EDITOR
Jason Bolduc
COPY EDITOR Naomi Kelly
PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Bolduc Jim Smith
COLUMNISTS
THE TOWER
Hamilton's Anarchist Social Centre 281 Cannon St. E Hamilton, ON L8L 2B4 Hours: Sundays 11am-5pm* Mondays 2-6pm* Thursdays 12-5pm* http://the-tower.ca/
Jason Bolduc Jim Smith Juana Luck Mike Mccarthy
REVIEWS Mike Mccarthy
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mike Magee/Stomp Records Melanie Kaye PR Epitaph Records Skull Skates Records I Scream Publicity Mike cubillos/Earshot Media Piston Head/Brutal Brewing
CONTENTS
6 14 24
CONTACT
TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET MIGUEL CHEN TALKS ABOUT YOGA AND “TALES FROM WYOMING”
AMNESIA ROCKFEST MATHIEUC MARCOTTE TALKS ABOUT THE 2015 AMENSIA ROCKFEST LINEUP. PUNCHLINE 13 SYLVAN CAMPEAU AND MATT DORION TALK ABOUT “CUT THE ROPE”
withinpunkzine
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TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET INTERVIEW WITH MIGUEL CHEN
@ DANFORTH MUSIC HALL INTERVIEW BY JASON BOLDUC
MARCH 21,2015
COURTESY OF MELANIE KAYE PR
J.B: So tell me what would be the perfect pizza? I mean after a few beers in and a couple Popeye cigarettes in everything pretty much taste good so what’s it to you? M.C: A perfect pizza is more like a New York style thick crust with like one topping, so like either pepperoni pizza or a black olive pizza. I think if you get too much on there it gets overwhelming especially if you’re drunk. There’s like a beautiful simplicity in a single slice of pepperoni pizza and like you can’t mess with it. J.B: So pretty much like a Mediterranean pizza then? M.C: Ya pretty much about it. J.B Three chord and Four chord punk has always been that way for a long.. long time and now it’s starting to change to metal riffs, so do you see that as the new way to go? M.C: I think that’s one of the cool things about being in band you can kind of do what you want to do, and there’s not really a precedent of punk rock telling you what you can or can not do. For us personally we always loved the three and four chord bands and that’s what we always created because that’s what we loved, plus I don’t know if were talented enough with our instruments to do anything else (Laughing). I don’t really know actually it’s never really come out because we never talked about it because we play simpler stuff that works for us. J.B: Someday you ever going to bust into a King Diamond solo or something? M.C: Only if someone offers us 2.5 Million dollars J.B: I noticed you guys have the good old Tour van with the trailer our front, what’s life on the road like? M.C: Oh ya it gets a bit sketchy this van is about to hit 200 000 Miles so that’s about usually when they start to go and stuff, so we will probably be looking for a new home soon. But it’s also what we’ve
always known once we did the Vans Warp Tour and had this bus it was super luxurious and we we’re like wow this is so awesome and then it sunk in after okay back to the van. J.B: So after sound check and setup what kind of things you guys do before the set? Do you kind of hang out a Bar have a few drinks or just hang out and chill out? M.C : Ya we don’t really drink before a show and we usually just hang out on a couch or something and we actually get asked a lot like “Are you dudes alright” and
PHOTO J.B
were like ya were just really “Mellow” and usually we just like to be calm and relaxed. Then it works out better because we saved up all our energy for when we hit the stage and then just “Go Nuts” and after the show well we just go back to being normal. J.B: So that’s kind of like the energy you bring to the recordings and the live performances that’s the kind of ritual thing? M.C: Ya like I said it’s about chilling relaxing taking like ten fifteen minutes and for me that’s how I can go out and go crazy and give it everything you got. J.B: So I noticed you’re doing the Pouzzasana this year and that’s coming back to the Yoga thing? Is that what you kind of focus on try and stay more active as you get older you can’t move around as much? M.C: Defiantly you know I always tried to take care of myself and it’s the same as my meditation practices and more sense of self care and deeper sense of happiness. That Pouzzafest thing my buddy Dallas came up to me and like said we should do something and like teach a class, and next thing you know we talked to Hugo and he was all
for it and now there’s like 400 R.S.V.P.’s and were like oh my god (Laughing). J.B: Wow really? M.C: Yeah a little nervous but very stoked! J.B: And it’s totally free? M.C: Yeah totally free J.B: So small town life I grew up in small town and small town life what would you say to those who are looking to achieve something coming out of small town? M.C: In a weird way it always go backs to the meditation thing BRANDON CARLISLE but in a way right now every person has what PHOTO J.B they need to be happy and it’s just up to us to harvest that and to use it. So it doesn’t really matter if you grew up in a small town or a big city all the tools are there in order to be everything you can be, you just have to decide what that is and do it and pursue it. J.B: Coming back to the Warp Tour you guys were on the fence about before going into it and the Warp Tour has really changed since the initial conception of it all, it used to be all punk and now it seems it has gone more diverse and with the commercialization of it like the Hannah Montana tent do you feel it’s getting weird that way? M.C: Absolutely but I also think Warp Tour is this thing for like kids and young people and so when we were younger it was like “Badass” and it was all of favorite bands, now that were not as young anymore the kids like a totally different batch of bands and I don’t even understand it and it makes me feel like a old man and “ Those Dam Kids and their music”. Also though they are really good at what the kids are into and here’s the lineup of what there into it and it obviously been very success-
ful so far, but for us when we played last year it was cool because we got a chance to represent our generation of punk music and maybe some kids were “Stoked” and were like “This is rad!” and go and buy a Ramones album or Nofx album or something. J.B: Yeah just don’t die you hair red and do the Mohawk thing or might stand out as an old man perv Red flag, because the kids wouldn’t get it really these days it’s a whole different generation. Do you feel there’s
KODY TEMPLEMEN PHOTO J.B
a generation gap in the punk rock feel of today’s generation and what they want to hear? M.C : Absolutely were in the era of the Internet and instant gratification and they don’t have to search out to buy music anymore they can just look it up if they like it buy it right away,. Were we had to go out and seek to find those records and c.d’s and it made it a lot more personal in doing that and maybe that’s the difference that people are losing that being in touch with it. It’s cool though that there accessible now but it does take away the more personal way of the relationship with doing it the old way. J.B: so coming back into the old ways in regards to engineering in “The Blasting Room it was pretty laid back environment is the same approach with “Bill Stevenson” doing the engineering this time around for “Tales from Wyoming” was also laid back or a mixture of work and play? M.C: Yeah kind of both we’ve known Bill for a long time and he’s our
RAY CARLISLE PHOTO J.B
buddy and we hang and it’s cool similar sense of humor like “Farts” are funny so that makes it a fun environment to be in and to work with , at the same time though when it comes time to work Bill is very straight forward and doesn’t give in to any slacking off. He doesn’t cut you any slack if he thinks you sucked that time he will make you do it over and over to get it right and that’s a good thing. J.B: That being said a lot of the studios are going under because of the switch from Analog to Pro tools rigs and it seems it’s easier for people to Self-Produce do you think it’s easier for
people to do that now? M:C: Ya it’s easier for people lay down some drum lines and assemble stuff and make a record which is really cool but the engineers use it also and they know the program inside and out and it’s insane what they can do with it. So I think it’s such an expansive thing at the basic level it’s more accessible now to everyone but if you really want to dive into it there’s just countless things you can learn about it. On our albums we always tried to avoid too many extra things that we couldn’t pull of live and we always wanted to be like this what we would sound like in a perfect scenario live. J:B On most of the Albums from “They came From the Shadows” to “Freak Out” you guys found that recipe and stuck with what works mostly and didn’t stray too far or change like some bands do, except on “Tales From Wyoming” you’ve done “First Time” that was a slow acoustic and instrument kind of life soundtrack song? Do you think there will be more songs like that in the future? M.C: I don’t think there will ever be a full acoustic album but we did that one and were not opposed to doing another one down the road and
we will kind of see what happens. If it fits with the record and it fits with the rest then it’s good that’s how that song kind of came about. J.B: When you guys switched from FatWreck Chords to Rise Records everyone was asking why? Because Fat is an amazing punk label and Rise is known for more diversification but does have some more vintage bands on there also. Do you feel in order for a Label to kind Stay above the red these days you got to kind RAY CARLISLE of have more diversified artists? PHOTO J.B M.C: Absolutely Fat Wreck Chords is amazing Label and we lover those guys. But I think its two totally different approaches in what you’re kind of asking. I mean Fat Mike runs Fat Wreck Chords as a strictly punk only Label and he did that and Craig at Rise is more like I’m just going to have bands that aren’t necessarily punk and has built it up as that, I think that helped him keep reaching younger and younger people that are into different things. Although Fat Wreck Chords and Fat Mike are super in touch with Punk Rock and knows the older punk scene really well and what younger punks are into also, I think Rise has their finger on what some 13 year old in junior high is into and what the kids are listening to these days. At the same time though they also have some older bands like Face to Face and The Bouncing Souls so they also know how to pump energy into them too. J.B: That’s the changing of the tide I suppose you have to adapt to what the kids are doing in order to survive or be key specific and stick with what you are and stand true but there will always be a generation change in the scene.So Horror Movies? Haunted houses? M.C: Ya love Horror movies I have a bunch of Horror Movie tattoos
like Jason and Freddy and I have a Texas chainsaw massacre tattoo we love that stuff. And like Wyoming lots of free time and don’t know what to do with it other than Horror Movies and Chilling out eating Pizza. J.B: So I’ll end it with your favorite Horror Movie instead of the famous quote this time for me it was the original thing where buddies head popped off grew legs and took off I was a kid and lost my shit and pissed my pajama’s what about you?. M:C: (Laughing) YA for sure mine as a kid was “The Shining” those two twins coming out the elevator and the river of blood and that old lady coming out of the bath tub all rotting and shit that really fucked me up still even to this day. J.B anything else how’s the tour? M.C Yeah the Tour is amazing love Pennywise and Whilhem Scream love those guys. And Yeah we just did a video for “They Call me Steve” which is a Minecraft video that the guys are really into doing Minecraft and if you love video games you will love the video. J.B: Yeah you know most kids that do Minecraft build entire worlds then destroy them and I was totally waiting for that to happen at the end of the video? M.C: (Laughing) Yeah Cody is really into Minecraft and that Mushkin thing and board games and I’m more like old school Super Mario brothers and old Nintendo games. J.B: And old-school Atari and stuff. So you’re coming back in May/June for another tour? M.C: Yeah we are doing a Tour in the States
MIGUEL CHEN PHOTO J.B
and Canada with “The Copyrights” we don’t have Toronto booked yet but it’s inevitable. J.B: I’ve listened to the album front to back and backwards a couple of times! Oddly I feel as though “There are some good messages while played backwards” but in summary “Love..Goddam punk girl ahh shit.. Relationship. Pizza anybody?. Horror movie. Deranged night creeping coach roach ,Minecraft..Dirty habit..Bullshit..T.V vegging.. Fuck Everything. Clarity” Did I miss anything in there? M.M: There’s a song about Metallica.
AMNESIA ROCKFEST INTERVIEW
WITH MATHIEUC MARCOTE BY SKYPE FEBURARY 13,2015 INTERVIEW BY JASON BOLDUC
J.B: Yeah so Amnesia Rockfest. You’re heading into the tenth year anniversary this year from the initial concept of it. What are your thoughts on that? M.M: It’s absolutely amazing you know it started out as well you know sometimes these huge companies and corporations will build these huge festivals and events and usually bring in these huge headliners. The story of Rockfest though is ten years ago was this small rock show in this really small town and we had about five hundred people and it was a great success and everybody was happy with it. And the second year we brought in some more bands and then it got really big really quickly. J.B: Yeah that’s usually the way it goes, ‘if you build they will come’! M.M: Yeah (Laughing) it’s crazy because Alex - who started the festivalhe was seventeen when he started it and the crazy thing about it is he had absolutely zero contacts in the music industry, He would go to a show with an artist he liked and would get up in their faces and say hey “I’m doing a festival, do you want to come? “ And it started like that - it started with him going up to those bands and going up to their management and saying “I have this festival and I really believe in it and I think you should come” and at first it was a little bit more complicated to bring those bands because of budget concerns and with bigger bands like this year, “System of a Down” if you don’t pay them what they’re worth as a band, then it’s harder to do with budget concerns but at the same time it’s trying to convince those bands that it’s a really good and nice idea to play a small town festival. I mean, you could play Ottawa
which is nearby, you could play Montreal which is nearby too but no, come play Montebello so there was a lot of convincing in the earlier years but no I wouldn’t say his job is easier and you want to please as many people as possible, but at the same time you want to convince them at the same time to come out and play. I would say it was a lot more convincing in the first 6-7 years and now that it’s bigger it’s easier to be able to ask bands if they want to play. J.B: Some of the bands are pretty cool that I meet and are all for it, at the same time some of the bands do have some crazy riders? I guess it comes down to convincing the bands and the Publicists to get involved? M.M: Yeah the first band that wasn’t from Quebec that we got was Gob and I’ve always been a huge Gob fan and I was really excited about that but they’re not complicated dudes and then you get to a lot more complicated bands that want to control all aspects of the sound and other stuff and I can respect that they want to put on a show and make it sound exactly how they want it to sound, but at the same time in the festival environment you got to kind of roll with the punches sometimes. And a lot of those bands though are used to Warp Tour and those bands you don’t hear them complaining at all you know, they’re used to this carnival like atmosphere with things happening everywhere but you get to the big bands and they get to things that they are not too familiar with. J.B: This year you have some bands coming back out again like Satanic
Surfers, Propaghandi and All and Descendents,Refused, Thrice Atreyu, Is that the Music Gods aligning the forces of awesomeness? Or is that old fashioned word of mouth and planning that pulls that kind of bill together? M.M: It’s becoming a trademark to make some bands reunite for Rockfest obviously you always set up the best circumstances for this to happen and sometimes some of the members of the bands just don’t talk to each other at all so some bands you can’t make it happen and others you can. Some bands like Thrice were mentioning they were open to doing some new stuff or at least play together again and once Alex knows there’s a possibility he will try to do it. And he’s always going after those possibilities and convincing those bands to do it and he’s making it easy for those bands to get there. Sometimes those bands you say ‘hey you want to play our Festival?’ and you have to set up the perfect circumstances because sometimes in those bands there’s egos and shit we don’t know about and ah…things that have been going on for years we don’t know about and sometimes one guy slept with the other’s girlfriend and you don’t know these things (laughing). So Alex has always been doing a great job convincing them that it’s a good thing and to come here over the past years and the local bands from around here in Quebec and other bands there’s been a lot of reunions. I personally haven’t seen Refused since the last time and they didn’t
SHARPIE MAN
play together for like fourteen years and then that was it they didn’t do anything. And then Alex out of nowhere said “Refused” is on the bill for this year and I was like “What?” and it’s crazy that way. There’s also a lot of bands playing entire albums and that’s becoming a thing now and this year we have The Offspring, and Rancid and The Deftones doing it playing classic albums. I heard The Offspring do “Smash” in its entirety and a lot of people like “Americana” and that’s when they first heard them and they think that’s great they are
going to play this album and The Deftones - I love the mysterious dark Deftones and I love the Deftones that are angry and this is what we are going to get with them this year. And Rancid “Out Comes The Wolves” is probably one of the most influential albums and if I said history oldschool punks would probably be pissed but I think it is, it’s one of the most influential albums of at least the ninety’s punk scene. J.B: The whole thing does have an old-school feel of it there with the lineup but you do go back old-school with The Exploited and G.B.H. M.M: Well it’s always tried to remain as a broad lineup and a really diverse line up. It’s always been that at Rockfest we don’t want to put a emphasis on Punk, or Metal or Old School rock or Old-school Punk, and for the most part people say it can’t be done but we’ve proven that it can be done. It seems they think that people can’t co exist in the same environment like metal heads and punks and getting them together, and last year was experience we had Cypress Hill and they have roots in Punk and Rock too. At the same time there’s going to be Snoop Dog
this year and that’s going to be really different and I think this year like last year and Cypress Hill it was one of the biggest hits of the festival. And it gave the festival a groove and nice break from the anger and screaming and aggressiveness that it makes it work and this year it’s going to mellow for just about a hour. J.B: So it’s kind of like a Lollapalooza slash early Warp Tour? M.M: Yeah I haven’t done in the past but I’m going to try and find some bands that have played in the early Warp Tour on this bill and try and imagine what the Warp Tour would of looked like and what I would have wanted to see personally, I know back then in the States they said they needed the new acts and the new sensations that was out to draw people to come, but in Canada you needed the Pennywise the Bad Religion and Rancid to fill out Warp Tour in Canada and we haven’t served by Warp Tour on that front the last few years so we’re excited to bring the nineties and old-school nostalgic acts and rock. The Exploited where here at Rockfest three years ago and there where so many people excited about it and we brought the street punks to Montebello. J.B: Yeah it’s like the same with The Casualties. M.M: Yeah I’m more like Skate Punk but I also love The Casualties and Total Chaos and The Exploited when I was nine years old and what I imagined as a punk that was it not a guy in a hoody with a baseball cap you know like a guy with a Mohawk and spiked jacket. J.B: Yeah like this year for skate punk you have Descendents and “All ” playing together and that’s a great combination. M.M: And those were really influential bands and it was really exciting when we first had them and the reason why we are bringing them back is because the fans are excited about seeing them and also the bands are excited to see them. And every band last year that we spoke to said shit I don’t want to miss the Decendents because that’s who I want to see, and that was that band that the other bands wanted to see. This year though we also have “All” which is a really influential band and when you see other bands really excited about them then you always know it’s going to be a hit. J.B: I noticed you have more international bands like “Bolt Thrower” this year is it really expanding that much? M.M: Yeah we have people interested in it from around the world when we first started selling tickets it was people in Quebec then it became people in Ontario and then you know across Canada and it grew bigger and bigger and then people from deep inside the United States and that’s pretty far to come, and then it was people from Japan and Europe
and Brazil and Australia and we were like ‘really?’ And I remember looking at Festival line ups in Europe and I was thinking, shit why don’t we have this here in Montreal why don’t we have this in the province of Quebec? Then I go on the internet and then people in the Ukraine and the Eastern bloc were saying “Shit why can’t I have this in my home town?” “And shit, it’s in my home town” so why can’t you do it! And I’m really happy to see it you know when you go to a festival you bring your flag and you represent your country. And I’m really excited to see those flags in the last few years and with the success of the last few years we can also expand every year and this year obviously we wanted to make it really big, so that the tenth anniversary was really underlying it correctly and equally. We couldn’t build a lineup that was obviously not as great as last year and needed something at least as good. I know we’re better this year because we have more bands, more depth and I think it’s going to be the biggest year for Rockfest. J.B: You really picked up a lot of sponsors this year as you went along like Budweiser and Jaegermeister and help with logistics with Orchestra. Do you feel it can ever get to the point where you could go multimedia and stream it on the internet? M.M: Ahh that would be awesome! The thing is and I’ve been dealing with it a bit in the last few years and a matter of Labels and rights and what bands you can and can’t film and permission they give you, some bands just tell you shoot whatever the hell you want. And do whatever the hell you want to do with it because we don’t care. Most bands have distribution deals and labels that are saying no you can’t do that so it’s a matter of what’s possible and what’s not possible. There are companies that do, could convince bands to do it like You Tube but we are happy just to have the bands play here with us. There is a TV spot that we do that has kind of what it’s like here and what we do but we don’t have the rights to play the full songs so I guess it’s about always getting the right agreements I guess. Can it get bigger? I guess. It’s been three years in a row now I’ve told Alex I know you can’t make it bigger and book bigger bands than that and I don’t know if he takes it as a challenge but that’s what he’s been doing for the past three years. Then as the years go by and when bands like The Offspring played I was like “Wow you really got Offspring” and I like shit my pants it’s like really wow! And then more and more bands like Weezer and Motley Crue and it’s not the little festival that could anymore. The logistics in the past used to be Alex running things and a lot of volunteers helping out and that’s the structure we had let’s say in the first five or six years. At one point we
got to a size that we couldn’t do that anymore and we needed people that do that for a living and organize things for a living. I know some people were scared last year with some of the contracts we signed with the logistics companies and that they were going to have an influence on the lineup. And that’s one thing that Alex won’t let slip away he’s the one booking the bands and he’s really open to suggestions but he’s the one in charge and won’t let anyone take that away from him. It started out as a DIY project but then we needed some help with it and there’s not that many Festivals around the world that are put together by huge promotion companies. There’s a special feel to a festival that a guy at seventeen started it and he’s still running it and he hasn’t sold the rights to it. He still travels the world to different festivals telling people to come to Montebello, even though it’s our tenth year end and well established he’s still telling people about it and I’m always impressed with what he’s doing. J.B: Ya well this year you have Fat Mike and Tim Armstrong kind of hosting with Steve O and the CKY crew screwing around so that’s going to be kind of interesting. M.M: And yeah I’ve been asked a lot about how it going down and how you’re going to incorporate C.K.Y and Steve O and Tom Green into the festival, and they are going to be there and performing and what stage I don’t know yet and the schedule will be - will be posted a couple of weeks before the concert. We have done several things over the past like a one point we had a Haunted House and rides and shit like that, there’s a small half pipe around the festival that people use and that’s adding to that. There’s shit going on besides the band and people hanging out and doing things and that’s the people that kind of fit in the atmosphere of it all. People always want to see some crazy shit so who wouldn’t want to see Steve O do some crazy shit if not there will be other shit happening at the same time that you will like. J.B: Ya you could always sign Sharpie man! M.M: (Laughing) Ya exactly or find the guy that holds the record for getting kicked out of the Festival the fastest, I don’t know his name but I’ve seen him get kicked out last year the doors opened at 11 and he got kicked out at 11.15 because he was passed out on the ground too intoxicated. He really didn’t get kicked out by staff, he was escorted by ambulance and I saw him at the set on Saturday and he was fine. So drink responsibly, I guess you will be under the sun for two days so it will hit you hard and try and not pass out I guess and try to make it well passed after the doors open.
J.B: Party on Garth! M.M: Ya man I saw him and I was like shit is he breathing and should I help him? And there was a lot of people around him. And I don’t know if his friends bailed so I guess his friends were like “Put him beside security and let’s get the fuck out!” J.B: Ya my friends surprise me all the time when crossing the border and then all of a sudden we’re stopped and out comes the blue gloves “Great”. M.M: (Laughing) Ya! J.B: So the site? M.M: We have modified the site over the years to make it bigger and it’s right in the middle of the village and we have a great collaboration with the officials in the village and that’s one thing that always surprises people and I know the people in the media have really tried to get a story out of the village residents and they try and get them to say they are bothered by it and they don’t want it to happen. At first when it was a small festival it was a minor annoyance but as it grew bigger they are finding it harder and harder for people to say anything bad about it because it gets people who would never step foot in Montebello to buy local and support the village and community. The crazy story I’ve heard is the church and you know churches don’t have much money because no one gives a shit anymore, so the church opened up the church grounds for camping and that financed the whole year for the church. And it’s pretty ironic that a bunch of Metal heads and punks financed the church for the entire year and they are trying to make it work and stuff. Although I am pretty sure somewhere in the bible or something it would be considered “Blasphemy” or something like that (Laughing).
It’s just an example that it’s a great collaboration and we grew up in Montebello and nothing happened but now there’s a Microbrewery and I think it’s more an exciting place to be now. For the growth of the site and how big the Festival can really become it’s up to Alex and he doesn’t let a lot people inside his mind. J.B: You guys got pretty much everything covered I mean transportation - Car,bus,boat, air, and even the space shuttle is that the “Endeavor?” M.M: (Laughing) Yeah! No you know it’s always a way to try and get people to the site and traffic is always complicated, we have a responsibility and a part to make it work. This year we have a fox sponsor night and that’s with Propaghandi and were really excited to have Propaghandi doing the festival and that’s something that usually doesn’t happen. And it’s kind of an incentive to get people out here sooner and Wednesday is earlier maybe too soon but Thursday is good. In the past getting there on Friday is pretty early but now if you get here on the Friday it’s pretty busy. So we are trying to get people here on the Thursday even though the primary days are Friday and Saturday. J.B: The one thing I noticed you’re missing is Cow rentals? M.M: (Laughing) Ya around here there are a lot of cows and if you convince the locals to rent you a cow, but I was always anxious to see if some drunk dude would go and fuck with the cows and try to ride them or mess with them, but so far no one has done anything and that hasn’t happen yet but let’s try and keep it down. J.B: You know in small town life you can actually ride a cow if you train them they are kind of like a horse. M.M: Ya I come from small town with a lot of cows too but I’ve never tried that I’ve put some cow poop in a bag and lit it on fire but that’s about it. If I’m drunk enough at Rockfest you could probably try and convince me to try and ride one though. J.B: You guys went from D Tox to Amnesia which is a skateboard clothing chain and a lot of people don’t realize that the Warp Tour actually used to be a qualifier for the Vans Triple Crown. Any thought on that approach for the skate scene? M.M: Yeah it would be cool to have maybe a Vert Ramp on site it wouldn’t be cool to have just random people skate it all intoxicated but maybe have some professional skate competition on it that would be interesting. J.B: Well Jim Rose is touring again with the Jim Rose Circus maybe that?
M.M: Ya all good ideas we will definitely have to see what happens next year if it’s something, we move to a bigger site but every year we consider the bands and everything else and it’s not just book everyone available and we think okay what’s the craziest thing that can happen off stage like guys stapling themselves, maybe next year a circus like Jim Rose. J.B: So do you guys still have local bands play? M.M: Yeah we still support the local scene and there are events around that are happening that we made into the Rockfest this year in local bars and pubs with their ticket and there are bands that play a week early and we always try to showcase local bands. J.B: Yeah I’m just really hoping those smaller venues have Cow Valet? M.M: Yeah (Laughing) You can maybe ask at the central bar which is a local dive bar where I learned to drink, you can play pool, ping pong and they rent rooms by the night and I think by the hour or two. J.B: Last question did having Fat Mike and Tim Armstrong host - did they have input and influence into the lineup this year? M.M: Yeah for sure having them on board they definitely had an influence on the line up and input into the booking and helped convincing the bands.
PUNCHLINE 13 INTERVIEW WITH SYLVAIN CAMPEAU AND MATT DORION BY EMAIL MARCH 4,2015
INTERVIEW BY JASON BOLDUC Courtesy of Melanie Kaye PR
J.B : PUNCHLINE 13 was created over 14 years ago in 2001 with the release of “Mirror” and left creeping on the back burner and now the latest “Cut The Rope”. Was there a transitioning period between those years fulfilling previous requests before fully moving forward? SLY: I took a well needed break from the scene and wrote around 45 songs during that time. I felt I didn’t have the right band at that time. I met my partner Matt Dorion in 2013 on the set of an interview for MusiquePlus with my old band MEN’O’STEEL & spoke right after about future projects and we’ve decided to reform PUNCHLINE 13 & do a record. A couple of days later Ian, Alexis & Alain joined the band. Alain left the band right after the record was done & Hugo Larouche took the drums from that point on. J.B: You have that Pop Punk feel good sound reminiscent of the early 90’s skate punk any mentionable influences in there? SLY: DESCENDENTS, ALL, BIG DRILL CAR, DOUGHBOYS, BUDDY HOLLY, GREEN DAY,ELVIS COSTELLO... J.B : You ever smoke a old Powell Bonite board that was a common thing back in the day? SLY: Haha! Yep, These were the days... My first board was a VISION KEN PARK (1st edition) though...
M.D: For myself, I had a Caballero, I used to love that board as a kid!!! J.B: Stand Records how’s that going so far? SLY: These guys rule... They are legends in the punk rock scene... MEN’O’STEEL was the first album to be released on 2112 records back in the 90’s (Paget Williams first label) and now 20 years later, PUNCHLINE 13 is the first STAND records album (Paget Williams new label) M.D: It’s great to work with guys that actually understand our music! J.B : I noticed a Roofing Hatchet in the group shot on the website - a tribute to the reality of The Daily Grind? M.D: It’s to cut the rope!!! A metaphor to leave the past behind. J.B : Also the Furry Mask is that playing back to the roots of The Montreal Subculture? M.D: She’s not a member of the band. We had to separate her from the band visually. And we actually like the costumes and the set up. The clash of her and the barber works well. J.B: The Tour this year so far is mostly staying Local in Quebec but doing a couple of openings for some bigger Punk Legends. Any thoughts on a more broader Canadian Tour? SLY: Yes... The record just came out and hell yeah we are planning to visit the world if there is a demand ; ) We are playing with PENNYWISE on March 22nd in Montreal and with FACE TO FACE on MARCH 28th at the Mont St-Bruno plus a Quebec & Ontario tour in March, April & May.. J.B: The legendary Pouzza Fest is one of Montreal’s gems. How do you feel being part of that scene? M.D : We enjoy relating with Hugo Mudie (Owner) and Pouzza brings life to the city. It exposes us to a rock (punk rock) audience. We grew up with that scene and a lot of these bands are influences of us. J.B: The title “Cut the Rope” on the newest release, is that the motivational reference to being full on committed? SLY: It’s a new band a new life... let’s cut the rope from our old bands and even from the earlier PUNCHLINE 13’s version. FRESH START. J.B: Lyrical content of the songs from “Home” and “Into the Dark” along with “Sitting on a star” all have that personal thoughts shining through. What inspires you in content choice? SLY: People around me... Everything around me... The world is a sad place to be right now but I’m a positive person. J.B: Is there an hommage to the life style of the Fifties in there with the classic Barber hang out talking about life and friends? SLY: Yes... I’ve been listening to a lots of music from the 50’s while writ-
ing this record so I became a big fan of that time period. Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley... J.B: The songs “Sitting on a Star” and “ Last Cut” has that slow it down and reflect feel. Do you think that’s missing in the youth of today? M.D: We enjoy writing songs that are positive. Too many depressing songs in the last 15 years. J.B: You did a cover once of “Footloose” is that the connection of growing up in a small town lifestyle? SLY: Ahah... Maybe... I love this movie a lot though. It is just a fun song and the 80’s been one of the best musical years also... M.D: It’s a great toe tapping live song to play. Every time we play it, people connect,there is no generation gap! J.B: I usually end with a famous quote or most inspirational book? Lately for me I think “Brave New World” and “1984” seem to fit the latest in society’s views, any famous quote or book that inspires you that comes to mind? SLY: SHADES OF GREY.... Haha... What a sad story ; )
The Real McKenzies
“Rats In The Burlap”
RELEASE DATE
24/03/15 Stomp Records 07/04/15 FatWreck Chords Vancouver Scottish punk rock legends “The Real McKenzies” has delivered again on the latest release “Rats In The Burlap”. This album was produced by Mike Burkett at Motor Studio in San Fransisco and released in the U.S through Fat Wreck Chords and Stomp Records in Canada. Lyrical content on “Rats In the Burlap” range from anger against tyranny with “Who’d Thought” and “Yes”, to touring life abroad on “Midnight train to Moscow”, to life’s personal views on “Lilacs In The Alley” and “Spinning Wheels” the album flows with a mood that people can relate to and cheers their pints in the air. This album has always has the Celtic Folk-Punk feel but also the notorious pace of Bagpipes chords and rhythm the McKenzies are known for. A well crafted full of energy album much like their shows that will get yer jigging beer spilling mood going in no time. After many line up changes and years gone by it remains full on that the Real McKenzies will always be around to stir it up and support the scene they love so much. This album has that specific Celtic punk rock sound but is also reminiscent of that early 80’s punk sound that strikes deep for both the new generation of punks and the oldschool relics that lifestyles will never change. The Real McKenzies are on tour across Canada then off to Europe. The release will be out on March 24 on Stomp Records available through the Stomp/Union label store site and FatWreck Chords in the United States on April 7.
“Spilt my Beer and Wore a hole In the Floor Jigging and running in circles to this non stop in yer face wicked good times”
THE REAL McKENZIES
“Rats in the Burlap”
AVAILABLE MARCH 24
“PEACE IN OUR TIME” PRE ORDERS AVAILABLE
www.fatwreck.com/news/detail/810
The Canal:05/18/2014
Director: Ivan Kavanagh
8/10
David a film archivist moves his family into a period house beside a canal where his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) spends late nights at work. David who
is convinced by a co-worker Claire to review some 1902 crime scenes discovers there’s more to his house than he thinks. David slowly begins to become obsessed with the grisly events from the past. After becoming convinced his wife is being unfaithful David follows his wife and her lover where he encounters the truth. In shock and in a drunken stupor David seeks comfort in a public washroom where mysterious shadows depict his wife being murdered. After questioning Davids life begins to take a mysterious path as he learns more of the dark past that has come into his wifes disappearance. After his wife’s body is discovered in the Canal strange occurrences start to transpire in his house leading his family and nanny and co workers wondering is David really grieving?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Blood and Guts UK Horror Awards: Scariest Film
NUCLEAR STRIKEZONE
UPCOMING RELEASES
DEAD TIRED “SELF TITLED” MARCH 17, 2015
NEWDAMAGE RECORDS
STRUNG OUT
“TRANSMISSION ALPHA DELTA” MARCH 24, 2015
FAT WRECK CHORDS
TEENAGE BOTTLE ROCKET “TALES FROM WYOMING”
MARCH 31, 2015 RISE RECORDS
THE REAL MCKENZIES “RATS IN THE BURLAP”
APRIL 7, 2015 FAT WRECK CHORDS / STOMP RECORDS
GOOD RIDDANCE
“PEACE IN OUR TIME” APRIL 21, 2015
FAT WRECK CHORDS
MILLENCOLIN “TRUE BREW” APRIL 28,2015
EPITAPH RECORDS
ANTI-FLAG
“AMERICAN SPRING” MAY 26, 2015
SPINE FARM RECORDS
UPCOMING SHOWS
JUNE 18-21 2015
www.amnesiarockfest.com www.facebook/amnesiarockfest