Buttless in Barrymore's

Victoria's Buttless Chaps last played Ottawa three years ago ... pictures from that show can be found somewhere in the depths of the Birdman Sound website. As then, the group offers up both pop with a slight country flavour and 80s synth pop a la Soft Cell and Depeche Mode (whose Master and Servant they covered in their set). There doesn't sound like there's much melding of the two, they just cross from one to the other.

Dave Gowans. His hair hasn't changed a bit.



"I had a delicious meal at Reb Lobster ... are you familiar with it? In fact, I'm still wearing the bib."



Lasse Lutick really gets into the music ... he was even more animated at the Dominion show!





Keyboardist Morgan McDonald was also a bit more low key at this show. I seem to recall he took a few lead vocals at the Dominion show - this time he concentrated on his synthesizers.





Torben Wilson on drums and pads - vital for that authentic 1980s synth pop sound ...



Once again Ida Nilsen - who is now an official Chap - was on stage on brass, accordion, keys and vocals. She was quite amused by the proceedings, I'd say.



My favourite photo from the evening - but I'm just crazy about euphoniums.



And now, some buttless action.





Dave breaks out the banjo.



The Chaps get synthetic.





You said what?!?



Several chaps (big and buttless).



And of course they had Buttless Chapstick for sale - along with their new album Where Night Holds Light.

• Show reminder: The very strange sounding Animental perform at Club SAW with Fluorescent Friend Crystal Eagles and Unikron, which is some kind of Paris Hilton-Akisakila offshoot. Nick Di Gaetano and the Vespertine Choir play Babylon; I gather this is some local noisemakers, including former Van Johnson guys, who have teamed up to play country gospel - okaaaaaaay.