Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Brace your eardrums, faint-hearted rockers, after a lengthy hiatus 17 Yates is back in town.
The heavy metal foursome is reuniting on the Lola’s Pub & Grub stage Saturday at 9:30 p.m. No cover.
Despite having never released an album, an EP or even a single, the local music scene has been clammoring for the return of 17 Yates.
“I just want to start with 17 Yates never broke up – we just took a four-year vacation,” said frontman Ben ‘Dynamite’ Poitras.
Taylor ‘Bone’ Bingley couldn’t agree more.
He said being the band’s full-time guitarist is difficult when you co-ordinate shows at European festivals for Paris-based metal outfit Gojira.
This summer, he toured with Metallica before hitting stops like Portugal and Istanbul with the all-mighty Megadeth.
“I think I have been back and forth across the Atlantic (Ocean) four times in just a couple of months,” said Bingley.
In October, he heads back out with Gojira on the second leg of their North American tour, which stops in Montreal at Metropolis on Oct. 29.
The venues have changed from local to international for Bingley, but in his hometown it’s still the same ol’ song.
“17 Yates isn’t just a band,” he said. “It represents a brotherhood of our childhood friends that have stuck together for almost 20 years.”
Their musical roots in the city were firmly planted as teenagers.
In high school, Bingley played with Poapst in the band Hydrofiend. He also used to jam with Contant in Outer Heaven and Emoceans Apart.
Alternatively, Contant performed in local bands Mayfair and Shuteye.
Poapst recorded a demo album for Poitras’ band, Hung By The Flag, years ago. The duo are still connected musically aside from 17 Yates as the lead singer and guitarist for BoozeHound, a rock fusion band working on their second independently released album.
For Poapst, playing electric guitar in BH is more of a natural fit as a musician, since the six-string was his first instrument. Before he arrived, the band had a revolving door of bassists.
“Being on bass for Yates allows me to express a stronger energy, and emotion, for the music itself,” he said.
Contant hasn’t played drums for a live audience since a gig at Bar Billiard Alexis in St-Jérôme, QC., in Feb. 2011. His bandmates were blown away during the two practices they managed to sneak in before the show on Sept. 13. Not a spot of rust.
The multi-talented performer has a small home studio to keep the music alive, but he considers it mostly a hobby unless he’s with 17 Yates.
Contant said fans can expect the upcoming show to be loud and hard.
“They should get extra security,” he joked.
17 Yates will also be tearing the mosh pit to shreds at the annual Spirit of a Season Christmas concert in Cornwall being held at Vu Nightspot.
Fun fact: Their catchy moniker is actually the address of the original drummer’s house (Aaron Campeau).
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.
