Totally wired

Just about a month ago The Jolts came through town. It was a Thursday, the Rock'n'Roll Pizza Party was in full swing, the Creeps had a CD to release and the Bluesfest headliners weren't demanding my attention (at least at the time - in hindsight I wish I'd stayed around for Seun Kuti's set). Well I enjoyed a fine helping of rock at the Bytown Tavern, beginning with a short-notice appearance from London punkers Stiff Wires. I'm sure none of these guys were around for punk's first wave (or anything prior to the mid- to late-1980s, come to that). If these guys have an influence (other than something in a bottle) it's The Forgotten Rebels.

Frontman Josh McQuaide dropped the hat pretty quickly. Lead guitarist Jamie Barber is at the back (in a Ready Set Go T-shirt no less), bassist Dan Ormsby at right.



Rhythm guitarist Brandyn Walkom is at even more right.



Drummer Jesse Flemming rocks the tats.



Singalong action. Well, shoutalong really.



Josh works the crowd.



And so on!







There was some broken glass. Josh recommended I take a picture of him sweeping up, so why not?



They can be found in various South and West Ontario venues in the upcoming weeks.

• Show reminder: Eric Solomon, The Traps and Winston Smith and The Anti-Sex League perform at Zaphod's. Harold Wartooth rock The Rainbow. Despite the name, this is not some crusty old folkie but a heavy Toronto combo who cite Leafhound, Nebula and Queens of the Stone Age among their influences.
  

On a wire

After leaving Bluesfest I made a quick stop at home to drop off my telephoto and get my 14-45mm lens, then headed down to the Bytown Tavern for the Rock'n'Roll Pizza Party. It wasn't long before the first combo - London, Ontario's Stiff Wires - hit the stage.


Stiff Wires, Bytown Tavern, July 10, 2008

They're a shouty young quintet in the vein of such Canuck Punk combos as The Ugly who introduced themselves as "... usually fucked up.". They did a cover of The Forgotten Rebels' Surfin' on Heroin.


The Creeps, Bytown Tavern, July 10, 2008

Next up, The Creeps. They played a set at scorching speed including one so new it isn't on their new, widely acclaimed CD.


The Jolts, Bytown Tavern, July 10, 2008

The Jolts finished things off with a hard-rocking set ... I see a Turbonegro T-shirt and Hellacopters patch on lead singer and guitarist Joey Blitzkreig, and remember thinking that they reminded me of another V-town outfit, The Spitfires. Now I see they cite them as an influence on their Myspace page.

• Show reminder: Snatchback, The Valveenus, and Gusto Fiasco play The Bayou; Joe Brownrigg and The Guilty Minds, Alex R. Newman perform at Cafe Dekcuf. Recon, xAFBx, Thick As Blood, The Miles Between and King of Kings perform at Mavericks. The Von Drats, The Midways with Shanker and Romps rock Irene's.