Put up your dukes

Calgary's Knucklehead have been knocking it out since 1994. They cite Cocksparrer as one of their influences, and they've definitely got a bit of an 80s British punk thing going on - or at least they've got a vocalist who wears a cloth cap.

The whole knuckleheaded lot! From left to right, Clayton, Eric (on drums), Kyle, Matt and Jimmy.



Singalong action!



Clayton bends, Eric bashes.



Kyle started off as the band's singing drummer. Now he's the non-drumming singer.



Time for a few shoutalong choruses.



More Eric!



More Matt and Jimmy!



Yet more Clayton!



Solid blue collar punk rock, I'd say, and a very hard-driving set. "One of the three or four things you don't want to do is follow Knucklehead" said Hostage Life's singer when that band followed them on stage.

• Show reminder: Down on Bedford, Lights Below, New Empire and London's Force play Cafe Dekcuf; AIDS Wolf, Smoke Judo and Elderly bring it to the basement 59 Argyle Ave.; Wooden Stars and The Hi Lo Trons perform at the Black Sheep Inn; Broken On Site, Epocholypse, Pilot Light, Hands Of The Few, Up In Arms! play Club SAW. Black Boot Trio and Four'n'Giv'r do battle at Irene's.

A bunch of punks (2)

I flipped a coin over Zaphod's vs. Babylon last night - well, actually I checked out Call Me Poupee's Myspace and decided I didn't really fancy their beatbox Tex-Mex garage rock and strolled a couple of blocks to see a quintent of punk rock bands in assorted flavours instead: Million Dollar Marxists, Hostage Life, Knucklehead, Last Communion and Healing Power. The variety was indeed interesting.

First up, Halifax quartet Healing Power. Fractured punk and a cover of The Undertones' Teenage Kicks.



Local foursome Last Communion was more in the screamy hardcore vein.



Knucklehead: Working class punk rock quintet from Calgary. Kyle's cloth cap says it all.



Next, the smart and well-muscled punk of Hostage Life.



Finally, the New Wave-damaged rock of them Marxists.



There was a bit less chaos this time, and one less keyboard since some rotter pinched it.