MUSIC AT WORKTHE REGAL BEAGLE BAND AND SOHO GHETTO: CASES FOR THE FUTURE OF HALIFAX ROCK ‘N’ ROLL. JOSH MCGRATH I’m always awe struck by the work ethic of musicians here in

Halifax and Nova Scotia in general. Night after night, half-empty bar after half-empty bar – these guys and dolls from the east coast are burning it down, putting on theatre-ready shows packed with energy, musicality and that good ol’ Maritime tang. Bands are coming out of the woodwork in this city in a way that is reminiscent of the late eighties LA punk rock scene, or early nineties Seattle – and while they might not be destined for the stardom of Black Flag or Nirvana - the vibe, the excitement, the quality of music and the relentless onslaught of show after show after show… brings the almost eerie question to mind; is this city, Halifax Nova Scotia, the –new- home base for future Rock n’ Roll? On Saturday April 21st, at Michael’s Bar & Grill two bands, SoHo Ghetto & The Regal Beagle Band, got together to make a pretty good case for that very proposition. From the opening energetic rock ballad “Waiting on a Sign”(RBB) to the closing trance-inducing anthem “One by One” (SoHo) this show reminded me in full why, at any given bar on any given night in Halifax, it’s a good idea to go out and pay the less-than-ten-dollars cover charge to get your socks blown off by one of our amazing local acts. The Regal Beagle Band – a folk/indie/rock ensemble with some serious chops. Superbly arranged songs, beautifully written lyrics and well-crafted harmonies are blasted on volume setting “11” with tone switched to “ROCK”. These guys are a group to keep your eye on as they get set to release their debut full-length album towards the end of this summer. Dynamic and ensnaring, SoHo Ghetto, a seven piece band, brought to the stage an immeasurable and contagious sound and live show. I got a chance to speak with front man Marc -Antoine Robertson and bassist Peter Smith about their recent experience at Canadian Music Week, their new album and what’s up next for them.

Tell me a little about CMW and the experience. Robertson: Canadian Music Week was EPIC, I would say it is for sure the most exciting thing to happen to this band – The high-light of our musical career, and maybe our lives as individuals. We got picked up by an international agent after, so we’re all in this position where we didn’t see it coming. We’re still trying to catch up. Nice, congrats! What about the new album, “Humble Beginnings Make for Good Night Life”? Robertson: We were happy with it, absolutely. It took a long time, some of those songs were written over three years ago, some just a year ago. It was something we were all very proud of. What’s up next? Robertson: This is our last show in Halifax for a few months, we’re really trying to learn some new material. Then we’re going to play a couple shows in New Brunswick in May, and a show in Cape and PEI in a couple weeks. In June we’re going to Toronto, and Peterborough. Exciting stuff! With all the upcoming travelling, is there anywhere or anything in particular you’d like to go or do? Smith: Everything. I think the goal for everyone is to do it as much as possible. We’ve all made some incredible sacrifices so far. We’re gonna just keep the ball rolling, If we come to a bump in the road – we’ll deal with it. We’re not making any money – and that’s awesome. We just wanna play f***in’ music. We’ve taken the first step in a long line of steps to try and make our dream a reality. I think everyone has the same dream – to perform, to play music and to make music. Awesome guys, before we finish up, is there anything you’d like to add? Robertson: Keep your ears open and “Like” us on Facebook!