[Because we tend to think that Propagandhi are the most important Canadian band of our time and because the last time they played Victoria was the early ’90s, we got a comrade one province over to head out and write about their recent concert there. -ed]
One of my favourite concert memories of all time was at a Propagandhi show in Edmonton, and it didn’t even have to do with the Canadian punk/hardcore vets’ former penchant for Nazi-baiting or angry stage banter. It had to do with a four-year-old.
At the band’s show in 2009, two young parents had, strangely enough, brought their child, who spent the entire time during the three opening acts furiously running in nonstop circles on the floor in Edmonton’s Starlite Room with disproportionately large protective headphones. Just before Propagandhi took the stage, his parents sat their son on the stage to protect him from the madness. As the band tore through “Supporting Caste” to start and the mosh engaged, the munchkin stood up and flashed the devil horns right in front of lead singer/guitarist Chris Hannah, who ended the song with “This kid fucking rocks!”
Unfortunately, there were no entertaining children onstage this time at the Starlite Room; regardless, Propagandhi has a habit of never disappointing. Edmonton-based Slates opened the night with some fittingly melodic and rootsy punk, followed by Vancouver’s The Rebel Spell, who harkened back to the anthem thrashing of ‘80s hardcore with plenty of satisfying “Whoa-oh!’ calls to charge the audience.
As the headliners took the stage, the familiar voices of Ron MacLean and Don Cherry yelling at each other came over the PA—making it the only time anyone will likely hear their bickering this year—as the band broke into “Dear Coach’s Corner,” sending arms in the crowd of tattoos, Mohawks, and toques shooting skyward.
Surprisingly, for a group touring on their new album, Propagandhi opened with a few old standards. But in what was a two-hour set, the guys from Winnipeg would play almost all of Failed States, their recently released sixth full-length, mixed pretty evenly with favourites from their snottier skate-punk days.
One noticeable change from previous shows was a decrease in the enjoyable banter between songs—a sign of a more mature and refined Propagandhi. But they still made room for some welcome political sloganeering, dedicating “Fuck the Border” to federal minister of citizenship, immigration, and multiculturalism Jason Kenney, and inserting a “dream sequence” by drummer Jord Samolesky into “Things I Like,” which replaced the First Nations spoken word piece heard on the album with some railing against oil companies like Enbridge in support of Canada’s Indigenous populations.
Thankfully, the band’s characteristic humour was also still evident, as Hannah told the crowd during “Back to the Motor League” that if they didn’t know what to do during this song—fist-pump during the breakdown—then “you’re just a completely worthless piece of shit.” While I was slightly distracted during the final encore song of “Stick the Fucking Flag Up Your Goddamn Ass, You Skinhead Creep” by a bleeding man, it was perhaps a fitting end to the concert. From a kid with his fist in the air to a guy with his fist covered in blood, Propagandhi shows never fail to feature some unscripted moments that exemplify punk rock.