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The Steamwhistle Brewery, located at 255 Bremner Boulevard, Toronto, is hosting an art exhibit brandishing photographs depicting some of rock’s biggest icons this March. The brewing house turned art gallery event, which is free, is displaying, for the first time in large-scale public view, a series of photographs taken at rock and roll shows in Toronto between 1979 and 1981. Included are shots of The Clash at their first performance in Toronto in 1979, and Bob Marley’s last Toronto concert.

The photos are a result of a pair of young punks’ do-it-yourself photojournalist tactics inspired by the early punk rock movement, around 1979. Nick and Simon White, brothers who grew up in Toronto, saw most of the shows that later went down in history as part of the beginnings of the new musical era. They got the idea to photograph these early performances, possibly foreseeing the nostalgic element they would later provide.

The mostly black and white photographs depict a youthful who’s who of 70s and early 80s rock: The Ramones, The Clash, Peter Tosh, The Specials, and U2 with a young Bono are among the legendary acts captured in the photos. Other rare performances like The Talking Heads, Johnny Rotten performing with post-Pistols band Public Image Ltd., and The Specials were also captured by the brothers.

For the past 30 years, the photos have been tucked away, and nearly forgotten about, by the brothers. They stopped photo-documenting the music scene when it became harder for them to obtain press passes for concerts. In the earlier, they were just seeing shows and taking pictures from the crowd. They started a fanzine, Smash It Up, where many of the photos were printed, but it went out of production when the 70s underground went mainstream and being punk no longer meant being free to publicize your favourite bands.

Now, the White brothers’ extensive work is on display for all to appreciate. The event is free, on for all of March at The Steamwhistle Brewery in Toronto, and, I’m sure, pints will be on hand to help commemorate the wild moments.

Here is a small list of some cool shows coming up in March or April. Check one out for something to do!

SNFU – March 19 @ Sneaky Dee’s, Toronto. SNFU started playing in the late eighties in California. Early skate-punk with fast licks and catchy lyrics.

Forgotten Rebels – March 13 @ Casbah, Hamilton AND March 20 @ Alexander’s, Brantford. The Forgotten Rebels were around during the first wave of punk in the late seventies. Heavy garage sound, basically just distorted Chuch Berry tunes if you ask me – which is a good thing. And, they have a new album coming out this spring.

The Specials – April 19 @ Sound Academy, Toronto. This show will be amazing. The Specials also started in the late seventies, playing ska in the UK. Rocksteady-reggae that heatseekingly catches the ear. If you don’t know ‘em, try ‘A Message To You, Rudy’ on Youtube.

Gogol Bordello – April 20 @ Sound Academy, Toronto. Gypsy-punks. ‘Nough Said.

Also, Germ Attack from Ottawa just released a 7-inch, and they are releasing a new LP, Cruxshadow, in March. Speed-Street Punk that has been evolving in Ottawa for almost ten years now. The thing about Germ Attak is they have really well-done recordings, and they are seasoned musicians, so they know what they are doing. I recomend, and will have to pick these up sometime soon.

Word. Thanks for reading, reply with a comment about a show I’ve missed. See you in the pit.

This past week or so Ottawa (and probably most other parts of Ontario) was given a rude awakening that winter is not over yet! In fact, I think it dropped to the coldest it’s been all winter this year (around -32 with the wind chill…Brrrrr). So, here are your options if you live in Ottawa. Either you stay inside and escape from the cold with a warm blanket and hot chocolate…or…you embrace the cold like the true Canadian you are and waddle out into that wonderful winter wonderland! Now, I know the first option looks appealing but believe me I went for the second option (although I don’t know how much I embraced the cold…) and I did go out during this frosty time and I’m glad I did as this cold might have been bitter but it was also sweet since in Ottawa it meant the opening of the Rideau Canal!

            Therefore, my advice to you, if you live in Ottawa go outside and skate on the canal! This is a wonderful way to pass time AND a great mode of transportation (as it connects Carleton University to the Downtown area/University of Ottawa…aww see, we really are just one big family!).
            For the canal to open we need about 2 weeks of -15 degrees weather. Since we had been getting some good cold weather around the beginning of January the canal had opened within a couple of weeks …however, we also received a lovely little warm bout (around 6 degrees above 0…time to break out those shorts!). Although this warmth was very welcome to those of us who had to do a lot of running around, it also meant that our wonderful tourist trap ice rink turned to slush…Now, I’m not going to lie…this wouldn’t be so bad except that I had visitors coming to skate on the canal and I am not one to disappoint! For this reason, I “welcomed” the rapid drop in temperature with open (and may I add, well layered) arms!

            Luckily we only had to endure the cold weather one night for it to be enough to cause the canal to reopen…unfortunately, it stayed about this cold for the actual skating experience as well. But being the troopers we were we dressed about 3 layers thick and hustled off excitedly to enjoy our Ottawa-only experience!

            On the canal they serve an assortment of goodies, such as the famous beaver tails, hot chocolate, and something called bacon on a bun (I believe it is bacon on a bun…but better double check that one). There are also toiletries and warm huts along the side of the skate-way where you can warm up or gear up/down (something you might want to be aware of before you try putting your skates on while standing on one foot and tightly grasping the railing of the stairway down to the ice).

            Although it was cold, we were well prepared (and to be honest, the extra padding was probably a good precaution as none of us had skated for a while) and the skate was a success! It was a beautiful clear day and everyone was enjoying the fresh air and not to mention, great exercise!

            So, if you’re in Ottawa this winter, don’t be deterred by the cold, go and check out the canal, I promise, even if you’re not an avid skater, it’s totally worth the experience!

I posted last month about a bunch of shows going down in the GTA in the new year, and now I have realized that an update is due.

First off, the Slayer and Megadeth “Canadian Carnage” tour that was scheduled to hit Toronto in February has been rescheduled. The tour, which was a rescheduled event from a missed show last summer, has now been set for the end of July – they hit the Molson Ampitheatre in Toronto on July 29. Check out www.slayer.net for full tour details.

As a reminder, there are two Fucked Up shows happening around the GTA in February. They are at the L3 Nightclub in St. Catherines on the 23rd with Leatherface, and are in Toronto on the 26th with Kurt Vile at The Opera House. Wallet allowing, I will be at both shows.

And, something really exciting for me, oldschool punk band The Forgotten Rebels are doing some shows in the coming weeks: On February 27 they will be playing at The Casbah in Hamilton with The Lucky Ones; and on March 20 they will be at Alexander’s Tavern in Brantford. These are two shows that any ‘77 punk lover will need to see, myself included.

Also in February, skate-punk originals The Queers will be at the Horseshoe in Toronto on the 21st; and Killing Fields will be at the Rearview Mirror Bar in Toronto on the 20th for a FREE show.

Coming up, two-tone kings The Specials at the Sound Academy in Toronto on April 19. Can’t wait to dance the night away for that.

Written by John Coleman

The Christ Punchers opened the floodgates at Rehab in Brantford last night with their own unique brand of streetpunk. Sometimes they sound like mid-80s Exploited, other times they resemble the Varukers, or G.B.H. Either way, every time I see the Christpunchers, I am intrigued by something new. Last night it was their intense vocal ferocity. I didn’t know what they were chanting half the time, but it sounded damn good.

I was really excited when another Telephone City Hardcore band, Rapid Decline, took the stage. I’ve only seen them a handful of times, and jump at any chance I get to check them out. For the most part, they sound like Hatebreed or new Agnostic Front – extremely heavy, energetic, metal-based hardcore. But saying Rapid Decline resembles some other bands sells them short. They’ve got discipline that leads to some really electrifying and original hardcore music.

Then I got to witness Toronto hardcore band G-Men demonstrate their style. The oldschool hardcore band put on a thunderous show. At some points I was lost to what was filling my ears, in a good way. They kept it rolling hard for what seemed like a 25 minute workout.

All in all, it ended up being a pretty cracking show. And, it will have to be good enough to tie me over for what I have lined up in the coming weeks. I will definately be seeing 70s punk legends the Forgotten Rebels at the Casbah in Hamilton on February 27. And I think I’ve arranged for some sort of a roadtrip to see Fucked Up in Cambridge, and then in Toronto, near the end of the month.

Cheers.

Toronto based hardcore punk band F***ed Up have released a cover of Bob Geldof’s Band Aid classic “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in benefit of three advocacy groups that work to help victimized Aboriginal women: Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, DTES Power of Women Group, and Sisters in Spirit. A full description of each group is available on F***ed Up’s blog, http://www.lookingforgold.blogspot.com, as well as a link to iTunes so you can download the track.

The benefit song, available on iTunes for 99 cents or as a 7-inch record, features an array of independent artists. Indie-underworld gods Yo La Tengo, along with indie folk duo Tegan and Sara, are just a couple of the artists that contributed to the project. The nitty-gritty on why F***ed Up went this direction for their latest single is explained on their blog. It reads “as we’ve said before, we’ve always thought that the importance of marginalized art and cultural movements (punk, DIY, indie, you) is the ability to make connections and support other marginalized people within society. Issues like cancer are of course important, but for people like us, it’s just as important to attempt to highlight and support causes that most people will never come in contact with.”

If you don’t know F***ed Up, they have created a lot of noise in the Toronto music scene recently. Beginning in 2001, they became a regular in the Toronto hardcore scene, notorious for their high energy performances and oldschool style of releasing vinyl record singles. They have shared the stage with punk icons Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Keith Morris (Circle Jerks) and seminal New York hardcore band Cro-Mags, to mention a few. In September 2009, the band was awarded the acclaimed Polaris Music Prize for their “Chemistry of Common Life” album. In his acceptance speech, singer Damian Abraham said part of the prize money would go to recording “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

The benefit song has also been gaining attention in the media. Last week it was the topic of a feature story on CBC’s “The National” with Peter Mansbridge, which served as a platform for explaining the song’s charitable and political overtones.

So if you have an extra loonie, side the usual contribution to Tim Hortons and get “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” from iTunes. It is only 99 cents, and supports a great cause. Just remember that you want the F***ed Up version, not Bob Geldof’s. Or, if you are a vinyl addict, the song will be the b-side of the band’s next single “David’s Plan” to be released mid-February 2010.

Written by: John Coleman

So after all is said and done with the 2009 holiday season, I am making the usual longshot resolutions for the new year: follow a much stricter budget, study more, and of course – check out some bands that I failed to check off my ‘09 list. Here is a roundup of some upcoming Toronto area shows in January 2010 that are, for the most part, cheap, and should be really exciting.

At the top of the month original Canadian hardcore band Dayglo Abortions will put on a two day stint at the Kathedral on January 8 and 9, the first show is all ages. Supporting acts are still to be announced, but I think the Dayglos are enough to draw crowds from kilometres around.

British Punk/Oi! Band Oi Polloi is kicking through Toronto in the coming weeks. Legends in their own time, Oi Polloi helped form the hardcore spirit of ‘81 in the UK. 2010 will see the release of their newest LP, Duisg!, and a split record with punk band Appalachian Terror Unit. They play Toronto on  January 16 at the Kathedral with Murdersquad T.O. - making it double as good. Check out Myspace for specifics and other Canadian dates. 

Canadian Indie rock sensations Tegan and Sara are in Toronto for two dates this month – January 19 at Massey Hall and January 20 at the Kool Haus. The critically acclaimed guitar playing, lyric weaving twins from Calgary are trekking across Canada for the next couple months in support of their latest album, Sainthood.

On January 21 90s grungy/experimental style punk band Dinosaur Jr are playing the Pheonix Concert Hall in Toronto. The show is a rescheduled event, so tickets are going to be scarce, but if you try your luck on a scalper you might be able to get one. Mv & Ee and Lou Barlow are scheduled as opening acts.

Toronto punk rockers Career Suicide are at the Poor Alex Theatre in Toronto on January 22. The all ages show starts at 8 pm and is only 10 bucks!

At the end of the month, on January 24, Toronto’s legendary punk club The Kathedral will host its last ever punk show. The venue will be completely closed February 1. On the bill for the night are Toronto area punk bands Wraithriot, Lowerend, Random Killing, G-Men, Punch Drunk, Class Assassins, and more bands are expected to sign on for the night. This will be crowded, so get there early.

And on January 27 speed-metal infernos Arch Enemy grace the stage at The Pheonix. If you’re a fan of insanely squealy and face-melting guitar riffs, thunderingly punchy drums, and hot blondes who enjoy growling over shopping, this is your scene.

Okay, that is a small list of some cool concerts happening this month in Toronto and area. February also looks promising, with thrash band of all thrash bands Slayer on their Canadian Carnage tour alongside Megadeth, they will be at the ACC on February 19. And Toronto punk band F***ed Up is doing a date with British punks Leatherface in St. Catherines on the 23^rd.

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