Up the Creek

A while back Neil Petersen from Dead City Rebels e-mailed asking me to check out his new outfit, Boom Creek. It includes a couple of ex-Mouthpiece guys, Chris MacDonald and Ian Vance (the band later turned into The Four Frames and featured Rene, also from the Rebels, on bass). I missed one show by BC (at Zaphod's if memory serves) due to work, but for their show with the Evil Boys and Mongrels I pedaled over to Irene's from Hunt Club Rd. to check 'em out. Boom Creek kick out haggard blues-soul-rock-swamp blurt like the Beasts of Bourbon or Saints. Late-era Scientists are another touch point for the gritty rock quartet – there’s a definite antipodean feel to their sound. They could easily share a stage with any number of Estrus bands."If you smell mothballs," Petersen said between songs, "It's from the old suit I bought today." It certainly wasn't from the well-dressed and definitely sweaty band who sounded as vigorous as any band on the bar circuit.

Neil and Garret Hay rock out.



Former Mouthpiece frontman Chris MacDonald mans the drums.



Fellow former Four-Framer Ian Vance.



Neil goes down!



It's a frame-up with Chris and Ian.



The whole lot!



I can hardly wait to catch a full set. I wonder, what are the Coulis brothers up to nowadays?

• Show reminder: Marie-Josee Houle plays Le Petit Chicago.