Greetings Y'all!
So what's been happening punk-wise in the Hammer lately? I'd have to say Rebel Time Records and Schizophrenic Records/Hammer City Record Store.
Between Randy and Craig they have really been pushing the local punk scene to get off our asses. Talk of books, compilationdownloads, punk school, the return of Gunnar Hansen, and Rebelfest raising money for G20 police victims, it's been quite a second half of the winter. Hopefully this momentum can be maintained
and we can get bigger and stronger!
Rebelfest raised money for the great unwashed protesters at G20, as well as getting the word out about the free download compilation put out by Rebel Time. Rebelfest Vol.1 is available at rebeltimerecords.bandcamp.com/ . The first night of the highly successful weekend was headlined by yours truly and the Steeltown Spoilers. Craig is thinking of writing a Hamilton-based punk history book, as many were underwelmed at the documentation of our local scene in the Toronto-centric Treat Me Like Dirt. Go for it Craig!
Your humble narrator is debating whether to give up his weekly hour on CFMU (93.3 fm, Mr.Gould and the Kid Show) and step into the present with a series of youtube videos explaining the connection between different punk subgenres and the bands that make those styles interesting.
I have spoken to many young punks and have been somewhat surprised by the lack of knowledge about bands that aren't really that far off the beaten track. For example, I had a call in request on my show, "Could you play, oh what are they called? Dr.Chud played for them." You mean the Misfits? Weird. I would have thought that with the Internet generation the young kiddies would be able to track down all sorts of bands and stories that took me years to figure out with only the aid of fanzines and word of mouth. Overall, this doesn't seem to be the case. So, I have begun talks with a couple people to see what can be done about launching Hamilton Punk School on the web. Stay tuned!
I also have to give a tip of my hat to the upbeat folk band The United Steelworkers of Montreal who played the Local 1005 picket line in the afternoon before playing the CFMU Fundraiser at This Ain't Hollywood. Although they aren't punks (but Flipper the bass player, formerly of the Gutter Demons is psycobilly through and through), their working-class sensibilities certainly warrant honourable mention amongst these pages. To the best of my knowledge they are the first act to play the picket line since Pete Seeger back in 1946!
Ah, 1946. What a time that must have been to be alive in Hamilton. Although there have been books, songs, and even a play about Stelco's first strike. I still don't think that the solidarity of most Hamiltonians and the hatred of those who didn't stand fast, has yet to be accurately portrayed. I (and the rest of 1005) have been down on the picket line since early November. One day, I had the chance to meet one of our pensioners, Sparky. He worked for over 40 years in the blacksmith shop at Stelco, and was a picketer during the strike of '46. He told me about throwing rocks, being arrested (twice), and his friends breaking the legs of an overly zealous policeman. For me the shocker was when the conversation turned to the scabs. The company, in its efforts to not recognize the Steelworkers Union, offered triple time pay 24 hours a day while the strikebreakers were locked inside. Sparky said to me "One real bad guy snuck in to scab, you know who that was? Lincoln Alexander!" Wow. Now this is just one man's statement, but he was there and not me. I have checked Mr. Alexander's timeline, and although he doesn't mention being a scab in his autobiography, it could have happened, and I have no reason to doubt Sparky. I feel like a jerk for getting my copy of the Linc's book signed. Oh well.
To all (nine) of my faithful readers, please support your locked out Steelworkers as they try to protect Canadian values from American monopolies. Honk as you drive by the Wilcox gate on Burlington Street, or even better, drop off pizza!
Last, but not least, there will be a fundraising concert for Local 1005 hardship fund on April 9th at This Ain't Hollywood. The Steeltown Spoilers are headlining.
Cheers!
The Hamilton Kid
