Dirty rotten stinkers

>> Do not inhale the Unband

by JOHN JORDAN

The Unband's first Montreal show at the Jailhouse about a month ago was a crying shame. The shame was the low turnout--about 30 people. The crying came from Planet Smasher Dave Cooper, one of the curious few.

"Geez, my eyes," he choked, tears streaming as he fled, never to reappear. The unholy trio of New York rockers were halfway through their first song and plenty more than all the way through the alcohol rider. The Coop had fallen victim to the first salvo of a relentless barrage of stink bomb ignitions and impossibly solid, KISS-meets-MC5 hard rock anthems to permeate the evening. Those that remained were most impressed.

Canada, meet the Unband

In New York City circa 1997, Montreal expats Smitty's had their first of many Unband encounters. As head Smitty Gus van Go tells it, "We were opening for them at the Continental, and during our whole set there's a guy lying on the dance floor with his head in the bass cabinet of the PA system, drinking whiskey. Later he staggers up to our bass player and says, 'Dude, I just heard your set with my head in the bass cabinet, and dude, you are a fuckin' amazing bass player.' Then he straps on his bass, the drummer has a bottle of tequila and a bucket to puke in, and the singer is downing a bottle of Robitussin. We're all rolling our eyes, thinking, 'this Unband is a disaster waiting to happen.' But they stumbled up there and rocked so hard I thought my eyes were bleeding."

Unband, meet Canada

"'Geez, Louise' [from their recent major label debut, Retarder] is about a Canadian girl--the barmaid at Standard Notions in New York. Some girl in London, Ontario stole my 'Cocaine' shirt. Or my 'Booze' shirt. What was I wearing when you saw me last week?" asks Matt Pierce, The Unband's lead singer and guitarist. I say I think it was "Booze."

"My entire wardrobe of shirts just have names of things I consume. That's kinda sad." There is a melancholic little pause before he perks up again. "Looking forward to being back in Montreal, though!"

With Vulgar Deli and les Morts at Jailhouse Rock on Saturday, July 15, 9pm, $7