No sleep 'til Gaga

Like several hundred other Ottawans, I've been waiting eagerly for the third edition of the Gaga Weekend, where a bunch of Bytown's best rockers (plus a few ringers from foreign parts) converge on a series of select venues across the city to wreck eardrums and inspire mini-riots. As is traditional, the first night of the three-day affair lands at the Rock'N'Roll Pizza Party, which for the last handful of Thursdays has been at Nine. Five bands strutted their stuff last night, starting with Pregnancy Scares, who were at least on familiar ground since they played there a few nights back opening for The Blind Shake.

But first, the Gagaman homself, Ian Manhire raises a  brew and declares the festivities have beguuuuuuuuun!


Ian Manhire at Nine, June 10, 2010

Craig models the Gaga Weekend bracelet ... Pregnancy Scares kicked things off with a speedy and shouty version of The White Wires' Girly Girly Girly, then ripped through a handful of other one-minute shredders.


Pregnancy Scares at Nine, June 10, 2010

A bit of video ... actually this may be a whole song.


Pregnancy Scares at Nine, June 10, 2010

They were followed by Greed Brothers, an underwear-sporting duo that some folks may remember as two-thirds of Get A Life Losers. Kind of skronky and deconstructed compared to that trio's output. What really got deconstructed was the band's snare, which was smashed up in the set's instrument wrecking finale.


Greed Brothers at Nine, June 10, 2010

The Creeps don't need an introduction now, do they? There usual excellent punk-pop was its usually excellent self, and they also played a couple of new tunes slated for an upcoming record. They even had a couple of pals fly in from Winnipeg to see them play (and catch the rest of the weekend).


The Creeps at Nine, June 10, 2010

Uranium Comeback have replaced Seiji (now in Japan) with The Zebrassieres/Beach Blankets' Daniel Collins and continue to knock out their power-pop with aplomb ... I think half of their shows have been at Gaga Weekends. The crowd went crackers when they launched into Walk You Home Tonight.


Uranium Comeback at Nine, June 10, 2010

The Holy Cobras set was even better, with much crowd surfing and crowd-crawling from Danny, while the band's psychedelic punk drone sneer was spot on ... I think this was the best set I've seen them play, which is saying something.


Holy Cobras at Nine, June 10, 2010
 
The Suppositories  really had the crowd moshing as well with their stripped down bootpunk. And since no-one was writing an exam nearby they could turn things up a bit.


The Suppositories at Nine, June 10, 2010

There goes Ian!


Ian Manhire at Nine, June 10, 2010

Tonight the show moves to Ritual, with performances by The Girlfriends, Peach Kelli Pop, First Base, Mother's Children, Strange Attractor and Zebrassieres.

• Show reminder: If Gaga isn't your thing, there's always The Jon Cohen Experimental and Jeremy Latta at Raw Sugar Cafe; Joey Cape, Tony Sly, Male Nurse (it's going to be a long night for Davey Quesnelle) and Jon Creeden at Mavericks; Rebel Spell, Farler's Fury, Gunsmoke, The Beer Barons and Kill City at Rainbow Bistro; The Bruitals, The Polymorphines and Micarza Camaro Rock Zaphod's (you might be able to catch some of this show then dash to Ritual for Gaga); BA Johnson and Dave Tough and Welsh Cinema play Irene's; the Elmdale House hosts Brock Zeman with opener Trevor Alguire.