Day of the Dead
by Sharon Bamford
The Dead will rise in 2008.
The Dead Starlets, that is.
Emerging from the Barrie scene, this five-member band carries with them a raw edginess and true dedication to showmanship – creating just the right mix.
Front man Church, who leads the band through a profound and dark web of Gothic punk rock, is accompanied by Christ Naylor and Dan ‘Stella’ Walker on guitar and backup vocals, and a unified rhythm section made up of Dave Botle on bass and Luc Loiselle on drums.
The Dead Starlets, who describe themselves as ‘Gothic bluesy punk rock’, weave more than two decades of rock and punk rock influence to create a sound that is a refreshing throwback to what punk rock really is.
Still not too sure what to expect?
“If Rob Zombie was to have a barbecue and the Ramones, Social Distortion and Ministry all came over and they started jamming, that’s what you would get,” says Naylor.
If you were able to catch the Dead Starlets at their last show on the Foundation stage in December, you may have walked in not knowing what to expect – but walked out a fan.
No special effects, no enhancement, no manufactured riffs and choruses, just pure rock and showmanship, the band give the audience a lot of bang for their buck.
In full makeup, props and usually a broken mic stand or two, the band delivers what Church and Dan agree a rock show is really all about.
“Dan and I were raised in an era of the early ’80s late ’70s punk scene, and that’s where it was,” says Church. “In fact, most of the time you couldn’t understand the singing, but you went to see the energy of it. I think we’re fortunate enough that we can combine the two and put out a good song that also has the energy behind it.”
With egos left at the door each Wednesday night when the members get together for rehearsal, this band’s commitment to not only the music they produce, but the performance they deliver is what makes for a show you shouldn’t miss in 2008.
“When you go to see a band these days, they may have stellar musicianship, and they may sound great, but nine times out of 10 they just stand there and bore you to tears,” says Naylor.
“There’s no showmanship anymore. We’re trying to bring back showmanship because if people are paying to see your show they’re paying to see just that – a show!”
Don’t let their attention to face paint draw you away from Church’s sinister yet captivating vocals and Dan’s by-the-book classic punk rock riffs.
This February, the band packs up their downtown jam space to head into Barrie’s One Star Studios, where they will record their first full-length album. It will feature songs from their demo disc, like Lights Out and Get Over It, which was aired on Rock 95 in 2007.
Their own album isn’t the only disc the band will appear on in 2008. They have been invited to appear on a locally produced compilation CD that will hit college and university airwaves.
Sadly, these Dead Starlets will be out of the spotlight for a little while as they head into the studio, but fans or the curious can check them out online at www.deadstarlets.com, where the band has photos, tunes, swag, bios and much more. |
