Hey-Ho, Let's Go to the Punk Rock Show!

Hello, and welcome back, Gentle Readers! I hope you enjoy the latest installment of my life - L, me, Nick and Cat had a jet-set overnighter to Vancouver to see punk bands Sheer Mag (Philadelphia, US) and Amyl and the Sniffers (Melbourne, Australia). 

Even though the weather was supposed to be bad (rain, wind, hail), I dressed hoping that we'd manage to avoid all of them and I'd be able to wear my Rockstar outfit. 

Getting in a seasonal wearing of this awesomely bug/snake-printed Cavalli dress, and of course, fringe and big boots. 

• Suede coat - Mangoon, vintage 00s, thrifted; last seen here in November 2024
• Dress - Just Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli, consignment; last worn here in May 2024 with the same coat
• Boots - Original Samedi, Fluevog; last seen here (3rd outfit) with camo for a long weekend hangout in February

Temps were forecast to be warmer (2 digits!), so I layered a t-shirt (which I slept in) with sheer tights and wee shorts underneath the dress. I wore a different tee on the way home plus fresh socks/underwear, but I'm a very light traveler. 

Pockets, because they're handy when your coat doesn't have any external ones. 

I felt appropriately badass. 

Some young folks in the line for the loo at the show complimented me. "Your hair matches your boots!"

I wore my hat on the way to Vancouver but skipped it for the show on Wednesday night.

It did atrocious things to my hair, but I rolled with it and hoped for the best. 

I deployed a silk scarf for warmth and my new-to-me gloves. 

I actually layered my purse under the coat while we were at the show - I took my coat off as it got rather hot in the venue.

I needed my sunnies only briefly on the way to breakfast on Thursday morning.

Spoiler alert: it was not sunny for very long.

Accoutrements: 

What would I do differently? Nothing - this was as good as it gets. Wearing the hat for the show might have been a better choice in retrospect (foreshadow!) but I didn't want to deal with it. 

• Purse - Aimee Kestenberg, thrifted, Powell River
• Silk scarf - Maxine Noel, consignment
• Leather/cashmere gloves - Coach, consignment; purchased here for $38.39
• Wool hat - Delux, Saanich Fair c. 2009

This was a good "break in" for the Coach gloves - they got soaked and are now shaped like my hands The scarf also got a good full wetting but dried out fast.

The stuff: 

These boot were an excellent choice for all the walking and for the weather...which became WET. 

Silver and snake bling: 

All favourites.

• Red stone cuff - thrifted
• Silver engraved hinged cuff - thrifted, Powell River
• Silver snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, c. 1985
• Silver/red stone ring - thrifted
• Silver/chain ring - Mexican, consignment
• Snake earrings - Red Sky

Before we left the house, I went looking for Vizzini. He was hiding under my bathrobe on the bed.

"I'll be fine with Uncle Ross."

Ross took good care of him, and we so appreciate that. 

Nick flew to Vancouver earlier on Harbour Air seaplanes, and Cat, L and I caught the same later flight. When we went to check in I discovered to my horror I had left my bag (with all our toiletries) at home. I Ubered home and back in less than 15 minutes.

I felt a bit stressed after all the fog the day before, and having to go back for my bag did not help, but L and Cat were very chill and kind, so I let that go! 

Time to enjoy the journey.

The Coho ferry is heading back to Port Angeles, Washington. Toot toot! 

We had to circle around in the outer harbour until it was farther out in the strait before we could take off. 

The Olympic Mountains in the far distance. 

We had good visibility (a relief). 

Bye, Victoria! 

We flew overland most of the way, with only 10 minutes actually flying over water to Vancouver.

Looking back at the city to the south as we fly over North Saanich. 

Coastal mountains with snowy peaks. 

This is the mainland of BC, and if you peer closely at the clouds in the middle, you can see a few ferries at the main Tsawwassen terminal. There is no bridge between the island and the mainland - it's boats or planes, and that's it if you want to get off Vancouver Island. 

I liked the view of Vancouver's downtown as the pilot eased us down. 

And just like that, 35 minutes after takeoff, we were in Vancouver, where Nick was waiting for us at the terminal. 

L and I shared a room with Nick at the Blue Horizon, and Cat had her own (but hung with us).

A lovely view of the west from the 25th floor. 

Cat, Nick and me. Hey-ho, the rockers are in town! 

L doesn't like being out on little balconies that high up, and I can't blame him! 

We were all starving, so wandered the West End looking for a restaurant. I liked this door (this is for you, Vix!).

We found an awesome Malaysian spot and gorged on delicious food. YUM. 

After a few pops (beers/alcoholic drinks) in the room with some music (Nick brought his speaker), we Ubered over to the neighbourhood near the show, and got our names down early for a table at Jackalope's Neighbourhood Dive, a metal bar (link here 'cause I love). 

It was tiny but very fun - we're all metal music fans and enjoyed the kitschy thematic décor. 

L in his L7 tee, and Nick (not sure what his hoodie is) throwing up their horns. 

Note the black velvet nudie painting and the skeletons hanging from the cast iron chandeliers. 

L took a pic of Cat and me. 

"You guys do not look metal enough!"

Metal/punk 'tude, you say? 

Please, you are talking to OG metal chicks from the 90s! Rock on, baby!

We shared a plate of nachos as we were still stuffed from lunch, then walked to the venue, the PNE Forum, which is "a barn" as one of my colleagues told me (you were so right, Gord). 

We stood in line under this sign, as they let folks go in waves to go through the most elaborate security checks I've seen outside of an airport. I set off the detector - I'm so metal, ha ha.

Me and L.

Three decades of rockin'! 

We secured seats (basically planks on concrete but better than standing on a concrete floor) for the show. I'm too old to handle a mosh pit or have people jostling me. 

That's a big ol' nope. I also need to arrive and get settled early to get a drink, merch, use the loo, and scope things out before it gets too full. 

I bought tees from both bands - I loved this skull with a rose in its mouth.

"Nobody's Baby." Tees were $50 each (ouch). 

I think all of us got the same Amyl and the Sniffers tee - no question for me, this was the best one. 

I like the touches of blue and pink - it will go well with my wardrobe. 

On to the show! A reminder - these are PUNK bands. Loud music and NSFW lyrics! 

Sheer Mag opened, about them here, and here's their site. 

L and I have been fans of them for years. The singer wore a sweet mesh halter top.

I love women-led punk bands - their fury comes through! 

We had unobstructed views and were not very far away (half a hockey rink, for my fellow Canucks). 

And then it was time for Amyl and the Sniffers, a freaking awesome band that Nick introduced us to a couple of years ago. Woo, the place really filled up - imagine all of this mirrored on the left and full of people there too! 

I didn't leave my seat until the show was over. About them here, and here's their site. 

We love this band and have all their albums. 

Amy the singer started out in sneakers, red shorts and leather jacket studded with "Amyl and the Sniffers". She was the most active singer I've seen in years, bouncing and running around, and she quickly chucked the jacket for a fringed bikini top. L described her as a "whirlwind of fury and glory" and I agree.

She's incredibly fit (she whipped off a set of push-ups!) and struck weightlifting poses to the approving roars of the crowd. 

Check out L's review of the show and latest album here. The show ended at 11pm, and we waited a few minutes for the hordes to clear (lots of excellent people-watching).

We exited to...torrential rain. We were soaked in seconds and Cat and I quickly wrapped our heads in our scarves as we dashed to the main street and a handy awning where we could call for a ride back to the hotel. 

A blurry shot of Science World as our Uber buzzed through the rain. 

We were all famished after the show, so dried off quickly, regrouped, and dashed across the street to a cheap pizza place and had a pizza feast in our room as we decompressed from the show. 

I'm very happy I wore earplugs (we all do - we're all experienced concert-goers). How's that pizza, Cat? I know the answer - it was so good. 

After crashing into bed, we were up early and showered, checked out and ambled down to Canada Place to have breakfast at De Dutch Pancake House. 

A pixelated sculpture of an orca leaping into the air. The clouds were low...

But by the time we finished our leisurely breakfast and gabbed in the waiting lounge at Harbour Air it was time to board. 

That's a nice high cloud ceiling and even a bit of sun!

Me, L and Cat in the tiny plane. Nick took a later/cheaper flight out of Vancouver's airport to the south. 

Thanks so much for your company, my dear friends! 

A couple of views on the way home. 

Gulf Islands (Canada) and San Juan Islands (US) with an invisible border. 

Fisgard Lighthouse from Fort Rodd Hill below as we curled in for our watery landing. 

Remember when Mom and I went, back here in August 2022?

And a shot of the Victoria Inner Harbour, again from over the pilot's shoulder. 

I'm ready to be home!

The coastal mountains in the background (the waviness is the plane's window).

I can almost see our house! 

So picturesque.

A little harbour ferry. We caught a bus home and arrived to an ecstatic Vizzini. 

He crawled under the blanket with me while I sent all my pictures from my phone. 

"You're not going anywhere again for a while, right?"

Aw, that face! 

And now, my friends, I'm signing off for the weekend - it's back to work tomorrow, and then a busy weekend ahead with the Closet Swap-Over! Please do stop in on Sunday for all the pics! Thank you so much for swinging by!