Jump street

In the normal scheme of things I'd be posting photos from The White Wires' set this morning, but since I already did, I'm going to jump ahead - get it? - to Nobunny's set. Nobunny hopped through town in February this year and played a great set backed by The Smith Westerns which ended with the garage rock multitude jumping on stage. Just a few months later he was back again, this time backed by The Rock N Roll Adventure Kids and Jasbunny. And I'm sure if the Polish Combatants Hall stage was any lower folks would be running on to it as well.

And here he comes! I see he's traded his stripper pumps for a more sensible set of black high heels. If I'm not mistaken (and I problem am, with all these cunning disguises and pseudonyms) the guitarist is Jason "Jasbunny" Testasecca of Studdogs and Okmoniks fame.



Billy Ribak rocks the Underoos.



Confetti action!



Flying V action!



Falling over action from Nobunny! Microphone changing action from Year Zero's Brad McOuat!



They're a lovely pair.



The mask has seen better days.



The kneepads are oh-so practical.



Nobunny writhes!



Actually most of my photos of Justin seem to be of him laying on the ground.



Singalong action!



Man (and bottles) down!



Basically everyone's fallen over now. Probably the drummer, too.



The audience goes wild!



Hmm, what's it look like from the other side of the stage? Here's Marco on bass.



Nobunny wrestles with a Fucked Corpse.



Nobunny works the crowd.



This bunny's going to suffer ...



Big finish!



He's got some December dates with The Black Lips in California, and promises wild and crazy things for 2010.

Oh you kids!

The Rock N Roll Adventure Kids are officially Marcos on guitar and his brother Billy on drums, with both contributing on vocals; third member Oscar comes and goes on bass guitar. They're big on the Trash Can-cisco rock scene (I totally made that phrase up), and kick out some sludgy pop rock.



Those Ribak brothers.



Billy in red.



Marco sings!



Billy croons.



The whole lot!



Rhythm section action!



More Oscar!



Singalong action!



Running about!



And of course the mandatory falling down action.



Marco and Billy would be back, to work it on out as Nobunny's rhythm section.

• Show reminder: The Panama, Lights Left Behind and Fire and Neon perform at Zaphod's; Bluesmyth plays The Rainbow.

Bouncing back

Originally slated to be a Nobunny-white Wires gig, the show collected bands like a dustbunny collects under a bed (or at least my bed). Or to put it less analogically - there were two extra bands on the bill: The Handsome Sexies (who share some members with The Jinxes, more on that later) and Rock N Roll Adventure Kids, the band backing the 'Bun on this outing. I've never been to the Polish Combatants Hall - aka the Dom Polski SPK - but I understand from a few passing conversations that it was a semi-regular venue for punk rock shows a decade or two ago. I haven't heard of any recent shows there, so perhaps the folks in charge of renting it out have either forgotten or forgiven any past mayhem. Or perhaps the gods of rock deemed its bathrooms too clean and well-kept for it to be accepted as a music venue by mysterious forces beyond human ken. It's got a sizeable stage and high ceiling which made it less than perfect for photo-taking purposes, but gave the musicians lots of space for jumping and falling down.

Up first, The Handsome Sexies, a band so handsome and sexy they must wear masks to disguise their sexy handsomeness. They played some loud and fast snot rock fuelled by teenage hormones (probably imported by unscrupulous characters). They got off to a slightly rocky start, but by the time they got around to singing about chickens they were chugging along pretty well. Some - perhaps all- of these guys will be performing at the Montgomery Legion on Kent today.


Handsome Sexies, Polish Combatants Hall, August 8, 2009

Rock N Roll Adventure Kids hail from Berkely, California, and play a sort of garage rock that doesn't stop to catch its breath - which makes them ideal to back Nobunny (or at least the two guys pictured below do, on drums and bass - the guitarist comes from elsewhere). They really ripped it up and sport a really thick sound.


Rock N Roll Adventure Kids, Polish Combatants Hall, August 8, 2009

The White Wires played a hot set of garage pop, I swear they get catchier every time I see them. Now they just have to get around to releasing that slew of new material they've promised.


White Wires, Polish Combatants Hall, August 8, 2009

As for Nobunny, it was another insane performance. Not as much in the way of audience interaction as his show at Babylon. Though the audience did try to grab his Nobunniness, there was none of the stage-rushing of his previous run through town. Everyone had a great time anyway. The Rock N Roll Adventure Kids pushed the music to new levels of breakneck lunacy.


Nobunny, Polish Combatants Hall, August 8, 2009

At this rate I expect the venue he plays next time around to be demolished.

• Show reminder: As mentioned previously, tonights evening of garage rock insanity will be at the Montgomery legion on Kent St., with Teutonics, The Jinxes, Gunsmoke, and Beach Blankets kicking out the jams. Callahan, The Courtship, The Epilogue, In Safe Hands and Smaller On You are at Cafe Dekcuf; Andre and The J-Tones play the The Rainbow.