Ninjaspy: Exclusive “No Kata” Tour Journal 1

Kelowna, BC: The team was hardly assembled, the Triad set out from Vancouver on the late train to arrive barely in time for the first set of the tour. The people were whirled into a mad frenzy, questions filling their minds. T Shirt Salesman Patrick Colby had been slaving away at a Casino in town and had to return to work after the show. Sound Technician Justin Sarris rode from the mainland in a separate vehicle from the crew, so when all spokes n blokes converged on Ktown, it was like a clash of tardy titans. The show was rad, Kelowna kids are rad, we slept at Justins mom’s house. Mom’s are rad. We assured her that our van had brakes.

Calgary, AB: Opening for black metal bands is always interesting, as is opening for power metal bands. Such is the joy of being in a mashup metal band, we get to play with soooo many rad bands from all walks, runs, skanks and headbangs of life. Weapon, Holy Grail and Toxic Holocaust gave us a lesson in myriad metal, then we stayed up til the wee hours with Treeburning getting into all sorts of trouble and freestyling rap that inevitably degenerated into lackluster rhymes about erections and feces. A boyish romp reminiscent of high school. VERY good times.

Regina, SK: This was a quiet night. Small crowd, but enthusiastic. And a great venue, was nice to have some space to kick around. Breakfast is really a wonderful thing.

Winnipeg, MB: The Zoo in Winnipeg is just that. Always an unreal combination of coming and going that somehow finds each of the three band members dizzy and inexplicably on stage on time. The kids in the Peg are unequaled by any in their willingness to jump barricades and land face first on smashed glass. On stage vomiting made this a night to remember.

Thunder Bay, ON: One of our favourite places by far. The Black Pirate Pub is always dim yet full of life, like an old town shanty full of all sorts of characters. One fan stood drunkenly at the front centre of the stage holding the crowd up with his arms spread like Jesus carrying his cross to Gol’Gotha. After the show, we enjoyed the comforts of Lazer and her video games for way too many hours on end. Ate some righteous coney burgers and smoked a seven headed bat that whacked a few heads clear out of the park.

DRIVE TIME: 26 hours straight from Thunder Bay to Oshawa. Ugh.

St. Catherines, ON: After a lovely day off with Monkman in Oshawa, wining and dining and watching ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’, we went to St. Catherines to get back on the music train after 4 days off. The bar was like a tunnel into which we funneled a hundred metal heads and proceeded to have a time. All was well until, after lending it for use, one of the other bands had neglected to shut off Joel’s amp, rendering it useless for the remainder of the tour. The bastard. So expect to hear a different guitar tone every night from now on. Bollocks.

London, ON: Goddamn frosh week. this was not something we were aware of. We got a drinking in public ticket (for having one quarter beer open beside the van) from one of thousands of cops cruising the frat grounds busting anyone for anything and showing no mercy. Never before have we so voraciously hated a bunch of rich college kids getting shittered, being sluts and fighting each other the week before going to “expand their minds”. Such a backwards affair we will never understand. But the show was rad, always the thing to look forward to in the midst of the chaos.

“No No Kata” Tour Dates:

09/17 – Moncton, NB – The Manhattan
09/18 – Charlottetown, PEI – The Refinery (Early Show)
09/18 – Charlottetown, PEI – Baba’s Lounge
09/19 – Fredericton, NB – The Capital
09/21 – Toronto, ON – Nocturne Club
09/22 – Ajax, ON – The Top Shelf
09/23 – Montreal, QC – Katacombes
09/24 – Ottawa, ON – Cafe Deckuf
09/26 – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirate Pub
09/29 – Winnipeg, MB – The Park Theater
09/30 – Saskatoon, SK – Cosmo Senior Center
10/01 – Edmonton, AB – Brixx Bar+Grill
10/02 – Prince George , BC – Third
10/04 – Kamloops, BC – Pogue Mahones
10/05 – Penticton, BC – The Cannery Theater
10/07 – Maple Ridge, BC – Hammond Hall
10/08 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre

Check out the tour teaser