2011 recap - rosie davis (vixens, abject pax, life fail zine)

As we're approaching the end of another year, I'm looking back on what has happened in the past twelve months, thinking of how things have progressed, and feeling very excited and positive about the future of punk in Halifax. In the beginning months of last year, I have to admit that I felt pretty fed up with the way things were. It felt stagnant, old, and stale. Excitement and enthusiasm just didn't seem like a part of the scene to me. I'll preface this with a disclaimer that this is only my opinion....I am very aware (more so now than ever) that there are many thriving microcosms within Halifax. For me, it was the same bands, all shows pretty much happening at Gus'...nothing to get too stoked about.

vixens & contagium on tour.

2011 was a great year for me in terms in traveling to see shows....I was able to go to Chaos in Tejas, Varning in Montreal, and toured for the first time with one of my bands, Vixens.
All great experiences, but I felt like the scene in Halifax was continually lacking. I made some of my first attempts (very unsuccessfully) at bringing bands up from Montreal. I put on a cover show at Gus', which was pretty fun.  There was Screams From The Gutter in the summer, a weekend of punk, which was cool. Even then, after coming back from tour in September, I was definitely feeling blue... VIXENS were supposed to play at the Purple House after we got back from tour...I was super stoked because I had been to a couple shows there and really liked it....we didn't end up playing with Tied Down, Polina, and others that night (got shut down by the cops...great show anyway) but we ended up being asked to play in October with Root Rot, Primitive Accumulation, Negative Circles, Make No Gains, and Mean Mug.

negative circles @ the purple house (photo: rosie toes)

This is the show that completely changed my feelings about the way things were in Halifax.
Root Rot were a total surprise... something completely different than any other bands right now, so interesting, and it was great to see some new people playing in a band. I am very stoked to see them progress.
We played next and it was super fun...it's always a million times more fun when people are in to a set, singing along to covers.
I already knew Primitive Accumulation ruled, but they totally killed it. Like a giant deformed powerviolence monster stomping through a city, demented lullabies crashing into pure old school hardcore sprinkled with anguished howls. Weird but not on purpose. Right up my alley.
I hadn't seen Negative Circles yet, and had no idea what to expect. If I had I would have braced myself for my mind to be completely blown. 
I recently interview them for my zine Life Fail and Kale mentioned wanting to "inject some reckless energy into the scene" and I'd have to say that's exactly what they've done. Their set was complete madness....raging 80's US hardcore accompanied by flailing bodies...completely unpretentious, vicious...seeing them play made me feel the complete happiness and abandon that has always attracted me to punk, something I hadn't felt so fully for a long time. 
Next up were Make No Gains...musically not really my thing, and it's a bummer when alot of people clear out for a band, but they're doing what they love, and doing it extremely well. Good dudes. Then Mean Mug played, who I've always dug. Their popularity seems to have transcended alot of the small scene in Halifax and everyone is stoked on them. They played awesome, as always, and hopefully they stick around to play more...unarguably one of the funnest, catchiest bands in Halifax.

mean mug @ kencrest (photo: rosie davis)

Ever since I've felt a renewed sense of purpose and pride in the Halifax punk scene. I'm learning about new places...there have been a ton a house shows (which we all know are a million times better and more punk than bar shows.) I've been seeing new faces, new faces that are at every show I've been able to go to. Social groups seem to be assimilating a bit more. People are moving around at shows. I played at The Burrow a few weekends ago...that place rules! This is somewhere I didn't even know about, and it seems as though they've been having shows for quite a while. There's been a couple Fern Lane shows and they've been killer too. People who are going to shows all seem to be there for the right reasons, and are super respectful, which will hopefully ensure that all these new killer venues continue on for a long time.

In the new year, I am looking forward to and hoping for more new, awesome bands. House shows. Making new friends and having a killer time with old ones.
Being as involved as possible.

word on the street @ kencrest (photo: rosie davis)

I am now working on the third issue of my zine LIFE FAIL which will have interviews with a TON of halifax punk bands and will come with a comp tape...it should be out in a month or two...in the meantime, the second issue is out...it includes interviews with several women involved in punk in Halifax and their thoughts/etc....I'll be bringing them to shows, so come up and ask me for one if you're interested...pay what you can. Or shoot me an e-mail rosie-davis@hotmail.com.

PUNK LOVE

Rosie