Born Ruffians (Photo courtesy Paper Bag Records)
Post-punk rockers Born Ruffians put on a great live show, and they will put on such a show at DC9 on Saturday, Dec. 15. The post-punks attempted to stop by DC9 in March, soon after the release of Uncle, Duke & The Chief, their fifth studio album, but they postponed due to snow.
The first time I saw Born Ruffians, they shared a bill with fellow Canadians Tokyo Police Club at the Black Cat in 2009, and the bands performed a messy, spirited rendition of “Train in Vain” by The Clash together — it was terrific! Their 2015 show at Rock and Roll Hotel was one of my Top 10 Shows of the Year.
Recently, drummer Steve Hamelin returned to the band after a hiatus. Frotman Luke Lalonde was elated! “We all have the same weird, shorthand language of knowing how to put a song together,” Luke said. “It’s really super-fast and efficient.”
Uncle, Duke & The Chief, the new record, fully embraces old-school rock ‘n roll aesthetics with handclaps, tambourines, and drumbeats.
Watch the official music video for “Forget Me” by Born Ruffians on YouTube:
Born Ruffians deal with several themes with Uncle, Duke & The Chief, but death maintains a continuing presence on the record. Luke’s father faced a cancer scare while the band were writing the album. But then on Jan. 10, 2016, David Bowie passed away. With the death of a hero, Luke had a revelation.
“What really resonated with me about Bowie’s death was how beautiful it was; it wasn’t necessarily a sad thing,” Luke said. “He died with such elegance: He didn’t tell anybody he was sick, he delivered this final record to everybody, and then quietly passed away. I found it so heartbreaking, but amazing. And I think a lot of the death talk on the record is more about how death can actually be a wondrous and wonderful thing, in a way.”
Luke sat down to write “Forget Me” on the day Bowie died, and he wrote “Spread So Thin” as a reaction to his father’s face-off with death. But as Luke said, the band is in the mood to celebrate life and their reunion with their drummer.
Celebrate with them! Buy your tickets online.
Born Ruffians
w/ Little Junior
DC9
Saturday, Dec. 15
Doors @ 7pm
$15
All ages