Moncton most stylish punk rockers Knife Party will release its debut EP, Just Like You, Only Better, this weekend with at Doc Dylans on Main Street in Moncton.
The five-piece formed last year from the ashes of two other Moncton projects, and it has spent the last year honing its sound, playing shows in Moncton and recording the group’s debut with longtime Moncton engineer and music geek Kyle MacDonald.
The group is made up of Little Danny Whore Moan (vocals), Davey Romance (guitar and vocals), Kayle “Killington Stabb” Piercy (guitar), Johnny Marnix (bass) and Jedi Eric (drums).
The formation of the group is a little confusing. Jedi Eric was sort of the catalyst for the group coming together. He says after seeing the rest of the band in their previous group, Danny & The Cunts, he knew he wanted to work with them.
“They had such a unique sound and the front man, Danny, was amazing. Their drummer at the time, Kayle, had the oddest style I’d ever heard.
“I still am not certain if he was the greatest or worst drummer I’ve ever seen, but whatever it was just created this intense experience to see and hear in cohesion with the guitars and Danny’s raspy, violent vocals. As soon as I’d heard that Danny quit … I decided I was going to work with this band somehow.”
Eric would get his wish, but it took some time. Danny’s band broke up, as did Eric’s project, the Fuckhead Bastards. What followed was a mix-mash of projects that eventually led to the Knife Party forming. But when the group’s original singer, Fat Marc of the Bastards, developed serious throat issues, he was forced to quit.
The band spent the next six months looking for someone to replace Marc, but it proved difficult as they were looking for someone unique to counter the band’s Ramones-inspired garage punk. They went through about eight singers before Eric decided he wanted to give Danny a try. His former bandmates weren’t too keen, but Eric wasn’t about to give up.
“Being the resourceful little bugger I am, I devised a trick, if you will, where I brought up the two projects I was currently working on and asked Danny if he’d like to try out for one, but didn’t specify which.
“He, naturally, assumed I meant the project not containing the entire band he had left eight months prior, and by the time the jig was up, he was already there anyway. After a few awkward minutes that would make The Office cast blush, he decided to give it a shot. It immediately just felt right.”
The band was quick to settle on a sound and even an image, with their black dress shirts and pink ties.
“We just didn’t want to be lumped in as another run-of-the-mill punk rock band, so we thought the best way to stand out onstage was take our style polar-opposite,” Eric says. “Instead of dressing homeless, we dressed corporate and classy, but added the pink ties for that touch of sass. Also, because it made our bass player uncomfortable to wear pink. Another benefit was it made us more recognizable. It creates a band image …
“We’re the ‘guys that wear the sissy little pink ties,’” he explains. “Then it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, those guys. They suck.’ Or whatever.”
The band has stayed in the Moncton area playing regularly, and they’ve kept busy in the studio too. While they are releasing their debut this weekend, a follow-up is already in the works. It is tentatively titled Stabba Dabba Doo or Stabbey Road. MacDonald is once again penciled in to record the project.
Unfortunately for those outside Moncton, you may not get the opportunity to see Knife Party anytime soon. Eric says the band is content to play in and around the Hub City.
“It’d be awesome to tour at some point, but we’ve barely established ourselves here, let alone out of New Brunswick. If we want to play to 15 people, we’ll book ourselves locally,” he says with a laugh. “Nah, we’re fine playing pretend rock stars once a month for now.”
However, if you check out the band’s myspace and dig their tunes, you can order the new album through the band’s label, the newly revived Superbob Records, or via Paypal by contacting the band through their myspace page.
Opening for Knife Party this weekend at Doc’s will be Shortsleeve, Blueberry Swing & The Joint and Chaos Death Squad. Door is $4 if you dress up (shirt and tie), $6 if you don’t. Eric says as long as you make the effort, you’ll get in at a discount.
