I Went to Cumberland BC. to watch a couple punk bands play at The Waverly Hotel. This small bar is, in my opinion, the best small venue on the North (Vancouver) Island.  First up were "Boids" A relatively upbeat four piece straight up punk band from Montreal, Quebec.  These guys surprised me in the best possible way.  They were tight, great sounding, and put on a rawkus lively performance.  Check out their new video here.

  The headliners, "The Real McKenzies" are a fairly well known Scottish Canadian punk group, with eight members including two bagpipe players.  These guys have been rocking with their own brand of Celtic "Oi-Oi" punk rock for around 25 years, and are reported to have had over one hundred different members in the lineup over the years.  They had the crowd absolutely rocking. The energy was intense and full of camaraderie and genuine enthusiasm. With their kilts, sporrans and battle vests, they were a delight to shoot. 

  I showed up as merely a fan, donned my kilt and leather jacket and took only my Sony a6000 with the kit lens attached.  I knew full well, I would be taking pictures there, but I didn't want everyone else to know it, or draw too much attention to myself.  This diminutive powerhouse of a camera was a perfect tool for the job, and amidst the couple dozen cell phone screens lit from the audience, nobody even batted an eye towards me.

  Anyways, I had an absolute blast and encourage anyone to go see a show from either of these bands, or to give them a listen. 

~Cheers, Rev. D