Rat patrol

To the ever-lengthening list of Ottawa festivals you can add Bleak Life. It celebrated its fourth edition in mid-May. I missed almost all of it, but did catch some of Saturday's show on an appropriately bleak afternoon. Ataxia kicked things off.



Frank sings!



Rhythm section action!



Scott hits!



Uncontrolled action!



Bass action!



Guitar action!



And so on!



A shouty bit!



Next up, hardcore youngsters Toxic Thoughts.



Percussive action!



Felix runs about!



Bass thoughts with Shayla!



More running about!



Gear adjusting actioN!



Montreal's Moblish announced they were going to play fast because they were asked to; I suspect they may play fast anyway. And away they go!



Even without his giant white belt you'll recognize Ultrathin's Mark on the microphone.



Dog in the pit action!



Mark works the crowd!



Percussive action!



The shouty bit!



Bass action!



More guitar!



More drumming!



Crowd surfing action!



And so on!



Montreal's Nino Ratas played a hard-hitting set - but then again I am a sucker for punk rock with Spanish vocals.



Percussive action!



Rodent-like action!



Guitar action!



Bass action!



Vocal action!



And so on!



More loaned guitar!



And so on!



Ultrarat were the last band I caught before I went home feeling terrible (due to a stomach bug, not the music). Their set also went over really well with the crowd. Here's some percussive action!



They're fronted by Moblish's drummer.



Yet more bass action!



And so on!



Ultraratty action!



And finally a bit more bass.



All cool stuff.