Calgary post-punk outfit Viet Cong is making their way to Victoria, a city they are no strangers to. In fact, their old band, Women, actually broke up in Lucky Bar in 2010. But the indie rockers will be steering clear of Lucky Bar this time, performing at the Upstairs Cabaret on March 29.
“We all love Victoria, my grandma lives there… it’s a great place for grandmas,” says Viet Cong drummer Mike Wallace.
With gritty guitar tones and sporadic drum patterns, Viet Cong’s new self-titled album is very distinctive, especially in their original guitar tones.
“We spend a lot of times tweaking our guitars and amps to get a certain sound,” says Wallace.
With tour dates lined up all over North America, Wallace explains the expectations that come with success.
“Yeah, it’s been really exciting; most of the shows have been filled out,” he says. “It sort of sets a fire under our asses to keep on doing better.”
The band have also done tours all through Europe in the past and have their sights set on other places in the world.
“We played in a little commune in Copenhagen, it was amazing,” says Wallace. “Sometimes we’re in a different country every day on tour in Europe. I’d love to tour in Asia, though.”
Viet Cong are known for the complexity of their music. Elaborate time signatures and frantically changing beats fill their albums.
“I’ve studied music in India. I spent a couple years just counting and clapping and trying to get my head around Indian time signatures,” says Wallace.
Most of the band members are professionally trained and it comes through in their music, including a wide range of musical influences.
“Marquee Moon by Television is one of our biggest influences,” reveals Wallace. “Bands like Bauhaus and The Cure have a huge effect on us, too.”
But influences can only go so far with a band’s sound. At some point, a band will be making something that’s completely original to themselves, and Viet Cong is no exception.
The band has been working on some new material in their spare time from touring and they hope to cut a record pretty soon.
“We have July off from touring and we have two weeks booked for some studio time,” says Wallace. “We plan on exploring the capabilities of our sound even more.”
Instrument equipment experimentation is a core principle in Viet Cong’s sound, explains Wallace. “We’ve been told to turn down the treble and volume at our live shows before.”
Viet Cong
7 pm March 29
$12, Upstairs Cabaret
upstairscabaret.ca