it's funny to watch myself slack after putting in such a solid effort just a few months ago. but my energies are renewed and i'm giving this another hook. happy holidays locals!

Stoked for the Holidays is TOMORROW!

With this joyous season upon us, we would like to welcome one and all to come out and see some of the best music Cape Breton has to offer. Gill and I are proud of the lineup we put together and hope there's a little something to offer for everyone.

Keeping this in mind, I'd like to offer some thoughts on how we can SAVE OUR SCENE in 2012!

1. Don't drink in or around the venues. There are only so many of them, and one bottle or can is all it takes to lose them.
2. Respect the show organizers and the venue owners. Shows don't just happen, it takes a lot of work, money, and participation to ensure everything works. 
3. Go see every band! You may find a new band you've never heard, or you may find out that band you weren't into is totally ripping it up now. You will never know if you only stick around for one band.
4. Buy **LOCAL** CDs. Post about them online. Make a local mixtape and send it to all your friends. Let's make 2012 the year to share how great music in Cape Breton is with your friends!

We can't do this alone. Join in. Have fun. Be involved!

Only two Flying Horse Cabarets remain until Santa comes and punches you in the face with presents.  Better get to it. 

show review!

i think based on the turnout people are into heavy stuff and not just the die hards. i noticed a cross section of people who often go to bunkers, and people that came really early and stayed till the end. people seem excited to see the next proctophobic set, which was mentioned by numerous people.

cape breton winners at music nova scotia

week in review

while cblocals will not be covering skateboarding full time, i will occasionally be posting news and observations about our skate scene. skateboarding has been a focus of locals since day one, and i will still want to cover it in an albeit condensed format.

northsider shane wilkie attempts the 20 set by the george street liquor store in downtown sydney. i did not think this would ever get attempted. a land is apparently still up for grabs. summer 2011:

on events listings

i've been scouring fb for events and making sure the list on the right is populated. admins can easily add links to fb pages for events and also url for pictures. i am keeping an eye on things so if you add an event and don't have time to link the bands, i will do this for you. and you can also email admin@cblocals.com and i will post for you, or the messageboard, whatever works.

on the topic of what is and isn't relevant, i am being slightly more lenient. for example a $17 yarnells show at the louisbourg playhouse might be pricey, but i would expect the production value and sound at something like this to be top notch. plus a totally relevant band.

also we are listing a cbmic fundraiser at bicentenniel gym which is $20, featuring the colin grant band. i think that a non profit organization like this is vital and deserves the support. especially when they are helping out export-ready bands which previously relied on tools like locals (slowco, tfo, carmen, etc).

new features

making a news post will automatically post a notification to twitter and then fb. this is new as of today.

also see the left navigation bar for links to news and events rss feeds.

on the events bar in the left, you can click the date of an event or the image to be taken to a 'content view' of the event where you can see a larger version of the poster. i may add functionality to 'like' or tweet events, but not sure if it's overkill.

while developing new code the gameplan is to have best events listings, best news coverage, and tightest possible social networking integration. any improvement to the messageboard is a bonus. but without community what good is the code? no, when the new code is in place, the community should already be revitalized.

sneak peak? future code will make it so that you are automatically logged into the messageboard and mainpage at the same time. and you can comment on things with your messageboard account, and the messageboard will automatically determine your level of access to the site. this is really slick and i already have this working in a development environment. i do not plan on changing the layout drastically because i feel it looks good and is highly functional. but of course it will have all the trimmings of a modern 2.0 website.

i reviewed stats and cblocals is doing about 15% of peak traffic from 2004 when it was at a high. traffic is being referred mostly from fb and the messageboard. i'm not discouraged though, the ass kicking has only just begun.

oops i forgot

to mention slightly punk influenced metal act bonum salvo in my previous review. how this happened is beyond me as they left an impression on everybody there. i think they just released an ep too. i suspect matt prince is the mastermind behind pretty much everything - the development of this this band from the violent theory days is immediately apparent. drummer needed three people to set all of his gear up and matt prince needs 412 guitar cabs on both sides of the stage (maybe overkill, but suitable for this type of music). matts sister plays the keys, which are in your face and she gets points for getting 'sicker' than pretty much anybody else on stage all day at christ church. this is a super original and focused sounding style of music developed over a long period of time primarily by one guy. not to besmirch the other members who all bring something to the table. comes recommended.

under the radar news

Strägdaahk is devon (seagull) and lorne with some sort of primeval black metal (email me if i have this genre wrong, which i almost certainly do).. check the gorecyst local webzine for a hilarious interview way at the bottom. metalers moxham castle are slated to play a show at the sydney river fire hall on the 22nd with a wide range of harder acts. abusive stepdads back in action with vinyl release in the works. whether they will ever play locally (or want to play here) is up in the air but i predict if it happens it will be under the wing of caper radio or the upstairs club, which is famous for supporting the entire gamut. new mess folk recordings are stalled, but in the works. eventual vinyl release almost certain.

state of locals

trying to put a big focus on updated events and more news. events are paramount to success. also the messageboard has been cleared of trash many months ago, and although posting is at an all time low, it is largely interesting stuff. a higher readership on this ad-free fast-running board would be a big plus but we have to overcome the stigma it's had since the guestbook days. but if there is a launchpad to make the messageboard great, it's right now. especially with the corepage in peak form and the new social networking integration.

caper radio

running in high gear for several years now, it is pretty awesome that just a few miles up the road we have an office of people putting in 40 hours a week to strategically support our music scene. these guys are really open to feedback, put on a lot of high quality events and can always use volunteers. not every music scene has this sort of thing, not to mention a quality administration. for more check out www.caperradio.com

quick before teh liquor wears off

ok another gobblefest came and went and by all accounts was a great time. the shows were good and i call em like i see em. not to mention a few killer gobblefest fundraisers (if the shithawks are playing, they come recommended). they've broken even, nobody is dead, i have a hangover, and i won't be surprised if i see more all ages shows happening courtesy of our fav radio station.

i watched, i took shitty iphone photos, i posted things on twitter. i have received many comments about how awesome i am at tweeting. all content no fluff and no barrages. sweet.

ok saturday 10am i got to christ church to set up sound for the all ages show. cc is a formidable venue. got things set up so misty thicket could kick us off at 1. alt rock, not bad. the company and back pocket material played and only share one member. we always think they are the same guys. not so. the company gets props for super tight sax integration. back pocket is more rock and bad banter. keep an ear out for jordan bruleigh; machine on gtr and drums. AG played with gary boudreau backing. despite wack youtube video nice guy and good effort, looking forward to more. but to his credit who the hell can pull off a convincing rap video in cb? flame on haters.

ok black metal fans. cernunnuous played in full garb. with eric bujold manning the ipod controls. yes it's lorne tompkins playing guitar while the cheapest mp3 player in the world plays the backing tracks (pre-recorded by lorne). i would not trust his setup as far as i could throw it, although this set went smoother than others i've seen. paganistic ritual stuff, visual stimulus, great guitar work.  of course people into this music will dig it, people not familiar will think he's a freak. draw your own lines people. the fact that we're a big enough place to foster this sort of thing (and mess folk, moxham castle etc) is super awesome. don't forget this.

wilds of borneo, now with more little french drummer guy. marcel delivers, as does his band. if you like loud rock where you can scream a little without being a cornball check em out. bob is one of the best frontmen around and i will give extra points for banter. also rocked the bar show later same night.

den scholars. ok go watch this band and hope they're having a good day. when on point, they are hard to top. really great songwriting, competent instrumentation, and just simple quality output. probably my top band to keep an eye out for in the next year. with steve wilton playing drums the whole band comes right together.

pioneer video (from inverness) also played a great set. i think there's something everybody loves about fellow cb rock musicians outside of the cbrm (one last salute, mardeen, etc). this reminds me in some ways of roots and rhythm. three piece band with three part harmonies. and super nice guys.

mrs vandertramp. weird retro 80's punk. how can i describe this really? some stuff had an ipod backing it. maybe a tape would be hipper but larry fox is already ruling the roost there.

ASA. multi talented dj vaters plays a set of electro songs, but does em live, allowing for improvisation. i am so clueless with this stuff it's not funny. dj and john gill are tied for most prolific output (seems like these guys get songs out the door every other week). anyway dj practically never gets a break but the beats keep getting better and better. also has a mad gear collection.. just a matter of time i guess.

nick everett is another guy to watch for. first half of his set is just him with an electric guitar singing pretty amazing tunes with a ton of dynamic range but more quiet than loud. it's nice to see a guy kicking ass and then the whole crowd is just spellbound by it. would have been solid as is, but he was then joined by adam white and scott boudreau who brought it full force. duh. not to mention roots twice in one review or anything. anyway nick everett is on fire and if he's playing you want to see him.

motorleague are back with gobblefest videos and tshirts in tow. actually they played this thing and then the capri show on sunday. don is leader, knows what he wants from his band, etc. the songwriting is there big time and they really have the performance thing down pat. it pays to network your band and it shows when you're bros with the entire audience and you have 20 people on stage singing your songs. and perhaps i am cynical when people say they love playing here. but these guys love it, and we love it.

so everybody is killing it so far this weekend. i'm just here reporting it.

tom fun for the first time in a while! logistical nightmare for the sound guy who already had a hangover going in. ok first off ian gets points for most funniest stage banter of all time. buzz aldrin? i read it in time magazine? also funniest internet presence for a band. and a tight set even if they got cut short. more steve wilton drumming, and he is also drumming for carmen. breagh potter now has the front chick role. minus ten points for colin grant playing celtic colors instead of gfest (hi rod you reading?). and that's a loud friggin trumpet albert.

ok now it's bunkers time. we stole bass bins for the all ages show from ryan macdonell. and then returned them to bunks so both floors could fight for loudest set. not sure who won. tried to go to the capri afterwards but too packed.

multiple whiskeys result in single paragraph show reviews. good thing i'm pro at this.

let's start this off with whatever the first band was. it has andrew greig and redmond macdougall (rad and subtract). bass drums and vox. is this a cape breton only genre? it was good stuff, similar vein to everyone in cars. speaking of, hash jesus got in at the last second and now they have shane on bass and that fills it out. i have secret live recordings of this band (not to mention !attention!) which may be worth revisiting. one song in particular i love. ok then wilds with more loud punk rock. downstairs they broke a bunch of glasses with the bass bins. black tooth grinn... it gets hazy here. bob used my guitar amp. has travis recovered from his voice problem? this band can play for two hours without a break. wowsa. then static in action.. i was certain i would rock (modestly speaking), and then i get even more stoked because i have hec and alicia backing me up. we're working on new material so stay tuned!

i was only there for a few mins at the show at st pats. just to catch the end of a songwriters circle with mike lelievre, carolyn and sean macgillivray. i would be surprised if anybody found this went badly. i did not see crowdis bridge but really wish i could have. if their new record isn't out then it's in the final stages.

back to the capri where sean set me up with a kick ass PA to do the live sound. he then took to the stage for a press conference gig, which is him and a bunch of analogue synth gear. somewhere in between a/v and the postal service. all canadian covers too. the beats are put together well, but the real weapon is sean's vocal chords. mega talented guy, unsung hero, etc.

wrote off gets sloppiest performance award. these guys also love buying loud amps and making them sound like shit. or like rock. i don't know. i think you need to witness it.

best ricochet set in a while. bonus points for non stop caper radio shout outs, all well deserved. good vox performance. gtrs looked like some technical difficulties on andrew's end but orrin can hold this band on his own no problem. dj makes the drums work but i think dylan gave this band a signature sound. they are writing new material with the new lineup so interested to hear how it develops. speaking of ex ricochet members shaemus rocks on drums with matty burke fronted punk outfit the shithawks.

more motorleague was already covered earlier. pros at growing their band. 20 extra people on stage singing your songs. it's a good thing

ladyslippers! i didn't see this band before even though they've played like 20 shows. edgier than springsteen although pretty boy frontman vic t definitely has 'the look' (my bad jokes: they're not just for the stage haha). standard keyboardist john gill never hits a bad note. ladyslippers is agressive rock n roll and i was impressed right outta the gate. merlin's drumming is one of sydney's best kept secrets. donnie shannon and vic make a mean string section. vox a bit out of key.

something good. featuring guys from myles deck's old band. while setting up they had a keyboard, dj gear and a guy i could tell looked like a rap front man. i was skeptical until they started killing it. good organic set, perhaps reminded me of jurassic 5 in some ways. funny banter. competent rap parts. sean took over for sound, also killing it.

ASA played for a while afterwards, with a few other guys getting set up and lots of technical difficulties. brief appearance by mista mack.

so there you go, gobblefest 2011. organized by and in support of caper radio. they do everything from all ages shows, coffee houses, making locals hoodies, live bands and interviews at the station, and of course this whole weekend. i wanna thank them for all of their hard work and for making the shows this weekend a real success. and if i can choose three bands to surprise you they are den scholars, lady slippers, pioneer video

hope you liked my show review. it's implied sometimes that reviews here are fluffy or overly positive. i don't know, i guess i like to go to good shows with good bands. more reason to read locals!
 

gobblefest is coming up this weekend with two days worth of shows. saturday we have all all ager at christ church hall with a bunkers double show; loud bands up top and dj's on the bottom. sunday's got another all ages show at st patrick's church and an all out after party at the capri until 330 in the morn. those who like a little variety can also check out a sat show with bazooka joe comics and bonum salvo at the pit. sunday i *think* also has an unofficial gobblefest show at bunkers. if you need a better view of things check out the new events calendar

i will be using the cblocals twitter thingamajiggy during the weekend but if you're not into twitter you can catch the feed right here on the corepage by checking the pink bar to the left. twitter stuff also gets pushed to the cblocals facebook page. the key to social networking is implementing it right: concise content without the fluff.

some gfest related youtube videos:

get your weekend pass before it's too late!

don levandier's super wacky gobblefest promo