Squamish Valley Music Festival Band of the Day: Gang Signs

Adam Fink, Peter Riqc, and Matea Sarenac of Gang Signs make music for people who like a dose of brooding atmosphere with their dance beats. And who doesn't?

Sea to Sky Playlist:

Fink:
Beastie Boys, "Sure Shot"
Saw them at the first outdoor concert I had ever been to Lollapalooza 94 in Cloverdale. Still one of the best live shows I've ever seen.

Dirty Projectors, "Stillness Is the Move"
Coachella 2010. Best band of the festival and one of my faves still.

Fleet Foxes, "Mykonos"
Sub Pop's 20th anniversary fest at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington. Just one of the many highlights of the day.

METZ, "Headache"
Sub Pop's 25th anniversary party in Georgetown. Such a great live band. Truly muscular playing. You can feel every snare hit and kick of the kick drum. Awesome.

Ricq:
DFA 1979, "Dead Womb"
Saw them in a sweaty basement in Montreal the year before they broke up, then saw their first show in years at SXSW in a little stage with a riot, cops on horses. Sebastian from DFA told the crowd, "If you guys don't simmer down and put the fence back up [which they tore down], we got to stop playing." The crowd put the fence back up and the cops left. The party kept going. Also, this track has a sample that Crystal Castles use.

Bass Drum of Death, "White Fright"
I had a gig at Color Mag's Burrard Hotel takeover party in Vancouver. (Best party of the year.) I couldn't see this band perform at the Biltmore that same night and was so bummed. Turns out they had to cancel so not that bad in the end (in a super-selfish-reason sort of way). 

Trust, "Dressed for Space"
Matea told me about this band and said I had to check them out at SXSW 2012. Gold and Youth played right before at some small bar. Anyways, Trust was great and I wish they still had a live drummer.

Sarenac:
Brooke Candy, "Trill"
Itzel Xoco, "Trill Lolita"
Araabmuzik, "Streetz Tonight"
Gatekeeper, "Giza"

Outdoor Essentials:

Fink: Sunblock. I burn up in any sort of sunlight like a vampire, non-Twilight variety. If I want to be able to survive, or enjoy myself at an all-day outdoor concert I need, like, one million SPF.

Ricq: You also need a plan to get booze for the after party and be ready for the chance that it gets freezing cold at night. Last year at Squamish LIVE, I wasn't prepared and froze between 3 and 5:30 a.m. Never been so happy to see the sun in the last decade.

Sarenac: On top of those, these also make the list: water, cigarettes, lip chap, iPod.

I Would Love to Hang With:

Fink: Josh Homme. I would ask if he wanted to toss around a football with me and then try to charm my way into an invite to jam with him and his friends at their next BBQ. I've kind of always wanted to play the riffiest riff rock and also BBQs.

Riqc: I would love to hang out with some weird French bald dude for about three days at a festival, talk about the music, life, love, and adventures. The thing is, I'd never know who he actually is until about a year later when I show a friend a pic of my French bald friend "Thomas" from that time. The guy would then say "Hey! that's Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk!"

Sarenac: Gogol Bordello!

First Festival Experience:

Fink: Lollapalooza '94 in Cloverdale. I came down from the Yukon as a kid to go to this. It was the best day ever. L7, the Breeders, Nick Cave—I still remember how funny it was seeing him at the sunniest part of the day. A Tribe Called Quest, George Clinton, the Beastie Boys, and Smashing Pumpkins. I lost all my friends the moment I walked through the gates and spent the majority of my time climbing on top of the crowd and trying to get to the front of the main stage. When Parliament played I found myself surrounded by guys my dad's age, wearing tie-dyed shirts and just grooving. They got me really high. The Beastie Boys were the greatest thing I'd seen up to that point, and since. Smashing Pumpkins were the biggest waste of time. Billy Corgan basically ranted for 20 minutes between songs, while the rest of the band did goofy things, hula hooping, videotaping themselves, keeping themselves interested while he bored the crowd. It was awesome!

As stellar as this year’s Squamish bill is, what’s your Fantasy Fest line-up?

Fink:

• Stevie Wonder (performing the entirety of Songs in the Key of Life)
• Prince
• The Smiths
• The Beastie Boys
• Otis Redding 

Riqc:

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Nirvana
• DFA 1979
• LCD Soundsystem
• DJ Mehdi

 Sarenac:

• Brooke Candy
• Mariah Carey
• Beyoncé
• Crystal Castles
• Aaliyah

 What’s your official rider request?

Sarenac: "That's a good question, we don't even know what's on there. Hoping it's PBR! Lots of fruit! Curly fries. Froyo."

Fink: I played in a band once that went on tour for quite a while and a couple of the members thought it would funny to just get Smirnoff Ice on the rider. After a month of pulling into every little club across Canada, walking into the back room and seeing a tub, a TUB, of Smirnoff Ice, to this day I have to try and stop my gag reflex from freaking out.

Trivia time: What’s Squamish’s official slogan?

Sarenac: "Right Before Whistla"

The Squamish Valley Music Festival takes place at Hendrickson Fields & Logger Sports Ground. Quick—what’s your favourite logger sport?

Sarenac: Jacuzzi-hopping.

Gang Signs plays the Squamish Valley Music Festival's Market Square Stage on Saturday (August 10) at 9 p.m.