Origins, the long version...
I grew up going to house shows at a rad little space in Charlottetown called The House of Rock. Every few weeks there would be a crusty show with bands I'd never heard of as well as Charlottetown favourites. Everyone would cram into the small living room and for the next few hours we'd come together to celebrate music. The house would rock to its very foundation and I remember many times leaving bloodied and bruised but with a smile on my face. At the end of the night a hat would be passed around and people would give whatever they could to the touring bands. It was the honesty and the sincerity that stood out to me at these shows; it was not only about the music but also about the ideas that were being expressed. There were no booking agents, no rental halls, not even a door price most times. It was the very essence of DIY.

The House of Rock died sometime around 2003 and it left a hole in the Charlottetown music community. A few years passed and I was growing tired of the same old fluffy bands coming through with their heavy breakdowns but no substance; I was tired booking agents and stories of extravagent riders for bands who claimed to be punk rock. I was sick of the over priced rental halls and the high guarantees for the bands which forced the kids who were putting on the shows to raise the door prices.

I wanted Charlottetown to be better; I wanted things to be different. So, I opened the phone book and began looking for alternatives. I found just what I was looking for in a little independent bookstore downtown Charlottetown called The Reading Well. Things snowballed from there; soon I was putting on shows at a rad record store in Charlottetown called Back Alley Music; most times with bands that were way too loud for the little store. From there awesome people started lending me their living rooms and basements 306, The Hutch, The Robot House, JFK, and the mighty Lyon's House among others.

These spaces created an undeniable DIY spirit within Charlottetown that had sorely been lacking. It was the kids themselves who came out and supported the bands and danced their faces off and raise money when the cops would shut us down for bullshit reasons, or who would lend a hand and help put up posters or bring their friends along. We did it together and we did it from the heart. I'm proud to call Charlottetown my home.

In 12 words or less...
A 21st century blog trying to be a 20th century fanzine.

Editor Matt Dixon

Contributors Aimee Power, Daniel Bay, Taylor Carver, Gabrielle Major

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