by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Have you ever contemplated an idyllic socialist refuge from your daily socio-political grind? What if I told you that such a place exists and will welcome you for one easy payment of rocking out and dancing (plus tax)? Now, I'm not talking about a warring nation, a wannabe-sovereign state or extreme Star Trek fandom, but a secure, peaceful republic with open arms to hold you. All the Republic of Safety asks is that its citizens "try to love one another right now."

"We want to celebrate the positive things that make life worth living, as much as we want to criticize the systemic violence that drags us all down," says the Republic's singer/Prime Minister Maggie MacDonald, a dual citizen of the Hidden Cameras who once sojourned in Barcelona Pavilion.

At their upcoming diplomatic summit in Montreal, MacDonald and fellow PMs Jonny Dovercourt (guitar, vocals), Evan Davies (drums), Kat Gligorijevic-Collins and Kate McGee (basses) will showcase the Republic's manifesto, aka the Passport EP. The bloody-raw post-punk document boldly states their position on work and play ("I like to work! I like to fuck!"), missile defence ("Does a weapon in your face make you feel safe?") and relations with "the Nation of Fear" ("We burned down the White House once!"). On a related note, the PMs are planning a trip south, to the red states as well as the blue.

"We will play for any audience, even people who watch Fox News," says Dovercourt. "But as the lone dude on the Republic's frontline, maybe I should be wary of flying bottles."

"We are interested in diplomacy," adds MacDonald. "The truth is, we are not so different from America, and that is okay for the most part. But we must be ever vigilant, keeping one eye turned outward and one eye inward on guard against oppression. And the Republic of Safety will never bomb anybody. And there will be no WMD at our shows. None!"

"But," adds Dovercourt, "there will be rock 'n' roll."

With the World Provider, Let Lowns and cadeaux at Casa del Popolo on Friday, April 22, 9 p.m., $6

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