L.A. Beat

 Vancouver Celtic punk  rock band the Real McKenzies are happy to get you into the Celtic spirit with a show at Bo Diddly’s, March 15 with the Scallywags.
“We’ve got some Scottish bagpipes and two rip-roaring guitars, I’ll be playing saxophone and penny whistle,” said Real McKenzies’ lead singer Paul McKenzie.

“ It’s pretty much a rock and roll show, but we also cover some Robbie Burns,” he continued.
 They will also be playing some music from their new CD “ Westwinds”  which they recorded in Nanton with Steve Loree and will be released March 27.

“We got to know a guy called Steve Loree. He’s a real nice guy. We spent about a month working on it with him,” he continued.
“When we record in the city, we’re easily distracted.  A guy would finish his track and go off to the pub. In Nanton there is nothing to do but record,” he said.
“We’re pretty pleased with it,” he said.

They recently finished another tour of the United Kingdom and even played a couple shows in Russia.
“We played in St. Petersburg and drove to Moscow. It was crazy, man,” he said.
“ And it’s always great to be back in the United Kingdom ” he continued.

While Paul McKenzie was at the forefront of Vancouver‘s early ’80s  punk and independent rock scene with a variety of bands including the Enigmas a few years ago, who stood out from the crowd by incorporating a saxophone into their punk music, he has been rocking it Celtic style since 1992 with the Real McKenzies.

“A few years, that’s three or for years, that was a whole life sentence ago,” noted McKenzie, who sings as well as plays tin whistle and even a little saxophone with the Real McKenzies.
“That was a fun band,” he said of the Enigmas as he launched into a diatribe about spending a rainy winter in Vancouver, cleaning up their old ’94 Ford van of mould, so they can head west for a quick, four or five date tour of Alberta before beginning a tour with the Reverend Horton Heat.

“We’ve never played with those guys before. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun,”  he said, adding before that tour with them begins in late April and carries on through May, the band is looking forward to being back in Lethbridge.
“We decided to do a few shows for St. Patricks Day,” he said. He noted the band played Lethbridge four or five years ago, though couldn’t remember the actual gig.

They are looking forward to returning.
“I’d like to extend my gratitude to the people of Alberta. It will be great, come and drink some Guinness with us,” he said.
 The Shamrocks and Shenanigans pre St. Patrick’s Day party begins at  9 p.m. at Bo Diddly’s. Lethbridge punk band the Scallywags are also on the bill.
Advance tickets cost $15 at Boarderline and Blueprint, Infameous and Bo Diddly’s.