowie songs. Odds are I won't be at that either, given this virus, but people are heartily encouraged to check it out. In some cases (especially "The Laughing Gnome"), M's covers of these songs best Bowie's!</p><p>More information on the Bowie Ball Pit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/877355050787952" target="_blank">here.</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5JehJuG7U9LtXHHcVDT8sQucBGohIezkDYuqp-ecaVo2olJK5dOyMChpl_wljLSMOQXcNVbFKbRrie-8lBW-7LhLATWgzGhU0pr7l_wgHtmQl8p3_yfs_nVLSup2EJs5nqW8wG3s5fDPFz4F8Ihp_D-pNJkedyYVzdj2LUjanG-ETIOiyEir/s3968/david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5JehJuG7U9LtXHHcVDT8sQucBGohIezkDYuqp-ecaVo2olJK5dOyMChpl_wljLSMOQXcNVbFKbRrie-8lBW-7LhLATWgzGhU0pr7l_wgHtmQl8p3_yfs_nVLSup2EJs5nqW8wG3s5fDPFz4F8Ihp_D-pNJkedyYVzdj2LUjanG-ETIOiyEir/w480-h640/david.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-63944124281597756512024-01-13T07:08:00.000-08:002024-01-13T07:08:41.201-08:00Code of the Freaks, Lon Chaney, and screen disability<p>There's a fascinating documentary called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoRDzlM95E4" target="_blank"><i>Code of the Freaks</i></a> which interviews disability activists -- including people with various disabilities -- about their reactions to depictions of disability in cinema, and the underlying sociocultural attitudes these reveal. It does for disability what another favourite film-centric documentary, <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/667966/reel-injun" target="_blank"><i>Reel Injun</i></a>, does for representations of Indigenous peoples, using cinema as an entry point for a wider discussion, and contains some very intriguing surprises, like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_Fraser_(actor)" target="_blank">Mat Fraser</a> -- who acts in <i>American Horror Story: Freak Show</i> and <i>Loudermilk</i>, and who I gather has collaborated with Steve Ignorant at some point (!) -- praising, apparently, Tod Browning's <i>Freaks</i>; it's a film I have great fondness for, but it's weirdly liberating to discover that it is also admired by people with congenital birth defects (Mat has defects caused by Thalidomide; hear his song "Thalidomide Ninja" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEtDB3AwSbo" target="_blank">here</a>; who knew that "Krip Hop" was a thing? A more recent project of Mat's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cZmDF1vm1M" target="_blank">here</a>. Perfect touring partner for <a href="https://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2023/05/blind-and-proud-blind-marc-on.html" target="_blank">Blind Marc</a>, eh?).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMXVyiswSGz392YKoSRRUTS02WrLnqc3ob_4ISyZYfkATpShLyijY2ilm-uDV14ORww2P7NM-P4RxLNkdtsdI99i4zV9W1yg8aEJZJdt49cHTHhnZzMyacPvXOrfU-KyfBr0AmS4EQsPpdcriJImbmmhFCzG9J1x4871aAhMSGiZwqXsmdVDP/s620/freaksbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="620" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMXVyiswSGz392YKoSRRUTS02WrLnqc3ob_4ISyZYfkATpShLyijY2ilm-uDV14ORww2P7NM-P4RxLNkdtsdI99i4zV9W1yg8aEJZJdt49cHTHhnZzMyacPvXOrfU-KyfBr0AmS4EQsPpdcriJImbmmhFCzG9J1x4871aAhMSGiZwqXsmdVDP/w640-h412/freaksbanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Much as I enjoy it, <i>Freaks</i> is only incidental to the initial impetus for this post, which was my newfound appreciation for Lon Chaney. Chaney is not in <i>Freaks</i> -- though if I recall, recently deceased horror film historian David J. Skal talks in a commentary on <a href="https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/6911-freaks-the-unknown-the-mystic-tod-brownings-sideshow-shockers" target="_blank">the recent Criterion set</a> about how Chaney was meant to be in the film, but died before it could be made. A Lon Chaney film does appear in <i>Code of the Freaks</i>, but with less love: <i>The Penalty</i>. This film can be viewed for free via Kanopy, and is a gripping silent thriller about a man who, injured in a car accident as a boy and subjected to a wrongful double amputation of his legs, grows up to be a criminal mastermind, with a scheme to force the doctor who mutilated him to graft another man's legs onto his, so he can lead a series of bank robberies. There's also something about a sweatshop of women that Chaney (or the character he plays, who has taken the name Blizzard) is forcing to make hats. I may have nodded off when they explained what the hats were about (but give me a break, I've got COVID).<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyvlDjGZnYAMqyK96dovb21pNGeUYoJZ-bkikdLpgO1uCxGpjjLYOZ3dSJEgMgRlB8ghJATHXUL74bfxHksfQ85qMW43Oc-J33DmmSdwTmC_5XDJIrmaL9_wpvw32douSj82SsrqJU_I_CcN8zOBhcS19F0KoTzVFsbfLXTEda7qdmem30FQ2/s1100/penalty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1100" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyvlDjGZnYAMqyK96dovb21pNGeUYoJZ-bkikdLpgO1uCxGpjjLYOZ3dSJEgMgRlB8ghJATHXUL74bfxHksfQ85qMW43Oc-J33DmmSdwTmC_5XDJIrmaL9_wpvw32douSj82SsrqJU_I_CcN8zOBhcS19F0KoTzVFsbfLXTEda7qdmem30FQ2/w640-h634/penalty.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Chaney is remarkable in the film. His villainy is so motivated, his character so compelling, charismatic and rich, that you fall under his spell, want him to succeed on some level (and the guy whose legs he wants to steal is a bit of a prick, anyhow). And the physical dimensions of the role are quite something. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Penalty_(1920_film)" target="_blank">Against the advice of doctors</a>, Chaney wore contraptions on his knees that allowed him to run on his "stumps," with his actual legs tied back, which could not have been comfortable. He sells his leglessness, so much so that there are fantasy scenes included in the film that show him be-legged, post-surgery, so that audiences would not make the mistake that he was an actual amputee. It gives you a sense of his commitment to his craft: moments where he does things like leap from a height and land on his knees look like they would have been extraordinarily painful, but he doesn't wince, doesn't flinch. I cannot imagine, no matter what prosthetic was on my legs, jumping from a height and landing on my knees, with my legs tied back. </div><div><br /></div><div>The film is not given much love in <i>Code of the Freaks, </i>being grouped in passing with films like <i>Dr. No,</i> where disability is connected to a desire for revenge on society. These films are a bit less offensive to the various commenters than movies where disabled characters serve to uplift or transform "normally abled" characters, sometimes ultimately dying so that the true hero can be redeemed. <i>Gattaca</i> is the most offensive example, the suicide scene in which is interestingly compared to that in <i>The Elephant Man</i>; sadly, an old favourite film of mine, <i>Cutter's Way,</i> probably also fits the pattern, in that Alex Cutter (John Heard, giving Chaney a run for his money in terms of screen disfigurements) ultimately dies so that his friend can be redeemed (Cutter has his share of a desire for revenge on society, too, but differs from the disabled characters in <i>Dr. No</i> and <i>The Penalty</i> in that you're meant to root for him, much less ambivalently than in the case of the Chaney film). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsnuUi7UZ_FbrHrJjdxMdVM47bKadNZteqtdQ3E0W58p9Ek2QwdwktBK_V_2MDLS79SoM4eV5O2hM4NAUkDegfCxd1yMWaoV9COM38rVqotTR47eOMTFyY_JqWtttvyibFILIeCdmsVq35ZIuzSEwTOhQyuUMkeCC8uSKZBODUb2jjUSv1_Gn/s1672/cutter's%20way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1672" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsnuUi7UZ_FbrHrJjdxMdVM47bKadNZteqtdQ3E0W58p9Ek2QwdwktBK_V_2MDLS79SoM4eV5O2hM4NAUkDegfCxd1yMWaoV9COM38rVqotTR47eOMTFyY_JqWtttvyibFILIeCdmsVq35ZIuzSEwTOhQyuUMkeCC8uSKZBODUb2jjUSv1_Gn/w640-h356/cutter's%20way.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>A Lon Chaney film that is not mentioned in <i>Code of the Freaks</i>, but could have been, is <i>The Unknown</i>, which does have an element of disability in it, though it's not without a degree of complication. Regarded as the best of his collaborations with Browning, it's a silent film, featuring a very young Joan Crawford, with Chaney as an armless circus knife-thrower, Alonso the Armless. Chaney again sells his armlessness, though was not himself actually able to throw knives with his feet; the scenes where he is shown doing this are faked with the help of an actual armless knife-thrower, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impalement_arts" target="_blank">Paul Desmuke</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_wu1e-nvfl5I6mY-YoL61AHlQgIZ1-K15EDXVEAdBmFTSxHv0oiSd0SUL1Z77B-Ve2IdUqhvk1N3Spve1MZ0jzUJxDUR7zhan9-qJhZ5vM9fZETeA3e4bGL_GvwJZ20Fr_msy4UwgekDYBAGIN_ANAxfEd9UKSrZksgG-kIYMMvMKY-ryDlz/s282/desmuke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="179" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_wu1e-nvfl5I6mY-YoL61AHlQgIZ1-K15EDXVEAdBmFTSxHv0oiSd0SUL1Z77B-Ve2IdUqhvk1N3Spve1MZ0jzUJxDUR7zhan9-qJhZ5vM9fZETeA3e4bGL_GvwJZ20Fr_msy4UwgekDYBAGIN_ANAxfEd9UKSrZksgG-kIYMMvMKY-ryDlz/w406-h640/desmuke.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The reason the film is not included in <i>Code of the Freaks</i> may well be that Alonso the Armless (spoiler alert) is not actually armless; he's a criminal who is disguising himself as armless to evade capture, in part because he has a unique deformity which will allow him to be easily identified: he has double-thumbs on both hands (a birth defect, sure, but not a particularly severe one). Presumably the bindings you see Alonso wearing in the film are, in fact, the actual bindings that Chaney wore to give the impression of his armlessness, which, again, he sells quite well. I'm guessing that for scenes where he is shown sipping tea with his feet, Paul Desmuke is hiding offscreen, extending a foot up? <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvGAibXS14vsl5w35Jx_NybMZKjvNczUmry-3pVcwcLX3DlmXygFkAKxB8E2ADsT5xrtBDAPFxGYGFfa00E_noJ0GH1CYrNF9bPEoE8lBqEcRqS48iAcFtycU9T9IXBxyYiHyZPQzzDQUEPs1z9r4IQElf6ETnu8Ymre0j1o7IGKMrVRFHOWl/s1600/chaney-alonso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1600" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvGAibXS14vsl5w35Jx_NybMZKjvNczUmry-3pVcwcLX3DlmXygFkAKxB8E2ADsT5xrtBDAPFxGYGFfa00E_noJ0GH1CYrNF9bPEoE8lBqEcRqS48iAcFtycU9T9IXBxyYiHyZPQzzDQUEPs1z9r4IQElf6ETnu8Ymre0j1o7IGKMrVRFHOWl/w640-h508/chaney-alonso.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The story of the film is quite something -- a circus thriller in which Chaney vies for the love of Crawford, who has a phobia of having men's hands on her, which her strongman suitor (another performer in the circus) does not realize, setting him at a disadvantage. Chaney would seem her ideal partner, except his armlessness is just a front (oh, and he murdered her father, too, but that's another matter). Like<i> The Penalty</i>, Chaney hatches a plot to possibly deprive his rival of his limbs, in a rather stunning climax in which his arms are bound to two horses, running in opposite directions; also like <i>The Penalty</i>, though he is a villain, he is the film's central character and primary identification, which is kind of interesting in and of itself. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYosMzgzMd3ntNvZCZ-6lM3roamJTBkHre40HEzgJ9EuwBj9vxWOr7l0Ekzl83Tk0EGiaJuLZ2tLzc6D79-8Ctf1orWj2oBEVU0d7gv0R4kvYBFQCI_xwEAK0DbRq75_6UcmLcSDYvTDj0diwqJ-10aspWl4-CUTFcRMHTqX0lYB3C4dZWLw8R/s1280/unknown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYosMzgzMd3ntNvZCZ-6lM3roamJTBkHre40HEzgJ9EuwBj9vxWOr7l0Ekzl83Tk0EGiaJuLZ2tLzc6D79-8Ctf1orWj2oBEVU0d7gv0R4kvYBFQCI_xwEAK0DbRq75_6UcmLcSDYvTDj0diwqJ-10aspWl4-CUTFcRMHTqX0lYB3C4dZWLw8R/w640-h360/unknown.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>There are only three Lon Chaney Sr. movies I've seen now, the third being <i>Outside the Law</i>, another Tod Browning film wherein Chaney plays a villain, though a bit unlike <i>The Unknown</i> in that you're not meant to root for him. Chaney actually plays a second role in the film, too -- a virtuous Chinese coolie who spies on the villain and helps our protagonists. It's interesting that the film has a positive attitude towards its Chinese characters, while making of Chaney a rather repugnant yellowface caricature. At least he's a good guy!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkypdhnvIHczACGVa7U2a7A1yQ4mqmH9F9F1lSl-so9ky2IqAm91NbaDXVejebnS0JQVLWiYNc2PKhPiGR_p-b6EYwTtTBvDrM165k-Ygkm57KZdArDAFIZ40SE5TjnRDGcPuFg_F3MCHnZg7OpIIBPnzi5mSSvJJY5fpkweJRLrqpVBxpmaMP/s493/outsideTheLaw-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="493" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkypdhnvIHczACGVa7U2a7A1yQ4mqmH9F9F1lSl-so9ky2IqAm91NbaDXVejebnS0JQVLWiYNc2PKhPiGR_p-b6EYwTtTBvDrM165k-Ygkm57KZdArDAFIZ40SE5TjnRDGcPuFg_F3MCHnZg7OpIIBPnzi5mSSvJJY5fpkweJRLrqpVBxpmaMP/w640-h480/outsideTheLaw-image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>So I've become quite a Lon Chaney fan -- eventually, I'll get to <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i> (also mentioned in <i>Code of the Freaks</i>) and <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> (that might be in there, too, I forget). I feel like I've been remiss as a horror fan in not taking in more of his work! </div><div><br /></div><div>More pressingly, though, I've got to see <i>American Horror Story: Freak Show</i>. (And maybe buy a couple of Mat Fraser CDs!).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-78569003585943601302024-01-06T07:44:00.000-08:002024-01-06T07:44:09.162-08:007am and readingThere's stuff I have not been writing about much -- that just kinda fills me with despair and grief and confusion. I don't know what to say about it or do about it, so I do and say nothing. I try not to think about it, because thinking about it just makes my head hurt. <div><br /></div><div>That may not change anytime soon. But here's what I've been reading this morning, as the CBC is warning of an escalation in the situation between Israel and Lebanon, as Hezbollah launches rockets in retaliation for Israel's killing a Hamas leader...: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-hezbollah-threats-1.7075816 </div><div><br /></div><div>...while people are saying the damage wrought by Israel in Gaza is the most devastating anywhere in the 21st century, comparable to the results of the Dresden firebombing... https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/israel-gaza-bombing-hamas-civilian-casualties-1.7068647</div><div><br /></div><div>This was where I started: "What Palestinians Really Think of Hamas" from Foreign Affairs:</div><div><br /></div><div>https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-palestinians-really-think-hamas</div><div><br /></div><div>...the head-pounder in there is that Hamas, by attacking Israel, increases popularity for itself -- but Israel still proceeds with attacks. I remember similar comments (maybe by Chomsky?) after the 9/11 attacks, that such actions benefit hardliners everywhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>A friend thinks my focus on Hamas, at a time when Israel is flagrantly violating international law and decimating one of the most fucked-over populations on earth -- is perverse and wrong and saddening. She may be right. </div><div><br /></div><div>What Israel is doing deserves condemnation. As I write this, upwards of 22,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel actions. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I can't get over that they are PROBABLY doing exactly as Hamas intended and wanted. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's like - a person owns a pit bull. You don't want them to own a pit bull. So you walk up to that pit bull and hit it with a stick, so everyone can see the pit bull attacking you. Sure, you may have reasons for thinking people shouldn't own pit bulls. But I'm not going to join in the resulting protests against pit bull ownership when I SAW YOU WITH THAT STICK. </div><div><br /></div><div>I want to see people condemn Hamas. I do not feel like the people I've seen marching up Commercial Drive chanting "from the river to the sea" necessarily do that. I don't want to be complicit in the October 7th attacks. I've marched with pro-Palestinian groups before (when protesting US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq), and been comfortable with it, but this time, no. </div><div><br /></div><div>An interesting side note: I "learned" about the October 7th attacks not on the news. I was coming out of an Italian restaurant in Victoria with my wife. A small car drove by with a woman in a hijab sticking her head out of the passenger window giving what I can only describe as a "war cry" -- one of those ululating, vaguely terrifying things involving tongue motions beyond the scope of my physiology (even pre-surgery). My thought was, "Oh no, what happened." And so I looked at my phone. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do many people who are marching, now, by and large support what Hamas did on October 7th? When people calling for a ceasefire are also chanting "from the river to the sea," it muddies the waters for me beyond what I'm comfortable with. </div><div><br /></div><div>It heartens me to see Jews protesting Israel's retaliation. I recently made a small gesture to see if I had Jewish blood -- something I've suspected but been unable to confirm. (My maternal grandparents left the Ukraine around the time of pogroms against Jews; my maternal grandmother's last name was Kozel or Kozell, which certainly has a Jewish ring to it). I haven't pursued it, however. I might be more comfortable joining a Jewish group condemning Israel's actions. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is an interesting read, about the need to condemn Hamas: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-wont-you-condemn-hamas-your-allies-silent-what-do-malhotra-ormge</div><div><br /></div><div>This is also an interesting read, though -- about the perversity of insisting that Palestinians condemn Hamas, when Israel is committing war crimes:</div><div><br /></div><div>https://www.declassifieduk.org/why-do-uk-media-insist-palestinians-condemn-hamas-but-not-that-israelis-condemn-israel/ </div><div><br /></div><div>...and yet I've got nothing. The more I read, the more I feel despair. I'm going to stop now and think about other things. </div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762075.post-75813428168976998432024-01-02T02:27:00.000-08:002024-01-04T08:10:41.415-08:00Black Flag at Fortune Sound Club, January 1st, 2024: No Dead Dogs to Kick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfitLRcVfFh-H0ULzbKVOs2CR7WFxe51zekB1CubghYdnECc33-P7uAtxuk974r4leSYMgXjgu06mSPUnnVfASC-ndTOJGQ6drBkph79fL_eGL6f8h7yA2UY2KgKo1tbyHGnp-kPWoj7Y5ly6HaW4EQnJyZsRd9PLD8kmwgP6NB6JyJwGshME/s3968/IMG_20231222_185825.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfitLRcVfFh-H0ULzbKVOs2CR7WFxe51zekB1CubghYdnECc33-P7uAtxuk974r4leSYMgXjgu06mSPUnnVfASC-ndTOJGQ6drBkph79fL_eGL6f8h7yA2UY2KgKo1tbyHGnp-kPWoj7Y5ly6HaW4EQnJyZsRd9PLD8kmwgP6NB6JyJwGshME/w640-h480/IMG_20231222_185825.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sorry, Ron. I went! </p><p>I have friends who would not go see Black Flag tonight because of the way the band treated Ron Reyes on their 2013 tour, ejecting him from the band not long after they played Vancouver. If that alone wasn't enough -- given how nice a person Ron Reyes is -- they had a host of other reasons to add to the arguments for not going, too: child abuse allegations against founder and guitarist Greg Ginn, multiple weird lawsuits in their history ranging from the Negativland foibles to the attempts to cut FLAG off at the pole, which latter predictably backfired and made Ginn look like a weird, controlling dork (almost as if he somehow didn't see that coming!). Then there is the long list of albums released on SST that have gone out of print, with Ginn showing no interest in reissuing them, and -- well, one gathers there are other grievances against him out there. Probably a few people were put off at the threat of interminable Theremin improvisations! But however many reasons one could give, I could think of no way I wanted to ring out 2023 and ring in 2024 than to see Black Flag do a complete performance of their 1984 album<i> My War,</i> followed by a second set of various other hits. Almost as soon as I realized I would be alone this evening, that my wife had other plans, I bought a ticket, even though I like Ron a great deal. For all I knew, I rationalized, the show would suck, and I'd be able to say fairly in a review that not only did they treat Ron really badly, they actually aren't worth seeing! </p><p>That is NOT what I have come here to say, but it <i>coulda </i>worked out that way, y'know? I could not bear witness unless I was there; sometimes you read enough about what a shmuck some guy is, you gotta see him for yourself. I mean, he might <i>be</i> a shmuck, but then again, how does that proverb go, "No one kicks a dead dog?" </p><p>Not a dead dog in sight at the Fortune Sound Club last night. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUAMiysIGZhe6e6tzxeHPKzFAjUBH_MAtOGQ8UNBoxdBHK_DiPsToakaj7du_byt0MWbJLlt8-SViyYi2okKxbyYsPgPOhJkbv6XmKosuoYc1OvHD0j7MPuKd-cESrsEAVKqNWJyEK641X8_SXn3KUXmRUz_uWML1Yl1R07MsYbnJ71VS8scr/s3968/IMG_20240101_184708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUAMiysIGZhe6e6tzxeHPKzFAjUBH_MAtOGQ8UNBoxdBHK_DiPsToakaj7du_byt0MWbJLlt8-SViyYi2okKxbyYsPgPOhJkbv6XmKosuoYc1OvHD0j7MPuKd-cESrsEAVKqNWJyEK641X8_SXn3KUXmRUz_uWML1Yl1R07MsYbnJ71VS8scr/w640-h480/IMG_20240101_184708.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Before you judge me, y'all should understand how deep <i>My War</i> goes with me. True confession: in 1984 (or possibly 1985), when I was 16 (or possibly 17), when my parents were in bed upstairs, in the condo we were in in Maple Ridge, I would clear a space on the living room carpet and lip synch to <i>My War, </i>either in its entirety, or occasionally just focusing on side 2. I had to play it quietly enough as to not wake my parents overhead, making the most of what volume I could dare. There I was, <i>quietly rolling around on the floor </i>or performing other such theatricalities -- gesticulating, leaping, thrashing about, whatever I could do as long as it didn't thump too loudly, with a pencil clutched in my hand as a microphone, pretending to roar things like, "My life's a piece of shit that caught in my shoe" or "I think you stuck my friend with knives/ dragged them out so he could die/ one in his heart and three in each side... knives" (both from the sludgy side 2 epic, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sju7eEXcsmM" target="_blank">Three Nights</a>," which was probably my favourite song on the album after <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB_tGab-t0g" target="_blank">the amazing title track</a>) </p><p>I mean, the music was very fun, too, but lyrics like those tapped deep into all the hatred, negativity, fear, paranoia, mistrust, and alienation coursing through me at the time, given so little adequate voice otherwise -- because as Henry sings, "I conceal my feelings so I won't have to explain/ what I can't explain anyway." The spirit of sullen, uncommunicative, angry adolescence was never so potently screamed... or lip synched to. With the help of Black Flag, once a week or so, for a few months at least, <i>I made no attempt to conceal those feelings. </i>I gave them the most expressive, cathartic "voicing" as I could without actually using my voice. Alone on the carpet, I BECAME Rollins. Or what I imagined Rollins would be like (but pudgier). I tried to get behind every emotion on the album, to embody every song. Some of it was frighteningly dark (as with the murderific "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnR0ZipQgP0" target="_blank">I Love You</a>" ), but the fear and discomfort such expressions provoked were part of the appeal. Like any teen male, I was fascinated with my darker emotions back then. There were a fair number of them expressed in my record collection, and for sheer cathartic/ emotive force, <i>My War </i>is second only, for me, to<i> Zen Arcade</i> (which seems a little less antisocial, a little less thuggish, if equally emotionally fierce. But I never lip synched to <i>Zen Arcade</i>, y'know? Or any other albums besides <i>My War</i>). </p><p>At that point, I had never seen Black Flag. I had read descriptions about how intense they were live; and I'd even seen -- though I did not know what it was at the time -- a TV spot on a Vancouver station about how an American hardcore band was being hassled about crossing the border into Canada because their music was <i>antisocial.</i> I didn't get their name at that point, but was impressed to hear a youngish, head-shorn Rollins, before I knew his name, singing a line or two from "Rise Above" ("It IS kind of antisocial, though," I remember thinking, while loving it for just that reason). A year or two later, when I finally got<i> Damaged, </i>I was happy to have kept that moment filed in my memory: "Aha, THAT's who that band was!"</p><p>But seeing them never lined up. I had at least two chances to see Black Flag in Vancouver between 1984 and 1986, when I was at my peak fandom, but I lived in the suburbs, had no car, was underage, and had no friend to drive me to and fro. I was well-practiced at missing gigs. There was no bus that could be caught -- Maple Ridge only had a private coach line back then, and it stopped running before punk gigs finished. They would put extra Pacific Coach Lines on if Iron Maiden played, so I could (and did) see them, or other bigger concerts at the Pacific Coliseum (Judas Priest, the Kinks, Van Halen with David Lee, Black Sabbath, etc, catching the special late bus home on Hastings at 11:30 at night). But a punk show in some small club in Vancouver? Much as I wanted to, I had no way of making it happen.</p><p>I did see Greg Ginn take the stage with Ron Reyes the first time Reyes and Ginn reconciled, at the Rio Theatre, doing <a href="https://bigtakeover.com/concerts/ron-reyes-50th-birthday-celebration-with-the-jolts-ron-reyes-band-modernettes-little-guitar-army-and-i-braineater-rickshaw-theatre-vancouver-bc-july-24-2010" target="_blank">a birthday bash for Ron</a> that also featured the Little Guitar Army, I, Braineater, the Modernettes, and the Jolts, back in 2010, I think it was. Ron has a fearsome voice, and it was really fun to hear him singing songs like "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgrbQIVnwFY" target="_blank">Jealous Again" and "Revenge</a>." Black Flag was mostly really about Rollins for me, so I never spent that much time on the pre-Henry material, but of what I heard, I liked <i>Jealous Again</i> better than any of the other early stuff, and it was a treat to hear those songs being sung by the original singer... though for whatever reason - bad sound, bad seat, vituperative soundman, I don't know -- I could barely hear Greg Ginn's guitar that night...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxZ_EyQMG7vUMYI82CAVqCX_iANriLckEtRW19mxM7VxxnKb4keUDwLAGcjklgYXQq5RwwMCiYsFrlbEjjVVfvpMKXG8zyt_if_bxAzR04CEKllAKCzYc61GuotbggITm-Z4jrthppUW2i3zdMUMkSxowjvM_7-4L20verlZft5sU9fpwLECi/s3968/IMG_20240101_193844.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxZ_EyQMG7vUMYI82CAVqCX_iANriLckEtRW19mxM7VxxnKb4keUDwLAGcjklgYXQq5RwwMCiYsFrlbEjjVVfvpMKXG8zyt_if_bxAzR04CEKllAKCzYc61GuotbggITm-Z4jrthppUW2i3zdMUMkSxowjvM_7-4L20verlZft5sU9fpwLECi/w640-h480/IMG_20240101_193844.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><i>That was not a problem tonight</i>. Having gone, here are some observations and photographs (only one of which, when it comes to the band, is half-good, seen above; the light was NOT friendly to photographers). </p><p>1. There should be a live album to document the extended guitar solos that Ginn offered for songs like "Can't Decide." I was right up front for what seemed a fifteen minute version of the song,with moshers colliding into my back and driving my thighs into the low-ish stage, but it was a treat not just to be able to dance to the song between collisions, with the help of particularly hooky basswork being offered by a bassist whose name I cannot confirm, but which seemed might be Cedar Austin -- but to see Ginn, head working in circles, eyes closed, generating these intense clusters of notes, lost in his inner space, playing his guitar like no other human being I can think of. I don't know that I've seen punk guitar solos delivered in a meditative way before; these almost were. <i>Gone,</i> y'know? <i>For a change</i>, like the man says. </p><p>I wonder if Greg Ginn is a pothead? I would be unsurprised. The tie-dye version of the <i>My War</i> t-shirt is kind of hilarious. </p><p>The thing about Ginn -- whatever else one might say about him -- there are few trul<i>y singular </i>guitarists out there. Even Neil Young, as passionate and unique as he is, has tons of followers and imitators, but while I've said of a few people, "Hm, he's playing like he's Neil Young," never have I said of anyone, "Hm, he's playing like he's Greg Ginn." I doubt that anyone else really could. Eugene Chadbourne is another truly stand-alone figure whose work I love, and which bears some features of Ginn's, in fact -- intense outbursts of notes that form cloud-clusters together and interact, becoming their own strange shimmering things -- except you can tell that Eugene is grounded in a deep knowledge of technique and composition and CHOOSING to be weird, following *a* rule book of some sort, however generously interpreted or subverted (or perverted) it may be, while Ginn seems more like he's an autodidact, who (for all I know) might technically not be able to play any other way (which Eugene can, if he wants), but who plays HIS way like a master -- a guitarist who has apparently invented himself from whole cloth, doing it exactly his way from the outset. Without meaning it as an insult, I would be unsurprised to find that he couldn't read music; he seems almost too iconoclastic for that, too unprecedented, too <i>sui generis.</i> I might be wrong but he plays like a man who has no grasp of the rules that must be transcended, like they never, ever <i>got</i> to him, y'know? I want to make it seem a compliment; I mean it as one. Freest guitarist in punk? Often he enters his solos by way of lines of notes that, if I picked them out on my guitar, I would dismiss as "wrong" or "weird," but Ginn commits to them and uses them as a springboard into these sonic attacks like no-one else's, that abandon conventions of how notes should be timed or melodically linked, generating these crazy fields of sound that, crude and weird as they can be, also remind me of another virtuosic guitarist, <i>Between Eternity and Nothingness</i>-era John McLaughlin (!). There, I said it; who would expect to think of John McLaughlin at a punk show. Ginn is one of the most idiosyncratic guitarists out there, one of the only truly INTERESTING guitarists in punk.</p><p>If you're nodding along, here, you have good reason to see Black Flag on this tour. Be assured that there was no Theremin, nothing off <i>The Process of Weeding Out</i> -- no wholly instrumental stuff, nothing dismissible as "self-indulgent." Those sorts of words got thrown about a lot during the 2012-2013 tour with Ron, where all the critics I read praised Ron and shat on Ginn, but I always wondered if the critics doing this actually were fans of Ginn's way of doing things on guitar. Calling him self-indulgent, musically, kind of misses the point, that these are essentially free jazz solos in a punk context. Did they ENJOY his solos on <i>In My Head,</i> for example? Did they ever even listen to<i> The Process of Weeding Out</i>? I have done so, more than once, and while I don't spend a lot of time with that music now, I have enjoyed it a-plenty at points in my past. If that describes you, too, this tour is going to be right up your alley, as there were vast, expansive solos brought to several songs which seemed at least two or three times as long as the studio versions. This included the final tune, a ten minute, obscenitized version of "Louie Louie" that had my favourite lyrical misunderstanding of the night: when Mike sang "She's got the rag on," I thought, thinking of my absent wife and our floofy cat, that he was singing, "She's got the ragdoll." Which confused me for a couple of verses, actually. And besides, <i>I've</i> got the ragdoll while she's away... <i>why is Mike singing about a cat?</i> </p><p>Anyhow, if you like Greg Ginn's guitar -- if you WANT to hear a fifteen minute "Can't Decide," twelve minutes of which are Ginn soloing over frenetic, tight bass-clusters... you really, really should go see Black Flag. If you just want tight, fast punk, there's plenty of that, too, especially in the second set, but the expanded explorations should really be the draw here (they were for me, so I was very satisfied; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zy6_1gD6A&t=2204s" target="_blank">a very close approximation to what we saw is online</a>, from Tokyo in November, but it was much more exciting to see this live than it is on Youtube...).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTb8F1kZY8_8Nf9O1rdW7ylsW3mEp7pM81ZA8N39tlewpli4b6iV2budzvQ3D6Z3PK4x9ORoxFWn-Auj7EuW_rdmE6BoQQrZIH4UL9F6g8AAhGx1r_t0f-eOlH_yd3mx8-0yaRXk1x2QTjc9wwODAHfvq7K4wxMYJFTGmaO8n63SUaTRGQhju/s3968/IMG_20240101_194843.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTb8F1kZY8_8Nf9O1rdW7ylsW3mEp7pM81ZA8N39tlewpli4b6iV2budzvQ3D6Z3PK4x9ORoxFWn-Auj7EuW_rdmE6BoQQrZIH4UL9F6g8AAhGx1r_t0f-eOlH_yd3mx8-0yaRXk1x2QTjc9wwODAHfvq7K4wxMYJFTGmaO8n63SUaTRGQhju/w640-h480/IMG_20240101_194843.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>2. If you are contemplating catching them, you should also be aware that Ginn seemed very comfortable hanging out at the merch table, where he signed several records for people, using both his name and that of the other "member" of Black Flag on that record, Dale Nixon, which was actually a pseudonym for Ginn himself on bass. I overheard someone observe to Ginn, "I've had five copies of this record over the years," to which Ginn replied, "But now you've got a signed one." So he knows his market well; I haven't seen too many musicians do this sort of thing since COVID -- signing -- but he probably generated a couple extra hundred dollars by doing it. "He's signing/ I'm buying!" One wonders just how much merch was sold... the lineup for merch was bonkers at the night's start, but supplies seemed to be holding out when I visited the table at the mid-set break... (no one seemed to be showing interest in Ginn's OTHER project with Vallely, Good For You, though. I would have considered it but shot my wad on Black Flag merch instead).</p><p>Not only was Ginn obliging with signatures, he was actually kind of friendly-seeming, which I didn't expect, exactly. Since he was standing right fucking next to me at one point, I asked him briefly if he could name guitarists who influenced him (he said something about how there were too many to mention). I babbled at him about how unique he was -- "no one plays like you!" (he said something about how he was glad, because it wouldn't be worth doing otherwise) and when I just sort of sputtered about how beautiful it was to be hearing him, he came in for a fucking HUG!</p><p>So I hugged him. I did not think THAT would be happening... you don't figure Greg Ginn for a hugger. So there's that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqLaChtuQMv6-qfqMg_R4OOqRsDCy6wIAJB-JhdaBxwTJPkllIBviqhPxZ98wzyz8XV3wwXcq1b-KKxGe8U1DWeSDrZuSwowy8oMnpnOZZ88LXYSX__tX_vfMhpoym5Xr7d5DCwEHzh22uqnrQB5yG0OLfd4LMQpT-IPqpYUiIC1ycZw1rB9p/s3968/IMG_20240101_195818.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2976" data-original-width="3968" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqLaChtuQMv6-qfqMg_R4OOqRsDCy6wIAJB-JhdaBxwTJPkllIBviqhPxZ98wzyz8XV3wwXcq1b-KKxGe8U1DWeSDrZuSwowy8oMnpnOZZ88LXYSX__tX_vfMhpoym5Xr7d5DCwEHzh22uqnrQB5yG0OLfd4LMQpT-IPqpYUiIC1ycZw1rB9p/w640-h480/IMG_20240101_195818.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. The audience wasn't quite what I expected, either. Usually you go to punk shows and you see familiar faces, but I only recognized two people in the venue tonight, and only one from show-going (another was a European guy in a studded leather punk jacket who I ran into at a bookstore once and fell to chatting with). You also expect that a band from the early 80s would draw an older crowd. Maybe it's just that the OG's of Vancouver are better friends to Ron Reyes than I was tonight -- maybe all the old punks who COULD have come to the show stayed home -- the usual suspects who came out in numbers for Dead Bob the other week. Instead, there was a huge contingent of weirdly good-looking, youthful kids, mostly no older than 25, of varied genders, who enthusiastically stage dived and crowd surfed and moshed through the set. There was a bit of a weird "lookit me" angle to some of their expressions, a self-aware vibe to what they were doing, but I should imagine that, with the number of cameras about, some of their hijinks got well-photographed. The kid with the backwards baseball cap giving two thumbs up and grinning... the dark haired smiling girl... the guy doing backflip rolls overhead into the audience... Maybe some of them had followed the band up from Seattle? I'd say the overall demographic was 20 years younger, on average, than what I witnessed at the Dead Bob show (where no one moshed at all, that I saw, unless you count Byron launching himself into the audience with his guitar). It was hard for me to fit my head around the idea of someone actually born in the 21st century nonetheless still wanting to stage dive to Black Flag -- kids who grew up seeing mosh pits on Youtube, you know? -- but by damn, they sure looked like they were having fun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was not even tempted. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKljOhjgASHXxnYSt6E9SHiHbyxJuljASvVJQW3zflOX6c_a1JgP4VZPFurO5nb9HBm78-LlFNol4WhvGowpUaJaCMVEX-oC6zWTHAns9dguFrVyTW83zrKWLG-zJgaVsGmsYlYyfQPtQ7ZMKTgqyYwM-kzUoZUR8ztQ7mLshPV_N-OuPAR96/s850/black-flag-tour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKljOhjgASHXxnYSt6E9SHiHbyxJuljASvVJQW3zflOX6c_a1JgP4VZPFurO5nb9HBm78-LlFNol4WhvGowpUaJaCMVEX-oC6zWTHAns9dguFrVyTW83zrKWLG-zJgaVsGmsYlYyfQPtQ7ZMKTgqyYwM-kzUoZUR8ztQ7mLshPV_N-OuPAR96/w512-h640/black-flag-tour.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>4. Finally, I have to give credit to Mike V. His stardom as a skateboarder was apparently very significant to some of the audience, and indeed, I saw Black Flag skateboards in the room, which I presume were being sold as merch. But he's a fine vocalist for this band. He's somewhat Rollins-like in his delivery and has a kind of snarly, glowery way about him that perfectly suits the lyrics he's spitting out. He has charisma and a strong voice, though he moved the mic away from his mouth for what seemed the evening's loudest screams. He has a way of staring intensely at the audience that is scary and intimidating, but when some weird kid joined him onstage to sing "Louie Louie" and said something about (I think) dedicating the song to Jesus Christ (!?), Vallely didn't knock him back into the crowd or punch him out or such, but -- after taking the mic back -- ultimately laughed and hugged him and tried to get him to actually sing the chorus with him. <div><br /></div><div>The kid didn't, but he seemed happy enough to be up there, then dived back into the pit after a few minutes. <br /><div><br /></div><div>The first set was entirely <i>My War,</i> as noted. The second set involved a lot of the early singles and <i>Damaged</i>-era material -- "Depression," "No Values," "Six Pack," "Revenge," and an updated version of "TV Party" with lyrics about people staring into their phones. "Wasted" and "Police Story" were notable in their absence. There were only a few digressions into later (post-<i>My War</i>) Black Flag, my favourite of which was probably "Black Coffee." There was an extended "Slip It In," as well, but it's one of the band's most disturbing songs, seeming quite misogynist; my favourite song off that album was "The Bars," but sadly, it did not get played. <i>Loose Nut, Family Man, The Process of Weeding Out</i>, and <i>What The</i>... all also went completely un-represented<i>. In My Head </i>popped up only once, in the form of "I Can See You," which is probably the weirdest song off that album. But even if many of the songs in the second set weren't favourites of mine, and I left wishing I'd heard "The Bars" or "Annihilate This Week" or the "In My Head" title track in their place, Ginn's guitar work was ALWAYS enjoyable, and Vallely fun to watch, stalking around, growling. A bit one-note in his performance, but, like, so was Rollins, kinda. I had never seen Black Flag in any format before last night. I left feeling totally satiated (and a bit sore). </div><div><br /></div><div>If you get a chance, you should go. Real good show. Sorry again, Ron. </div><div><p>Black Flag tour dates, <a href="https://www.blackflagband.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p></div></div>Allan MacInnishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394301776870727673noreply@blogger.com4