Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Bad Back

After a quiet weekend at the SMS, we're back today with this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, continuing our monthly spotlighting of local metal, hard rock, and punk bands that may no longer be active, but deserve a look back at their run and accomplishments! As always, we randomly select bands for this series, and this is our first Sault Ontario pick of the 2020s. This band was a fan favourite during their two year run in the mid-2010s, so here's what you should know on them!

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Bad Back

Genre: Grunge/Hardcore Punk/Sludge Metal

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members:

"Jaymang Vinsang" Jamie Vincent (AlgomA), vocals/guitar
"Naythang Sauvege" Nathan Sauve (Lion Ride), drums/vocals

Audio/Video: Bad Back independently released three demos in the mid-2010s on their Bandcamp page, including "VOLumes!" in October 2014, "VOLumes TWO" that December, and "ALbums" in June 2015 (all of the redundant pluralization is intentional.) The "VOLumes" releases had limited physical print runs with different cover artwork and slightly amended track listings, but those variants are not for sale online. In any event, all three are available to buy on a "name your price" model. A number of live videos are available to check out from their run, including via Jamie's YouTube channel and two of Nathan's (linked here & here), plus our own Facebook page, among other public sources, while Nathan's Soundcloud page also features some audio recordings. Here's 15+ minutes of Bad Back live in 2013!

Info/Analysis: Debuting as the mystery headline act at an all-local Oddfellows Hall show in June 2013 (after quietly launching that February), Bad Back were one of many one-two man alternative/metal bands active locally in the early-mid 2010s, though they were not affiliated with Blood Shed Productions. A steadily frequent sight for two years' worth of local concerts (often at self-promoted ones by Six, Two, Oh.), Bad Back opened for notable touring bands like The Archaics, Biipiigwan, and Chronobot during their run, while also helping kick off The New American Pub and The Moose Lodge as heavy music venues in 2013, playing in Toronto with Jamie's main band AlgomA, and featuring at the all-ages Dank Fest and the Oh!No precursor Das Bunkerfest in 2014. Last seen opening for Benighted & Bookakee at The Oddfellows Hall in March 2015, later updates related to the release and promotion of "ALbums" on Twitter, and Bad Back are believed to have quietly disbanded by early 2016.

A heavier extension of Jamie's prior local frontman work with Fuller, the minimalist approach of Bad Back mixed well with their intense originals like "Breeding Weak" & "Number One Single", diverse covers, and sense of humour! Jamie acclimated increasingly well up front, and Nathan's drumming was a solid match in his return to the live scene, and the guys did a good job of making you forget this was a two man band! It is a shame they only were a live band for two years, but don't miss Jamie with AlgomA(?) and with his renamed promotional agency Oh!No to see what he's up to in the 2020s!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection will keep us in Sault Ontario, but a little later in the timeline, as we'll be looking at defunct classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires! Watch for that on or around March 10th, and for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!