I've got some more news and notes for this cooler Wednesday afternoon, so here's what's on tap! Today, we have new videos from a pair of talented local guitarists, an interesing article on the truths of major concert photography from a prominent local journalist, and some new bands on a pair of summer all ages shows, so read on below for these latest stories!
Let's start with lineup additions to two upcoming all ages concerts with metal bands at The Oddfellows Hall this summer! First, a new out of town band has been added to the June 20th Weak Ends-headlined punk/metal show, and they are the Regina garage/punk quartet The Royal Red Brigade! Promoter/Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie quietly added them to the lineup on the Facebook event page this afternoon. The Royal Red Brigade have a fairly unique blend of genres while still unleashing some solid punk riffs and aggression, and make sure to not miss them on June 20th as part of a two pronged Saskatchewan punk onslaught! Nothing else new is out yet, so tickets aren't yet on sale, but I'll keep you guys posted on this show (also featuring Frightlight & Redundant) as news comes in! The other new band on an upcoming all ages Oddfellows Hall show is Desbarats death metal quartet Inhuman Methods (pictured), who were quietly confirmed recently as the 8th band for the Sewer Swampstravaganja II concert on July 13th! This will be both their Oddfellows Hall debut and their first gig with new singer Anthony Tverdal, who replaced Curtis Moir in the band late last month. No idea how he sounds yet, but hopefully he does well, and best of luck to Curtis in the future for sure! Stay tuned for more news on these and other concerts as they roll in!
Next up, I wanted to give some deserved attention to a new blog posting by SooToday journalist and photographer Donna Hopper. Her official photography website (which I've just changed her link to in our "Other Local Metal Links") now featured a post entitled "What you think you know, but don’t", which outlines many of the realities and truths about being a concert photographer at major concert events (Essar Center & Kewadin Casino mainly) and what you may not realize about what she does. Some people are known to criticize her SooToday photo albums for their size, content, or angles, but from what Donna writes, this is mostly out of her hands. I won't detail every point she makes, but I encourage you guys to read the article at this link, as it's interesting to see what photographers have to go through and sign off on to be allowed to take professional shots at concerts. Let's just say Bret Michaels sounds much cooler about concert photography than Bryan Adams does. Photojournalism sounds rewarding, and Donna's great at what she does, but some artists are too restrictive and particular in many cases, and legal hangups can prevent some great photos from reaching a wider audience or from being taken at all.
Personally, I'm fine taking pictures from the crowd, as it gives the feeling that that's what a fan would see, but professional photography has a place and shouldn't be as tied down. On the same token, readers and fans shouldn't be shocked or annoyed that Donna and photographers like her can only get so many photos of certain bands, from certain angles. You've gotta play the game in many cases, and she's not just taking the photos she does to irk anyone. Very interesting read, I highly recommend it!
We'll close with some new videos, starting with this new performance video of Trail's End guitarist Chris Hubbard! Yes, he's back on guitar here, and he's showing off his new OLP Eddie Van Halen signature Music Man guitar with over 7 minutes of solo riffing and soloing. Posted on his YouTube channel on Sunday, Chris' immense talents are on display here, and his love for Van Halen is as clear as ever throughout (gotta love the Frankenstrat-painted stool), so definitely give his new video a look below, and stay tuned for more solo (and band?) clips from Chris as they come in!
Finally, a new recording of ex-Browbeat frontman Dutch Vanderploeg's original song "Brighter Day" was uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday! Featuring former bandmate James White (now of Redundant & Caveman Morrison) on bass and production, it's still fairly soft compared to Dutch's usual original output, but it's well performed and has a heavier riff & a nice guitar solo late laid in with his lighter singing! Interesting contrast, but it all works well, so check out thsi new recording of "Brighter Day" below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews, last month's poll results, this month's new poll, this week's classic video, and more shortly! Thanks everyone!
Here's one more news post before we devote tomorrow to weekend concert previews and our next Defunct Local Band Profile, so here's what's on tap today! We have new videos (including this week's classic video), news on an upcoming tribute album with local connections, and leading things off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know! (EDIT, 8:15 PM)
Remember last April when local classical/punk trio RedD Monkey hosted an 11 band all ages concert at The Oddfellows Hall entitled The Sewer Swampstravaganja? Well, it's coming back for a second installment on July 13th, and some of the tentative lineup has been announced! Like last year, RedD Monkey are probably headlining, and the Facebook event page for "Swampstravaganja II" also lists local death metal bands The Bear Hunters & The Valentine's Day Massacre, hardcore standouts As It Stands, extreme quintet Winkstinger, new blues rock quartet The Moves, and Grand Rapids folk trio Ye Olde Mold Pickers (featuring The Night Owl Meme Makers' Rihkee Strapp) as performing, which are good signs! Of the bands announced so far, RedD Monkey and all of the metal bands sans The V.D.M. are returning from last year's event. With a start time of 2:00 PM given, it looks like promoters are aiming for a lineup of similar size to last April's event, which had up to 12 bands at one point, so with that said, promoters are looking for lots of bands to play this concert. If you or your band are interested in playing at the second Sewer Swampstravaganja on July 13th at The Oddfellows Hall, message RedD Monkey's Steve Mozarowski A.S.A.P. at this location!
For reference, last year's show included the returning bands mentioned above, along with Frightlight, Sativa Rose, Late & Loud, The Tenagens, State of Misery, Changing Waves, and Skull After Betrayl, while Bring The Fallen, The Fury, SBD, and Shit Liver all dropped out of the event for varying reasons beforehand, so there's a potential glimpse at what other bands we could see! As stated above, this has a planned 2:00 PM start time, but it will be an ALL AGES event with a $5 cover, just like last year. Check the above links for more details, and message Steve A.S.A.P. to get on the lineup! I really enjoyed last year's Sewer Swampstravaganja, and hopefully this year's event is even bigger and better! I just hope that there's no major bar show later that night that I have to leave early to go see, as what happened both last year and at the Soo Music Mashup show in December 2010. Time will tell, but I'm definitely planning to hit this show up, and I'll keep you guys posted as more bands are announced the the lineup falls into place!
Next up, here's the latest news concerning the David Gold/Woods of Ypres tribute CD! News on it slowed a bit last month following the passing of Rob Cranny, who was to have helped in the releasing & recording of "A Heart of Gold: A Tribute To Woods of Ypres", but some cool new details have came out since for the album! November's Doom's Paul Kuhr stepped in to help recently in what appears to be a similar capacity to Rob's old roles, while noted Swedish musician Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath, etc.) has signed on to master the album, which is huge news! Nothing else too major has came out yet, though some of the finished covers for the album have been completed and sent, and they apparently have turned out very well, which is a good sign! An updated track listing hasn't been released since last month, so it's unknown as of yet if any bands are out or added, or if Rab's version of "Suicide Cargoload" was at all completed before he passed away, but I imagine some track listing details are coming sooner or later. Finally, the organizers are looking for people interested in helping make an official website and/or booklet for the album, so if you're interested, e-mail mummymayhem23@gmail.com A.S.A.P.! Everything sounds like it's on track, so keep an eye out for more updates on this David Gold tribute album!
We'll close this post with new videos, starting with a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night! Keyboardist Craig Harrison uploaded this video onto his YouTube channel yesterday, and it serves as a preview for one of the songs on their upcoming album "The Dawn's Early Light" and as an introduction to the band's members (including new singer Gaby Koss) using pictures and lots of transitions. Solid video, and it's well put together, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night and their new album as it rolls in!
And finally, here's this week's classic video! With their big Rockstar Bar return going down this Saturday, it made sense to focus on Garden of Bedlam again for a classic upload, but it'll probably be our last one for pre-2011 videos, as I haven't seen any others not on YouTube from their early years. This video is actually a combination of two short black & white cell phone videos that were uploaded to the band's Facebook group by bassist Evan Belleau in the spring of 2008, after a pair of headlining shows that Garden of Bedlam played at The Other Place on Gore Street (last known as GLOW) that March & April. The same attendee filmed these, along with three others (of Helmet, System of a Down, and Tool covers) that are posted on guitarist Josh Belleau's YouTube channel, but these two never made it to YouTube. They're of Garden of Bedlam covering Tool's "Ænema" and Godsmack's "Awake", but due to their incredibly short length, I combined them into one 52 second video for the YouTube upload. The quality's not great, but the audio's clearer than the video, which flipped sideways during part of "Awake" for some reason.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!! All credit for these videos goes to Garden of Bedlam and the original filmer, I just want these clips to be seen by a deserving wider audience! Sure, these aren't the longest or clearest videos of Garden of Bedlam in action, but why not have them on YouTube like the rest of the videos from these shows? Check out these short clips of Garden of Bedlam covers in the spring of 2008 below, and stay tuned for our preview of their concert this Saturday!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and our next Defunct Local Band Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
It's time for some more news and videos, as we continue to give you guys more information and updates from the local metal scene! Today, we have new videos from a pair of prominent local bands, and the latest new local metal album that you can pick up, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!! Here's what you need to know!
This concert isn't really a "metal" show per say, but there is one band that I'd say crosses the "hardcore" line, so we'll give it the proper attention! Three Ontario touring bands will hit Foggy Notions on May 15th for an energetic night of music, including Toronto hardcore band Dancing With Paris! With a creative mix of metalcore, Southern rock, and some poppier choruses, they'll be sure to make their mark on the Sault Ontario crowd at this show! Aside from them, the lineup includes Waterloo screamo band Gracefield as headliners, Cambridge alternative rockers Something You Whisper as the last out of town band, and as local openers, classical punk trio RedD Monkey, adding to their busy upcoming concert schedule! If you're into screamo and punk music, you'll definitely wanna check out the above bands, even if their metal content is lesser than Dancing With Paris', so check the above links to hear what they've got! This show will have a $5 cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and doors open at 8:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Diverse musical lineup here, should be a good show musically, though this will likely attract more of a punk crowd. Check the above links for more details!
Next up, we have another new local metal album officially out for purchase! On Friday afternoon, Destroilet announced on their Facebook page that their debut EP was now on sale for just $5! Drummer Matt Waples e-mailed fans to let them know that if you want to pick up a copy, just e-mail any member of the band on Facebook, and they would hook you up. I have my copy already, huge thanks to Matt for dropping it off! The artwork is no different from what we previously saw, save for a typo correction, though the title's sort of ambiguous. Is it self-titled or called "EP"? I'll figure it out! The CDs are hand-burned, but I give all the credit in the world for what they burned them on, and if you love vinyl records, you'll really get a kick out of these! Matt told me that the band was hoping to have a formal CD release show eventually, though nothing's concrete at the moment, so feel free to get them now if you want! How does it sound? Better than the samples on their MySpace page for quality, as they're now mastered, but what are my thoughts on the songs themselves? Wait til next week, as I'd like to formally announce that Destroilet's debut EP will be our CD review for May 2011!
Clownsack's new album is reserved for later this week already, so I'll absolutely get the Destroilet review done next week! Stay tuned for that, and of course, check the above links for all the Destroilet EP news! It's only $5, so get buying for some old school hardcore goodness!
We'll close with new videos, and first, here's the latest live concert video from Brimley hard rockers Half A Man! Yesterday, the band uploaded a video from their April 16th concert at The Merchant's Bar onto their YouTube channel, and it's of their performance of a new song named "Don't Blame Me"! The video's angle is really close, but too close, as Erik Rintamaki is badly cut off on the left, and he's usually blocking the view of Doug Reed. I'd have positioned the camera more center and to the left, but aside from that, it's a nice video! Song's catchy too, I like their mix of heavy riffs and accessible melodies, they have all the promise in the world! Check out the video for more, and check them out next month at The Bird!
And finally, here's some new As It Stands videos! These also come from the April 9th Sewer Swampstravaganja concert at The Oddfellows Hall, adding to the footage that we've previously seen from this show taken by Chantal Hopper. These videos are from a different person, YouTube user vegetarian4life19, who uploaded two As It Stands videos onto their YouTube channel on Thursday. One is a video centered on the moshpit during one of As It Stands' originals, but the audio's too scratchy to make out which one. As the dimensions would imply, it's a cell phone video, but the video quality itself isn't bad! The audio just hampers it. The other video is of their cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids", which is basically the same in audio quality, and shorter on the whole, but I'll embed it here because you see more of the band's actual performance. The other one is mostly of the moshers. Good video, bad audio, but worth a look, especially if you like As It Stands, so here's their Blink-182 cover, and check the above links for more!
That's all for now, but stay tuned this week for another Woods of Ypres-centric post, our Clownsack EP review, and much more news! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, sorry for this being so late, I've had some computer issues that killed many hours of my day. So I had a nice 10 hour marathon of concerts on Saturday night, having seen 11 local bands at two downtown venues, so my reviews will make up today's post! In amongst this post, there will be a bassist switch for one of the bands I saw, but which one? Read on to find out, as here are my reviews!
So my day started at The Sewer Swampstravaganja at The Oddfellows Hall, the massive 11 band all ages concert that surely got fans psyched! There was nice lighting, all kinds of handmade art for sale (and some CDs) and sound provided by Sykotyk Rampage guitarist Dirk Becker, who made everything sound good all night! Opening the show to a rather small initial crowd was local death metal quartet Skull After Betrayal (replacing Shit Liver on the lineup) in their first ever all ages concert! Compared to the first time I saw them, I have to say their sound has improved beyond their rushed-sounding debut! Their timing was better and the band sounded more cohesive and together than they did previously, and luckily, you could actually hear Justin Polutanovich's guitar playing! Along with originals like "Death", and "One In The Chamber", they broke out some well recieved covers too, like "Bloodline" and 'Toxicity" (again featuring Nik Deubel), and fans responded well! Mike Vincent's growling was very quiet and I think he needs to be more forceful with it, and bassist Adam Brett needs to make use of the other chords on his bass, but this was a big improvement from their debut set, and if they work at it, they'll be among the best in the scene in time!
Following them were Changing Waves, but before I discuss their set, I want to note a lineup change, as Changing Waves have quietly parted ways with bassist Devan Lauzon. No reason has been publicized for his exit, but he was removed from their lineup on their Facebook page at some point earlier this year. Disappointing news, he's a talented musician, but hopefully he pops up in a new band soon! Replacing him in the band is Terrence Gomes, who may be familiar to you guys as drummer for the defunct punk band Good Morning Gorillas (later Creedon & The Animal Detectives), but you may also recognize him as one of the many members of the Korah Collegiate R&B ensemble group Mustang Sally! How'd he do though?
Not bad, he seems like he'll fit in well with Changing Waves, and his bass work suited their material, but that's another element I wanted to discuss. Since the last time I saw Changing Waves, I think they're starting to expand their sound beyond just hardcore, including some groove metal-style songs and one song without any screaming at all! "Let's Try It Again" showed some nice musical diversity with a song that was, though heavy, more accessible and melodic, and Benjamin Kallonen showed a decent hard rock singing voice to go along with it! Their hardcore songs still sound good though, like "Lockdown" and "Divine Intervention", and the Hagerman brothers were great on their respective instruments as well! I do want to say that Benjamin still needs to work on his stage presence, as it mostly consisted of him pacing back and forth on the floor without looking at the crowd. The new lineup sounds good though, and I think by adding some different sounds into their repetoire, they'll stand out and grow quicker, and it'll be cool to see how far they go!
Third were local death metal band State of Misery, in their first all ages show as a quintet, and they put in another entertaining set of death metal originals! The crowd were into them, and the band were in as good of a form as I expected from past shows of theirs! After starting with a Children of Bodom cover, the band launched into originals like "Pray For Me", "Stand The Fuck Up", and their memorable ditty about intercourse with a Smurf, among others! Steve Rhodes' growling sounded as brutal as ever, though I noticed on "Pray For Me", he did the backup parts usually sung by Kevin D'Orazio. I wonder why that was, especially when he sang later on? Ray Cowan continues to impress on guitar, and the band sounded very tight! Devon Overman's finding himself more and more too, he's a good addition! Ultimately though, I can't add too much new from their past gigs, State of Misery pulled out a good set, and if you liked them before, you'll have liked them here as well!
After them was local indie rock band The Tenagens, and if I have to be honest, they were the "outlier" of the concert. Amidst all the punk, hardcore, and metal on hand, their softer (but well played) indie rock was a definite turnaround! That said, The Tenagens seemed to know that they were playing to a different crowd than usual, and frontman Josh White made some remarks referencing that during their set. Nice to see they had some humour to interject! Though I've seen them a number of times, I still am no scholar of their material, but for their style, they put in a good set of original songs (and a couple covers), though I did find it odd that two band members seemed to switch instruments before the song even ended. Not the heaviest band in the world, but they are talented, and that's what matters most!
Next on the lineup was a double shot of classic metal, starting with new local metal quartet Late & Loud, replacing SBD! This was their first ever all ages show (they played at a 19+ birthday event last week here though), and it was my first time ever seeing them, so what'd I think? Not too bad at all! I've always been impressed with Brendan Christie's solo work, so it's nice seeing him finally in a gigging local band, and he didn't disappoint with his guitar ability! Less solo moments than I was expecting, but really good work! Same goes for Jonathan Tiberi, he's one to watch out for! It's different seeing Benn Garside and Josh Hatherly playing metal, especially given their Glass Statues past, but they held their own really well, and Benn looked the part to boot! Late & Loud exuded a classic metal vibe, from attire to sound, including some old school covers of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath songs, and originals that harkened back to a slower deliberate classic sound. Shirts seemed to become optional by set's end, which was interesting! However, they seem to have the same problem as Sativa Rose, and it's that they need a singer. All four band members handled vocal parts, but none really have the range or power to sing lead, and they could be put over the top with a full time singer. But their on stage energy, showmanship, and talent are all clear, and I hope to see them in a longer set soon!
Following them was Sativa Rose in their first ever concert as a quartet, with Anthony Orazietti debuting as their second guitarist! How'd he do? Well, he looked the part (especially with the Dean Razorback Flying V), but he proved to have some great riffs and solos, and he's a talent to watch out for! Alongside covers of Skid Row, Iron Maiden, and so forth, Sativa Rose debuted their first ever originals at this concert ("Fall From Grace" & "Bellows Of The Beast"), and let me say, they're awesome sounding! They were fast, heavy, and Adam Veale & Andrew Angelic's singing suited the material! I went in expecting Late & Loud and Sativa Rose to be mostly similar and sound and style, but while their talents were both there, Sativa Rose were faster and more relentless, and they got the crows going like mad! I noticed Adam's dad John filming during their set too, I'll have the videos in an upcoming news post. Great stuff, they could very well have stolen the show, but I won't go that far as I did miss some of the bands. Keep an eye on them as well for their next shows!
The Bear Hunters were next, and as always, their melodic death metal sound was a welcome sight! They sounded no different than they ever have, which is a true testament to their sound and abilities! Thankfully, compared to the last time we saw The Bear Hunters at The Oddfellows Hall, there was little to no light and audio issues, and I could hear Nik Deubel's singing, so that was good! With originals like "Succumb To Eternity", "Bloodthirst", and "Overthrown" at hand, their set was brutal and heavy, and the band showed lots of energy! With a half hour set, a few song didn't make the cut, including fan favourite "Squirrel Boy", but what they played was great! Fans were moshing and headbanging away, and I can't complain too much! For a half hour's worth of metal, they delivered a great set that doesn't need much critiquing, and kudos to Mitch Sirie for his Control Denied t-shirt!
The second to last band I was able to see at The Sewer Swampstravaganja was Frightlight, replacing The Fury for their first ever all ages gig with former Fitswitch guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe in the fold. How'd they sound as a quintet? Really good! Their sound isn't drastically different, and nothing new was unveiled in terms of songs, but Kevin's rhythm guitar playing did help fill out their sound, and it's nice to see him back on stage with some of his old Fitswitch bandmates! Along with originals like "She Screams", "C.H.U.D.", and "Dead Town Everywhere", they unleashed some covers, including The Misfits' "Halloween", which got a HUGE moshpit going! Seriously one of the biggest I've seen in quite a long time for a local show! Misfits, punk, and metal fans alike were going nuts, and rightfully so! Their energy was great, the songs were full of aggression and attitude, and the horror theme was prevalent throughout! You can't complain about Frightlight too hard, especially with sets as on as they were on Saturday. Just ask the moshers!
The last band I saw at The Oddfellows Hall was WinkStinger, but I regrettably had to leave during "Poop", not too long into their set. What I saw was on level with the last times I saw them, and Alan Wells put his stage presence to good use, but I can't accurately say much about their set, having not been there for it all. I did like Jesse Cook's Superman outfit though! What I caught was top notch, and I'm sure As It Stands & RedD Monkey were similarly good, but I had to leave at 10:45 to make it in time for the second concert that night. Overall, the 17/22nds of the concert that I did see was great, and it was an awesome showcase of local talent! Apologies to all three bands I (partly) skipped out on though, I'll make it up to you guys! Check out my photos from last night at this location or at our Facebook page!
And yes, I got videos of every metal/hard rock band that I saw at The Sewer Swampstravaganja, so here they are: Skull After Betrayal's connected original songs "Skull After Betrayal" & "Death", Changing Waves' song "Let's Try It Again", State of Misery's cover of Children of Bodom's "Are You Dead Yet?", Late & Loud's cover of Airbourne's "Running Wild", Sativa Rose's original song "Fall From Grace", The Bear Hunters' song "Bloodthirst", Frightlight's song "Fright Night", and WinkStinger playing "Fuck The Rest"!
So midway through WinkStinger's set, I left to take the Riverside bus to The Rockstar Bar for Lion Ride & The Billy Bastards! I contemplated staying later at The Oddfellows Hall, but this was my mindset: The last time this happened, where Lion Ride conflicted with Soo Music Mash-Up in December, I stayed later at The Oddfellows Hall for As It Stands and missed The Billy Bastards as a result. This time, I thought it was only fair to make it in time for The Billys and miss As It Stands. I'll make it up though! After getting to The Rockstar Bar, my first thought was about how great it was to not deal with such a massive line! You could tell it wasn't Toonie Tuesday, but even still, it was a packed house on Saturday. The Billy Bastards had just started their set, and to be honest, this is the first time I've physically seen them on stage since the Kiss Battle of the Bands! Only 4/5ths of the band were there (no Paul Michael Stos), but they still put in an energetic set of punk and country hybrid covers and originals! I admit that I'm far from a country fan, but this is the best it'll ever sound locally! Talented guys with a sense of humour and a clear appreciation for country music, but with a punk attitude and aggression that was always noticeable! Call it "cuntry" or "hellbilly" or whatever you like, they do it as well as you could expect!
After them were your headliners, Lion Ride, who delivered an awesome set of punk inspired metal! The band was back in top energetic form, much like their show at The Canadian Nightclub in December, only sans a large stage to take advantage of for climbing. Along with their hit originals like "Snail Trail", "Lock Me In", and "Slapdance", among many others, they also threw covers into the set again, like Kiss' "Strutter" and, yes, "I'm So Excited"! Musically, their set was largely similar to their show at The Canadian in December in content and sound, which certainly is not a criticism, as they sounded great! From Mikey Lion's constant enthusiasm and punk tinged vocals to Marco Lion's blistering riffs and solos, what can I say bad about their set last night? It would have been cool to hear a brand new song when I was there (maybe I missed one late?), but you can't go wrong with what we've heard previously! I did have to leave a touch early due to prior commitments and because I was worn out after 10 hours of concertgoing, but I had a great time even still! Lion Ride always deliver a great show, and hopefully their next local concert will come before Christmas time, we'll be waiting eagerly! Stay tuned for news on their recent photo shoot with Curt O'Neil and, yes, their upcoming album, as it comes in!
Click here to check out my photos from the Lion Ride show, or visit our Facebook page linked above! And yes, I have a video, so here's Lion Ride playing their song "Stick It In"! Why this one again? The band has "plans" for footage taken of this song last night, so stay tuned!
That's all for now, but I should have a new news post later tonight, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!
Let's start with lineup additions to two upcoming all ages concerts with metal bands at The Oddfellows Hall this summer! First, a new out of town band has been added to the June 20th Weak Ends-headlined punk/metal show, and they are the Regina garage/punk quartet The Royal Red Brigade! Promoter/Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie quietly added them to the lineup on the Facebook event page this afternoon. The Royal Red Brigade have a fairly unique blend of genres while still unleashing some solid punk riffs and aggression, and make sure to not miss them on June 20th as part of a two pronged Saskatchewan punk onslaught! Nothing else new is out yet, so tickets aren't yet on sale, but I'll keep you guys posted on this show (also featuring Frightlight & Redundant) as news comes in! The other new band on an upcoming all ages Oddfellows Hall show is Desbarats death metal quartet Inhuman Methods (pictured), who were quietly confirmed recently as the 8th band for the Sewer Swampstravaganja II concert on July 13th! This will be both their Oddfellows Hall debut and their first gig with new singer Anthony Tverdal, who replaced Curtis Moir in the band late last month. No idea how he sounds yet, but hopefully he does well, and best of luck to Curtis in the future for sure! Stay tuned for more news on these and other concerts as they roll in!
Next up, I wanted to give some deserved attention to a new blog posting by SooToday journalist and photographer Donna Hopper. Her official photography website (which I've just changed her link to in our "Other Local Metal Links") now featured a post entitled "What you think you know, but don’t", which outlines many of the realities and truths about being a concert photographer at major concert events (Essar Center & Kewadin Casino mainly) and what you may not realize about what she does. Some people are known to criticize her SooToday photo albums for their size, content, or angles, but from what Donna writes, this is mostly out of her hands. I won't detail every point she makes, but I encourage you guys to read the article at this link, as it's interesting to see what photographers have to go through and sign off on to be allowed to take professional shots at concerts. Let's just say Bret Michaels sounds much cooler about concert photography than Bryan Adams does. Photojournalism sounds rewarding, and Donna's great at what she does, but some artists are too restrictive and particular in many cases, and legal hangups can prevent some great photos from reaching a wider audience or from being taken at all.
