Victim Party studio 3 session

It has taken us a while to book Victim Party. They are one of the biggest bands we have recorded with two singers, two guitarists and a rhythm section. Colin and Pat have recorded a studio 3 session or two with Hostage Life, but that was back at the basement at St. George. The third floor digs allow us to isolate things like drums and guitar amps, which help at the mixing stage. But we had five plus people in the broadcast studio and somehow it worked. 

The band was set on recording their latest LP along with one additional song. The full length is called "Getting to know the Victim Party" and has a few themes that weave the material together. But each member, past and present has a song about them and in a very literal way this serves as in introduction to the members of the band. These songs include:

- An evening with Colin (shouter)
- Adam Cook, Extinguished Gentleman (original bassist)
- Weekend at Kyle's (drummer)
- Tabi Irani, Tragically Fascist or Fascistically Tragic (singer)
- Matt Woo (and you can too) (bassist)
- You're Great, I'm Dean Richards (guitarist)
- Patrick Mathers cuts the sleeves off your expectations (guitarist)

There is an opening number which is about a party and is called "Spring Mixer". And there is a song that predicts the band's break up called "Irreconcilable Similarities". The additional song is "100 Assholes" which is a song pulled together from two earlier songs which were "100 Laces" and "Poets and other assholes". These original songs can be found at http://victimparty.bandcamp.com/album/the-worst-party-on-earth-digital.

Colin's singing was familiar and amazing. Tabi's vocals were sung and held in a soulful way that sounded like Delta 72 or Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex. The two singing styles together is unique and as we went through the songs I realized that this band spends a lot of time on vocal arrangements. That is true of my most favourite punk bands like the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, the Angelic Upstarts and it is amazing to hear it in a local band. But I find the vocal arrangements are a lot more complex in Victim Party's material,  in a way that invites singing along, head bobbing and foot stomping. 

A two guitar attack between Dean and Pat make for a full sound. Matt Woo on bass and Adam's brother Kyle plays bass. Adam was the original bass player in this band and played with Colin in Marilyn's Vitamins. This may be helpful in some family tree sort of way on the scene in the future.

This session was recorded by Ian Wilkinson who also recorded the Hostage Life session a few years back. 

Aldo from Punks and Rockers videotaped the session which you can see below.