Calgary punk mainstays Knucklehead can hardly be contained by your flimsy press photos.

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Knucklehead 15th Anniversary with Rum Runner, Colin Decker Freefall & Wastoids
Palomino
Friday, March 19 - Friday, March 19

More in: Rock / Pop

If Calgary’s punk rock shows were a crime scene, skateboard-centric band Knucklehead’s fingerprints would be all over it. From its inaugural performance at the now-defunct Night Gallery back in ’95 to its legendary house-party jams and odometer-blowing tours, the melodic-thrash quintet has earned its stripes and produced eight radical albums (on as many labels) along the way. After years of being ground down by heavy usage, Knucklehead has finally struck a balance between working on its private lives and its favourite musical pastime.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve made a career out of our music; it’s more like playing recreational hockey,” says guitarist Clayton MacNeill. “We used to put out an album a year; ’cuz when you’re working with indie labels, every record could be your last. Now it’s more like one every five years, because we’re all so busy with our lives, but it’s still a pretty good way of releasing stress. Plus, there’s that sense of brotherhood that keeps us going. The guys have basically agreed that we’re going to continue Knucklehead forever.”

Enjoying some well-deserved rest and relaxation since the release of 2008’s The New Black, MacNeill looks forward to marking Knucklehead’s 15th anniversary together with vocalist Kyle Hegel, bassist Matt Young, guitarist Jimmy Gamble and percussionist Eric “Heywood Jablowme” Jablonski. Ever-faithful to its old-school pavement-and-pain esthetic, the band that brought you cuts like “Summertime Beer Song,” “F'em If They Stare” and “Another Night in the Parking Lot” is ready to make celebrating its survival priority number one.

“I remember our first gig ever at the Night Gallery,” MacNeill recalls. “It was a Tuesday night and I think we got paid about $50. We were so nervous and excited. I’m not sure how good we sounded, but we were just so happy to be up there performing for people. It wasn’t long before we became the Night Gallery’s ‘go-to’ band. Every time somebody didn’t show up for a gig, they’d call on us to fill in on short notice. And we’d be there. Times have certainly changed since then — now we need a month’s notice to do anything!”

Carrying on in the name of all things shred-worthy, Knucklehead plans to entertain the masses with two consecutive nights of free-wheelin’ action that will summarize its oeuvre in approximately 28 songs. Shaking off the dust and knocking off the corners, the group plans to revisit tunes it hasn’t touched in as long as eight years, but MacNeill promises his five-piece wrecking crew also has a few new tricks up its sleeve.

“We just finished a whole new record and hope to have it mastered and out this fall,” he says. “Our recording and writing processes have become more focused and inclusive, but without the pressure to succeed that can make a band implode on itself. It has always been important to us to have an impact without being in-your-face about our political views; we love seeing a live crowd having fun, responding to our songs and showing their support for our music. My advice to up-and-comers: If you want to be in a punk rock band, you’ve gotta be willing to live in a van.”