Blog

Last night at the Red Room in Vancouver was a show I just got more and more stoked for. I heard Kittie was coming to Van, and my first thought was, that’s neat, maybe I’ll go. Then about a month ago I remembered I saw them at the Croation Cultural Centre in like 2000 at age 15, and then I realized, hey that was my first metal show. My first. An all-women metal band that blew my hormone-riddled mind. How did I forget something like that until now? I think it was even one of those defining moments in my life where I first thought – I could be a metal musician too! And what’s more, Disturbed opened for them back then. Now Disturbed is huge. Kittie should be as huge, because they ruled last night, and have been ruling for over a decade, little did I realize all this time. After high school they dropped off my radar, even after I listened to Spit so much I bet my parents still remember the lyrics to “Brackish.”

After not visiting the west coast for over a decade, they came back with a vengeance. And every opener was a buildup to it. Bonded by Blood killed, and The Agonist and Blackguard repped the rich Quebec heavy-music scene and femetal-musician power something fierce. (New favourite drummer: Justine Ethier, a speed-precision heavy-hitting juggernaut, swigging nothing but Jaegermeister. Gotta stay hydrated right?).

And Kittie comes on heavy as fuck, an evolved, riff-n-rhythm powerhouse. Gone are the coy-talk vocals, replaced by nothing but hefty cookie monster vox and strong melodies courtesy the Lander sisters. Added are the tasteful solos of lead guitarist Tara McLeod. Excellent to see former member Trish Doan returned on bass, after having left for several years for medical reasons. Her friendly stage presence (and rock star faces) gave the lineup a little more accessibility from the crowd’s perspective, not that they needed much more. They were a pleaser for a crowd aching for some Kittie action for too long.

So, dear Kittie, please accept my apology for neglecting you for a decade, and I’ll accept yours. Just come back more often, eh?

There aren’t a lot of things I’m excited to get out of bed really early for. Road trips, yes. Exercising, hells no. A trip over the border to pick up my new guitar, yes! (Going again the next day because the border took forever and the postal outlet closed at noon because it was the Christmas season and we missed it by 5 minutes… definite no.)

But this morning Emi graciously picked me up at the ungodly crack of 7:15 (a.k.a. Satan’s hour for us night owls) to go across town to interview Grace Cheung, physiotherapist at Go! Physiotherapy. For this, I was excited.

Why? First, this is our **first interview for QoM.com** ever!!! Getting expert content generated for our baby website is like seeing it take its first steps (if a website could walk). Second, it’s on a subject we think is really important – healthy body use for guitar players. Third, Grace was super stoked to do it and I knew she’d have lots of good advice.

I’d became a client at Go! Physiotherapy about four years ago after a too-intense period of daily speed and down-picking practice got the better of me. It was during a time I was writing papers for university, and initially I thought the pain in my forearm was from typing. By the time I figured out it was from practicing, it was too late. My arm and hand were constantly aching and stiff, and it hurt to do most things, from washing my hair to scruffling my ferrets’ bellies.

To top it off, internally, I was really conflicted. I was finally getting over some deep psychological barriers to practicing, and now my body was telling me to stop. I was bummed at the idea of ending the momentum of daily practice, but there was no alternative – I couldn’t play without pain, and trying to “play through it” only made it worse.

In the end, the month of zero playing that I was prescribed made me want to play more when I was healed, so my psychological momentum continued. With the manual therapy and self-care advice, I became a healthier, better, and more conscious player. Now, when I need it, I don’t hesitate to go back to physio for a tune up.

We hope you never have to see a physiotherapist, but only because you’re already taking good care of your body, not because you’re ignoring an injury that’s brewing. It can be a challenge to change your physical habits to healthier ones you’re initially not used to, or to remember to stop mid-practice for a stretch break. But if it means avoiding injury and even becoming a better musician, it’s worth getting excited about. Even at a crusty-eyed 7:30 am.