30 years ago: Vancouver's metal scene thrives with Kradle, Nite Vigil, Assault, Harlots Webb

Thirty years ago this Tuesday--on August 16, 1986--Burnaby metal quartet Kradle played a show at the New York Theatre on Commercial. Back then the venue was quite the spot for local loud-rock acts, as well as up-and-coming touring bands like Metallica.

Kradle was one of my fave bands on the Vancouver metal scene back then, so I included them in this roundup of what was happening around town, which was published in the August 15, 1986 issue of the Straight.

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Vancouver hard-rock fans who’s been thirsting for a taste of homegrown metal should consider visiting the New York Theatre this Saturday (August 16). That’s when Burnaby’s Kradle will be doing their best to prove that raunchy and original sounds are still alive and well in Expo city.

“The average person probably thinks that the local metal scene is really slow,” says Kradle guitarist Harry Degen. “But with bands like us, Harlots Webb, Nite Vigil, Assault, and Black Knight–which are totally underground and totally independent–I think the scene is almost ready to explode.”

Kradle first gained local notoriety when they filled a last-minute spot opening for Blue Oyster Cult at the Coliseum two years ago. Since then they’ve warmed up for the likes of Kick Axe and Coney Hatch, and currently have a four-song tape out. After Saturday’s gig they plan to go back into the studio to make an album on their own label, Arena Records.

Opening for Kradle at the NY Theatre will be North Vancouver’s Nite Vigil, who are best known locally for stealing the show at Spotlight ’85 with their fast and fiery brand of metal and Motley Crue-style costumes. It should be interesting to see how they’ve progressed in look and sound during the last year and a half.

In other metal news, Russell Dunaway of Assault informs us that all 300 copies of the group’s six-song cassette Heavy Justice have sold out. The group, which has been featured on both the CFOX Metal Shop and CITR Powerchord radio shows, is currently making another tape at Profile Studio with Ray Harvey from Kick Axe producing.

Yet another local metal band that has acquired a following in town is Harlots Webb. One of their songs, “Black is the Nite”, was recently released on the Moose Molten Metal compilation LP, distributed by Capital Records. The band almost had to call it quits when their equipment was stolen from a New Westminster warehouse last May, but since then about three-quarters of it has been recovered. Harlots Webb expect to have a demo tape out in the next few months.

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Kradle vocalist Tod Larkin died in a tragic boating accident less than three years after this story was published, but surviving members Degen, bassist Steve Courchaine, and drummer Claudio Erfon will reunite--along with singer Jason Rodgers--for a show in Larkin's memory at Venue on August 26. You can find more info here.