3 Inches Of Blood Heart Pride Tiger

05/20/09 1:06pm

by Jamie Hooper (CHARTattack)

Not only are Pride Tiger the best band I think I've seen, they're the finest group of gentlemen/troublemakers I know. What strikes you about Pride Tiger when seeing them perform is the genuine sincerity with which they play. You can tell by the look on their faces and the way they play their songs that they're doing exactly what they love to do. Some bands put on a show and strive to entertain, but what sets these boys apart is that there is nothing contrived or artificial about their show. Sunny [Dhak], Matt [Wood], Mike [Payette] and Bob [Froese] are a quartet of dirtbags on a burning quest to rock.

I've had the great pleasure of knowing these characters for a good number of years and have shared many adventures along the way. In fact, we could probably fill this entire publication with shocking tales of depravity and adventure. I grew up with a few of the Tigers and played in a band with three of them. The four of them are some of my favourite people in the world. Sharing years in the close confines of a tour van and the squalid punk houses we've lived in (I lived in Bob's closet at one point) have been some magnificent times. Probably the most interesting thing is being able to watch a group of your friends put so much love and work into a project and see it evolve and grow into something amazing, and to be able to see other people recognize the talent and creativity behind such a thing and watch the big, shit-eating grin form on their faces. These fellows are harsh record nerds and it shows. Many hours of my life have been spent lurking with these boys drinking low-quality beer, listening to obscure rock records they have sought out and discussing the merits of Uriah Heep.

The four gents in Pride Tiger all share an insatiable lust for good times. In fact, I think that's the unifying element that drives the band and their members. If you're with these guys, or at their show, you are guaranteed to have fun. The constant party that is Pride Tiger leaves carnage in its wake. The day after a show, you will undoubtedly have a terrible hangover and your landlord/girlfriend/boyfriend will be furious that you brought the whole show back to your house to continue the eternal party.

Suffice to say that a constant cloud of chaos follows them at all times and if you invite them over to your house after the show, watch out. They may do a front flip off your television set or try to hacksaw the doorknob off your front door. It's highly probable that they will dismantle your bunk beds and throw them out the window into the woods. I wouldn't be surprised if they completely dealphabetized your record collection while they're over also. I suggest asking Mike about the “Stairway To Heaven.” He might even show you if you're really lucky.

I suppose the basic point I'm trying to convey is that Pride Tiger rip. Their music and their attitudes will infect you and make you quit your job and want to follow them around like The Grateful Dead. Your homework assignment is to go to their show the next time they're in your town, leave the attitude and worries at the door and prepare to party, because that is what they came to do and that is what they're all about. You won't be disappointed.

—Jamie Hooper, 3 Inches Of Blood

The following feature is from the July 2007 issue of Chart Magazine. To purchase the issue, go to the CHARTattack Shop.