Arsonfest 2013 :: Ready to rip the Windsor a new one

If you haven’t heard of Arsonfest then you’re probably not a fan of heavy music. Over 13 years Mike Alexander has put on Arsonfest as a means to expose us to so many forms of heavy music. Stylus had a chance to catch up with him leading up to this year’s event. 

Mike Alexander: There are so many highlights to choose from. Basically my favorite ones come down to seeing a sense of exhilaration on the faces of people that attend this thing in hopes of hearing something new or something that they find almost unbelievable to experience. I think it’s great that Arsonfest has the reputation of bringing unusual bands to Winnipeg for their debut appearances here. It’s a nice mix to throw them in with some of the more established bands. It’s a nice balance, I think.

MA: Arsonfest is supporting the Pow Wow To Honor Children who have Died as a Result of Violence. It’s a community event that happens locally, usually in the month in November. Since Winnipeg’s Aboriginal people are going to deal with violence and death at numbers far more disproportionate to non-Aboriginal Canadians, I think it’s important for the punk community to give back and to show support for families who have lost young ones. Over the last couple of years, the issue of intergenerational trauma within First Nations has been a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about and would encourage anyone to look into for more information about the impact of colonization and genocide in Canada.

MA: I think that Winnipeg has a well-known reputation as purveyors of some of the finest extreme music in Canada which is great, because if that wasn’t the case I’d have to move away to whichever city has it better. I like the fact that we are an “old scene” now, with a lot of us now well within the ranks of “lifers” to this style of music.

MA: There are some mid-western US bands that I would champion if they were willing or able to make it up. I like the idea of Mellow Harsher, SFN, Protestant, some of the bands associated with Diseased Audio Records out of Chicago. There are also some Canadian bands that I’m not finished with. It would be nice for Mass Grave to make it out, as well as Column of Heaven, Grotesque Organ Defilement, Mesrine, Hard Charger. Wake also need to make it out here again. There are plenty to chose from.

MA: I don’t think that Joe Mack has an awful lot of free time on his hands right now, although I would like to see that change. I’d love to see him in the pit during Six Brew Bantha. Overall I’m glad that the Bombers have a by-week during Arsonfest so I don’t have to worry about being an angry Bomber fan, and instead spend all weekend being a fan of brutal and extreme music!

Violent Restitution (Vancouver)
Violent Gorge
Detroit (Edmonton)
Shooting Spree (Squamish)
Cetascean
Breathe Knives (Calgary)
Flash Out

Six Brew Bantha (Victoria)
Head Hits Concrete
Ahna (Vancouver)
Obacha (squamish)
Psychotik Tantrum (Edmonton)
Parfumerie
Plague