Out of the park

Having heard from the Friends-of-Kelp contingent (that being Brockway Biggs and Agile Like This) we move onto folks who are already on the label. Actually, The Michael Parks brought out so many special guests it sometimes felt like the label's entire roster was on stage at one point or another (oh, okay, a decent cross-section then). Fortunately Andy Swan handed out a set list so everyone could keep track.

Flaps guitarist John Higney laid down some steel for Trick of the Shadows and Altona, MB; Rolf handles the bass (and stayed on for Grease The Streets).



Also on hand to Andy Swan and Shayne Cox was Acorn chief Rolf Klausener.



Another Acorn, Jeffrey Malecki, minds the drums.



Swan roomy Andrew Vincent was on for Vanessa and Chinese Laundry.



Flecton was an unexpected guest on The Only Game In Town (or at least, he wasn't on the set list). That's Vincent's brother Colin sitting - yes, sitting! - behind the drums.



Jarrett Bartlett stepped out from behind the soundboard to contribute some bass.



Kelp dance party action!



Label supremo Jon Bartlett keeps the beat on Why You Wanna Break My Heart.



Shayne Cox rocks the six-string, Chris Page rocks the eight-string on Mary 16.



Lots of fun.

• Show reminder: Sin Kickers, Mile Over Mecca and Mono Hum play Zaphod Beeblebrox. Kim Barlow, Great Aunt Ida and Kyrie Kristmanson perform at the Black Sheep Inn.

Cunning stunts

Waterloo's Agile Like This followed Brockway Biggs with songs about hairpie eating ("Everyone wins!"), troubled tushes, cats, beating the tar out of Satan and broken hearted hunks and sluts. They are kind of kookie. It was somewhat Shaggs like.



From left to right we have Dan, Caroline and Eleanor This.



Rhythm section action! With LeGood and album producer Ducky Money. I think.



Note the turtle on Enron's keyboard.



Eleanor noted mid-set that their sash-and tiara getups had not been road-tested. Not all of it stayed on.



Disco ball!



Agile action!





That was silly, in a good way.

• Show reminder: The Divorcees, Lefty McRighty and Steve Stacey perform at Zaphod's.

It's gettin' hard to be a pimp out here

'Twas a dark and drizzly night when I set off for the Navy Club on Victoria Island. It's been decades since I set foot on the isle, and I had a bit of bother finding my way to the Kelp Records' 13th anniversary party show being held there, but I made it early enough not to miss any of the action. Kelp kingpin Jon Bartlett promised an evening of diverse entertainment, and he started things off on a good foot with East Coast Music Award-winning rap MC Brockway Biggs (formerly known as PIMP-T and Pimp Tea).

Biggs does some thinking.



I love disco balls ... is that so wrong?!?



BB sheds the jacket and shows off some moves. "I'm turning 27 in a couple of weeks, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to move like that" he said after a spirited rendition of Shake Ya Caboose.



Superdude gets the thumbs up!



He was also giving out free stuff (such as Pimp Juice). You'll be seeing more of that stuffed turtle ....



BB has departed from New Brunswick and taken up residence in Ottawa, so no doubt we'll hear more from him from momentarily (to say nothing of his third album, which he's finishing off soon).

• Show reminder: The Johnstones, Keepin 6 and Fleeba play Cafe DeKcuf.

Guys and Doll

Phew, what a turnout for a free Monday show at Zaphod's! Last time I saw that large a crowd for a Beeblebrox freebie was probably for Hot Hot Heat. All the more remarkable since it was for a night of hard'n'heavy rock

The Unavowed played their first show; solid growly punk-metal.



Doll are another newish Ottawa band who like L7 and grunge. They also brought a pair of cute dancers.



The Mighty Eagle Band really turned things up a notch with a particularly hard-hitting set.



Heck of a way to clear out the ol' ear drums.

Sick and kicking

On to the Sick Fits themselves, who were celebrating the release of their brand-spankin' new album on the Full Breach Kicks label. The album itself was recorded at Little Bullhorn, back when guitarist X-Ray X was still in the band. In fact I seem to remember some chit-chat in February of last year about the imminent conclusion of recording. But better late than never! The end result is swanky in both sound and appearance (particularly if you plumped for the gatefold vinyl like yours truly, and is just the sort of hyped up 60s and 70s-loving rock you'd expect.

Michael Hurts sings! Preston Gunn guitars!



I snapped an early shot of Oliver Victor before the stage got all crowded with guitarists and bassists and special guests.



Chase sings!



This pic of Kenny James is a fine demonstration of the limits of a slower shutter speed when combined with a red floodlight. You get the idea, anyway.



Here's special guest No. 1: Ottawa slide guitarist Paul Fenton of Action and Fenton Bros. Band and Bleedin' Hearts fame. He also produced the Fits' album.



More special guests: Sasha Malya and Daisy Szabo, who also sang backup on the album (as did Alanna Stuart, but she couldn't make it). If you hurry you can catch a similar but different photo at my Flickr account.



Paul preps for a bit of microphone stand slidework as K.J. picks.



The lights, they do strange things to a man's forehead.



More Gunn!



All right, for this shot I want a nice neat line ...



More Fenton!



Sick action!







Michael gets down!



Michael gets a bit more down!



Big happy finish!



They'll be off on a cross-continental jaunt next month.

• Show reminder: The Dwarves, The Riptides, Take One For The Team play Mavericks; The Mighty Eagle Band, Doll and The Unavowed play Zaphod Beeblebrox. Ron Sexsmith plays the Centrepointe Theatre.

Diemonds are forever

The Sick Fits held their CD/LP release show at Babylon last Thursday - up from Toronto to kickstart the evening were The Diemonds. Their sound lies somewhere along the route between Detroit hard rock and L.A. hard rock - the cover of No Fun is a bit of a giveaway as to their affections lie, and they cite Motley Crue and that lot among their influences. No frills and a good beginning to the evening.

First, Priya Panda.



C.C. Diemond goes Tele.



Gabe Hard Knox on bass (and, according to their Myspace, chick strattlin' ... something to do with the poultry field, I guess).



Drum pounder Vassil.



Some mid-song bootie shaking.



Well, that's the end of that song!



C.C. bends a bit.



I'm not sure if the guy who helped out on tambourine was hammered, but judging by the way he was hurling around (and dropping) one of his lady companions between sets, I'm guessing "yes."





The whole lot!



I picked up their 4-song demo and a couple of buttons - a steal at $3.

• Show reminder: A little bit of Guelph comes to Ottawa as Tacoma Hellfarm Tragedy and Evan Gordon & The Sad Clowns play Irene's; fans of Social Distortion and the like should check out Jonny Stevens and The Racket at Babylon. There's last-minute all-ages punk rock action at End Hits with Oregonians Defect Defect, four-stroke and Skunch.