When I woke up this morning and checked my email inbox, there it was… email subject “Martin Streek – R.I.P. Soundtrack To This Email: ‘Gone Still’ N.I.N.” At first I thought this was coming from Martin Streek in regards to the recent death of Michael Jackson, but no… I googled his name, I went to the home page of the radio station and sure enough, Martin Streek has recently been let go of his position as an on-air radio personality for corus entertainment’s 102.1 the edge.

It’s truly quite sad, you’d never suspect that. I’ve been an edge listener for years, to be honest now that I think of it, there was one episode where Martin got quite emotional on air with some of the not so nice fans who challenged his Canadian roots. I’ve also seen photos where he looked pretty upset but I always saw it as one of his “tough guy” poses. Martin was top 3 in my books next to Darrin Pfeiffer and Barry Taylor (other members of the edge radio personalities). Nonetheless, Martin always seemed pretty content… but perhaps that all came down to working for the edge.

Who knows what his reasons were for committing suicide, perhaps the loss of his job, a girl, drugs or all of the above. Why does this feel like another “Kurt Kobain” story? Wasn’t he the one who said “It’s better to burn out than to fade away”. Something tells me Martin Streek felt the same way and chose to “burn himself” out after being fired, rather than live on and “fade away”.

I’m sure things will come to surface sooner or later, provided Michael Jackson doesn’t continue to steal the spot light. I’d just like to note how influential he was to me as a listener; if it hadn’t been for him, I would not have discovered N.I.N. or the Clash. He hosted the most important show on the edge; the Thursday 30 countdown with pizza pizza! Now I really feel bad for never dropping it to enjoy a free slice with him which I always  said I’d do.

As usual, it’s too little too late. If you were a fan of Martin Streek, check out this Facebook group setup in his memory.

Related Posts

• Edgefest 2008 - Downsview Park
• Attack in Black - The Love Between You And I
• The Flatliners - This Respirator
• Hostage Life - White Jesus

This past weekend The Ongoing Music Documentary attended Edgefest ’08 at Downsview Park to see bands such as Attack in Black, The Flatliners, Hostage Life, Sam Roberts, Linkin Park and of course The Stone Temple Pilots.

This was my first time seeing a show at Downsview Park and I would have to say that the location is quite ideal. The Main Stage was situated facing a large open area with a raised lip around the back outer rim like a coliseum. This allowed for a great view from far back and with approximately 15,000 music enthusiasts attending this years festivities, the added vantage point was key. Although there was some minor reverb off the building across from the stage the sound quality was prime.

The location of the Second Stage (where all the best bands played) was key. Stage two was located right by the entrance and slightly beside the main stage. I believed this helped with traffic for the littler known bands as every person entering the venue had to first walk past a band they maybe didn’t know in order to get to the Main Stage.

I would also like to make mention that although the most “professional” bands couldn’t seem to be on time for anything, the event as a whole was scheduled beautifully allowing for an attendee to see EVERY band play.

Unlike most large summer festivals Edgefest actually had GOOD FOOD for sale! A wide variety of vegetarian and meat products were sold from falafel to Philly cheese steak on a bun.

On the downside, the location of Downsview is anything but ideal for mass amounts of public transportation traffic and the limited road access is terrible for the flood of cars leaving after the show. Even with predicted rain, concert goers were not allowed to bring in umbrellas. (It only rained for about 40 minutes mid day).

The line-up to get into the beer garden was as long as I presume the line for the latest Wonderland coaster and moving at the same speed. The line was so long I thought they were giving away free beer.

Check out the footage and interviews we shot!

Attack in Black

The Flatliners

Hostage Life

Finally, 102.1 The Edge has a section on their website for people who attended this years Edgefest to submit their own personal reviews, photos, and videos. I think this is an awesome interactive idea that can only further the popularity and success of Edgefest’s to come.

Click the banner below to submit your reviews, photos, etc.

Related Posts

• Attack in Black - The Love Between You And I
• Martin Streek of 102.1 the edge
• The Saint Alvia Cartel EPK @ VFEST Toronto Island
• Sellout Artists Sellout Shows
• The Flatliners - This Respirator
• Hostage Life - White Jesus
• The Artist Life - Resting Place
• The Peacocks - Older Than Punk
• Wheels On The Bus - In The Loop

Weather Conditions

So this year’s weather was rainy, muddy, but nonetheless a ton of fun for the young souls who could enjoy the moment with some mud sliding as if the wet grass was a Crocodile Mile matte. However, when Attack in Black played Edgefest 2006, poor old Dan woke up in the hospital the following day. Perhaps he had too much to drink or not enough. With the blazing sun and fierce stage lights, the stage floor paint was melting making for a slippery experience on stage like a pool of blood. At least they moved from the side stage to the main stage this time around.

I suppose we can all learn from the two extreme weather conditions of the past two Edgefests. Umbrella’s were not permitted inside the park, apparently too many people have lost their eye balls in previous years. Other prohibited items included lawn chairs and any drinks. All of which make for a difficult preparation to enjoying an outdoor show.

Inside the park, drinks and ponchos were sold, so in light of this fact, you might want to leave some of your things at home and reserve some cash for key elements, such as bottled water or ponchos. On a blazing sunny day, let’s hope they’ll let us bring sun screen, cause we always enjoy the sun until we feel it’s sting afterwards.

Attack in Black’s performance of “The Love Between You And I” was almost too good to splice up with an interview. There is something so compelling about their stage presence that the world around them grows silent listening intently to singer/guitarist Dan, a brilliant lyricist;

the passing of the time we killed when we were young
the archives of our blessed few
and all that they’ve done wrong or haven’t done at all

As a mid twenty year old, Dan has a few years of wisdom and is close enough in age to share a similar perspective as today’s youth. I think of my own life with the above lyrics marked in bold and can relate feeling that I’ve lost some time dwelling on the things that happened in relationships and in my family.

This summer I’ve learned the meaning of vanity. That I have been blessed with so much to enjoy but lacked the ability to enjoy them. Seeing the cup as half empty rather than half full disabled me from being able to enjoy the moment despite weather conditions (like the kids who mud slide in the rain). Rain or shine, it’s all in what you make of it and how you prepare.

This video along with the Hostage Life video & The Flatliners video (also from Edgefest 2008) is currently featured on the Edgefest website, so if you’re an inside edge member and a fan of this band, go rate the video and share it with friends.

1. Come What May
2. Young Leaves
3. Hunger of the Young
4. Inches and Ages
5. Marriage
6. If All I Thought Were true
7. Broken Things
8. Footprints
9. Love Between You and I
10. Northern Towns
11. Husbands
12. Crimes and Church Bells

For more information about Attack in Black or to found out where they’ll be next, visit www.attackinblack.com

Related Posts

• Edgefest 2008 - Downsview Park
• Martin Streek of 102.1 the edge
• The Flatliners - This Respirator
• Hostage Life - White Jesus

The Flatliners are back and tighter than ever. We managed to grab an interview with vocalist/guitarist Chris Cresswell and guitarist Scott Brigham back stage at Edgefest ’08. It’s been a year since we’ve met the boys at NXNE 2007 where they just finished recording their album and signed to Fat Wreck Chords (the youngest group of kids in a band ever) with the Union Label Group.

The boys have been getting heavy rotation on the Edge this year, they boys have been touring the world for a streak of 9 months playing with some of the bands they grew up listening to, but not forgetting their roots with the local Toronto Punk Rock scene. As expected, The Flatliners have catapulted their careers in the music industry all the while building a family of friends, supporters, and fans as they grow into their 20′s. To which I might add, Chris Cresswell says is the blood-line of their drive. Heavy touring can takes it’s toll on your life and the lives of your loved ones, but in the end love keeps the blood flowing.

The video above includes their current single “This Respirator”… a song about life on the road with a life waiting for you back home. Here are some of the lyrics to consider

It’s just begun and our broken backs are so cold
These four wheels feel like home to me
And I feel like I never want to go home
We could stop the world and we could tear it apart
These four wheels feel like home to me
They breathe

As these notes are bellowed they’ll rip you apart
So let these flat chords just break your heart
And who the fuck said we were giving up?
Cause it’s just begun

“It’s just begun and our broken backs are so cold” – perhaps tired out and longing for the love they have back home, trying to pull off a balancing act between work and love. It’s obvious that these lyrics are related to their new deal with Fat Wreck, the 9 months of life on the road from straight world wide touring, and being faced with choosing a path. They say all good and bad things come in threes. Considering that Chris had a new record, a new label, a new girl, I think it’s safe to say that the lyrics he wrote for the bridge are in reference to someone special back home who may not appreciate the struggles of being in a professional band.

During the video interview, Chris made a point to say that your loved ones will be there no matter what, that they may not understand or be happy with the decisions you make, but if they truly do love you, they will support you in whatever you do. It’s a tough decision to carry on with the march to the top of the charts, but your real friends, family, lovers will always be there to support you.

This video along with the Hostage Life video (also from Edgefest 2008) is currently featured on the Edgefest website, so if you’re an inside edge member and a fan of this band, go rate the video and share it with friends.

1. July
2. Eulogy
3. And the World Files for chapter 11
4. This Respirator
5. Meanwhile, In Hell
6. Mother Teresa Chokeslams the World
7. This is Giving Up
8. Mastering the World’s Smallest Vilolin
9. You Guys Want One of These?
10. These Words Are Bullets
11. Hal Johnson Smokes Cigarettes
12. K.H.T.D.R.

For more about The Flatliners or to found out where they’ll be next, visit www.theflatliners.com

The Flatliners – Mother Theresa Chokeslams The World

Posted on: August 18th, 2007

[See post to watch Flash video]

NXNE 2007 features The Flatliners at The Annex Wreck Room in Toronto with Hostage Life. The Flatliners have recently been signed to Fat Wreck Chords (a record label founded by Fat Mike of NOFX) and are being backed by Underground Operations Booking in Toronto, Canada and Union Label Group in Montreal, Canada who has also signed The Ceremonial Snips whom also performed at the Annex Wreck Room. Their style can be described as raw punk with some old school influence but clearly have their own sound. See them perform “Mother Theresa Chokeslams The World” as part of the North by North-East Music Festival.

1. Intro
2. Fred’s Got Slacks
3. There’s A Problem
4. Public Service Announcement
5. Bad News
6. My Hands Are Tied
7. Gullible
8. Scumpunch!
9. I Am Abandoned
10. Macoretta Boozer
11. Broken Bones
12. Quality Televison
13. Do or Die

For more information about The Flatliners or to find out where they’ll be next, visit www.theflatliners.com

Related Posts

• Hostage Life - White Jesus
• Shows I wish I’d seen, #2
• Yonge-Dundas Square takes off
• Iroquois Falls @ the Garrison
• This Movie is Packed
• Get to the ‘Shoe!
• They don’t sound like locals
• Thursday @ the Garrison
• In case you missed Wednesday…
• NXNE at the CN Tower

Interviewed at Edgefest ’08, guitarist Patrick Mathers of Hostage Life recounts a story from 2 years ago when Hostage Life played Edgefest in 2005. It’s interesting to remark upon the fact that certain venues expect a certain stage etiquette when a band performs in front of a family audience. For some artists, that goes without saying, while with others it’s an insult to who they are.

Naturally any punk rock band is going to personify that egotistical “we’re the $#@!’ing !@#%” attitude and cuss up a storm to get the rest of the punks in the audience all rattled up. After all, the band’s target audience wants just that… a rebellious spokesperson with no fear of public scrutiny.

So why then accommodate the virgin ears and eyes? Which demand should the band cater to? The group of people that want the punk lifestyle or the group of people that wants to enjoy the music without being offended? Check the interview to see what the final outcome was and tell me whether you think the demand for one audience can save or break a band’s career.

In light of the lyrics to their song “White Jesus”… I think it’s a perfect example of what a punk band is; a blasphemous rebellion. Check some of these lines, it would take quite a bit of comfort in knowing who and what you are to say these things… especially with an older generation of baby boomers protecting their kids from the same “racket” their parents tried to protect them from, such as Elvis Presley, Kiss, etc. Inevitably today’s kids will do the same for their kids when the next generation of “bad influence bands” comes into the lime light and onto the radio.

white jesus
the coward’s redeemer
that lies to believers
betrays the healer
every page and brush’s stride
so successfully divides

share the same world view as medieval minds
heeding the threats of forgotten scribes
slaughter or slave for paradise
cry intolerance when criticized
and it’s a fucking lie

I tend to agree… recently I’ve returned to Church after having lost my dear grand-mother (r.i.p. G) and my high school sweetheart. In an effort to restore the balance I had in my younger days when I had full faith in God, I’ve been refreshing my memory of what the 10 commandments really mean and where we are to find true happiness and fulfillment.

For the most part, I contend that the bible is a philosopher’s book and demonstrates the benefits of living a very honest and courteous life, but at face value, there are numerous errors and dissertations which have been corrupted over time and reinterpreted by different generations whom have all had different perspectives. Henceforth as put by Colin’s lyrics “share the same world view as medieval minds”, do we really want to be so conservative that we’ll take literal translations from thousands of years ago when the average human’s IQ was maybe half of what it is today?

Even as I’ve aged, I’ve caught on to so many discreptancies about religion whereby one bible describes the son of God as a caucasian, blue eyed boy with blond hair… are you kidding me? How would a white boy survive the desert 2000 years before sun screen was made? Christianity also states that Jesus died on the cross to pay homage for all our sins… isn’t that a bit of a co-op to paying for our own consequences?

Who knows what truth there is, I think the only truth we can enjoy is the one we discern for ourselves by reading the various versions scriptures for ourselves. So hey, kudos to Hostage Life for rattling cages and encouraging people to look at all angles.

This video along with The Flatliners video (also from Edgefest 2008) is currently featured on the Edgefest website, so if you’re an inside edge member and a fan of this band, go rate the video and share it with friends.

Hostage Life Video Downloads for your iPod or Mobile Phone;
http://www.epkhosting.com/free-video-downloads/underground-operations/

Hostage Life – Sons of Hostage Life

Posted on: August 18th, 2007

[See post to watch Flash video]

Securing My Seat

NXNE 2007 features Hostage Life from one of my favorite indie record labels Underground Operations. The boys have had regular airplay on 102.1 the edge for more than 2 singles including Sons of Hostage Life, Committee, and currently airing is Securing My Seat. These hard rockers make blue collar music for the people who loath their day job. No doubt, these boys have been there and are on a lifelong battle to Secure their Seat in the industry.

This track is available on their full length album entitled Walking Papers

1. We Will Make You Crawl
2. Sons of Hostage Life
3. This Song Was Written By A Committee
4. Hostage Life’s Legally Distinct Cola Commercial
5. The Last Superman
6. Securing My Seat
7. How to Die With a Smile
8. The Quietest Mutiny
9. Hostage Life are Fucking Alive and Well
10. Fuck, I Hope You’re Not Pregnant
11. Of Shutguns and Pleasure Wands
12. Carbon Heart Radio
13. When I Get Cancer
14. Hell Awaits Hostage Life

For more information about Hostage Life or to find out where they’ll be next, visit www.hostagelife.com

Related Posts

• The Flatliners - This Respirator
• Shows I wish I’d seen, #2
• Yonge-Dundas Square takes off
• Iroquois Falls @ the Garrison
• This Movie is Packed
• Get to the ‘Shoe!
• They don’t sound like locals
• Thursday @ the Garrison
• In case you missed Wednesday…
• NXNE at the CN Tower