Brock's Birthday: Interviews with Brock of the SLIP~ons and Jeffrey of the Tranzmitors, plus much more, re: gig at Green Auto, March 8th

If circumstances allow me to inhabit the best of both worlds, I'm going to be able to see both the SLIP~ons and Tranzmitors sets at Green Auto this Friday, 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 here... it might 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 here) 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...). 

The following article will talk about two things; Brock will catch us up to date on the gig and the new SLIP~ons EP, Heavy Machinery;  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! 

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!

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, Whiskey Six BBQ, is actually shutting down on a Friday night to cater the show, so let's make it worth their while... 

Part One: Brock Pytel on Heavy Machinery

Allan: Were the songs on the new EP all written about the same relationship, after it ended, or were you still involved with the person in question when you wrote “Heavy Machinery"? (There seems to be a bit of an arc to things). I assume that the moment that that song is written around is actually drawn from life; how soon after that moment did you write the lyric?

Brock: I would say half of these songs were inspired by the same relationship, and "Heavy Machinery" was one ("Soldier, Don’t Say Goodbye" 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.

The remaining songs aren’t specifically about that relationship, but are similarly broken-relationship inspired. I guess I’ve been butthurt for a while! "Nothing Is Good Enough" 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.

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 "Dust" 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 there significance to Kitchener and Cotton? I don’t know that intersection, really. 

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.

Do you have other favourite specific city references, Vancouver or otherwise, in song lyrics (yours or otherwise?).

Brock: I love these kinds of references! There’s of course that Samiam song “Dull” which mentions Gilman Street in Berkeley, which generally makes me smile when I hear it. ALL has “Alfredo’s” 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.

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.

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...?).

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.

Allan: Without wanting to criticize anyone -- I wonder about the need for/ wisdom of preparing two versions of “Mosquito.” 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?

Brock: We only released a [clean] version 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.

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.

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.

SLIP~ons by D.Ballantyne: Brian, Brock, Shockk

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?

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.

Allan: Any thoughts about the Tranzmitors? The SLIPs surely have shared a bill with them before... 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 “I See the Writing on the Wall” and “Look What You’re Doing” which is one of my favourite songs griping about radio neglect and irrelevancy - wanting a soundtrack to your life but turning on the radio to find that“the songs are older” than you are...).

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.

Allan: Who are Knightwolfs? I do not know them, and all I can find are some Instagram clips that suggest they're mostly a stoner metal band. Do you know more?

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.

Allan: Anything else you want to say about the show - about James Farwell, about Whiskey Six bbq (I am assuming that is actual food and not a badly-named band?).

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!

SLIP~ons at Bully's by DBallantyne

Part Two: Jeff (or does he prefer Jeffrey?) of Tranzmitors

All (vintage!) Tranzmitors photos by bev davies! Thanks bev! 

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 ("Look What You're Doing" 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:

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.

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 Method of Destruction, so... my blog my rules!). 

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."

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?).

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 ("Sunday Morning") where I was intentionally trying to get all my Wellerisms in, and I was mostly just trying to write a song that had a "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" vibe.

Allan: What about first generation Mod stuff?

Jeff: I can't speak for everyone but watching Quadrophenia 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...

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!

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).

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.

[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.

Tranzmitors by bev davies, March 16, 2008: Nick is bottom right. Is that Jarrod, above him?

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?

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 (Mutiny in Stereo). Fergus left the band because he was moving away for family reasons. We are all still friends today.

 
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.

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.

 
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.

 
"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."

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?).

 
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.

 
Yes we all have day jobs and nobody has ever played in a lucrative band!

The Tranzmitors are working on a new album that we will be recording in the fall.

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 "The Witch," 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).

 
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!

Wreckless Eric at the Astoria, 2016, by me

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).

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 was there too!]. When he was basically just sitting on the floor and twisting knobs on his pedals to create noise he basically cleared the room.

Bev: "Tranzmitors at UBC Sub Ballroom Nov 3, 2007 their legs so skinny"

 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...

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.

Allan: Is there anything new in the works -- albums, singles, big shows coming up?

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.

Jeffrey and Mike, Nov. 3, 2007 at UBC SUB. Bev: "I seem to have played with this one"

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).

 
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.

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.

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.")

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!

Tranzmitors by bev davies, March 16, 2008: Jeffrey, Nick, Bryce, Mike, and...Jarrod?

For more information on the gig, go here!

Or here! 

Thanks to Brock and Jeffrey for the answers... happy birthday Brock... Seeya Friday!

(stolen from Jeffrey's Facebook)

Matt 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!)

Sketchy Klown, AKA Sketchy Clown, AKA Matt Fiorito, by Bob Hanham

Last year, apropos of my enthusiasm for all-things Dayglo, I interviewed Dayglos' bassist Matt Fiorito, 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' narwhals, 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 Powerclown, who have a gig this Thursday, and who also apparently have cool new Lon Chaney Sr.-themed merch! 

In fact, that Phantom shirt is kinda curious, because the Dayglo Abortions (playing the next day) 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 The Phantom of the Opera, those curious and possessed of a library card are advised to sign into Kanopy and watch The Penalty 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 The Unknown 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 Freaks, which was originally supposed to star Chaney, who died before it could be made... that one you can pay to watch, if you want... one of us, one of us...). 

(Bob already has this one but if it comes in 3XL...)

I wonder if Danny of (Vancouver 80's punk band) the Spores 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? 

Anyhow, I digress... gig this Thursday or not, fans of Powerclown should take note: Dan Scumm, AKA Dicksee Diànno, is not out of detention yet and will not be performing. "We’ve played a few shows without Dan," Matt explains. "Our bro Denton has been keeping Dan’s whoopee cushion warm." 

Powerclown by Bob Hanham; Sketchy far left, Dan Scumm on the far right

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."

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." 

Matt Fiorito of the Dayglo Abortions, by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria

People who saw the Dayglo Abortions last year at the Waldorf 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 the only one in their realm; see also; 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 this shit, so to speak, ain't funny...?). 

Murray with the Dayglo Abortions by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria

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."

This is, of course, great fucking news. I'll actually be arriving late at the Waldorf, as I've made commitments to catch The Tranzmitors and the SLIP~ons at Green Auto 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...). 

Speaking of (Dayglo drummer) Blind Marc, note that his own band, Isolated Earthlings, will be performing at Bully's in New West on March 15th. You can check their music out on their bandcamp here; 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:

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 also interviewed Blind Marc 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.

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."

We're going to slip into a Q&A style format for the next few answers. 

Allan: Looks like Car 87 is headlining. Haven't seen them in a looong time. Any history with them, or the other bands on the bill?

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 hippieCritz from Kelowna are playing that show with us too and then they’re coming over and playing with us the next night in Victoria at the Quadra Punk House. Isolated Earthlings are opening the show and the Dayglos are headlining so I got double duty that night.

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. 

Marc: I actually recorded a cover of an old Billy Joe Shaver song last summer it’s up on my YouTube channel, Isolated Earthlings; it’s called "Black Rose." 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 "Rain Street" from the Pogues, 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.

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 American Horror Story Freak Show and Loudermilk, but he's a drummer and a punk who has really unusual arms, from his Mom using Thalidomide during pregnancy. Here he is doing "Bones of a Dog," with Steve Ignorant of Crass; or there's "Radioactive Japanese Jellyfish" by his band the Spazms. I bumped into him watching a documentary called Code of the Freaks: The Story of Hollywood's Exploitation of Disability, and now I'm kind of hooked. He seems like he'd dig what you do.

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.

Allan: Any history we can talk about with Powerclown?

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.

Allah: Yeah, he says Murray is doing great now! Must feel good to be playing with them again.

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.

(End Marc interview!)

(also by Bob Hanham,  Feb.23/24 at the Quadra Punk House, Victoria)

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 his Youtube channel. 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 gigs get cancelled for surgery, since those of us who saw the Dayglo Abortions open for FEAR last year 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). 

Murray with the Dayglo Abortions by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria

Some of Hearts of Stone's material is quite, uh, somber and terrifying, like this song, "To the Needle I Am Wed," 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."

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 cover of Diamanda Galas, of a song variably called "Go Down Moses" and "Let My People Go." Galas' original, about AIDS, riffs on a Paul Robeson version of an older, traditional folk song about slavery, which in turn riffs (I think) on the Babylonian captivity of the Jews; 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...

Murray and Matt of the Dayglo Abortions by Bob Hanham, Feb. 15/24 at the Lucky Bar in Victoria

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, Hate Speech -- 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 an English-language excerpt from that German interview). Check the who album out here! 

A couple of gig posters and some event info links follow, but this is, in fact, the end of this article. Thanks Matt, Marc, and Murray... I might actually try to make all three of these shows, or at least catch a portion thereof...

Powerclown gig info here; Dayglos gig info here; 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 this is their events page, 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! 

Strange dreams of the death of my father

For 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. 

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, "Elvira" 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.  

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. 

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.

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?"

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. 

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...

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...

Lou Reed Tribute 2024: well, that was weird (and fun, but not the way I expected)

David and Danielle (somewhat blurry)

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 slow down, pay attention to what's happening on your bus, and let people with walkers and canes get seated before you pull out: "You're a public servant, and this is your public. It is not their fault if they are old or poor or disabled! Wait for them to sit down! You can do better than this!" 

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?). 

Art Bergmann and I by Patricia Kay

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!" 

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, Why not? Who cares? She's not disturbing anyone). 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 she had, in fact, missed her stop, so the bus driver was, uh, actually right, 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. 

I have'm too. 

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 not very musically engaging, 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. Video exists: 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! 

Good fuckin' luck!

EddyD and I: HE IS WEARING AN ECSTASY T-SHIRT!!!!

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 Five Wenceslases and 27 Other Contemporary NO FUN Christmas Classics, 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 Leahy Stardust, 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 Animal Slaves and Dark Blue World), 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 go to Switzerland for an escape from the pain of terminal lung cancer, which I think David found startling and problematic. 

David M. and Ozzy, by Dan Harbord; see more of his caricatures here

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. 

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.  

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.  

It's Nick!

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. Life in Exile After Abdication and I Spent a Week There the Other Night are still great records). 

Cora and the Moon from the back of the room

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 heeding my wish for more post-Transformer Lou to be repped, but that prompted an odd conversation with the person to my left about why the singer was calling herself a guy. "Because the song was written by Lou Reed, who was a guy," I explained, then had to keep 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 this written by Lou Reed?" and I kept saying, "Yes, it's a Lou Reed tribute show," without realizing for some time that they did not know what that meant. 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 this by Lou Reed?" before that. 

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 utterly loved the idea: 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. 

...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...

Anyhow, later I chatted with Cora and yeah, uh, no, she's a biological female. (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! 

Ani Kyd Wolf and I

...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 Rock n' Roll Animal "Heroin," btw)... but focus was not really possible. 

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 to my back. 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!). 

By the by, Pill-Squad-wise, I also shot this vid, this vid, and this vid (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 Starman. 

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 Starman 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, just you, not because there is anything wrong with you qua 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."

Anyhow, I said hi for you.

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). 

Oh, by the way, in other news, Betty Bathory's Paranoid Romantic 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! 

Lou Reed Tribute Night 2024: Setlist Leak! Spoiler alert!

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 here. Lou did what then was mostly new material, both off the album represented in the art here -- the stellar, Hal-Willner-produced Ecstasy -- and his equally underrated Set the Twilight Reeling, 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 New Sensations; "Romeo Had Juliette," off New York; and "Smalltown," off Songs for Drella) 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 the Vancouver leg, 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... 

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). 

C'est la guerre.

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):

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 arrive early to secure a table. 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). 

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: someone posted the top-secret list of bands and songs.

I mean, you don't have to read it if you don't want to. 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 (no, Al, no one is going to cover "Future Farmers of America," so don't get your hopes up). 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? 

Anyone going on after them, I'm apologizing now (1am is LATE for us workin' Burnaby residents). 

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...

But I will remark on a few pleasant deeper dives (mostly from earlier in Lou's career, not later, but still appreciated). 

David M. is the person that I (obviously) know best of the players, and his voice is ideally suited for "The Bed," which is a real outlier of the songs people are choosing: "bummer Lou," off Berlin, Lou's most depressing album. But it's nestled between humorous material ("The New Reindeer 2013" can be heard here. 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. 

M. is the person I know best of the people on the list, obviously. But I didn't know Cora & the Moon  were before just now, and now I want their record (cute cover, cute title... wow). "I Found a Reason" is my favourite song off Loaded, and they sound perfect for it... and it looks like Paul Rigby is in the band! Holy crap! 

DB3 is Ani Kyd Wolf's new project with Don Binns and Don Short... isn't this also her in the pic for a song by New Space Pimps, too? Is she in two bands, or...? I wonder if the DB3 will be following the Velvets' version of "Heroin" or the Rock'n Roll Animal one? 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 this guy 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)...

Pill Squad is doing three songs -- one the aforesaid "Femme Fatale," but also, the prospect of Tim Chan singing "Kill Your Sons" 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 Israeli soldiers shooting into a crowd of starved Gazans getting flour is just fucking horrifying. 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 way too many martyrs 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 how obscene "the War of the Flea" seems -- deliberately provoking your enemy to inflict mass casualties on your own population, 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). 

Re: Zafirios, it's really nice to see "What's Good" repped (the only song off Magic & Loss 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', Bacon and Ice Cream, which starts with this song. I think I have seen Zafirios once before but not sure when... great song choice...

...and speaking of (kinda) later Lou, Circus in Flames, fronted by Doug Andrew of Shanghai Dog, is going to crack the seal on New York, 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. This clip 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 New York, Crushed Velvet (who?) will also be doing "Dirty Blvd" off that album, later... 

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 Transformer -- 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, "Viscous," as in, "Viscous... you got me thick and sticky... you're slimy and you're slippy... oh baby you're so viscous." 

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 Leonard Pennifold is putting "Sunday Morning" into the mix but it will technically BE Sunday morning when he performs it and... well, we'll see.

Rocket #9, the second-to-last band on the bill, gets some credit for deep diving, but their deep dive goes pretty far back in time, 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... 

Which is too bad, because Gnick Gnash 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. 

More about the Lou Reed Tribute Night here. Now does Red Cat have that Cora and the Moon record...? I think I have a stamp card nearly full...