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. 

early Sloan show at the Double Deuce 1992

You can download the 2 available demos here: 

KEARNEY LAKE RD DEMOS!

Or just listen here:

Discogs link: https://www.discogs.com/artist/7002108-Kearney-Lake-Rd

PUBLIC ENEMY

Public Enemy were a hardcore band from St. John's, Newfoundland in the mid 1980's. Obviously not to be confused with the hip hop group that came out a few years after. They released one demo tape and played a bunch of shows around St. John's. Members went on to be in Schizoid! Here is a quick interview with their guitar player Bob Average from Feb 2022.

When did Public Enemy start out and who was in the band? Did the lineup change over time?

We started in 1983 … me on guitar, Craig Murray on vocals, John Pastore on bass and David Clarke on drums. We played three cover songs at our high school talent nite as a first show. There is a jam tape floating around with two of our own uncollected songs. In April of 84 we opened for DOA .. all covers again and one was a REALLY OLD DOA song … pretty dumb but we did do a Slyme cover! 

For this show, Randy Mausokopf drummed. We had a different drummer every show except last going off.. Llew Thomas played twice and on the demo. We drifted apart with Craig and got Hardcore Tony to sing - on the demo tape and for two shows. He went on to start fanzine IRK in Toronto and partnered in some shows. And sang with Godcorp.

I forgot to mention Dave Sweetapple was in a band called the Riot which he quit to play second guitar with Public Enemy before Hardcore Tony joined. The Riot only had one original that never came out.

Newspaper clipping about the DOA/PE show!

Did you play shows outside of St John's?

Only played St John’s .. Schizoid started after Public Enemy.. Murray and I were friends with a guy named Rod in junior high through music. We all liked KISS, CHEAP TRICK … the first two Def Leppard records. And somehow some Sex Pistols as well. I can’t remember how we got Never Mind The Bollocks but I had a friend that came back from England with Swindle, PIL and the first AC/DC DIRTY DEEDS record… and we all taped off of him for sure. He had Maiden too of course. So anyway Rod and I drifted apart but I would see him now and then as his brother lives next door. One day we bumped into each other in the driveway. I had Animosity and he had Onslaught Power from Hell … we freaked out a bit and decided to start a band… I think we moved to Toronto after one jam or something.. in the dead of winter with typical running shoes and barely any money. Stayed at HAPPY HOUSE nearly froze in basement… but got to see Descendents in 85! We started fucking around and came up with song ideas … moved home and got serious with band.

We created the scene .. and I’m not bragging … but when u left there were three or four bands .. I heard later there were hundreds .. I booked one of our last shows .. Place was packed .. I looked around and I knew no one … I thought .. this is cool.. things are getting somewhere. We used to know EVERYONE!

What can you tell me about the demo you released

The artwork we used for the few we made and sent around was kinda like the "Life Is Not Worth Living" art” .. but if I remember correctly we called it “Wanted: Dead Or Alive” … that hand writing on “life’s not…” is mine. But I don’t remember writing something so stupid… the one you uploaded was official cuz I put that stupid dance stuff on it. We broke up by the time the tape came out.. so did my due diligence and sent it around a bit (including one that got reviewed in Maximum Rock N' Roll) … but that’s about it. A few orders trickled in and I traded with some bands and stuff… I wish I was more organized… I should know how many are out there! No one in town really knows it. I’d like to put it out again.

What can you tell me about recording the demo?

Recording the demo was kinda lame. Some cock rocker had a studio in his basement… we were in separate rooms and stuff playing along with bed tracks… should have been done more off floor. But it was good we did it. If it was a single, we would have made a pretty good mark for ourselves.

There is also a live set from Reg's Bar - what do you remember about this show?

Reg’s was out of desperation… we wanted shows with Tony before he moved. Not sure if John had decided on moving at that time. Ya we had to play a couple of sets and two nights or something … needed more than 15 mins of our own shit. 

I see you did lots of covers - Minor Threat , 7 Seconds, Asexuals, Raw Power, etc - where were you hearing those bands at the time. Could you buy those records in store in St John's in the time, or did you have to mailorder? Or was it tape trading?

We tape traded. Mail ordered as well, and got a ton of free records from making a zine called WABANA RIOT. We used to race to the mailbox … whoever’s there first got the random stuff ! Haaa! I always won !

The fact that we still did covers in 84 and 85 was terrible.. but our isolation was real .. I brought most of the music to town … mailorder … I would go to preppy parties of people I didn’t know and some punks would take over and I’d hear these mix tapes I made for somebody but the quality was fucked … obviously 16th generation but it made me feel relevant.

But Fred’s records sold some stuff .. just the old high price bullshit. Plus they only had DKs and maybe DOA - WAR ON 45. Me and Murray had a book called INTERNATIONAL GUIDE TO NEW WAVE … we called everywhere in that book .. even Jello once but he wasn’t home. We’d get a bag of chips and cokes and make long distance calls in Murray’s fathers office! Bad... I guess .. not sure if he cared. That’s where we made the zine too! He had a business so it was a full fledged office setting. 

Murray and me got all the pistols and clash boots and early DOA by calling used record stores in NY and Vancouver! We also called Shithead and booked that show … or maybe it was the manager .. Ken Lester I think . Oh our shitty FM station OZ was pretty cool back then and one midnite a DJ played some stuff that he just bought in Vancouver… he played Let’s Fuck by DOA .. I loved it .. my new fave band .. I hunted him down and he taped it for us. The rest was history … we loved those guys!

When did you first find out about Public Enemy - the hip hop group?  I think you were a couple years ahead of them!

Ya I bet ya it was '87 or something… we shoulda said something! Even the same logo …wonder if they really did steal it. It's probably impossible....

Was there a member of great big sea in the band at one point? I thought I heard that but maybe that was another band.

Bob Hallett  (of Great Big Sea) opened for the Reg’s shows with his band The Reckoning.… they were new to town …they played DKs and Black Flag covers. The Reckoning eventually became the band Dead Reckoning and had few releases of original music and even moved to Toronto at one point.

Why did PE break up and what have band members gone on to do?

PE broke up cuz John and Tony moved away and Dave Sweetapple left Public Enemy to go to school in Ontario. So Llew stayed in St John’s and has some sort of 9 to 5 I think. Hardcore Tony is doing his thing somewhere in southern Ontario. I just retired after 32 years at CN Rail. John is in Brooklyn and Dave is in VT. Dave has been tour managing, playing in Witch and SWEETAPPLE, working for Tee Pee … putting out tons of records on various labels currently Outer Battery. He also does some Land Rover club stuff in Vermont.

Musically John and Don and me were in Rise with some Fair Warning guys … Don is an engineer with own studio … and in a million bands. I was in a band called Soulstorm with Adam from Monster Voodoo Machine and I was in a band called WHITE TRASH COMPACTOR  with some friends from Newfoundland… one show, no release. 

DOWNLOAD THE DEMO (plus live sets & a cover song) here:

PUBLIC ENEMY DISCOGRAPHY

Listen to the demo and live set from Reg's here:

THE NEW BREED

 Without a doubt, Halifax rockers The New Breed were one of the scene’s most prolific bands.

Over the span of two demos, one 7” EP, one CD EP and two full-length CD’s, they evolved from scrappy, no-frills punk rock to an expansive sound that added elements of folk, mod, indie and early rock’n’roll. They also became one of the city’s most formidable live acts, with their St Partick’s Day shows being particular highlights. 

The following is an interview with two of their key songwriters and long-serving members, bassist Brian Whalen and guitarist Dave Robertson.

Interview by Ian Dares

Live at Cafe Ole

1) How did The New Breed get started and what was your original line-up?

[BRIAN] Started towards the end of 1996. Spur of the moment, I suppose. A jam turns into two jams, then you find yourself on stage at Cafe Ole, as was the style at the time (ed. note – along with wearing an onion on your belt). Original lineup was: Jonny Stevens - vocals, Me - bass, Ryan (last name unknown) - guitar, Chris Meagher - drums.

[DAVE] I came in as a replacement for Ryan on guitar, a couple months after the band started jamming. They had not played any shows or anything by this point. Brian asked me if I wanted to play, I told him that I’d give it a shot. He & I sat down a few times, going over the few songs they had so far and off I went to “try out.” I kept showing up and nobody ever told me leave. The terrible band name was chosen before I arrived by the way...hahaha!

2) On your first demo, you guys had elements of 80’s hardcore and more aggro-style street punk. By the second demo, you seemed to be moving toward a more traditionally anthemic and rootsy sound. Was this a conscious choice?

[BRIAN] Not at all. You tend to gravitate towards what works for that band. I love old hardcore but it just didn't click with us.

[DAVE] That first demo was such a hot mess of songs and styles to be honest. I’m glad there are very few of those out there. By 1998, we had definitely grown as players and songwriters and the more consistent sound of the songs on the 2nd demo tape reflected that. The New Breed was essentially the first band for all of us - and the first for Chris playing drums - so we were all learning how to play and write songs as we went. We just ended up playing what sounded best for us. You’d almost never know it was the same band between the 2 demos that were released only a year apart.

3) You got to release a 4-song 7”, Blue Collar Blues, through the local label Subprofit Records. What was that experience like and how do you feel about that record now?

[DAVE] So, we had a good friend named Ian Dares (ed. note – aw, shucks). He asked us if we wanted to do a live set on his Saturday evening radio show, 7200 Sloppy Seconds, on CKDU 97.5FM. We said “Fuck yeah, that’ll be fun. Lets do it.” Shortly there after, late one Saturday evening, we were humping all our gear up the back stairs of the Dalhousie SUB building to the top floor to the radio station. We set up, had sort of a sound check, with various microphones set up around the main control room. We played some new songs that we had been working on. I’m not even sure if we had played all of them live or not yet at that point. It was a good time.

Couple days later Richard got in contact and asked if we wanted to do a 7” EP. We were like: “Us? You’re sure?” Richard said he liked the newer songs, wanted us to record them and he'd release them. So shortly after that we were in the studio, during the same time as The Wankin Family were recording their album, and we recorded 5 songs, 4 of which became the Blue Collar Blues EP. The 5th song was “The Times” which had appeared on the 2nd demo tape and has never been released. All in all, it was a great experience for me, personally.

Somehow a vinyl release always seems more permanent. It’s the only real release with what became the original band lineup of Jonny, Brian, myself and Chris playing.

[BRIAN] That one came together pretty quickly. I guess Richard liked what we were doing and offered to put it out. Experience was great; Richard did a lot for the Halifax scene. What punk band doesn't dream of putting out a 7"?

[DAVE| Richard is such a great guy. Not only for giving us the opportunity to put out our first real release, just in general. Without Richard the Halifax scene in the 90’s, would have been a lot different. There is a dude that should get interviewed sometime.

4) You had the opportunity to put out your next release, Day To Day, on Blind Beggar Records. What was it like to work with them? Looking back at that album now, would it be accurate to say that it was a transitional period for The New Breed?

[DAVE] “Difficult” would be how to describe working with Blind Beggar, if my memory serves me correctly. I didn't have to deal with them really, that fell more toward Brian & Jonny.

[BRIAN] Beyond trading some emails, we honestly had little contact before and after with Blind Beggar. They were a pain in the ass to work with.

[DAVE] Most of those songs were ones we had written once Chris had left the band and Alec replaced him on drums. Alec was a stronger, more comfortable and established drummer, as he had played in a number of bands before joining us. The songs changed with his playing, influence and song input.

[BRIAN] Transition was the constant thread through our history. Luckily, for the better, I think.

5) Lionel Stanley is on the Day To Day CD cover but did he actually appear on it?

[BRIAN] He did not. To say I'm jealous is an understatement.

[DAVE] I believe he is listed as not played on the CD liner notes. It’s been a long time since I’ve dug that out. So I could be mistaken as well. But, Lionel had joined the band, just as we were finishing up recording/mixing of that album. Sadly, that’s only me playing on that one and I don’t know if Lionel could have made that one any better. Overall, I’ve always found that album kinda “meh.”

Live at The Attic

6) The Port City Rebels album was released through Thorp Records. Were you looking to specifically work with another label after Blind Beggar? How did you end up with them?

[BRIAN] Definitely wasn't keen on more with Blind Beggar. I don't think they were happy with the record and I can't blame them a bit. It stinks for the most part. As for Thorp, I believe we started with them releasing Port City Rebels in the States, as it was originally on Longshot Records in Canada. Great guys, nothing but good things to say about them.

[DAVE] We really weren’t happy with Blind Beggar and we all knew we’d never put out anything with them again. The distribution wasn’t great at all and if I remember correctly, it was even hard for us to even get copies of the CD from them for us to sell at shows. We actually ended up on Thorp Records the old fashioned way, I guess. We recorded the album, then we mailed out burned CD’s to record labels, seeing if they were interested in putting it out for us. Lots of rejection letters. Luckily, Thorp responded, and a contract of some sorts was done up and it got released. The final album (Off The Braten Path) was released by them as well. We joined Thorp just as they were a growing, up-and-coming label. Until that point they were mainly a hardcore label. Andy & Duane from Thorp were great guys.

7) Port City Rebels showcases a large step forward both stylistically and artistically. Was your shift in sound purposeful and what would you attribute to the band’s maturity? (Ed. note – Anybody that knows these guys understands that I only use the word “maturity” to describe their music.)

[BRIAN] None of the evolutions in sounds were conscious at all. We just played together for a long time. Most people are smart enough to let their shitty first bands fade away with no record and start new ones. For some reason we just kept going; so you get a bunch of recordings that sound like different bands.

[DAVE] The songs were more polished and just better overall than anything we had done previously. We were still growing musically up until that point. With just me previously at the helm of the guitar playing, there was only so far the songs could go. Lionel added new ideas and talent that we used to expand our song writing. We also played and practiced a lot between those two albums. Really, it was the foundation what became our sound, once we became a five piece and the writing and playing did mature.

[BRIAN] As for maturity, that Dal interviewer probably summed it up best: "Interviewing this

band was like interviewing Beavis and Butthead."

Live at The Seahorse on Argyle St

8) You guys did some touring for both Day To Day and Port City Rebels. What were those tours like? Any particular highlights?

[DAVE] Lots of laughs, high jinx, drinking, boredom, and getting on everyone’s nerves at some point. We also met lots of cool people, saw some great bands and terrible ones as well. We played some shows with The Class Assassins from Toronto; we always had fun shows with those guys. We also got introduced to Lemmy from Mötörhead at a private after hours party we got invited too by the club owner. Sleeping in the van and waking up with it snowing. Lionel walking down the street in St. Catherines in only a towel and sun glasses (which of course one of those things went missing). Crazy fun shows in St John’s, where at one point it seemed to be raining glass and beer, from people flying around. Or a sketchy show in Connecticut where we were playing with Blitz and riot police with dogs barged in - for something that was happening outside the venue - and shut down the show. (Blitz were on stage setting up. They never played)

[BRIAN] Lots of different experiences. Forget most, remember some. Mostly playing to very small crowds in various small towns, much boredom, and living on an extremely tight budget. Met a ton of great people, many of whom were kind enough to offer a couch or floor for the evening. Lots of laughs and funny stories. I mean who wouldn't want to play music with their best friends night after night and be away from their soul crushing jobs for awhile? Highlights for me were probably the shows with Class Assassins. Love those dudes! Playing with Blitz in Connecticut and only seeing them tune up before a riot broke out was definitely THE lowlight.

9) Your final release, Off The Beaten Path, featured a video for “Streets Of Gold.” What was it like to film that and be able to work with John Dunsworth?

[BRIAN] Boring, tedious and phony was my experience, can't speak for anyone else. John Dunsworth was the only highlight; he was a crack-up and a lovely human being. I've no doubt that anyone that knew him or worked with him would say the same.

[DAVE] John Dunsworth was such a nice dude. It was very generous of him to take the time to do the shooting of our video. I’d like to think he had fun basically doing what he wanted. I was only able to be there for a few days; the stage shots of us playing, of course, and the bowling scene. (We played many games that day.) We received a FACTOR grant to make it and that was the only way it was possible for it to be made.

10) The New Breed called it quits not too long after the release of Off The Beaten Path. On Jonny’s AllMusic page, it states that “(f)eeling constrained by the New Breed's street punk image and writing more overtly folk-influenced songs, Stevens broke up the New Breed in 2005 to embark on a solo career.” Does this accurately describe how the band ended? Do you regret not continuing?

[BRIAN] Well that's his perspective, I guess. Let it never be said that I impeded anyone's career with my street punk image.

[DAVE] I feel this album is the strongest material that we ever did. There were, in fact, three extra songs we recorded at the end of that session. We didn’t put them on the album because they were going to be used for an EP but they were lost due to a hard drive failure. I never did get to hear them. No, we never got to hit the road for a few weeks to tour behind it. Having the CD released so late in the year didn't help. The last listed "Last Show"; I have from the old web site files was on August 27, 2005 at The Seahorse Tavern – with The Sinkin' Ships. I'd say shortly after that, Jonny made his final decision to leave in late 2005. He really just was losing interest in what we were doing over those final few months in 2005 and wanted to focus on his new solo band that he had started.

[BRIAN] Most people don't know that we continued on for a year after with the remaining four of us, we just never found a permanent singer. Much rawer material - definitely another transition and a very tight band.

[DAVE] We did keep writing new material; just practice recordings exist of some of the tunes. It was a slight change again, the songs were a bit “heavier” shall we say? We did try briefly to get a replacement vocalist early on. A couple of people came in to try out on some of the new stuff we were doing but nothing became of it. So, after almost a year, as a 4 piece instrumental punk band jamming a couple times a month, we called it quits some time in 2006. The only regrets for me: I really would have liked to hear what the new songs we had been working on would have turned into, if they had been fully developed into another album. Also, we never got to play an “official last show.” We just kind of disappeared.

Live at The Seahorse

12) Finally, would you say that “Erica Wilson Attacks” is The New Breed’s greatest artistic achievement?

[DAVE] I have no idea to this day who Erica Wilson was - or is - and exactly what it is she attacked to inspire that classic song.

[BRIAN] Can't say we ever topped that one. If Ms. Wilson only knew how much her spirit embiggened such a small band.

DOWNLOAD MP3s of everything but the 1st demo: HERE

Demo 2

Blue Collar Blues 7"

Day To Day CD

Port City Rebels CD

Off The Beaten Path CD

THE WANKIN FAMILY

The Wankin Family were a 77' style punk band from Halifax, NS. Stealing their name from the folk/roots band the Rankin Family from Cape Breton, The Wankins burst on the scene in the mid 1990's. They mostly played locally, and released a demo tape and CD. Here is a little interview I did recently with bass player Ian Competent. Enjoy!

Band pic

1. How did the band come about?

The previous band that I was in, Moronic Plague, had split up and I wanted to do something that would allow me to work on writing songs while also giving me the opportunity to become a better bass player. Lisa Verge and I were going out at the time and she wanted to start a band, too. We were really into Blitz, The Cockney Rejects, Cocksparrer, Sham 69, etc. so that was the direction that we went in. Lisa came up with name and The Wankin Family concept was born.

2. Tell us about the various lineups:

This gets pretty convoluted, but here goes...

It started out with Lisa, myself and Damien Nee, whom I believe was in the Upchucks at the time. We jammed a few times but it didn't gel. I was singing but really didn't want to, so Lisa suggested asking Richard Lafortune, who was presently playing guitar with The Chitz. Richard is a pretty eccentric guy and the idea of him fronting a band was really intriguing. He agreed to do it but Damien quit, so I asked a good friend of mine, Gerald Smith, if he was interested. Gerald was an odd fit in that he absolutely loathed the type of music that we played - he was more of a metal/grindcore kind of guy - but he was a great guy, willing and extremely talented, so that was enough. He was also in a bunch of other bands at the time - Gorbage, System Shit, Whohedness - so I knew he probably wouldn't stay long. It was fucking hard to find people interested in playing '77 punk in Halifax at the time. All of the people that I knew that liked that stuff were already in the band or in The New Breed. We had to take anybody that was willing, basically.

This was a really fun line-up and we seemed to get along really well for a while. Unfortunately, Lisa was having issues with stage fright and she wasn't really digging the idea of practices or learning new songs, so it seemed only fair to ask her whether or not she was really enjoying being in a band. She decided to quit, so I got an old friend of mine from where I grew up, Bob Langille, to play guitar. Bob was in a local band called The Boluga Group, whom I liked very much, so I thought that he'd fit in nicely.

We played a few shows with that line-up, but Gerald really wasn't happy. I'll never forget the day that he quit; he and I showed up early for practice and I was making small talk with him and he was being really curt with me. I asked him if he was OK and he just unloaded on me. It reminded me of that episode of The Simpsons when Flanders' house burns down and all the people in Springfield built him a newer and considerably crappier version. He just snapped. It was really funny - I wish that I would have recorded it and used it as a song intro, like "Madman" by DRI. I couldn't even be angry at him for it - he had put up with us for as long as he could and then just wigged out. I was never angry about it - it was too funny and too honest to be mad.

With Gerald gone, we switched Bob over to drums and needed to find a guitarist. We had two people in mind, Dave Robertson of The New Breed and Kim Macdonald, who was a relative newcomer and not in any bands. We went with Kim largely because we didn't want to force Dave to split his time between us and The New Breed. Bob moved to Edmonton shortly after Kim joined and Derrick Gennerick stepped in on drums. Having Derrick was awesome for me because he loved a lot of the same bands that we were influenced by and always seemed to instinctively know what to play. On the downside, we now we had half of The Chitz in the band which meant taking a bit of a back seat. I also knew that Derrick was there more as a friendly favour than any real desire to be in The Wankins. Sure enough, he quit after the final Cafe Ole show and I had no desire to find yet another person to be in the band. We split up and I went on to form The Smashers.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there. Richard had expressed some regret about never putting out a proper release and we got back together to release the CD and do some shows to support it. That line-up was Richard, myself, Kim, Bob on second guitar and Selwyn Sharples - who was also in The Smashers with me - on drums. That was the line-up when, mercifully, the band finally ended.

3. You recorded a demo which I don't believe you were too happy about.

Yeah - that was tough. We recorded it on a 4-track in Kim's basement. Derrick laid down his drums tracks and mixed them all on to one track and we all did our tracks over that. By Wankin Family standards, the process went pretty smoothly. I was really happy with the playback of the rough mix. Unfortunately, we used Richard's stereo for all of the dubbing. I know this probably seems foreign to younger people, but back then when you released a demo, you just bought a bulk amount of blank tapes on sale, photocopied your cover and inlay at the copying centre and did all your own dubbing from the master on a stereo that had two cassette decks. We never really bothered to actually listen to the cassettes that we were dubbing off and it turned out that the tape deck on Richard's stereo was pretty crappy. The whole thing sounded really muddy and grainy. My heart just sank the first time that i heard it. It sounded so bad that I gave most of them away because I couldn't bring myself to make people pay for them. I paid for the tapes and the copying out of my own pocket, so I lost a few hundred dollars in the end. However, that's peanuts to what Richard probably lost on the CD.

4. Tell us about the CD. Some great hidden cover songs on there - Gassenhauer and Forgotten Rebels.

The Gassenhauer song was Richard's suggestion and it was a great choice. I really love that song and I thought we did a pretty good job on it. Of course, guitar solos were foreign territory for us, so that was out of the question but it turned out well otherwise. Bob was the one that wanted to do "I Left My Heart In Iran" and there wasn't much of an argument there, either. I think that our version of it is pretty middling but I am a massive Forgotten Rebels fan. This Ain't Hollywood... is one of my all-time favourite albums. Some of the originals are decent. I think that "Fuck The Commonwealth" is awesome. "Anarchy In Whycocomagh" is pretty fun. I really liked the two Smashers songs that we did on the CD - "T.O." and "No Justice."

Otherwise, the CD is a bit of a sore spot. In retrospect, it wasn't a great idea. I was really torn between having our music documented and having to wade through all of the band politics all over again. The rehearsals were pretty contentious and shambolic and we never came together as a band with the five-piece line-up. Steve Outhit was an absolute prince through the whole thing and he really did the best that he could but we weren't up to the task at all. We were grossly under-rehearsed, and the songs are played too fast. When I complained to everybody about the latter point, the consensus was "well we all like it that way" so that was pretty frustrating for me.

Then there was the watch incident. The rest of the band did the songs live but Kim wanted to do her tracks on her own. While she was playing, the pick-ups on her guitar were putting the ticking of her watch on the recording. Steve asked her - quite politely - to just take off her watch off while she was recording. She refused. We tried to talk some sense into her but she made a big stink about it by ranting and raving and being really rude to Steve. I told her that if she didn't take the watch off, then she could leave and I would record the guitar tracks myself. Then Selwyn got pissed off at me for being heavy-handed and that just made everything more tense. Kim finally took it off but it really pissed me off that Richard's money was being wasted on fighting and arguing when all somebody had to do a take off their watch for an hour or so. Stuff like that makes for a lot of bad vibes and just turns something that could be really fun into a painful exercise.

I also made the absolutely ridiculous suggestion that we record four tracks of guitars to try to have a huge guitar sound like Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing. Well, The Wankin Family weren't exactly Discharge and the whole idea was completely asinine. In a life chock-full of idiotic ideas, it was maybe one of the dumbest ideas that I have ever had; all it did was make the CD sound muddy and indistinguishable.

Generally, you could look back on stuff like this and laugh, but then I think about the amount of money Richard forked out for it and I can't help but have a sense of guilt. The rest of the stuff is easy to overlook but that was the real life consequence and that makes it not-so-funny. I can't really listen to CD and have only heard the thing 4 or 5 times. I just feel really awful that Richard could have spent his money on something else that would have made him a lot happier.

CD Cover

5. You played at Café Ole a lot. Did you enjoy the shows there? Did you ever play anywhere else?

First off, what Condon MacLeod and Gary Beazley did for the Halifax music scene is as important as and any band. They put a ridiculous amount of work into something that barely covered its own costs so a bunch of kids could have some place to play and hang out. Those are the kinds of people that make the world a better place and, for that, they will eternally have my admiration and respect. They are just really good people.

Cafe Ole as a space left much to be desired. It was poorly ventilated. The acoustics were dreadful and sometimes the sound guys didn't have a clue what they were doing.

Yet, if you were in a punk band during that era, it was great. The atmosphere was very welcoming, both because of Condon and Gary and because - at least I believe this to be true - that a lot of us that were in the scene in the late 80's/early 90's that were now the elder members made a conscious effort to make it inclusive and supportive for newcomers. The shows that I went to in my teens could be pretty violent and it was even worse if they didn't recognize you. I've had my nose broken at shows twice. On another occasion, Chris Davies hit me in the face with a beer bottle at a Donner Party Reunion show and cut my mouth open. When I stopped to look at the blood, he kicked me in the face for good measure. Mike Freeborn took a swing at me at The Pub Flamingo but missed, thank God. I've been sucker-punched in the back of the head twice. I had to fight a few times, just to let them know that I had no intention of going away. All of those incidents happened before Cafe Ole opened, so it was refreshing to go to show knowing that you didn't always have to look out for people trying to hurt you.

The bad part about Cafe Ole was that it made things a little too easy and I think some complacency set in. In the old days, bands had to fight and claw for places to play. I saw shows in churches, store rooms at the Grain Elevators, community halls, abandoned buildings. Shows were more infrequent and, if you sucked, you weren't going to be asked to play again. Conversely, you always knew Cafe Ole would be there and I think that it made bands a little lazy. Plus, everything became so fractured; the earlier shows that I went to, it was not uncommon to see a hardcore band, a metal band and an alternative band on the same bill. Now everybody just wanted to play to selective audiences and it was possible because you didn't have to worry about covering any rental costs for the space and equipment. I never liked that aspect of the scene at all. I sounds corny, but I believed firmly that we were stronger together than apart. Plus, I like all of those types of music and would have welcomed some variety. Even worse, some of the younger guys could be a little too entitled, cocky and irreverent. Those are total byproducts of too much comfort.

So, in summary... a lot of "yes" and a little "no."

We did play a few shows outside of Halifax, but not very many. The Wankins headlined a show at The Arts Guild in Charlottetown with two bands that I hold in very high esteem - P.O.S. and Da Brownies. That was really fun. We opened for The Hanson Brothers in Bridgewater, which was an absolute thrill for me as a huge Hansons/Nomeansno fan. We did another show in Bridgewater with Bad Luck #13, Marky and The Mopeds and a for-some-reason reformed Shitheads that was probably my favourite show experience in which I was involved. Bad Luck are my favourite Canadian punk band of all time. The Mopeds were perfect garage-y rock'n'roll. And I fucking love The Shitheads. They are a criminally overlooked band and Mike Brigadier was a phenomenal frontman. The New Breed may have played that show, too. I still listen to The New Breed a lot - what a great band they turned out to be. They became exactly what I wanted The Wankin Family to become and did it better than we ever could have.

6. Why did the band fizzle out? What are members up to now?

I can't speak for anybody else, but I felt boxed in. It was a lot of work to keep something going that, frankly, wasn't very good. I was starting to stretch out a bit musically, bringing in different tempos, minor keys, open chords and the like and it was not well-received by Kim, who really didn't want the band to change. Plus, with Richard and Derrick in The Chitz, the band was constantly second-fiddle. I don't blame those guys one bit for prioritizing The Chitz over The Wankin Family - they were, without question, a vastly superior band - but I needed to do something a little more ambitious for my own sanity. There couldn't be a Wankin Family without Richard. He was the glue; the even-tempered guy that held my worst tendencies in check. Most of all, he was the face of the band and a great frontman. So, I moved on. I told the others to feel free to keep the band going without me but there was no effort toward that to my knowledge.

The CD/reunion phase of the band was difficult from the get-go and was really easy to walk away from. I got an offer to join North Patrol and was very happy to focus on that. I'm sure that the others were similarly happy to see my arse go out the door as well as I'm sure that I wasn't exactly a peach to deal with, either.

Derrick and I are still in touch. The communication is sporadic but he has a big family and is a pretty busy guy. We're like brothers. I love him and sure that we will always be in touch.

I haven't heard from Richard in years. I made a few attempts to reconnect with him but it wasn't reciprocated. I love the guy - he is one of the most genuine, funny and interesting people that I have ever had the privilege to meet. I hope that we talk again someday. I'm betting that he still lives in the same apartment. That seems very Richard.

I haven't heard from Lisa in a long time. Somehow, we managed to have a bit of a friendship after we split up despite the fact that I was a total piece of shit to her and wouldn't blame her if she never talked to me again. I have heard that she is married and settled down but have no way to confirm that. I hope that she's happy, I certainly wish no ill-will on her.

Bob and I lost touch a few years ago. Things got a little weird with girls and the like and I think it strained our friendship too much. Too bad. We were really close. I hope that he's doing OK.

I was in touch with Gerald a few years ago, trying to get him to drum for a hardcore band that never got off of the ground with Dave Robertson and Brian Whalen. Again, great guy. Gerald is always welcome in my world.

Selwyn and I were never really close friends but he's a really nice guy and I wish him peace and contentment.

As for Kim...I have no idea and I'm fine with that. I'm sure that she feels the same way.

7. And the most important question....do you know if the Rankin Family ever found out about the band? 

Yes! When The Wankins first started, Richard had a pile of stickers made that were just the Rankin Family logo with a ripped-out "W" from the banner of old The Daily News placed over the "R." We handed them out and they got put on everything in Halifax for a while. I heard that a bunch of guys stuck them to cop cars parked out in front of the police headquarters on Gottingen Street.

Richard gave a stack of them to Lisa and she stuck one to the dash of her dad's car, who drove a cab for Casino. One night, he picked up Cookie Rankin for a fare and she saw the sticker and was not impressed. Ken told her that it was his daughter's band. She told him that she was going to be contacting a lawyer and we needed to change the name of the group or she was going to sue. Of course, this was completely preposterous and nothing ever came of it, but it was pretty funny. Shortly after that, we were contacted by CBC for a local band spotlight but Richard was a bit spooked at the idea of being sued (he was the only guy in the band that had anything to lose, so fair enough) and we never did do the interview. That was a huge regret. One of many, as it turns out.

Listen to the CD and demo below:

OR DOWNLOAD THE CD HERE!

Discogs Info