Winnipeg power -pop band the Perms aren’t afraid to be happy and spreading it all over the world.
They will be playing the Slice, July 5.
“We’re excited to come back to Lethbridge. It’s been some time. I think the last time we played there was at the old Tongue n Groove with the Dudes,” said bassist/ vocalist Shane Smith, who make up the Perms along with his brother Chad on guitar and vocals and drummer John Huver.
They have been playing together for a solid 15 years.
“We are like brothers. It’s just me and my brother and a really good friend who is like a brother so we are really close ,” he said of the bands longevity. They formed in Brandon in high school and later relocated to Winnipeg.
They are busy getting ready for a new European tour which brings them back to Germany and Bulgaria in the October.
Late last year they released their fifth CD “Sofia Nights” to mixed reviews and a video for “High School High,” to the same.
“ We released the video for High School High In Germany on their MTV It was basically us playing and having fun, wearing wigs, basically dressed like Motley Crüe and nobody got it. Our music is absolutely the opposite of music there, We just love to have fun. I guess things are usually a lot darker in Germany,” he observed.
“I’m not going to lie the album has received some bad reviews,” he said observing feedback has been positive overall.
He observed Canadian music is a lot happier than music in places like Germany, though they enjoy playing European countries.
“Here we have bands like the Dudes and party time bands like the Arkells and Sloan. And people do appreciate that, ” he continued.
He noted the band received a great reception in Bulgaria.
“They are starved for live music over there. They were having trouble finding a band to open for us because there are none. The only other show there was the Scorpions reunion tour. And we were treated like rock stars,” he continued.
The language barrier can lead to some interesting encounters.
He noted during their last tour in Germany, they had some difficulties with the venue and a PA system in a small town two hours Southeast of Berlin.
“There is the language barrier and part of our deal over there is we have to set up the PA system. So the lady there says ‘ You must get the PA, it’s in the door.’ So we try, but the door wouldn’t open, when we finally did get it open, the PA wasn’t there. I don't think we’ll be booked back there because I think I broke their door,” he said.
He said Canadian touring can be just as interesting, as he related the story of a “mentally challenged,” woman outside of a Toronto nightclub.
They are looking forward to returning to Europe.
“We’re pretty excited about it,” he said.
They are also ready to release videos for “Make it Through,” and “Live for Today,” from their CD before getting to work on the next one.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
