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All photos by Jessica Wittman

Introducing FUCK GARBAGE Wednesdays at Marquee Room - a night that was inspired by one of the club’s bartenders attempt to concoct a drink that mixed gin, tequila and Bailey’s. After many trials, the beverage reached a delicious medium; however, one particular patron had over-drank and started fighting with his lady friend. In the heat of the argument, the patron kick over a garbage can and soon-after exclaimed: “FUCK GARBAGE!”

This is Calgary’s first and only night dedicated to stoner jams where, on a typical Wednesday, you can enjoy everything from Rush to early Metallica and donation only at the door. This Wednesday will feature metal bands Space Rabies, Seizure Salad and DJs from Beermystyx - Andrew Hume and Jesse Pruden spinning out to the theme of Black Metal Yoko Ono.

There will be a $5 cover - but only if you fail to arrive wearing corpse paint like everyone else. If you don’t have time after work to slap on some corpse paint, there will be a corpse face painting emergency station on site.

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Photography by Jenn Silver

We caught up with Cecil Frena, mastermind of Edmonton’s GOBBLE GOBBLE. Tonight, you must go to Marquee Room to check out their one of a kind, video game inspired flu pop. Underneath the fuzzy vocals, bleeps, bloops and blips of Comcast’s past lies the melody of the next greatest club bomb. Also sharing the stage will be Mount Analogue and Extra Happy Ghost, who are having their cd release party.

What is Flu Pop and are you the procreatory influence of this genre?

Flu pop is a nervous psychic distillery: pour in snot and bile and humors and then inhale deeply over the humidifier as something laughably lovely rises up. A kind of carnivalesque coffee filter for your carnal fears. We all procreate, more or less.

What are history’s top three video games and why?

a. Pit Fighter (SNES): This often-overlooked gem simulates perfectly the vicious intensity of illegal prize fighting by rendering its character sprites as maximally compressed GIFs circa 1994. The controls are so carefully mangled and time-delayed that this feat of programming sublimates video gaming into dadaist performance art.

b. NBA Jam (Cross-Platform): NBA Jam is the game that finally brought encephalitis to the mainstream after so many years. I hate sports, but I love sports with big heads. Such simple arithmetic.

c. Shaq-Fu (Cross-Platform): It is axiomatic that 2D fighting games go from good to transcendentally amazing when they: a) feature jilted first-gen FMV-like animations; and 2) have a celebrity endorsement worthy of Kazaam! Shaq-fu proved that the universe does indeed resonate with karmic balance. Monks spend years sequestered and ascetic to achieve the heights that Shaq Fu propels you to in seconds.

If GOBBLE GOBBLE were to remix a classic album, what would it be
and how would people feel about it?

I think I would remix the record Michael Jackson was working on with Akon just prior to his death. Since everyone is suddenly a Michael Jackson fan, I imagine it would go over well, but really I just want to have this unbelievable collab in my collection as soon as possible.

Describe your ideal wedding.

Everyone would be wearing black and standing with their arms crossed and dour looks on their faces. Each person would have a green glowstick in their left breast pocket. Some people would be wearing vampire teeth. The priest would have suspension hooks in his back, and would refer constantly to his tatttered copy of the Penguin Anton Lavey. When the marriage vows are consummated, there will be a bass drop, and a smoke machine and strobe light would turn on. The first dance would be My Chemical Romance’s “Undead Lovers Quadrilogy”, at which point I would be unable to countenance the affair any longer and would initiate divorce proceedings.

Which is life’s most underappreciated natural sound effect?

Tiga’s girlfriend’s shoes.

Who is your favourite Edmonton band at the moment?

It’s a bit artificial and more than a bit political for me to pick a favorite band from my hometown, so I won’t, but to provide some response to your inquiry, I do want to say that Bayonets!!! Deserve much more attention than they’ve been getting. They play an absolutely caustic variety of no wave / theater punk . Their live performance is a sight to be seen, verily, intimidatingly awkward and confrontational in the very best sense of those words. Bayonets!!! laugh, cry, and above all, lunge.

Written by Brendan Kane

For every snarly chord and shattering snare on Little Foot Long Foot’s debut full-length, Harsh Words, is a backhand across the face and shot to the kidney of fad culture. Singer, Joan Smith has an authoritative, bluesy howl that wastes little to no time on small talk, choruses, fuzz or feedback. The aged rock ethics of Harsh Words is flavoured most pleasantly with its series of statements, most notably: “If this was your song, there would be a keyboard solo/Make sure its not a Rhodes, I want to sound much more hollow/Its funny how we both grew up liking Kurt Cobain/If he was still alive, then perhaps he could explain.”

After all, Smith and drummer, Isaac Klein had planned to be a classic rock cover band before initiating their own traditions proved to be the better option. Songs like Fake Cowboys, Market Survey and King Hipster snidely (and hilariously) profile what probably is wrong with rock ‘n’ roll without lament or whining - the Toronto two-piece put it right back where it belongs and thats in your speakers.

We caught up with Joan and Isaac who are touring across Canada with Harsh Words in hand. Go and check them out at Broken City on Friday, July 24th along with Calgary’s Mt. Royal and Montreal’s Mixylodian.

What is the best misinterpretation of Little Foot Long Foot you have heard or read?

Number one would be, most hilariously, ‘Looks like Zack and Miri made a band’. True, Isaac does resemble Seth Rogen…we really can’t get away from that one…but how the eff does that explain our brand of music? Anything else we hear always has to do w/ the respective size of our feet and ‘which one is which’? It is simply a band name, people. We’re still trying to come up w/ a clever response for that one.

Where would you be right now had you become a classic rock tribute band, instead?

Working in an office/garage by day, and snorting copious amounts of cocaine at night to try to deal w/ the rowdy audience members who would criticize Isaac’s lack of double kick in the 78th bar of Black Dog and suggestions that Joan do more ’scissor kicks’.

What is the most redeeming quality in the modern hipster?

That the hipster is a peace loving sort whom you could accidentally bang into in a bar, and the worst thing that would happen is that his/her horned rim glasses would go slightly askew. They would most likely mumble an apology even if it was your fault, and then you could clink your PBR bottles together in ironic commaraderie while stroking your moustaches.

Now that thats out of the way…what really grinds your gears about them?

That if your band lacks synths, ironic moustaches/beards, and a thumping dance beat along with singing that is SLIGHTLY out of tune…then you just aren’t worth a damn thing to ‘em. Also that it is just too easy to stereotype them, and yet it’s completely impossible to explain what they are to someone from another country who is ignorant of the entire phenomenon (mostly countries that lack parents with trust funds).

Which Toronto friend-band would you like to have on this western tour?

Probably My Shaky Jane…they have already come out west before us, and whichever bar we play at where they have left their mark, the bartenders nod their heads knowingly and whistle admiringly at the amount of mic stands they knocked over, alcohol consumed, and donuts driven in the parking lot. Hanging around them always makes us feel super bad ass.

What songs are ruling your summer, thus far?

Isaac swears by the whole album Cross, by Justice to keep him up during our long drives. Isaac also plays some mean air drums while listening to ‘Talk to Her’ by Priestess. Joan is just starting to get over her obsession with ‘Stormy High’ by Black Mountain…but to be perfectly honest, to get us through these long North Ontario and prairie drives, we’ve been listening to the audiobook version of The Stand, by Stephen King. The swine flu has never felt so real.

Which celebrity death in the last year has affected you the most and why?

Well it certainly wasn’t Micheal Jackson. Not that we don’t appreciate…we had just emerged from camping for 3 days out east while we were on tour, and saw his photo emblazoned on the front of a newspaper, and all Joan could wonder was ‘Why is HE on the cover?’ Didn’t figure it out for another couple of days, and by that point the hoopla was already out of control and completely annoying. This also meant that Isaac could no longer tell his MJ joke onstage while Joan tunes her guitar. Otherwise, Bea Arthur’s passing was rather affecting. RIP, Maude. Oscar Mayer’s recent passing also deserves a mention.

We talked with Walk Off the Earth before they played for this year’s Sled Island. Hopefully you were able to catch their set at the Stetson Saturday, June 27th.

Petey: Unequivacally yes.

Gianni:  Bob Marley and the Whalers, Rage Against the Machine…weird combo but it would be sic.

Petey: Blind Melon and Sublime

Gianni: Its was great, lots of kids play instruments so there is a lot of opportunity to jam with people…but there was definitely a shortage of drummers.  Witch was good for me because I play drums.  But as for WOTE, I think it helped us because People in burlington took a likening to us very quickly and it kind of gave us motivation to pursue this band.

Petey: Hard.  Rent’s expensive and the older people either want us off their lawn or out of their grand daughters.

Gianni: Cow-Girls!

Petey: Cows… and meeting the other bands and partyin AB style with some Grasshopper’s.

Written by Chris Cassady

Photography by Brendan Kane

So, here I am at the appointed meeting place. It’s midnight, and the line-up is already 50 deep. I don’t see my way inside anywhere. They’re probably already knee deep in sweat and beer watching another act inside, while I try to figure out how to talk my way in. The dreaded words come from the guy at the door, who looks ready to run at a moments notice. “The show is sold out, so if you have a gold pass, come to the front of the line and you’re in, if you have a pink pass, then you can wait and see if you get in if people leave, and if you were waiting for a walk up ticket, you may as well go home now”. “Shit…now what” I’ll just hang out for a while and maybe someone I know will show up.

As I’m standing there like a kid waiting to be picked last in dodge ball, I see a guy dressed in black with long straggly hair walking down 7^th Avenue S.E. towards me. The face is still half a block away but, man…he looks familiar. As he gets within feet of me, I say “Hey, Steve!” It’s Steve Kudlow, the Lead Singer and Guitarist for Anvil, walking from his hotel to the show, smoking a hand rolled cigarette. “What’s the line-up for?” he inquires. I respond with a happy “It’s for you guys, Steve. You’re sold out tonight”. No Shit…Cool” he responds. This guy has played to seventy thousand people at the Castle Donnington Festival in Scotland, with other huge Heavy Metal groups in the 80’s and he’s excited about playing for 300 in Calgary.

Steve and I strike up a conversation about the band, the movie, the music industry and anything else I can jam into this amazing impromptu interview that is still going to take place tomorrow, before they play at Olympic Plaza for the masses. I still want to get in tonight so I say, “Hey Steve, I’m interviewing you tomorrow afternoon, but I really wanted to see you guys play tonight”. Steve looks at me and says “Come on with me, I’ll get you in!” and with that we walk up to the security at the door and Steve says “I’m Steve from Anvil, were playing tonight, and he’s with me” giving the security guard a thumbs up. “Cool, have a great show” he retorts, and we head inside. I meet with the bands Manager, and then Steve is off to get ready for the show. I grab 2 beers, down 1 and head to the front of the stage to wait for the Metal Assault.

Sled Island is alive and well and living at the Royal Canadian Legion in Downtown Calgary. Anvil is playing a “Surprise Guest” show in about an hour, and I want to be at the front of the stage to see Steve and Robb Reiner tear it up like they used to when I was 17 and had purchased Metal on Metal, a definitive time in my life for music. The band is having a re-birth of sorts, 30 years after their initial success, and eventual placement in rock and roll meritocracy. They have risen out of the ashes in North America, a place where they have never had commercial success, with a documentary movie called Anvil: The story of Anvil, a two year trip through a failed European Tour, ups and downs in a 35 year friendship, and playing to crowds smaller than the line up for the toilet at the Legion.

With a huge Metal following in Europe, England and other places, it’s unthinkable that Anvil, a band that has huge Canadian Pride, and hails from Ontario, has never had success at home. They are early pioneers of the genre, and were huge influences for Metallica, Slayer, and others, yet until this documentary rolled out, they still had day jobs at home, and the band was secondary. I remember 1982 –1984 very well. It was the Metal Years for me. Def Leppard – Pyromania, Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind, Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith…and Anvil – Metal on Metal and Forged in Fire. These were influential times, with music being a force to be reckoned with in a young man’s maturing anger and distrust of society. It was hard, it was fast, and it played at every underage party I went to. We drank hard, we partied hard, and we waited for the next installment on vinyl at A&B Sound.

The show is running late, it’s 1:45 am, and they hit the stage. Steve does his own guitar tuning, and Robb does a mic test on his drums. There are no expensive road crews at this level. They carry their own guitar cases, and roll their own cords when they are done. A Metal onslaught ensues. I am taken back to my high school years with classic hits like 666, Jackhammer and Winged Assassins. The show lasts for about and hour and then the lights come on. The Legion people want to go home!! “Well I guess we have to play our Rock and Roll Bible song” Steve says to the screaming crowd, who doesn’t want it to end, and Anvil breaks in to Metal on Metal. I am sated. It’s a great night as my ears ring happily. I shake hands with Steve and thank him for the history lesson. We plan for our interview the next day.

It’s a beautiful sunny day in Downtown Calgary at the Olympic Plaza. Steve and Robb are ready for another day in the Anvil world. Interview after interview lined up, and then a show tonight. They are in their glory as Rock Stars, thirty years in the making, and they are enjoying every moment. But there’s something different about these two that I notice immediately. They may be Rock Stars enjoying their labor of love, but they are real human beings, not pretentious, or disengaged. They talk with me like a friend they have known for a long time. They love what they do, and they do it with the fans and the music in mind. They love to play. If they didn’t they would have probably given it up a long time ago. As Steve eats a McDonald’s Filet of Fish combo, and Robb eats the cookies from a Kid’s Meal, I am struck by their down to earth nature. They have amazing stories about life on the road, the people that they have met, and played with, yet they always come back to the music. They love to play.

Anvil has reached a higher rung on the ladder of success than they have been working for and after thirty years they are finally being given the respect that they deserve in North America. It isn’t there yet, but it is coming. They now have 3 shows signed to play opening act for AC/DC, 2 in the U.S. and 1 in Moncton, New Brunswick. AC/DC doesn’t need Anvil to open for them. They are big enough on their own. But AC/DC wants Anvil to open for them. Steve and Robb are almost there. And they deserve it after all these years.

Why?

Because they love to play!

Come down to the New Black for the release of the debut Lung Puma! Animal Skulls album, Catfish Marmalade. The four piece of Zak King, Fraser Wright, Findlay Sontag and Tom Gunvordahl are one of the most sonic and adrenal projects to hit Calgary in years. Within their journeying drums, thundering double guitars and synth underlays is a sound reminiscent of Mogwai or Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.

#200 919 9th Avenue SE - Located around back - turn right at Farmer Jones used car lot.

oh and its Canada Day - cheap drinks