2011-06: We got caught by surprise

One of the classic benchmarks of the Creaking Planks is that we know we’ll have an awesome time if we’re not the strangest thing on the bill. (Don’t get me wrong, we also have a great time when we are the strangest act, which we overwhelmingly are, but anything stranger than us really demands sitting up and paying attention to.) This past weekend we had the pleasure of enjoying two such shows on two consecutive days!

Saturday, June 25th, the Creaking Planks had their second performance in their stripped-down Royal Doilies format, playing without Airbeard, who was away hosting at the Campbell Bay Music Festival. This saw an unruly handful of Planks assemble at W2 to celebrate the book launch of The Amaranthian Testament, illustrated by the namer of the Planks, one Olo J. Milkman. Joining us on the bill were numerous experimental noise and video performance acts we hadn’t crossed paths with since our very early days, as well as Vancouver weirdo music elder statesman Veda Hille. Sometime well after the show was done, the sound checks finished.

(Video by Joel Snowden)

Sunday, June 26th was Vancouver’s first installment of the Mini Maker Faire phenomenon, a little slice of nerdy projects and Burning Man installations getting their test-run before the annual Playa marathon. Between such monumental pieces as the gramophone rail car, the world’s largest tricycle and the shipping container gallery could be found tables full of hackers programming LEDs and lasers for good rather than evil. In the far corner outside was a musical stage featuring numerous peculiar and atmospheric acts, and toward the end of the program the Creaking Planks took the stage to show the Makers what we’d made out of some of their favorite songs. Highlights included having the fireball-spitting truck next to us spouting geysers of flame while we performed Peter Schilling’s Major Tom, some operator punching instructions in to its Fisher-Price keyboard console in time to the beat. (Boy, playing next to that thing sure got hot, though!)

No photos yet, though it would have made for a killer music video.

2011-05-22: Masquerading as the Royal Doilies for the Queen’s Birthday

An honest to goodness recap (because if it’s not listed here, it didn’t happen…or is that, if it’s not listed on Facebook it didn’t happen? anyways, this happened in both places, so it did indeed actually happen in real life, as well as on the internet). A stripped down, pseudo-bluegrass, four-piece version of the Planks, featuring rotating vocalists and a wet-behind-the-ears accordion player, were pleased to take to the stage for the Queen’s birthday, sharing the spotlight (or at least disco ball) with a truly eclectic host of local and visiting acts.  And to top things off (before the hardcore electronic music hoe-down) our very own Ludwicka LePearl took to the stage for a jam session with Boogieman and Holzkopf. Huzzah and restrained royal hand waves all around!