Ceremonial Snips to play London

If you've never heard of the Ceremonial Snips before I can only assume you've been in a cave or have been paying hard earned money to see crappy bands. If you're stuck in either of these categories allow me to introduce one of the best punk bands around and definitely one of the craziest and most fun shows I've seen put on by a band.

Since 1999, Pogie (vocals), Ricky (trumpet/vocals), Ratski (trombone/vocals), Cob (guitar) Tone (guitar) Barty (bass) and Clay (drums) have been rocking to their own beat and drawing influence from NoFx, Pantera and Mad Caddies.

The band got their roots in high school, but eventually making music became a calling.

“[We] kept playing, getting drunk and touring until eventually wanted to do this for the rest of our lives,” said Pogie.

The Snips have been playing for eight years now and are still going strong with the very same line-up they started with, making these guys a tight and well-rehearsed force to be reckoned with.

During that time the Snips have released one E.P. called Fuck the Pain, Bring the Noise and most recently a full-length album called Check Your Audio, both recoded at Silo Studios in Hamilton and by the sounds of things the latter is breaking boundaries in the South-western Ontario music scene.

“After seven years of struggling with the same dudes in the same small town we've realized, boundaries blow. Boundaries lack everything that this group stands lives and breathes for. Boundaries lack inspiration. Boundaries lack creativity,” explained Pogie. “These songs weren't only written for ourselves. These songs are intended for the free-thinkers, the radical minds and anyone who has inspiration to inspire or yearns for inspiration. This recording is a celebration of the party that is our lives that we can only wish will never end.”

The Snips have also shared the stage with the Delegates, The Flatliners and The Matadors. They also just finished the six-week long “Sentenced to Party” tour, which stretched all over Canada and made a few stops south of the border too.

In August of last year the Snips signed on with the Japanese label In N Out Records, which have also signed such bands as The Bled and Halifax.

“We're really stoked to have our new album coming out in Japan with such cool people,” adds Ricky.

The Snips will be hitting London on February 23 at 3 Below (GT's basement) with Sector Seven, Pistols at Dawn and Copyriot. The doors open at 9:30 p.m. and cover charge is only $5 to see the Snips put on a crazy-ass show. For a small sample of what the Snips have to offer your musical taste buds check them out on Myspace.