5000 Page views!! .. A Thank you too our supporters!!

So for the amount of time that we have been blogging that is since July under the name AltCiTYwe hit 5000 page views today! That was my goal and we hit it before schedule soThank you everyone who has been involved in B.O.T.W , Show posts, Random blogging and every interviewee that we have talked too! Cheers to every contributor !! I am soo proud of everyone that is involved in the Calgary music and counterculture scene and will be around for a long time bringing you anything that I can to support you back!! This is something to cheers to! Thanks again and here is to thousands more!!! Brad Sysko Kidd loves ya! Keep on rockin and have a wicked weekend!

Song Review - The Promethean Labyrinth - Immortals

Album review - T.P.L And the new album - Song -Immortals.
I got a sneek peek at one of the new Promethean Labyrinth songs and this is what I have to say!
The first thought I had was at the first 20 seconds of the first track and it was , Fuckin eh! The voice on the track reminded me of a mix between Kim Shattuck, Amy Lee and a divine sprite had some kind of love child with a perverted demon who was nice sometimes. The drums were dead on and the vocals are killer!!
So today is the day they release the album publicly so go to the above link to the band and please check it out! They sound soo fucking great!! Like the page!! ;)

Brad chats with Carlin Blackrabbit of No More Moments!!!

Interview with Carlin Blackrabbit of No More Moments!!!

Currently working on a 7" to pass on to the masses!!

Wanna get this going?
Carlin Blackrabbit
Ok

Brad Sysko Kidd
No problem dude  just a little busy myself. So first question that I have to ask and have wanted to for a while is, How did you get into music and how hard was it coming from where you are from to break into the music industry?
Carlin Blackrabbit
Networking has been big part of this band. If we play a show with a band we don't know it's mandatory for us to bro down with them. Also with networking I worked in the bar industry for a couple years, and i just met bands and promoters along the way. Without the help of Dickens Pub the band wouldn't be where we are today. Chris Hewitt, the owner gave us that chance. So networking is important, and cherish the people you meet too.
Carlin Blackrabbit
Networking has been big part of this band. If we play a show with a band we  know it's mandatory for us to bro down with them. Also with networking I worked in the bar industry for a couple years, and i just met bands and promoters along the way. Without the help of Dickens Pub the band wouldn't be where we are today. Chris Hewitt, the owner gave us that chance. So networking is important, and cherish the people you meet too.
Brad Sysko Kidd
Sorry I was a out like a light by 2am haha .. anyway to keep this going what is your biggest influence with your music?

Carlin Blackrabbit
It's always going to be apart of me. I never wanted to do anything but play music. I suck at most everything but music. It's what I know, and I'm proud to called myself a musician.

Brad Sysko Kidd
I am sad to say that I have never got the chance / privilege to see you play live  But Is there anything coming up that me and my readers would be able to hear or see?

Carlin Blackrabbit
We got a few shows line up to end off the year. No More Moments will be playing Dickens with The Escort; sex punk done right and Nosis; stoner rock, and they are all the nicest dudes ever. A portion of the door will go towards toys for kids on Christmas. Copsickle will be playing with The Motherfuckers at Tubby Dog dec 28th. It's a free show and all ages are welcome.

Brad Sysko Kidd
Can you give us some insights into what is next for you and your band? Something that people do not already know

Carlin Blackrabbit
I'm planning on doing my own label. There's a lot of bursaries and grants out there for First Nations. I want to release all my own music and own 100% of it. A personal goal would be to own a all ages venue. I always have something brewing.

Brad Sysko Kidd
That sounds like a very great idea!! If you ever want some help you know how to get ahold of me  .. So anyway I come to my final question.. It is our most popular .. What would you do in a zombie apocalypse?

Carlin Blackrabbit
Forsure man, I'll need help with people like you. If a zombie apocalypse broke out I would do what Bill Murray on Zombie Land did and by mimicking zombies to survive. Oh and I heard chain mail helps too
Brad Sysko Kidd
hahaha he did play a great role in that movie lol .. Well thatks for the interview dude! I hope to see you sometime soon! Cheers!
Carlin Blackrabbit
Thanks for supporting the scene.
Brad Sysko Kidd
No worries dude! It is something that I cannot shake but I see mass worth in it!!

Show review -Shark infested Daughters!

The last time I posted a show review for the D , I didnt get a chance to say anything about the bands because I did not watch the bands very much. I mostly spoke of the D itself seeing as that was the reason I was there. This time I am talking about the bands. Shark Infested Daughters was fucking awesome! My girl had a great time headbanging her head off! We are both in 2-3 different types of pain today from last night hahaha .. Even with a more intimate crowd the place was mashing! Touring bands As The King and PunkerSlut rocked like no other! I was seriously glad I went!! If you ever get the chance go to a S.I.D Show it is fuckin great! Most of you probably have .. but when they are following a band like Punkerslut they went as hard  as they could!! I am amazingly happy and very hungover! haha Thanks guys!! Cheers! -BSK

Here is a link to the show .. All the links to the bands are on the page! Show some love!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/325883320890850/

Cheers to all the bands who made my neck hurt like shit today!! :)

Interview with Anthony J of Black Earth and DELUGE!

Interview with Anthony J From Black Earth and DELUGE!

Anthony J
hey man i'm online so whenever you wana do this!
Brad Sysko Kidd
we can do this now dude !  lemme have a smoke and grab a pint!
Anthony J
sounds good.
Brad Sysko Kidd
k im good ! Lets do this! I have always wondered about how you started with music and what you plan to do! Can you give me some insights ?
Anthony J
I started music when I was 15. I grew up loving Meatloaf and Tom Petty so I really wanted to play guitar, but my parents wouldn't let me. Sooo I bought my own guitar after working at my first job a the public library. I joined my first band at the same time with my two friends, and we all not only started a band together, but learned how to play our instruments at the same time, so you can imagine it was awful at first.
Brad Sysko Kidd
It always seems to be but when you persevere like you have , that is when you know that you are going places.  .. Just for our readers can you tell us what you have been up to lately in music? I am as you know a huge fan of DELUGE! .. But can you say anything about your other projects?
Anthony J
Well Deluge was funny because I didn't (and still don't) consider myself a real drummer, but I played a little for fun. A couple years ago they lost their drummer and since I knew them from high school they asked if I would drum for them, so I basically learned how to play the drums while in Deluge. I am just now starting to feel comfortable behind a kit. Right now Deluge is working on a new album and is recording next month. Black Earth is also currently in the studio. I don't have any other project on the go right now, except maybe I'll bust out an acoustic set one of these days. I have a bunch of acoustic song I've wrote but I've been to nervous to play them live.
Brad Sysko Kidd
Stage anxiety can be a bitch when it is solo ! What are you looking for in the future?
music wise or anything else?
Anthony J
right now I love what I'm doing and I love both my bands. I couldn't really ask for cooler people to have around. I'm working hard on discovering what makes a good song. I'm not super interested in becoming the best at my instruments, I just want to get really good at writing songs.
Brad Sysko Kidd
When you think of writing songs where do you get your influence from?
Anthony J
Well at first it was horror movies, but more recently I've just been dwelling on the past while I'm at work. Now I really like to write about days gone by.
Brad Sysko Kidd
What would your ideal show be? Local or any place else?
Anthony J
Right now I love touring, so my ideal show would probably be in a pub in a small mountain town like Ferrnie. We've played a couple great shows there, where the crowed is just in the mood to party hard. In Calgary I like playing Dickens, Verns, and The Broken City the most. The bands on my ideal show would probably be The Shotgun Dolls, The Evidence, and Forbidden Dimension.

Brad Sysko Kidd
I miss watching the Evidence! They are rad! I gotta go brotha but I have to say that I have listened to your music to the point that it would become sort of creepy hahaha .. Lastly I have to hit you with the ever so popular question ..What would you do in a Zombie apocalypse ??
Anthony J
haha I would find myself a gun and take my motorbike down to mexico.

Brad Sysko Kidd
Thanks for the interview dude! We gotta get together for a drink sometime soon!

Anthony J
totally man! Thanks so much!

Brad Sysko Kidd
no problem dude! I will post this asap. please repost! Cheers!!

Interview with Maria Joaquin of The Promethean Labyrinth and new art work in the works!!!

Interview with Maria Joaquin of The Promethean Labyrinth and new artworks!

and Now he is working on some great art that we will be chatting about!!
BSK- I have some questions rattling around in my head.
 first I want to ask about your art both music with Promethean Labyrinth and the wicked awesome art that you have recently been sharing! Where dose the inspiration come from?

MJ-With TPL, all the themes and ideas all revolve around science and wonder. Like sci fi prog metal.  Or at least I like to think so. And will most likely continue down that endless road.
As far as my recent art ventures, lately it has been space themed and I'm looking forward to diving into those ideas more. The but I love the raunchy stuff too. A lot of it comes from watching horror movies like Clive barkers hell raiser, as a kid. At the risk of
Sounding like an idiot, lately a lot of them kinda draw themselves! I don't know how to explain it. It's like I get into a trance. But a drug free one
BSK-It looks amazing to me and the detail and direction seems to be getting more and more impressive! How long normally will it take you to draw out one of your pieces ?

MJ-Awe shux! That's very kind of you!
It depends. It seems to take me too long. About 8-10hours. Which I think is overkill, but I'm still trying to get the hang of things. So I take my time. Most are only 14x11". But it's tough to fill the whole page! With more time and confidence I would like to do bigger projects.

BSK-Personally I am an artist .. but I do not have the patience for the work that you do haha . Did you go to school for art?
MJ-I don't know how I get them finished!
Nope. All self taught from collecting art being involved. YouTube videos. Things like that.

BSK-Well done dude ! I am more inspired by people that are self taught  Have you thought about what you might do with them? I saw that you will be selling prints!

MJ-Thanks!
I do plan on taking classes in the future.
I'm not sure. I started doin them to do them, releasing the demons if you will. But I've been gettin a lot if positive feedback and people interested in buying them. So we'll see.

BSK-Well I hope that this will help get those demons out to those who may want to purchase them! do you mind if I post some of them for reference?

No not at all!
Sharing is caring!

BSK-fuckin eh! . final question ... What would you do in a Zombie apocalypse ?

In a zombie apocalypse ?
I would probably be one of the first to die!
I'm terrified of zombies.

BSK-The first one to say that! haha yeah .. I would like faint and be eaten or someshit! haha .. Thanks for the interview!! that was rad! I will post it very soon!

MJ-Hahahha
My pleasure!
Cheers! .Brad Sysko Kidd

Russ Gauthier from False Flag/Lordosis/ Visceral Trance and BSK chat about Lots of things! Check it out!

Brad Sysko Kidd
Lets get this goin shall we? I am ready.
Russ Gauthier
Sure man, lemme grab another beer first haha
Ok ready
Brad Sysko Kidd
wicked haha yeah i had to grab a brew too hahahaha
k getting it started I gotta ask what it was that got you into music in the first place?
Russ Gauthier
Hey good question! I think it really came down to getting into Nirvana. Kurt Cobain was a huge influence on me and his sloppy playing was easy to reproduce at a young age haha no offense to him of course, he had a way of playing that was sloppy but noone can get close to the emotional response his vocals and guitar playing demanded.
Brad Sysko Kidd
Great response ! Nirvana knew that they sucked at first and that is what made them great!
What would you say about the Calgary music industry when it comes to playing bars or any other show?
Russ Gauthier
Well im from a smallish town in Ontario and ive heard of bands NEVER getting paid for a gig there. So its nice to actually get paid decently for a gig here, but thats usually IF you bust your ass trying to pack the place. Really makes me think how important advertising can be. If noone knows your playing...do you even exist? Haha tree falling in the woods type shit. Overall I love lots of the metal made in calgary and it can be a friendly and unfriendly place all at the same time. ive been hailed by some as a great guitar player, but ive also been told on an internet forum "if you wanna be like dimebag darrell, why dont you step in front of a 9mm?" No joke.

Brad Sysko Kidd
Thats fucked up to say to someone! . I have worked in the industry here and yeah I agree with the level of diversity and condasention between bands , but no one should down talk anyone because on their style !
On another note, What would you say to upandcoming bands if you had the chance?
Russ Gauthier
I would say be careful of small victories. Partying can get out of hand QUICK and take the whole band with it. Keep your head down and fuckin giver!!
And if that doesnt make any sense to anyone haha.... Dont stop working until youve really got what you want. Its easy to feel like youve "made it" after your first few shows
Brad Sysko Kidd
What is it like working with more than 1 band?
Russ Gauthier
it can be super intense when all three bands have gigs in the same month. I also dont really practise much drums at home other than recording demos in my little studio at home, so Lordosis and Visceral Trance give me that drum workout/practise I never seem to get on my own time. But thats probably also due to the fact that guitar is my main priority. Ive been playing for 15 years now and False Flag is a return to taking the instrument seriously again (after meggido broke up in 2010) as well as new experience doing the vocals myself.
Brad Sysko Kidd
I have been to both Lordosis and Visceral Trance shows but I have never been out to see False Flag yet . anything you want to say about you guys?
Russ Gauthier
Sure man, False Flag is the result of me not playing guitar much for a couple years, watching my bro Kris in Lordosis play an 8 string (after pushing him to get one for Lordosis). It drove me nuts in a good way only being a "drummer". So all of the frustration you hear in False Flag's sound is coming from a real place (the other side of that frustration comes from other personal problems that dont need to be discussed haha). All in all False Flag is about turning the most ugly parts my personality into a positive thing. Getting out that anger and frustration in the most healthy way. By screaming LOUD about it.
Brad Sysko Kidd
Fuckin EH! .. Now we come to the ever so diverse and popular question ... What would you do in a Zombie apocalypse??
Russ Gauthier
Hahah! Thats the best question yet! Hmmm I think id definately arm myself with a shotgun or rifle, a machete for sure, and as much food as I could carry and meet up with Kurt, bass player from Lordosis. Dude is a killer sniper and the ultimate survivalist. Im not as prepared as some people so id definately stick to the "strength in numbers" approach. Maybe pull a Land of the Dead and take over a tall building for shelter?
Brad Sysko Kidd
Great chat with ya dude  A great interview ! You are a very talented man! I am going to wrap this up but is there anything else you might want to tell the readers and friends?
Russ Gauthier
Hey thanks for the killer interview bro! And the kind words! I dont have much other to say than dont be an elitist douchebag when it comes to music,  Smoke Weed! And support your local metal (and rap) scene! Stay tuned for new False Flag, Lordosis and Visceral Trance music in 2014!!
Brad Sysko Kidd
 Cheers!  Thanks for the interview!

Syskos Show Review - The New D!

So last Friday I went down to the new D where I had never stepped foot before and Oh Shit! What a show! Not only did I run into a ton of old friends but got to finally meet some of my FB friends! The place in my opinion is a lot better than the old place down on 7ave. The Place was very well built for sound and the flow of the bar was just fuckin awesome . I did get a little confused what to do because the place stretches out to a bunch of different places to hang out. The best thing I think was the sound in the place! Fuckin'ell it was good! if you were standing at the bar or other areas it sounded like they just had the radio on just loud enough .. you go up to the stage where the bands are playing and you can rock your ears right off! To rap this up I highly recommend heading down to the D @222 7st S.W anytime ! It rocks!-BSK

This weekends shows! :D

It has been a while but I finally have your weekend shows list!
Tonight!
Across the sound is playing at Lorn Nelsons.
https://www.facebook.com/events/410030932452932/

Thrasadactyl/Satoru/Samsara are playing at the D
https://www.facebook.com/events/164158607116213/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Friday!!
Not Calgarian but pretty rad anyway is Killswitch Engage and LAMB OF GOD!@ The Big 4 building if you didnt already know. ;)

and Testament @ BMO Center.


Falling Down Fest @Verns Starts 
https://www.facebook.com/events/647447088633559/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Blackrat CD release with Gatekrashor / Fornication and The Cadavor Dog
is going on at Lord Nelsons!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1381386588761189/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Saturday!!
Men with beards !
https://www.facebook.com/events/463949667057131/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Hang The DJ @Dickens pub
https://www.facebook.com/events/545928502158620/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

BLANKFEST! III@The Blind Beggar
https://www.facebook.com/events/225731990918093/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

WAKE / Ghetto Hawk and FTFG are playing Tubby Dog on 17th
https://www.facebook.com/events/511839815573399/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Punk vs Metal round 7 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1379286312314914/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Mammoth Grove, Picture the Ocean, Brave the Weather @ The Palomino 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1430192337196679/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

Have fun and support local arts!!! Cheers! -BSK

Sysko's Band of the week! - TRUCK!!! A fare thee well !

TRUCK!!!
Though I Never got to see them live I have been listening to them off and on for a while .. Often to show people their music because they fuckin rocked!
You will be missed as a band but I'm sure you guys will be back in something else that is stellar!
Recently the boys played their last show :( But In their honor I an making them the band of the week!
Here is a track for you and here is a sad fare thee well to the boys of TRUCK!

CHEERS! -BSK

Interview with Lindsay Arnold Of Loremaster! :D

An Interview with the all so awesome Lindsay Arnold of Loremaster and ex Seven Deadly Grins.
Brad Sysko Kidd
Lets start with some questions about Lindsay,  What got you into music?
playing music that is.
Lindsay Arnold
Honestly? Probably my crazy parents! Their love of heavy metal and the fact that my father was a touring musician influenced me greatly. I got a taste of it young and never looked back!
Brad Sysko Kidd
Sounds like an interesting upbringing to me  You have been Playing with Loremaster for a bit now , Do you have any plans for the future of the band!
Lindsay Arnold
Haha interesting indeed! Yeah I've been playing with Loremaster for about nine months now, I love folk metal so it's great fun. Right now we are on the hunt for a new vocalist, so any interested clean singers out there should contact us! Other than that we've just been working on new material and making plans for 2014.
Brad Sysko Kidd
What do you think about the status of the Calgary Music industry? The way things are and what would make it better?
Lindsay Arnold
I'm glad to see so many new bands! We seem to be in a phase right now where a lot of the older musicians are "moving on" or pursuing other endeavors, making way for an influx of much younger musicians and bands and things are just balancing out. I think it IS important for bands (especially younger bands) to learn right away that they don't NEED promoters to play shows or promote themselves. Don't get me wrong though, there are lots of awesome folks in the music scene here working hard, doing it right, really inspiring growth and those are the promoters that deserve our support. Too often I see bands getting totally screwed when they really don't need to be!
Brad Sysko Kidd
I was wondering about your recovery from your health issues and how it has effected your life and playing bass?
Anything you can say would help people know a little more about your struggle?
Lindsay Arnold
It's been an extremely long recovery so I'm just happy to be back playing again! Music has always been my life and after being unable to play for so long I have a lot of catching up to do! With a severe spinal injury comes a lot of nerve damage and injury so I had to relearn how to play from scratch! That's something I'm still working on really, and it's a long, slow road that can be very, very frustrating! But still, playing is always better than NOT playing and I'm just glad to be doing it again. People will just have to accept Lindsay the Stage Statue for a while longer!!
Brad Sysko Kidd
Promoters are helpful but some can be detrimental to their own cause . Or just greedy .  you know who you are if you read this! .. anyway . I ask everyone as you know because you are a great supporter of AlTCitY .. I have to ask what you would do in a zombie apocalypse ?
Lindsay Arnold
HAHA I'm totally prepared for the zombie apocalypse! Or any apocalypse for that matter.... !! A good isolated hideout with lots of guns and supplies. I don't wanna say too much in the event shit does go sideways and I get overrun by the unprepared haha. Seriously though, I think we all learnt from the floods this summer that disaster can strike at any time! Being prepared rules!
haha thanks a million dude! you rule!
Cheers! -BSK

Awesome comeback post by our man DAVE!!

Davey Everydude

Hey Kids,

It’s been a while, how’s shit been? Keeping the mosh pit alive and well and free of the pit-dicks as well I hope.

Sorry it has been a season since I had anything written up. I am pretty sure the last thing I did was a band of the week for the Bloody Hells. Come to think of it, yeah, that’s been about it. While others have been banging away at their keyboards, I’ve been not banging away at my keyboard leaving it in a very “I’m not getting banged” Peggy Bundy style setting. Poor horny board. Well, anyways, to keep you up to speed in what has been the life of Davey Wasted, I’ve been doing very little. I’ve learned a lot, but still done very little. You see at the beginning of the summer, I fucked my back up. Two years in a row where right at the beginning of the summer, my back takes a turn and I wind up being next best thing to a cripple. Shitty, so my music took a hit in a large manner. But, it presented itself as an excuse to get writing more and concentrate on listening to music, writing some music, finding new music and of course, hard core gaming and porn. This actually excited me. Then, I lost both my computers to catastrophic butt failure. For those of you whom are not very apt with the technological side of things, it means that they essentially blew up and are now more like paperweights than anything. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. So, no touring, my show load was cut into a fraction of what it was supposed to be, I had to leave a band, I couldn’t write, I had not means of digging the internet for new music, there was no gaming, and of course no porn, but lots of jerking off. There are many other things that took place and did not take place throughout the summer, but that there is what we will make mention of. But, with that being said, I am obviously behind the wheel of a computer again. It’s morning, I’m still reasonably soberish kinda sorta, and been wanting to do a write up for a bit now, so let’s do this. Here are some of the moments in music I can share that have taken place since we last spoke…. As you know, one of my favorite bands is the Gypsy Bears. Well, it was not too long ago, but they played their last (for a very long time to say the least) show. It was a Halloween house party that I think few will remember much of, but nobody that was there will forget. It was a great night that featured a very hungover, but still somehow rad as fuck set from The Rigormorticians. They played the night before and were up until the early hours of the morning that day drinking very hard. Even the drummer, Rory “Fiendish” McDonald had refused a beer upon his arrival. The drummer said no to suds. That’s the true sign your band went too far the night before. But, true to their ways, they tore it up. The swan songs of Calgary’s horror rock filled a crowded basement as people sang along happily to fast paced psychobilly infused punk rock. You could smell the talent, the booze and the hangover as they made each song count. I can’t remember if they played it that night, but I think everyone should listen to 1-2-3 C.H.U.D. Fuck I love that song. The Difficult Brown played and it was less than stellar, the songs, although catchy enough, you could tell they got to the party and drank. And by drank, I mean get really fucked up. By the end of the set, the motley crew of drunk asses went about telling bad jokes and exchanging costumes with a female attendee of said party. They were fun, and good for a laugh, but better sets of theirs could be found and word around the campfire is a new recording is coming up. And then we said goodbye to the Bears. The basement packes, a fog machine making it impossible to see much, they ripped through the set like it was the last time they would ever get laid. Jake and Samson were Mario and Luigi (if I gotta explain, just stop here and never speak to me again) and Scott was rocking a Popeye outfit so it was cartoonish goodtimes. With guest vocalists, kind words and the promise that there will be future shows (far, far in the furture) they played themselves off in a way that they started. Making the house party come alive and giving people an experience they will be talking about for ages to come. So long guys, we’ll see you in a couple years. Moving on, The Calgary Beer Core has fired up the bands and have kicked off an ambitious and very cool idea. Over the years, the organization has had many, MANY, shows that are billed as “Punk vs. Metal” where a split of metal and punk bands alternate sets and bring the best of both worlds together. This year, it is a twenty band series that is going on between The D and Vern’s wehere the winners of each show, go onto play a Ten Bands For Ten Bucks New Years show at Dickens pub. From beginning to end, this should prove rad as fuck. It’s already started to check out www.calgarybeercore.com for further details. Pervcore, holy fuck. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a stage with those kids this past summer and I will tell ya, they tore it up. Fast songs with content that would make a guilty catholic priest blush they pushed through song after song relentlessly. Sharp punk attitude with a very metal style of sound, the dual female fronted crew of stage vets crushed their songs with no apology and left a crowd of foaming and sweaty patrons begging for more of their unique and original brand of perversion. I for one and am stoked to see one of Calgary’s most respected couples hit the stage together Emi, Kuba, your shit fucking stinks and it’s rad. Thank you. You can check them out with Legion Of Goons at Lord Nelsons Sunday, November 10th. BDFM are done. It’s over. And from that, comes Citizen Rage. Thrash hardcore in the same vein as BDFM only now, it is more direct and in your face. They have played one show so far and those who saw it were brought back to an older day in Calgary’s second coming of hardcore. It was fast, it was heavy, it was everything you would have expected and hoped for. Really excited to check them out again and can’t wait for the first disk to drop. Follow them on the facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Citizen-Rage/408722289229035 and tell them Davey sent you. I’m trying to score a free shirt and anything helps. Sled Island is coming back! They put out in a public statement that the huge amounts of people that did not ask for their money back from last years events which were cancelled due to flooding, meant they were able to manage the loss well and can move forward with events this year! I am glad to see that something of this magnitude can carry on as I feel anything that provides music to people and grabs their attention is important. On a more personal side note, I will be leaving town that week wearing my “Fuck Sled Island” shirt that I had custom made for less than the cost of going to see the shows they hold. Like I said, good on you guys, you get people listening to music. That shit is important, and I can respect that. But when I have to pay twenty five bucks to see a band that I have been on tour with and played shows not even a couple month before hand for ten bucks, yeah, nope. Fuck that. And don’t try and justify it to me, I’ve been involved in booking too long to buy into that shit. Your rooms will be packed, the cash boxes will be full, the volunteers will get the ever important feeling of self worth, my money is not needed. For those who are excited for this, don’t let my jaded asshole opinion stop you. Seriously, go, get into music and when it is done, please, keep that spirit alive and come see your locals that are on stage every weekend playing their hearts out. Don’t wait for festivals, just go and enjoy music whenever you can, because you can. Well, fuck me, at the 1,500 word mark I see I have gone on long enough and gotta get my ass to school. I am leaving a shit ton out so we will be back again soon with bands of the week, some ranting some raving and potentially some good links on where to find some quality por….. new music and local bands! See you in the pitt! Davey

Interview with Devan Forster of Mammoth Grove.

Interview with Devan Forster of Mammoth Grove.


BSK- K well lets do this
We have been friends for a while and I have seen you in some great bands! Starting Mammoth Grove must have been a new start for you In a great way! Most of my readers are musicians .. What is the best things about joining/ starting a band?

Devan-Well, with Joining a band you get to come into a group, a family that has a path already set out and it's really cool to dig a band enough to want to be a part of it, and I've been really fortunate to jump in on both Telly and Black Phoenix Orchestra and they were both Great to be a part of. I feel really blessed to have been a part of both.
BSK-As for starting a band it's so exciting because it's all new, fresh and regardless of the specifics, you get to see where your music will take you, and how the music itself grows and develops. With Mammoth it was cool it was originally going to be a side project band outside of Frankie, and once we went our separate way it became my main  thing so it was interesting to see it develop and suddenly have to stand up on its own and take sail.
BSK-I have been listening to the bandcamp that you have everyonce and a while and it is so very much your flavor .. Do you have anything to say about online promotions or sites?

Devan-It's difficult, if you make it difficult and really a huge helping hand, if you take advantage of it. I'm really hard pressed to sit down and type out emails and manage sites and all else so it's a tough thing but so helpful.
With a proper functioning band there's help with that from the guys as well.
At the end of the day your music has to speak for itself so once you believe in what you're doing it becomes exciting to put it out and spread the word.

BSK-Well put! I believe that if you love what you do that a person should feel like they will share it any way they can!
Devan-Yeah man and these days it makes a huge difference, if people support it and help it grow then you're rollin
BSK-For an up and coming artist, What would you say is the best way to go about finding a new band/ Band member?

Devan-Just play and write and jam and go out and see bands, meet people, spread the word and just be open to anything.
We just found a new bass player, which had been brewin for a while now and it was great to have people come in, play with them and see what it';s like.
It was great to see how it goes with different people, even the ones who didn;t fele right for the band it was good for Kurtis,(drummer) and I and I think it strengthened out vision for the band as well.
So just get out there, be around what you want to eventually do and doors will open. I say it often that music can;t really be forced, but once you immerse your self in it the opportunities will present themselves. There's a life force within music.
Or maybe it's more precise to say that there's a potential for life that takes root when music happens

BSK-Everyone gets this question .. What would you do in a zombie apocalypse?

Devan-Haha, use it as the perfect excuse and reason to do what I've always wanted to do anyways. I'd head for the Hills off to the Mountains and the Trees and the Green.  Would be tough without electricity for my amps but I'd figure that our eventualy

BSK-I hear that potatoes conduct electricity hahaha .. anyway . thanks for the interview my friend  We should get together soon!


Devan-Hey you're welcome man, I'd like to add I appreciate you're help and your willingness to make things happen here, putting on shows, promoting, the video work and interviews we need people like you man. Thank you!
And I'd love to get together, it's a pretty day by day for me but my afternoons are usually open.

Thanks man!  I will plan something with ya soon dude! Im always available when it comes to you  Cheers brotha!