Lost in New York… and Canada

HAVING just returned from a rather interesting trip around Canada and New York, I thought I would take the opportunity this week to fill you all in on my travels, with a little sprinkle of some shameless self-promoting for good measure.

That’s right, folks.

I’m here to answer the question that you probably never asked… “But Jarlath, what were you doing there?”

Well, let me offer a little bit of context before I ramble any further.

At the tail-end of 2014, I received a message from my friend, Dan, who formed the Belfast-based pop-punk band, ‘No Matter’, back in 2009, and they were seeking a new guitarist.

Apparently, I was the man for the job, and I was more than happy to accept the invitation, as I had always been a fan of theirs since their formation.

Since then, No Matter, consisting of myself on guitar and vocals, Dan Kennedy on guitar and vocals, Caitlin Palmer on bass and vocals, and Jamie Wilson on drums have recorded three albums – including our latest release, ‘Bad Chemistry’ – and toured numerous times a year around Ireland, UK and Europe.

Setting off for Canada, this would be our second time since 2019 performing at the wonderful Pouzza Fest, a punk rock festival in Montreal that showcases bands from all over the world; giving musicians the chance to network and make connections amongst such a flourishing music scene of which strives on its do-it-yourself principles.

Having checked in at Dublin airport, we grabbed a bite to eat, and killed time by people watching and asking important questions such as “Is that Leo Varadker?!”

And funnily enough, it was.

We saw the Taoiseach, in the flesh, preparing to board a private jet on his way to Iceland to meet the Prime Minister of Reykjavik to give him an ear-beating about the whaling industry.

Now, while I’m all for saving the whales, that’s another discussion for another time – so onwards to Canada!

Our first show in Hamilton was in a venue called ‘Doors Pub: Taco Joint and Metal Bar’. Described as a “great music venue in the heart of downtown Hamilton,” the venue specialised in three things – live music, tex-mex style food and craft beer. All the ingredients of a darn good night.

The building itself reminded me of an old Victorian mansion, which worked in our favour in terms of acoustics, making us – and the three other Canadian bands on the bill – sound a little bit louder than usual – as if that was an issue in the first place.

The following day we made our way to Montreal in preparation of a warm-up gig ahead of Pouzza Fest that weekend.

The gig featured a handful of bands who were either set to play the festival that weekend, or who were simply making their way through town on tour.

Following a rather fun and noisy 30 minutes on stage, I took a seat at the back of the venue and took in my surroundings as the evenings headlining acts took to the stage.

Upon inspection, I couldn’t help but notice a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, instantly reminded me of a documentary I had once watched about the Ramones where they spoke of how, in their early days, they were so unpopular that they would ‘play in venues that still had a disco ball hanging from the ceiling’.

Determined not to let a disco ball ruin the night, I enjoyed the evening’s headline act.

But the cherry on top was when, while packing up after the gig, a karaoke contest broke out, and we were left standing, mindlessly nodding our heads to the worst version of ‘Break Stuff’ by Limp Bizkit one could ever imagine.

As Pouzza Fest kicked off that weekend, we were lucky enough to perform on the main stage, on the first night, at the beautiful time of 8pm – “Ah, brilliant,” I thought, “A drunk enough audience but still in good spirit.” Perfect!

As far as standards and expectations go in the No Matter camp, the main event of the weekend was a roaring success, and the next few days turned into a blur of walking the streets of Montreal, and seeing dozens of live bands, most notably, New York City rockers, ‘The Young Rochelles’, a band who I had followed online for the best part of a decade.

And not only were they playing a set of their own material, but an additional set the following day featuring covers of my all time favourite band, the Ramones – who you’re going to hear more than enough about by the time we make it to New York.

Speaking of the ‘Big Apple’, the following Monday we hopped on the old Greyhound Bus and headed to New York.

Arriving in Brooklyn that evening, we got settled in and prepared for our final gig of the trip in a venue called ‘The Kingsland’ the following night.

The Kingsland gave off that classic dive bar/rock club vibe that you might associate with America’s rich rock‘n’roll history. I was more than chuffed to be playing there as, upon inspection, I had discovered that one of my old favourite groups from Philadelphia, ‘CKY’, had previously performed there.

A fine evening had by all; and the only thing standing between us and our return to Ireland was three more days to explore the most famous city in the world.

There isn’t too much that can be said about the Manhattan skyline that hasn’t been said before. It was simply breath taking. We’ve all seen it in films and TV, so to take it all in for real was an experience, however, I had only one thing on my mind: This was the city that incubated several of my favourite bands since my early teens.

Following a quick stop for a photo at the famous fire station that was featured in the iconic Ghostbusters film, we also paid a quick visit to the toy shop from Home Alone 2 and despite my intense fear of heights, I even made my way up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, to my dismay.

A quick visit and dander through Times Square had much to offer the senses with an array of street performers, musicians and upon arrival, we even managed to pass the Writers Guild Strike.

Upon entering Central Park, the vibes were much the same, but with a much welcomed greener surrounding complimented by the sounds of a jazz band who were playing as I arrived.

I must say, I deeply regret not catching the name of the four piece acapella group who performed a flawless version of ‘Only You’ by the Platters under an archway in the park. I was, however, lucky to catch such a perfect performance on camera. Situated close by was the Dakota hotel, the location of which John Lennon was murdered.

As we passed through ‘Strawberry Fields’ in the park, I could hear a busker performing the Beatles classic ‘Let It Be’, which gave me a somewhat sinister chuckle as it was penned by Paul McCartney at a time when him and Lennon’s relationship was at its worst.

For me, the peak of the trip came when we paid a visit to a bar that no longer exists. That may sound rather odd, but let me explain: CBGB was a legendary music venue in the Bowery in New York City. Established in the early 70s by Hilly Kristal, it was an iconic place that many legendary rock acts played their earliest shows in, including The Ramones, Blondie, Johnny Thunders and Talking Heads.

Having closed its doors on Halloween night 2006, the building is now a somewhat ‘high end’ fashion boutique, and all that remains of the legendary venue are the walls, plastered in worn out concert posters, not a very fitting backdrop for a few dozen over-priced jackets.

Despite being almost 20 years shy of missing my chances to pay the venue a visit (or play in it for that matter!), I simply stood in the middle of the boutique, staring at the back wall, imagining one of Dee Dee Ramone’s famous count-ins fill the room with his snarling “ONE TWO THREE FOUR!”

I wasn’t prepared to leave until we – No Matter – recreated a famous photo of what was the Ramones standing around a lamp post outside the building in 1975. So, despite the venue no longer existing, at least I got something sentimental out of it. Just around the corner is also the famous ‘Joey Ramone Place’, so more photographs ensued, and I was more than content that I had seen everything I needed to in this incredible city – which I definitely hadn’t – but I was tired and sunburned at this point.

The last thing I spotted in New York as I boarded the bus to the airport was the famous New York Times building.

“Back to work it is then,” I internally joked with myself before our driver informed us, “Good news guys, traffic is bad so we’re taking the scenic route!” At that point, I lay my head on the backpack that sat upon my knee in an attempt to unwind before an overnight flight to Dublin via Iceland.

So, that’s another whacky adventure on the road under my belt.

Where will we end up next? Who knows. Seriously. It could be anywhere, for better or worse. Stay tuned!