Michelle Hopkins, Richmond News
Published: Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Vancouver-based roots-rock renegade band, Swank, is coming to Richmond and be ready to party. The five members of Swank - Dave Badanic (electric/acoustic guitars/vocals), Phil Addington (bass/vocals), Kirk Douglas (drums/percussion/vocals/guitar/dobro), Doug Liddle (electric/acoustic guitars, slide and steel guitar/banjo/vocals) and Spencer McKinnon (lead vocals/harmonica) -- love to have fun on stage.
Liddle says the band performs up to three sweaty sets of truly original songs with high-octane, foot stomping barroom belligerence.
Meanwhile, Swank has opened and headlined countless shows to an ever-growing fan base in Western Canada.

A video from its CD, Survival Issue's single, How Do We Do, directed by Patrick Carroll (who directed Spiderman -- the animated series) debuted at the 2005 Indie Music Video Festival and airs regularly on Bravo. Survival Issue is the follow up to the band's well-received rockabilly blues flavoured debut CD Pappy's Corn Squeezin's. The band also has songs on Zombie Night in Canada Volume 2, Showdown and the hockey song compilation Johnny Hanson presents Puck Rock Classics Volume 2. Swank's songs are played on national radio, numerous international pod casts and college stations around the world.
Swank performs as part of the Musical Expressions Summer Concert Series this Saturday, July 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Britannia Heritage Shipyard, 5180 Westwater Dr. in Steveston. Admission is by donation. Bring your chairs and blankets. For more information, visit www.cherellejardine.com.

Q&A

If you had a million dollars in your pocket, what would you buy?
Drinks for all our friends.
Song/artist you love to hate.
There's really too much hate in the world and it's probably too strong a word to be used on songs or artists, but Paris Hilton really is loathsome, isn't she? Oh, you said artist.
Most disgusting thing you would eat for a million dollars.
Paris Hilton.
Worst teenage moment.
Oh, the worst is certainly yet to come.
Dream vacation.
Permanent!
Describe your style?
Swank inhabits the lawless borderlands between Americana, Punk and Rock & Roll. It is gospel perverted by hillbillies, soul wearing three-day stubble, punk in a pasture, bluegrass sporting brass knuckles and a chip on its shoulder, folk stinking of car exhaust and a three-day bender, the blues pointing and laughing at existential dread, and country wrought from the rat-infested back alleys on the wrong side of the tracks of as west as one can go.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A man with a moustache, an eye patch and a limp.
Place you would most like to visit before you die.
Steveston.
Which five foods could you never live without?
Hops, barley, malt, yeast and sugar.
If you could go back to school what would you study?
How to read music.
If you could be an animal, what would it be?
A cane toad.
First concert experience.
Phil: Sweeny Todd (high school dance)
Spencer: Trooper (high school dance)
Dave: Kickaxe (high school dance)
Kirk: Van Halen
Doug: The VSO doing Beethoven
What super hero would you be?
Jet Jaguar because he gets to hang out with Godzilla. What could be cooler than hanging out with Godzilla?
Wildest thing you ever did on your birthday.
Spencer once went to Tijuana and watched a naked lady play the accordion. Doug spent one in Emergency.
What do you miss most about being a kid?
Not being tried as an adult and watching naked ladies playing accordion in Tijuana.
What really ticks you off?
Most things really, but car alarms especially.
What would you die for?
Fish and chips in Steveston.
What would you kill for?
Murder is categorically wrong. Oh... Him? For you? $5,000 cash and a Q&A in The Richmond News.

mhopkins@richmond-news.com