Punk rock shows are beginning again for the summer in the Moose Hall.
Promoter Alex Currie and Deathbridge Disease brought Calgary Celtic punk band the River Jacks to the Moose Hall last week to kick off their tour for their new CD. This week, New Jersey rock and roll punk band Hudson Falcons play the Moose Hall, May 11 with Calgary’s Streetlight Saints and the Galacticas.
“ We‘ve been trying to do a western Canadian tour for years,“ said North Bergen, New Jersey based frontman/ guitarist Mark Linskey from Corpus Christie , Texas, taking a quick break from doing computer work for his day job doing as a union organizer.
“I do computer work. And as long as the work is done, my supervisors don’t mind where I do it. They’re very understanding,” he said.
The New Jersey based street punk band have been touring and recording since the late 1990s.
“We’ve been touring for so long, we have a great network of people who can play. Because some people can’ t do certain parts of a tour,” he said.
The western leg of the tour includes founding drummer Alyson Cina originally from Lodi, NJ who currently lives in Washington, DC. , guitarist Matty Davalos - guitar, originally from Minneapolis, MN, currently living in Rapid City, South Dakota and bassist Nick Ferrero who is from Manchester, New Hampshire.
“ He can play guitar or bass, whatever we need him to do,” he said.
“Alyson formed the band with me 20 years ago,” he said.
He said the band isn’t really a punk rock band.
“I always wanted to tour, I just thought that would be the coolest thing to travel around and play, but I didn’t start touring until I was 29,” said Linskey, who is now 47.
“And since like 1998, I’ve played like 1,600 and 1,700 shows, but never western Canada. I’ve played Vancouver a couple of times and some of Eastern Canada. So I’m pretty excited to finally get to tour western Canada,” he said.
“Allison and I did like 150 or 160 shows in just 200-2001,” he said.
“ I just like playing rock and roll, faster and louder,” he said.
Hudson Falcons sound a little like a more punk rock Bruce Springsteen.
“That’s the greatest compliment. I have more in common with a guy like him than I do with someone like, say , the Sex Pistols,” he said adding he didn’t listen to a lot of punk growing up.
“ I didn’t know what punk rock was. I knew the Clash and the New York Dolls and that was it until a the punk rock kid in new Jersey gave me a mix tape with bands like Sham 69 and the Vibrators and The Stiff Little Fingers. When i heard the Stiff little Fingers, I said, yes, that’s what I want to do,” he enthused, agreeing he had a similar reaction to hearing bands like Uncle Tupelo and Jason and the Scorchers for the first time.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to see Jason Ringenberg play in New Jersey and it was the same reaction “ that’s what I want to do,” he said.
“ They play with a lot of balls and that’s the way we do it,” he said.
Hudson Falcons last released a record in 2015.
“ I have a weird way of writing songs. I’m usually busy booking tours and doing the day job. So every year at the end of August I go to a rest stop in Akron, Ohio and sit and write songs. It’s so peaceful out there. I can clear my head and I don’t have to worry about booking tours and I can just sit and write and let those creative juices flow. So we‘ll see in September if we have a new album. I’ve already written five songs,” he said.
They are looking forward to the show.
“We always play like it’s the end of the world. Whether it’s for three people or 300 people or somewhere in the middle. You can’t just phone it in. In fact if there’s only 30 people, you almost have to play better, you almost owe them more because they’re the ones who came out to see you,” he said.
The crowd often dictates the set.
“We don’t just come out and play the album. We have like six albums. we play some from all of them. And we’ve spoken to people in the area, and they seem to want to hear the heavier songs. As s a songwriter that’s a compliment. So we’ll play them and some slower, not ballads, but more country songs. Even if I am more partial to the newer songs,” he said.
Tickets are $15 in advance from Blueprint. Doors open at 8 p.m. The show will end by midnight.
