The Perpetrators are on the loose and coming back to Lethbridge, April 11 at the Slice.
“Romi (Mayes) isn’t touring as much now, so I thought I’d fire up the Perpetrators’ engine again and get back to rocking,” said guitarist vocalist Jay Nowicki, speaking of spending much of the past few years on the road playing guitar with fellow Winnipegger Romi Mayes.
The Perpetrators have been playing their own take on high energy blues rock in Winnipeg and all over the world for years, though they have slowed down in recent years.
“Ken (McMahon, drummer) has a full time job now and Ryan (Menard, bassist) has a little baby girl now,” Nowicki observed adding the band’s most recent project has been working in John Scoles on bass.
Scoles is best known as the owner and operator of Times Changed, Winnipeg’s best known blues and roots music club.
““He doesn’t publicize it much, but he is a bass player. he has the feel and he has the groove,” Nowicki enthused adding this quick western Canadian tour will warm up the band for a two week European tour.
“This will be Scoles first road gig. He’s filling in for Ryan because he couldn’t do this tour, so we decided to get John on board,” he said.
It means Scoles has to step away from Times Changed, which, for those who haven’t been to Winnipeg, is Winnipeg’s equivalent of the Slice.
“But he’s a got a great team there,” Nowicki continued.
Long time Perpetrators’ drummer Ken McMahon will be on the tour which means they will also be playing some of the songs from their side project, blues punk duo K-Mac and Howik’s Punk Blues Funhouse.
“We’re actually going to re-record some of those songs for the next Perpetrators’ album,” he said. They are also working with Corin Raymond on new music.
After their quick western Canadian tour, the Perpetrators will spend two weeks touring Europe including a couple festivals in Holland and Belgium plus several club dates.
“It’s really exciting,” Nowicki said, adding he is also excited about coming back to Lethbridge with the Perpetrators.
“I’m just excited to see everybody there,” he said.