All I want for Xmas is punk f**king rock

Don’t blink or you might miss this extremely truncated version of Hammer of the Mods. Normally I’m doing cartwheels telling you about all of the gigs happening throughout our fair town but with all of the Xmas parties and other festive bullshit — not to mention that most touring bands are staying home until mid-January — I have little to report here.

I do have four (that’s four!) killer shows to report though. And let me remind you to make it to Katacombes as their clock is loudly ticking — the venue will cease to be come January.

Also if you’re doing some last-minute shopping, why not give the gift of music and make it to Sonorama, Death of Vinyl or Phonopolis and pick up some toonz for the music fiend in yer life. These stores and others are paying some whopping fines just before Xmas and could use your $.

Also, remember that I will always love you.

Thursday: This week is definitely ruled hard by the locals, and the big gig of the week goes to noisy punks Priors who will obliterate l’Esco with Young Blades and Visibly Choked. Not convinced? Behind the wheels of steel is none other than Pale Lip crooner, bartender to the stars and resident record nerd DJ Jacky. This will be heaps of fun all night so get ready to call in sick on Friday. 4461 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

Friday: L’Esco is definitely killing it this week, with the fine peeps at Analogue Addiction and Distorsion combining their super powers to host one of my fave local bands, Crabe, with the support of Yocto (featuring members of IDALG) and les Martrys de Marde. Two nights in a row at l’Esco? You can do it champion!!! 4461 St-Denis, 10 p.m., $10

Saturday: Saturday night is definitely ruled by seething punk fucking rock. Your first choice would be to make tracks to Katacombes and pay homage before they shut their doors for good on New Year’s Day. Tonight you can check out Genetic Error with Global Holocaust, Xplicit Noise, Skrautum and Vertex of Dysphoria. Keep yer peepers here to check out the utterly slammin’ shows happening at Katacombes for their final week blowout. 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $15

Screaming Greek and general potty mouth Uncle Costa is cooking up another edition of his annual Fuck Christmas event. How many has that been 15? 20? Even Costa probably couldn’t tell you. This year of course features Costa’s preferred vehicle of destruction, Vulgar Deli, with the skinhead stomp of Out of Order and the Last Rockers. This is all happening at Costa’s day job and favourite swill joint, Barfly. There won’t be a single sober person standing by last call. 4062A St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

Current Obsession: The Nerves, Live at the Pirate’s Cove

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com

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