Uptown Magazine - NoMeansNo
Along with such influential bands as S.N.F.U., D.O.A. and Propagandhi, West coast icon NoMeansNo has been instrumental in shaping the Canadian punk rock scene. Since 1979, Rob (vocals/bass) and John (drums) Wright have turned out some of the most explosive, thought-provoking and engaging albums of the past three decades.
“Our attitude was to be yourself, try to be original, do something relevant and go carve out an audience,” explains John via phone from his home in Vancouver, having just dropped off his two kids at school.
“That’s what we did. We never tried to fit in. We just wanted to take things one step at a time, without really having any long-term goals. Through good fortune and hard work, it has worked out. Right from the get-go, we had such wide parameters that we were able to get away with things. What the common denominator is, amongst all the material, is that there’s an intensity and energy that’s just part of who we are and how we play.”
While NoMeansNo - which now includes guitarist Tom Holliston - may have been kicking out its full-throttle, bass-heavy sound for over 30 years and has spent a great deal of that time touring the world, the band’s last album, 2006’s All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt, is widely regarded as one of its best albums.
“It’s hard to say from an artist’s point of view what your audience is identifying with,” John says. “All of our albums are quite different from one another, but they tend to fall into two categories: The long, ponderous ones and the short, punk rock ones. The short punk rock songs are a little more accessible and probably are going to appeal to more people than the longer songs that demand more attention. The previous two albums were fairly challenging, songwriting wise, and we just wanted to do something lighter with some fast punk rock songs. The new batch of songs seem to be more ponderous.”
With 12 new songs in various stages of completion and three or four ready to be performed on its cross-Canada tour, the band hopes to head back into the studio for the first time in three years this spring. While touring can be a grind, it’s one of the things that has kept the band moving forward and excited about playing music for a living.
“They say when you find a job you love, you don’t work another day in your life. It’s kind of a truism,” John says.
“What else am I going to do? Wash dishes or drive a cab? The reward for us has always been what happens on the stage, in front of an audience.”
Along with performing with NMN, the Wright brothers, along with Holliston and drummer Mike Branum, have dedicated some of their time to their hockey-and-Ramones-loving puck rock alter-egos, The Hanson Brothers. With three albums under their belt, the on-again, off-again side project has been an important creative outlet for the band and is definitely a factor contributing to the longevity of NMN.
“The Hanson Brothers are about just having some fun and are a bit of a diversion from NoMeansNo. It took on its own life and became a lot more than we ever imagined it to be,” John explains. “The playoffs are the best time to do Hanson Brothers shows in Canada and that’s why we waited until now to go out on the road. We’ll do these shows and then hang up the skates for a while.”
NOMEANSNO
April 12, 7 p.m., Park Theatre
w/Potty Umbrella, Bison BC
April 13 show at the Royal Albert is sold out
