Demure dames, dingy diners and dramatic 'dos — The Creepshow bring their B-flick-infused rockabilly antics to Calgary

DETAILS

The Creepshow w/ The Hardtails
HiFi Club
Tuesday, August 14 - Tuesday, August 14

More in: Rock / Pop

Fans of Toronto-based psychobilly quartet The Creepshow may notice something unusual about the band on their latest western Canadian tour. The blond vixen wailing away about selling souls while pounding a semi-hollow guitar may look like original singer-guitarist Jen “Hellcat” Blackwood, but looks can be deceiving.
    This particularly sultry psycho is, in fact, Sarah “Sin” Blackwood, sister to Hellcat and her temporary replacement. Stepping up to the plate and taking over while Hellcat has been occupied raising a new daughter, Sin has been driving bassist Sean “Sickboy” McNabb, keyboardist Kristian “Reverend McGinty” Rowles and drummer Matt “Pomade” Gee straight to hell for almost a year. Yet when asked who’s sacrificing more — her or her sister — Sin is candid.
    “With the position I’m in now, I’m not sacrificing anything,” she chuckles. “I was hesitant at first, but this is a win-win situation for me. It propels my personal career, and, to be honest, my sister is stoked on being a mother. I haven’t seen her so happy since starting the band.”
    Embraced by fans and band alike, Sin’s performance ability and drive are strong and passionate. And while she has been performing for years, her history with the psychobilly subgenre was more of a nodding acquaintance until she was approached by Hellcat to commandeer the quartet. Gaining experience during a string of eastern Canadian and European dates, Sin is ecstatic about touring the West.
    However, with Hellcat determined to juggle both motherhood and band life, there is an expiry date looming for Sin. It’s something she holds in the back of her coiffed noggin, but she doesn’t let it get in the way of business. Fans and press are beginning to grumble for a followup to the band’s 2006 debut effort, Sell Your Soul, something Sin is keen yet reserved about, as her role hangs in the balance between Pampers and pabulum.
    “I have written a couple of songs with the guys. It’s weird though, because while I’m excited to write, sometimes I wonder if, when Hellcat gets back, they’ll want my material, or if I’ll want to keep it for my solo career,” she jests. “A new record won’t be in the works for awhile though. Our main focus is still to break through the U.S. We’ve been across Canada, we’ve been to Europe, we need to hit the States. After that, hopefully we’ll have assistance from an international label for the second record. We love (current label) Stereo Dynamite, and they’ll be involved, but we want someone outside of Canada to support the second album and make it better than the first.”
    Hearing Sin discuss the band’s future, it’s clear she has a deep attachment to her role. Regardless of the outcome, Sin notes that the attention, knowledge and thrills will only escalate her solo calling. Describing it as a more acoustic-based rockabilly show that is “slower and with fewer zombies” than The Creepshow, Sin is confident that there will be no sibling rivalry — other than over who gets more attention from the opposite sex.
    “(Jen and I) were already best friends, and this has brought us closer together,” she says. “When the band decides what will happen, it’ll be tough, but we’ll work it out. I usually do my acoustic show alone, but now I’m into having more members. I don’t think (The Creepshow) will become a quintet though. We might do a few shows for fun, but I doubt more than that. Another girl in the band would alter the dynamic. One girl, three guys? As a girl, I’d rather be the focus of attention. Can you blame me?”