Stay sick

A good crowd for The Sick Fits' return to the stage ... I heard whispers of a bold new stylistic direction. When I saw them at Babylon opening up for The Million Dollar Marxists I thought they sounded like they were shooting off in all directions - they still have that adrenalin appeal but were slightly more focussed.

Bassist Chase Manhattan au naturel and sharply dressed.



Singer Michael A. Hurts is looking extra-shaggy.



Rocky Nagashocky is not a member of the Illuminati. Fnord.



Kenny James and Manhattan managed to manoeuvre around their microphone without once whacking one another with their instruments (either deliberately or accidentally).



Hurts takes a tambourine solo while X-Ray X provides some of that extra X-Ray mojo.



X-Ray X up close. He busted a string and glommed Midnight Tramps guitarist Hugo Love's Godin. Look, the colour matches!



One more of X and Hurts ...



This concludes our broadcast day.



After a couple of sparsely attended Zaphod's gigs it was good to see a few people actually turn out for a show. Hopefully it won't be too long till the Fits are back on an Ottawa stage.

• Show reminder: The Stereophonics play Zaphod's tonight with Augusta. Don't even think about it if you don't have a ticket already.
• Breaking news: Rock returns to The Dominion May 26 - a mere two weeks away - with a double bill of Montreal's Priestess, who impressed opening up for Motorhead at Capital, and the Long Timers.
  
• Good2Go, The Grey and Three Legged Man will play at Irene's June 4.
• If you need an excuse to go to Irene's earlier, Blackball, Gesundheit and The Expatriates play a gig there May 27.
• The Bella Bombs, the Sewer Rats and the the G-Men (assuming their drummer has recovered) are on the bill for the Demolition Doll Rods and Broadzilla gig at Maverick's June 3, as them Bombs revealed at their Irene's gig (pictures on Saturday).