Atlantic Canada Hardcore & Punk: KEARNEY LAKE RD

Kearney Lake Rd were a punk (ish?) band from Halifax that existed between 1987 and 1990. The band featured Chris Murphy on drums, Henri Sangalang on bass and Jay Ferguson on guitar. Of course Chris and Jay would go on to form Sloan after this band. There is sadly not much info about this band online and no live videos or photos that I could find. But here we have some questions and answers from Chris Murphy about the band and the general scene in Halifax at the time. Thanks to Ian Fraser for mp3s and Eric Boutilier-Brown for photos!!

Band pic!

live shot from Pub Flamingo (Photo by Eric Boutilier-Brown )

What were shows like when you first started going?

I remember being at an Asexuals show at St. Andrew’s School in 1985. Also on the bill were Halifax’s Ridge of Tears. There were punks and metal heads at the show and I thought there was going to be trouble. Mostly because I was nervous anyway. I had told my parents I was going to see The A’s because I didn’t want them to know I was seeing a band called Asexuals. I was also trying to spike my unspiked hair in the rain between bands so I wouldn’t get my ass kicked by punks and metal heads. Of course there was no violence, in my mind because the scene was too small too divide up that way. There were only a few dozen kids total at any given show. Punks were going to have to see metal bands and vice versa or they weren’t going to see many shows.

The aforementioned Asexuals show at St. Andrew's - May 27, 1985

There were fights out in front of Backstreets where a car load of kids would circle around and fight punks but I didn’t exactly hang out at the arcade so I didn’t get into those fights.

There was a skinhead named Elmo that came to town from somewhere (Montreal?) who seemed to enjoy causing trouble. Some friends and I rented a place at North and Robie where we held a few shows in 1988 and I remember Elmo smashing the rearview mirror off of a car with the cane he carried around. I certainly thought that was a drag.

I played a show with my band Wite Out at The Bible Society in April 1986 and I remember a punk kid (named Adam?) who, in a stage whisper was complaining about suburban posers so that I could hear. I suppose I wasn’t punk enough to put in the time (or the quarters) at the punk rock arcade or fight car loads of punk haters who drove around downtown but I went to every show I knew about and worked hard on being in a good band.

Sharon MacDonald was a real punk at my high school who was spit on and literally kicked in the face. She liked me so I didn’t worry about whether or not the downtown kids thought I was cool.

So after Spent did you start KLR right away? How did you hook up with Jay for that?

I had Spent and KLR happening at the same time in 1987/1988. KLR felt pretty un-punk. I felt goofy singing and my early efforts were extremely self-conscious. I put a sarcastic tone on my voice in case anyone thought I was trying too hard etc. KLR was pretty pop compared to Spent but I was forcing NoMeansNo type drumming over REM and 60’s riffs. I worked at the VG Hospital with Matt Murphy (later of the Super Friendz) who had known Jay since grade 1. Matt introduced me to Jay and Henri Sangalang. We were all at Kings or Dal.

a very rare KLR shirt!

How many demos did you record with KLR?

KLR had 3 cassettes. One was done at The Centre For Art Tapes with David Boyle in early 1988. It might have gone to CKDU. It definitely wasn’t for sale. One was done in the basement of a little cottage behind a house that I lived in with some friends out in Rockingham later in 1988. We put that one in a few stores in Halifax. We did sell the 2nd demo, so it makes sense that it can be found.

Second demo tape - from 1988

The third, and best one was done in Fredericton with a guy named Lloyd Hansen. We intended for it to be an LP and had talked to Peter Rowan about releasing it on DTK Records. It had some re-records of some songs from the second tape. It was never released. I think at least some of those songs got played on CKDU. I was surprised the recording with Lloyd Hanson exists. I feel like we put a 4 song cassette of that session at CKDU and I do recognize the artwork on the YouTube page for Every Trip and Fall but I had forgotten about it. It suggests to me that we made a few and gave them to our friends. I suppose someone sold one.

Insert from the third demo tape 1989

I remember seeing KLR at the Green Room at Dalhousie University when I first started going to shows. Did you play out much? Ever get out of the province?

One time we drove up to Montreal and played Fredericton on the way back and another time we went in the dead of winter to Montreal and Toronto with The Straightjackets and Hector’s Body (where we were interviewed by Erica Ehm). That’s it.

I have sporadic notes about stuff from this time but from what I can recall...

Kearney Lake Rd played at a small club in Montreal in late August 1989. I’m not sure exactly what date but I know Jay and I went to see the Cure at the Forum and that was August 25/1989.

Kearney Lake Rd played in Fredericton on November 03/1989 at a place called Blue Zone (or Gallery Connexion)

I have no recollection of this.

We did a little tour with The Stratejakets and Hector’s Body in November/December 1989.

Nov 30 Montreal - The Stratejakets, Idees Noires, Kearney Lake Rd and Hector’s Body at Foufounes
Dec 01 Toronto - The Stratejakets, Kearney Lake Rd and Hector’s Body at The Rivoli
Dec 02 Ottawa - The Stratejakets, Kearney Lake Rd and Hector’s Body at Zaphod’s
Dec 03 Fredericton - The Stratejakets, Kearney Lake Rd and Hector’s Body at ???
Dec 06 Halifax - The Stratejakets, Kearney Lake Rd and Tetrus at the Flamingo

I was left behind locked outside the Foufounes while everyone else went to the Stratejakets’ place to party/shower. I had no phone or number for anyone. They didn’t realize I was missing for a long time. I stood where I was for many freezing cold miserable hours until they went looking for me.

The drives were terrifying. It was white out conditions. It was awful. But we were interviewed by Erica Ehm for MuchMusic so it was all worth it. Ha.

Jay

Chris

Henri

Here are some more flyers of various shows the band played:

April 19, 1989. Unsure of the venue but looks to be related to NSCAD

Green Room at Dalhousie, opening for Montreal's Bliss. May 27, 1989

Again opening for Bliss, but at the North Street Church. Nov 11, 1989

Another Green Room show at Dal. Dec 17, 1989

Opening up for The Asexuals at the Pub Flamingo - Feb 10-11, 1990

Feb 16, 1990 at Kings College in Halifax. Probably one of the last shows they played.

After KLR, how did you get together with Patrick and Andrew to form Sloan?

KLR ran from October 1987 to March 1990. After KLR broke up I was playing playing bass in Blackpool and also playing a bit with Andrew Scott and John Goodrich in a band called many things including: Cuddly, The Despots, Close Line, Right Arm and Furious George. I met Andrew at The Flamingo where he was the DJ. I knew John from Johnny and the Baptists from Sackville, NB.

My mom knew Cliff Gibb’s mom from work. He was in The Convulsions with Patrick. I saw them several times. They played a show at a venue (sometimes called Harmony House) on Robie St. that I rented with the Spent guys. I knew Patrick from Blowers Street Paper Chase where he worked. He also interviewed me about Spent for a school paper.