I don’t usually cover out of town shows, but I could not pass up a chance to see the Hanson Brothers- not the “Mmm Bop” Hanson brothers, but Victoria/ 
Vancouver punk icons Nomeansno hopped up on beer and hockey pucks.
So I joined a good sized crowd in Coaldale, April 19 at a newer venue called Sidelines.
Unfortunately I missed an opening set by Chixdiggit not to mention everything else happening in Lethbridge, but it was totally worth it, never having caught their unapologetically Ramones influenced set right down to the quick “1,2,3,4” count and four on the floor power chords.
A half a song in one of the Hansons shouted “leave the fucking lights
on” to the sound person who had all of the lights flashing as happens at
lot at concerts and which always irritates me.
They even turned a cover of the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” into a song about brewing beer called “Blitzkrieg Hops,” which put frontman Johnny Hanson’s home brew recipe to the sound of power chords , which made sense as instead of touring in support of a new CD, he was promoting his new microbrew “Punk Rauch” beer which he was happily alternating between swigging it and giving his enthusiastic fans a taste of the delicious brew in between jumping around in front of the stage.
Everyone knew the words as Johnny Hanson passed the microphone into the front row for everyone to shout along.
They were playing just in time for the NHL playoffs and were happy to supply a variety of songs inspired by two of their favourite things — beer and hockey.
They began a long and fast set with “My Game” and carried on there, singing about hockey contracts and “Sabrina (My Baby Doesn’t like hockey.)” They were supremely tight, playing a flurry of crazy power chords and planet of fingerbendingly complicated bass lines.
One of many highlights was ‘“110 per cent,” which was apt as they were 110 per cent fun and 110 awesome.
It wasn’t new by any stretch, but it didn’t matter as The Hansons and their alter egos NoMeansNo were among the creators of contemporary punk. And for guys showing more than a little grey hair, they showed the young punks in the audience exactly how it should be done. They had more energy than kids half their age.
They ended their set with “No Emotion” and were called by for an extended encore which ended with “Go Away.”
