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Deck the halls with gales of vomit >> B.A.R.F. wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year's heave by JOHNSON CUMMINS
Of course this "who gives a fuck" attitude couldn't be farther removed from the truth when dealing with B.A.R.F. Along with Groovy Aardvark, Necrotic Mutation, Guano, Oblik and Raid, B.A.R.F. will be playing in support of the Noël Dans La Rue II compilation, with all proceeds going to L'Anonyme to help tackle the growing problem of homeless youth in Montreal. "Some of these people on the street are our fucking audience, so of course we're going to want to help out," says B.A.R.F. guitarist Denis Lepage, who also does double duties with Indica recording artists Guano. "There's more and more kids on the street every day and with it starting to get really cold, [L'Anonyme organizer] Pops needs help more than ever and we just feel lucky that we're able to do something." As a general rule, Christmas compilations suck royal rocks and unfortunately, this benefit CD is no exception. But at least it does an adequate piss take on such wretched Yule tunes as "Deck the Halls," "Santa's Coming to Town," and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," done by Redcore, Guerilla and Men O' Steel respectively. There may be more Christmas-y type lyrics on some of the other songs, but my Coca Cola-loving anglo ass was too busy thanking Father Christmas himself that nobody attempted the Christmas benefit abomination "Do They Know It's Christmas." B.A.R.F.'s version of "Holy Night" is easily the most beautifully disturbing of all of the tracks. Starting off with an operatic a cappella voice singing the familiar lines, it doesn't take too long until this little angel is stripped of its wings and plunges into the fiery pits of Hades. "We had a lot of fun doing that song," says Lepage. "At first we were a bit apprehensive about doing a Christmas song, but taking the holiness out of it and giving it a death metal twist was fun. I think that too many people worry about the consumerism of Christmas and the obvious religious connotations it holds. What it really should be about is a time when we should concentrate on helping each other out a bit more." As I suspect that Lepage might be engaging in some sort of Sally Struthers mind meld on me, he puts my suspicions at ease and corrects himself. "Well, that and drinking a lot, I guess." Phew! At le Medley, Saturday, December 19, 6:45pm, all ages. Tickets $12+taxes in advance, $13+taxes at the door
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In case you didn't already know, the lovely moniker B.A.R.F. is actually a abbreviation of the even friendlier "Blasting All Rotten Fuckers," and on their new album Catharsis they do just that. The apathy of others gets locked in B.A.R.F.'s crosshairs and given the treatment in the song "Gave at the Office." Singer Mark Vaillancourt screams, "He holds out his hand 'Can you spare some change'/I say, 'I got a job just do the same'/He's hungry, sad and cold/Plain out of luck/But I don't give a dime/I don't give a fuck."