On top of being a consistent platform for local St. John’s musicians over the last decade, the Distortion establishment has also housed quite the smorgasbord of touring acts as they tumble through our easterly dwelling. From the early days of Distortion‘s operations, all the way to last weekends visit from Halifax hardcore trio Botfly, the venue has been a nondiscriminatory hub for alternative touring troupes toting punk, metal, rock ‘n roll and everything in between.

Continuing with our collaborative dig through the overwhelming audio archives of owner and sound technician Glen Tizzard and the Distortion brand, we were hunting for something a little different to encapsulate the diverse range of musical transients that have made a stop on the Distortion stage over the years. As we continued to thumb through the seemingly endless library, there was one recording in particular that jumped out and bit us as a “must-share”.

In April 2013, Montréal’s nomadic one-man rockabilly noisemaker they call Bloodshot Bill paid St. John’s a visit as apart of the Lawnya Vawnya festival. Closing the evening of an eclectic showcase at Distortion with US Girls, Derm Kean & An Incredible Woman, and Yellowteeth, Bloodshot Bill erupted into a Tasmanian devil-like dust cloud of raunchy rock n’ roll. Very few were unswept into the furious twist, boogie and shake of Bill’s gritty guitar, thunderous foot-drumming ,and his many frantic voices that sound like Hasil Adkins undergoing an exorcism.

Luckily, the board was rolling that night, and a grab from the evening was recently uncovered. Relive the live experience, and then go buy as many of the thirty+ releases Bloodshot Bill has offloaded on the world during his prolific tenure. Check out the board recording here:

Check out Bloodshot Bill on the Web, and always remember to keep up with DistortionBar.com for upcoming shows and events, booking information, as well as new additions of archival audio to the ever-growing Distortion Radio.

Lawnya Vawnya will happen once again in May of 2016.