Friendlyness and the Human Rights - Live at the '09 WSRF

Since this WSRF blog has been dormant for a while, I thought I'd share a live recording (and an interview) from/about Friendlyness and the Human Rights and their performance at the 2009 Winnipeg Ska and Reggae Festival. This originally appeared on my blog WITCHPOLICE. -Sam.

I love this band. I had never heard of them before the 2009 Winnipeg Ska and Reggae Festival, but once I saw them live, I was hooked.

As part of that year's festival, a few of the shows were broadcast live on CKUW and UMFM. I grabbed the Friendlyness and the Human Rights set off the radio, and along with their Ten Songs pre-release (which I picked up at the show), I've been listening to their music pretty steadily ever since.

Here's the audio from their performance at the Royal Albert, as originally broadcast on campus radio, along with an interview with Friendlyness, where he talks about the band's new album, One Thing, his devotion to Rastafari, his long history in the Canadian reggae scene, and his side gig with high-profile Canadian rock band Big Sugar. 

Check it out. I'm very happy to share this on Witchpolice:

Download the whole thing.

Stream it:

1. Jah Rastafari

2. Human Rights

3. What Are We Fighting For?

4. Human Vibrations

5. I Want Her

6. One Thing

7. More Peace

8. Get Up Stand Up

9. One More Draw

WITCHPOLICE: This is a recording of your live set from the Royal Albert in Winnipeg, back in 2009. Do you have any specific recollection of that show?

FRIENDLYNESS: I remember it was a really hot night and the music was good all around... the Idlers were wicked and we had been on the road for a couple of weeks so our performance was very tight. 

W: It looks like most of the band's upcoming live dates tend to be in the Toronto area. Is touring a priority for Friendlyness and the Human Rights? Any plans to head west in the near future?

F: We love touring, but not so much in the winter. I've done the cross-Canada tour in winter a couple of times already and it can be rough with whiteout road conditions in the mountains. As much as I love touring, I love my life also. With the full-length album out now, we're hoping to tour again this summer, coast to coast if possible so we can get the music directly to the people.

W: About your new record, One Thing ...is it a self-released album? 

F: One Thing is a self released album. We produced it ourselves and paid for the recordings and mixing by pooling and saving money from shows. We also borrowed $2,000 to pay for the manufacturing. We got a lot of help along the way too from people like Steve 'Pro' Legros who put in countless hours of editing and Kate Conrad who did something like 10 revisions to the CD artwork at our request for next to nothing.

BBR: End of an Era (1998 - 2011) is THIS WEEKEND

Heads up everyone, the blow out show of the century, celebrating Bacteria Buffet Records is going down this Saturday, May 14th at the West End Cultural Center.

Doors at at 7 PM so please show up early. Some tickets will still be available at the door.

Line up includes The Barrymores, JFK, RWPO, The Afterbeat, Greg Crowe, DJ Co-op and more!


Check out more information about the even on FACEBOOK.

See you all there!

End of an Era (1998 - 2011)

After 13 years of service to the Ska and Reggae Community in Winnipeg (and the world, really), Bacteria Buffet Records is closing shop.

I was first introduced to Bacteria Buffet Records and its owner, Rusty Far-I, years ago at my first Royal Winnipeg Porn Orchestra show at the West End Cultural Center. I was fresh to the scene and couldn't completely understand why the crowd was yelling "Butter My Corn!" or how the tuba player could both play his instrument and drink so much beer at the same time.

Needless to say, after that, I was hooked.

Bacteria Buffet gave many ska and reggae artist in Winnipeg a place to get their music out to the masses and to have a physical CD of their own to hold and hawk around to campus and community radio stations all around.

A big blow out event for Bacteria Buffet Records will be going down on Saturday, May 14th at the West End Cultural Center.

Checkout the facebook event page HERE for more information on the killer line up and ticket prices.

Thanks for all you did Rusty...

Live bootleg from '09 WSRF

I hope my homies on the WSRF committee are cool with me posting this. Check it out:

"We're not as traditional, but it's in our hearts just the same..."

They were originally scheduled as the opening act, but a last-minute venue change (due to the headliners being hideously late) meant Thiefs got the prime spot at 2009's Winnipeg Ska and Reggae Festival.

This is an in-audience recording of their set. It's OK quality, and since they've now moved on to more of a rock n' soul sound (and a new name), it's probably one of the few places you'll get to hear them doing a set of ska/reggae stuff.

Download the whole thing

Stream it:

1. Bomp Bomp
2. Hook for the Money
3. Simmer Down
4. Dem Boys
5. Get Funky with Thiefs
6. The Harder They Come
7. Sunset Stabbings
8. Bleeding Out
9. Ghost in the Bathroom
10. Miscommunication
11. No Woman No Cry
12. Hook for the Money (reprise)

East vs. West (Zrada vs. Double-oh-7)

Heads up! Fantastic event going on September 10th at the Kings Head Pub (120 King Street).

The scoundrels of the Iron Curtain, ZRADA, have stolen a nuclear warhead from Reggaestan. Only the heroic Double-Oh-7, with their 60s Jamaican Ska and James Bond riffs, can protect the World from disaster!
...
Zrada, however, with their Ukranian-punk sound, are a devious lot, and will surely leave our heroes in a precarious position!


Presented by Half Pints and the Winnipeg Ska and Reggae Festival

The Expos from Toronto!

Join us on February 19th for a Festival Fundraiser with Stomp Records' "The Expos". Check out their official website for great new tracks.

Check out this free track Little Red Hook

Now Accepting Submissions

The Winnipeg Ska and Reggae Festival is now accepting applications for the 2010 edition of the Festival from September 9-11, 2010. Deadline for applications is June 16, 2010.