On March 29 at Starlight, walking out on stage and sporting their Slap Shot inspired attire to play punk rock reminiscent of The Ramones were The Hanson Brothers band, who entertained the crowd and devoted fans without disappointment.
The Hanson Brothers are the alter ego of the punk rock all-stars NoMeansNo hailing from Victoria, British Columbia. They are a four piece band fronted by John Wright, leading the charge with his aggressive vocals. The group has been performing for over 30 years now as both The Hanson Brothers and NoMeansNo. The Hanson Brothers/NoMeansNo is a group of gentlemen who have found a balance between a wild life on the road and downtime in a way that has allowed them to make music together for over three decades.
Their songs are often anthems reflecting the subculture of hockey, drinking beer and punk rock while embellishing the stereotypes—ironically, with a certain degree of truth.
“The Hanson Brothers is a hockey, beer, Ramones, punk, throwback to a bygone age … it’s definitely pop punk, definitely tongue-in-cheek and definitely just for fun … The Hanson Brothers are a chance to pretend to be The Ramones,” said John Wright, the lead singer for the band.
Wright went on to say that, “We first started writing songs for it and having fun [with it] back in 1984 and we didn’t release an album until 1993. This has been going on for almost as long.”
“If you’re coming tonight that’s what you’re going to see, pretty much the same thing we did 25 years ago.”
At the show, the band got a little carried away and a referee had to step in to maintain order. The roof tiles were getting pushed out and overall general disorder was on stage. With such humorous antics and a strong stage presence, there’s no question this band is a punk rock parody at its finest.
It’s easy to see they really are enjoying doing what they do best.
“[The Hanson Brothers] was break for us from NoMeansNo so you don’t get too tired of one band all the time. When we get a little tired of NoMeansNo, we could always just shift gears, do something different … it’s a good musical break for everyone,” reflected Wright.
Heavier and more alternative, NoMeansNo is the other band the members play in. “NoMeansNo has a lot more arty seriousness to it,” said Wright when comparing the two. In good humour, with an obvious knack for punk rock and notorious history to boot, there is no doubt that The Hanson Brothers and NoMeansNo will keep their fans and audiences entertained for years to come.