WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.679 So if you pull a crucial gear out of a finely 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:09.160 tuned mechanical watch, the ticking just stops. 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:11.460 Right. Yeah. The whole thing seizes up. Exactly. 00:00:11.699 --> 00:00:13.960 The entire system is built on this, like precision 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:17.640 and codependence. So removing one piece completely 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:21.120 breaks the chain of kinetic energy. Mechanically 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.179 speaking, it just... it cannot function. It's 00:00:23.179 --> 00:00:25.460 impossible. But imagine, just imagine you yank 00:00:25.460 --> 00:00:28.039 that gear out and the watch somehow, I don't 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:30.500 know, recalibrated itself in midair and just 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:32.579 kept perfect time. That would be a magic trick. 00:00:32.899 --> 00:00:35.439 Right. But today we are actually looking at the 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:37.420 musical equivalent of that impossible machine. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:40.039 Welcome to today's deep dive, everyone. Glad 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:42.460 to be here for this one. It's a fascinating story. 00:00:42.539 --> 00:00:44.679 It really is. So we're diving into the Wikipedia 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:46.479 article for the Canadian band The Creep Show. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:48.920 And our mission today is to dissect the anatomy 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:52.100 of, well, extreme organizational resilience. 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:54.299 Yeah, because their story is fundamentally about 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:57.119 navigating unpredictable transitions. Totally. 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:00.280 We want to figure out how a niche project survives 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:03.780 these massive structural shocks, like the sudden 00:01:03.780 --> 00:01:08.180 whiplash of viral internet fame and just decades 00:01:08.180 --> 00:01:12.120 in a notoriously unforgiving industry without 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:14.680 losing its identity. And for you listening, whether 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:17.500 you are, you know, prepping for a meeting, managing 00:01:17.500 --> 00:01:20.079 a startup, running a creative team, or just trying 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:23.459 to keep any long -term project afloat. The mechanics 00:01:23.459 --> 00:01:25.760 of how this band survived it really provides 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:28.500 a master class in crisis management. Yeah. They 00:01:28.500 --> 00:01:30.280 didn't just endure the disruption. They built 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.120 a system that was designed to absorb it. Exactly. 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:35.500 OK, let's unpack this. Because to understand 00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:37.319 that system, we have to look at the architecture 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:39.500 of their foundation. Where they started. Right. 00:01:39.739 --> 00:01:42.099 So they formed in Burlington, Ontario back in 00:01:42.099 --> 00:01:45.239 2005. And they leaned really heavily into this. 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:49.390 um, psychobilly and punk rock space with a very 00:01:49.390 --> 00:01:51.569 distinct lyrical focus on horror films. Which 00:01:51.569 --> 00:01:54.049 is pretty noosh. It is. But what stands out in 00:01:54.049 --> 00:01:55.909 Source Material isn't just the aesthetic, it's 00:01:55.909 --> 00:01:58.709 the personnel. You have Sean Sickboy -McNab on 00:01:58.709 --> 00:02:01.069 upright bass and backup vocals. Great nickname, 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:03.989 by the way. I know, right? And then Patti, The 00:02:03.989 --> 00:02:07.170 Reverend, McGinty on keys, and Matt, Palme, G 00:02:07.170 --> 00:02:10.370 on drums. And the thing is, these weren't like... 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.460 kids buying their first instruments. No, not 00:02:12.460 --> 00:02:14.180 at all. They were already heavily entrenched 00:02:14.180 --> 00:02:16.000 in the local scene. Yeah, they were playing in 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:18.919 established garage bands like Outspan, Jersey, 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:22.460 Two -Face, Rehab for Quitters, all these local 00:02:22.460 --> 00:02:24.680 staples. And what's fascinating here is that 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:26.960 this is the critical variable. When we talk about 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:30.500 local music scenes, we often think of them as 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:32.879 just places to play shows. Right, like a dive 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:34.960 bar where you play on a Tuesday night. Exactly. 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.180 But in reality, they are highly efficient incubators 00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:41.840 and talent networks. By pooling their prior experience, 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:45.680 the founders of the creep show completely bypassed 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:47.819 the volatile startup phase of a band. Oh yeah, 00:02:47.979 --> 00:02:50.159 the Frankenstein's monster approach, like stitching 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:52.840 together the best parts of past projects into 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:54.780 this new thrilling thing. That's a great way 00:02:54.780 --> 00:02:56.960 to put it, because they didn't have to learn 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.699 how to route a tour or, you know, how to negotiate 00:02:59.699 --> 00:03:02.840 with promoters or command a hostile room. They 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:05.020 already had the operational blueprints. So they 00:03:05.020 --> 00:03:07.210 weren't starting from scratch. Not even close. 00:03:07.370 --> 00:03:08.949 I mean they probably had the phone numbers of 00:03:08.949 --> 00:03:11.849 every sound guy and booking agent in southern 00:03:11.849 --> 00:03:14.469 Ontario already in their phones. Which explains 00:03:14.469 --> 00:03:17.169 how a band with such a niche focus actually gets 00:03:17.169 --> 00:03:19.889 off the ground so fast they came out of the gate 00:03:19.889 --> 00:03:23.050 as essentially a turnkey operation. Right and 00:03:23.050 --> 00:03:25.090 that structural integrity showed up immediately 00:03:25.090 --> 00:03:27.009 in their live show. Yeah the sources describe 00:03:27.009 --> 00:03:29.349 their shows as having incredibly fast -paced 00:03:29.349 --> 00:03:32.370 songs, massive sing -alongs, and just really 00:03:32.370 --> 00:03:35.629 energetic backup vocals. Yeah. And the industry 00:03:35.629 --> 00:03:38.530 response was unusually fast, like crazy fast. 00:03:38.650 --> 00:03:41.310 It really was. In 2005, the exact same year they 00:03:41.310 --> 00:03:44.830 formed In Farm, Adam Sewell at Stereo Dynamite 00:03:44.830 --> 00:03:47.210 heard their demo and signed them. Just like that. 00:03:47.370 --> 00:03:49.530 Yeah. He put their track shake on the Zombie 00:03:49.530 --> 00:03:52.210 Night in Canada volume two compilation. Then 00:03:52.210 --> 00:03:55.229 by May 2006, they released their debut album, 00:03:55.409 --> 00:03:57.650 Sell Your Soul, and they secured an exclusive 00:03:57.650 --> 00:03:59.969 distribution deal with EMI Music Canada. Which 00:03:59.969 --> 00:04:02.129 is huge for an independent punk band. And it 00:04:02.129 --> 00:04:05.310 gets bigger. By 2009, they achieved this major 00:04:05.310 --> 00:04:07.430 milestone. They became the first Canadian band 00:04:07.430 --> 00:04:09.729 ever signed to the California -based Hellcat 00:04:09.729 --> 00:04:12.150 Records. Yeah, for the U .S. re -release of their 00:04:12.150 --> 00:04:14.789 second album, Run For Your Life. But wait, I 00:04:14.789 --> 00:04:16.250 want to push back on this a little bit. Okay, 00:04:16.250 --> 00:04:19.189 go for it. How does a highly niche Burlington 00:04:19.189 --> 00:04:22.709 band singing about horror movies land on a massive 00:04:22.709 --> 00:04:26.269 California label like Hellcat? I mean, is it 00:04:26.269 --> 00:04:28.899 just the gimmick or is it the hustle? Because 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:31.480 Hellcat signing a Canadian band was a massive 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:34.040 anomaly back then. Oh, it was a structural anomaly 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:37.439 for sure. Cross -border logistics, visa costs, 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:40.079 tour support for international acts, those are 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.519 usually prohibitive for independent labels. Right, 00:04:42.660 --> 00:04:44.500 unless it's a guaranteed return on investment. 00:04:44.779 --> 00:04:47.120 Exactly. The aesthetic might get the audience's 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.519 attention, sure, but the underlying economics 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:51.759 are what get the contract signed. So it was the 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:56.069 hustle. 100%. Hellcat invested in them because 00:04:56.069 --> 00:04:59.069 the creep show had built this self -sustaining 00:04:59.069 --> 00:05:02.189 economic engine through just relentless touring. 00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:04.050 Yeah, the sources say they played the Warped 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:07.189 Tour in Montreal in 2008. They toured North America 00:05:07.189 --> 00:05:10.050 and Europe heavily in early 2009. They even played 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:12.129 multiple gigs in Russia later that year. Which 00:05:12.129 --> 00:05:15.410 is not an easy tour routing. No. And then eventually 00:05:15.410 --> 00:05:18.230 they hit the main stages at Australia's Soundwave 00:05:18.230 --> 00:05:21.709 Festival in 2010. So from a label's perspective, 00:05:22.050 --> 00:05:25.930 this completely de -risks the investment. The 00:05:25.930 --> 00:05:28.310 band isn't asking the label to build their audience 00:05:28.310 --> 00:05:30.269 from scratch. They're basically just asking the 00:05:30.269 --> 00:05:32.769 label to distribute the product to an audience 00:05:32.769 --> 00:05:35.250 they're already actively conquering on the road. 00:05:35.509 --> 00:05:38.230 That makes total sense. But, I mean, the physical 00:05:38.230 --> 00:05:41.310 toll of that kind of blue -collar touring model 00:05:41.310 --> 00:05:44.029 has to be immense. Oh, it's exhausting. There's 00:05:44.029 --> 00:05:46.269 this really telling quote I found in the source 00:05:46.269 --> 00:05:49.120 material from Sarah Blackwood who, well, She 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:50.680 would become their lead singer later. We'll get 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:53.259 to that. But she did an interview with Exclaim 00:05:53.259 --> 00:05:55.639 magazine. Yeah, I remember this quote. She described 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:58.120 their downtime. And she said, quote, after about 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.279 two weeks, we all get that itch. And after three 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:01.939 weeks, our pockets are empty. And we're like, 00:06:02.180 --> 00:06:04.439 OK, we need to go back on tour. I am going crazy. 00:06:04.740 --> 00:06:07.139 It perfectly encapsulates the dual pressures 00:06:07.139 --> 00:06:09.279 of independent music, doesn't it? It really does. 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:12.399 Financial necessity and psychological momentum. 00:06:12.569 --> 00:06:15.509 Exactly. You are simultaneously driven by empty 00:06:15.509 --> 00:06:18.490 pockets and the sheer cabin fever of just being 00:06:18.490 --> 00:06:20.910 off the road. But the paradox of that grueling 00:06:20.910 --> 00:06:24.029 schedule is that it relies on absolute internal 00:06:24.029 --> 00:06:27.569 stability. Right. Like you cannot book a 30 date 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:31.329 European club tour unless you are absolutely 00:06:31.329 --> 00:06:33.470 certain your entire roster is actually going 00:06:33.470 --> 00:06:35.550 to show up to the airport. Right. Which brings 00:06:35.550 --> 00:06:38.790 us to their first major structural shock. Here's 00:06:38.790 --> 00:06:41.339 where it gets really interesting. because their 00:06:41.339 --> 00:06:44.139 original lead singer and guitarist, Jen Hellcat 00:06:44.139 --> 00:06:47.120 -Blackwood, gets pregnant and decides to leave 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:48.860 the band. Which is completely understandable, 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.339 but for a touring band, that's a crisis. Yeah. 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:53.439 She makes her final video appearance in a track 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:55.839 called The Garden, and she eventually goes on 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:58.819 to form Hellcat and the Prowl. And generally 00:06:58.819 --> 00:07:01.160 speaking, losing a front person is traditionally 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:03.660 a fatal blow for a band. Oh, absolutely. The 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:06.079 lead singer is the focal point of the parasocial 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:08.060 relationship between the band and the audience. 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:11.279 Fans form these deep identity level bonds with 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:13.879 the voice and the persona. So when you replace 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:16.500 that person, the audience often feels betrayed. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:18.699 They see it as like a corporate imitation of 00:07:18.699 --> 00:07:21.639 the original band. Exactly. But they managed 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.579 to completely bypass that rejection. It's like 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:26.379 a monarchy keeping the crown and the family. 00:07:27.149 --> 00:07:30.110 They brought in Jen's younger sister, Saris in 00:07:30.110 --> 00:07:32.670 Blackwood. Initially, it was just temporary to 00:07:32.670 --> 00:07:35.189 fulfill their touring obligations, but she soon 00:07:35.189 --> 00:07:37.610 took over the vocal and guitar duties permanently. 00:07:38.389 --> 00:07:40.850 She ended up leading them through years of heavy 00:07:40.850 --> 00:07:43.550 touring and recorded their third album, They 00:07:43.550 --> 00:07:47.019 All Fall Down, in 2010. And the mechanism of 00:07:47.019 --> 00:07:49.800 that transition is just brilliant because the 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:52.139 familial connection provided an emotional bridge 00:07:52.139 --> 00:07:55.199 for the fans. It retained this vital sense of 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.420 authenticity. It wasn't some hostile takeover 00:07:57.420 --> 00:07:59.800 or a random audition process. Exactly. It wasn't 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:01.939 pulling in a stranger. It was keeping the project 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:04.800 within the original bloodline. The fans accepted 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.980 Sarah because her presence actually honored the 00:08:06.980 --> 00:08:09.420 band's origins rather than overriding them. It 00:08:09.420 --> 00:08:11.579 worked flawlessly. It kept the machine running 00:08:11.579 --> 00:08:14.779 at top speed. But then... they encountered an 00:08:14.779 --> 00:08:17.420 entirely different kind of disruption, an external 00:08:17.420 --> 00:08:20.519 lightning bolt. The viral moment. Yes. In January 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:23.759 2012, Sarah Blackwood goes a guest vocal spot 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:25.939 with Walk Off the Earth, which is another Burlington 00:08:25.939 --> 00:08:29.860 band. They record a cover of Godi's Somebody 00:08:29.860 --> 00:08:31.959 That I Used to Know. You know, the famous video 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:33.899 with five people all playing a single guitar. 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:36.100 Oh, everyone remembers that video. The impact 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:38.620 of that video cannot be overstated. It was a 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:42.200 true algorithmic lightning bolt in the 2012 YouTube 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:44.639 landscape. It hit one hundred and twenty seven 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:48.159 million views in just four months, which in 2012 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:52.220 was unfathomable. Insane numbers. They received 00:08:52.220 --> 00:08:55.440 massive public praise from Gotye himself and 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:58.440 Kimbra, the original tracks co -singer. And then 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:01.480 by February 2012, Crazed Hits reported that Walk 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:03.759 Off the Earth had signed a major recording contract 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:06.139 with Columbia Records. So suddenly you have this 00:09:06.139 --> 00:09:08.460 massive collision between two totally different 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:10.340 economic realities. Yes, Walk Off the Earth is 00:09:10.340 --> 00:09:12.659 suddenly a global phenomenon with major label 00:09:12.659 --> 00:09:15.320 backing, demanding an immediate, aggressive touring 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:17.299 and promotional schedule. And this raises an 00:09:17.299 --> 00:09:19.940 important question. Because you have the traditional 00:09:19.940 --> 00:09:22.919 grassroots van touring economy at The Creep Show 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:25.879 colliding with this explosive, highly capitalized 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:28.429 world of viral pop. music. Right. And The Creep 00:09:28.429 --> 00:09:29.990 Show had already booked a major tour of Europe 00:09:29.990 --> 00:09:31.850 and North America for the late summer and autumn 00:09:31.850 --> 00:09:36.450 of 2012. Including dates in the UK. Yes. So it 00:09:36.450 --> 00:09:38.529 seems obvious that someone couldn't do both. 00:09:39.230 --> 00:09:41.669 But I have to wonder, for you listening who might 00:09:41.669 --> 00:09:43.990 face something similar, why couldn't they just 00:09:43.990 --> 00:09:47.830 put The Creep Show on a brief hiatus? Like why 00:09:47.830 --> 00:09:50.490 couldn't they pause the grassroots tour while 00:09:50.490 --> 00:09:52.929 Sarah rode the viral wave and then return to 00:09:52.929 --> 00:09:54.990 it later? because in the independent touring 00:09:54.990 --> 00:09:57.809 ecosystem, pausing is often indistinguishable 00:09:57.809 --> 00:10:01.330 from dying. Wow! Really? Yeah, I mean, promoters 00:10:01.330 --> 00:10:03.970 have already booked venues. They've printed flyers. 00:10:04.009 --> 00:10:06.950 They've sold advance tickets. If a band cancels 00:10:06.950 --> 00:10:09.690 a European tour, they burn relationships with 00:10:09.690 --> 00:10:11.950 booking agents that literally took years of sweat 00:10:11.950 --> 00:10:14.090 equity to build. Makes sense. The bridges just 00:10:14.090 --> 00:10:16.570 get burned. Exactly. Furthermore, the rest of 00:10:16.570 --> 00:10:18.570 the band relies on that touring income to pay 00:10:18.570 --> 00:10:21.129 their rent. You can't ask a working class band 00:10:21.129 --> 00:10:23.330 to just sit idle for a year while their singer 00:10:23.330 --> 00:10:26.210 pursues a major label pop project. The momentum 00:10:26.210 --> 00:10:28.490 has to be maintained or the whole engine just 00:10:28.490 --> 00:10:31.730 seizes up. So the inevitable happens. On July 00:10:31.730 --> 00:10:35.830 16, 2012, Sarah uploads a farewell video to her 00:10:35.830 --> 00:10:39.159 YouTube page. She officially announces she is 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:41.220 leaving The Creep Show to join Walk Off the Earth 00:10:41.220 --> 00:10:43.679 permanently, gearing up for their autumn tour 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:46.860 and the release of their REVOEP. Consider the 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:48.919 operational nightmare this presents. Oh, it's 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:52.120 terrifying. It is mid -July. The Creep Show has 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:54.519 a European and North American tour starting in 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:57.639 a matter of weeks. The singer, who remember was 00:10:57.639 --> 00:10:59.539 already the replacement for the original singer, 00:10:59.659 --> 00:11:02.639 has just defected to a massive viral pop act. 00:11:02.740 --> 00:11:05.120 Which usually creates a catastrophic vacuum of 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:08.159 information, right? Always. Fans start speculating, 00:11:08.379 --> 00:11:10.860 rumors spread that the band is breaking up, and 00:11:10.860 --> 00:11:13.000 nervous promoters start pulling the plug on shows 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.039 just to minimize their own financial risk. So 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.620 how does a band survive that specific window 00:11:17.620 --> 00:11:20.259 of panic? When the fans are loyal to the voice 00:11:20.259 --> 00:11:22.940 and the voice is suddenly gone, how do you prevent 00:11:22.940 --> 00:11:25.179 the entire brand from collapsing before the tour 00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:27.539 even starts? You execute what is essentially 00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:29.679 a controlled burn. In crisis management, you 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:32.519 have to deliberately consume the fuel, you know, 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:34.519 the fan speculation and panic before it can turn 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:37.759 into a wildfire. You do not wait a week to gather 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:40.740 your thoughts. You communicate instantly, and 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:44.320 you project absolute unshakable confidence. So 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.360 what does this all mean in practice? It means 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:50.419 absolute PR brilliance. Because that is exactly 00:11:50.419 --> 00:11:53.240 what they did. On the exact same day Sarah uploaded 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:57.259 her video, July 16, 2012, The Creep Show released 00:11:57.259 --> 00:11:59.779 a comprehensive statement on their Facebook page. 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:02.419 The timing is crucial there. Same day. Exactly. 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:05.039 Ripping the Band -Aid off. They addressed the 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.340 reality immediately, acknowledging that Sarah's 00:12:07.340 --> 00:12:09.799 involvement with Walk Off the Earth made it impossible 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:11.759 for her to commit full time to the creep show. 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:14.019 They were super professional, stating she would 00:12:14.019 --> 00:12:16.419 be sorely missed and wishing her the best. Which 00:12:16.419 --> 00:12:18.620 neutralizes any rumors of bad blood or internal 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.220 drama right away. Right. But the crucial move 00:12:21.220 --> 00:12:23.639 was what they did next. They left absolutely 00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:26.559 no vacuum for fan speculation because they announced 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:29.259 her successor in the very next paragraph. Mmm, 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:31.289 right there. Yeah. They stated the show must 00:12:31.289 --> 00:12:33.789 go on, and they introduced Kenda Legaspi, also 00:12:33.789 --> 00:12:36.429 known as Kenda Twisted, or Obi -Wan Kendabi. 00:12:36.610 --> 00:12:39.110 Another fantastic nickname. They really are great 00:12:39.110 --> 00:12:41.990 at those. But they didn't just drop a name, you 00:12:41.990 --> 00:12:45.289 know. They actively established her credibility. 00:12:45.649 --> 00:12:47.230 They pointed out that she was an accomplished 00:12:47.230 --> 00:12:50.970 singer and a prolific tattoo artist deeply embedded 00:12:50.970 --> 00:12:53.769 in the Hamilton and Toronto music scenes. Scene 00:12:53.769 --> 00:12:56.960 credibility. That's the key. Yeah, they confidently 00:12:56.960 --> 00:12:59.840 declare they were already writing new songs and 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:02.860 sharpening the live sh**. And by doing this, 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.840 they left zero oxygen for doubt. They controlled 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:08.440 the narrative completely, they acknowledged the 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:11.220 loss, honored the departing member, and instantly 00:13:11.220 --> 00:13:13.740 provided proof of life for the future. Signaling 00:13:13.740 --> 00:13:16.309 to the promoters that the tour was safe. Exactly. 00:13:16.509 --> 00:13:18.549 And signaling to the fans that the band's identity 00:13:18.549 --> 00:13:21.769 was intact. Kenda wasn't some random session 00:13:21.769 --> 00:13:24.029 musician they hired off the Internet. She was 00:13:24.029 --> 00:13:26.669 a known entity. She had seen credibility, which 00:13:26.669 --> 00:13:29.009 is the exact same currency the founders used 00:13:29.009 --> 00:13:31.570 to build the band back in 2005. Full circle. 00:13:31.909 --> 00:13:33.990 There is a specific line at the bottom of that 00:13:33.990 --> 00:13:36.470 July 16th statement that I just find fascinating. 00:13:37.169 --> 00:13:39.789 They added, quote, If you have any negative comments, 00:13:39.929 --> 00:13:41.970 we would appreciate you keeping them to yourself. 00:13:42.250 --> 00:13:44.610 That is a master class in boundary setting. It's 00:13:44.610 --> 00:13:47.529 so bold. It is, but it communicates to the fanbase 00:13:47.529 --> 00:13:50.129 that the remaining members are completely unified 00:13:50.129 --> 00:13:53.009 in this decision. It preemptively shuts down 00:13:53.009 --> 00:13:56.149 those toxic internet pylons that typically accompany 00:13:56.149 --> 00:13:59.070 lineup changes. It basically tells the audience 00:13:59.070 --> 00:14:01.429 that the band's survival is not up for public 00:14:01.429 --> 00:14:04.649 debate. I love that. But I still struggle to 00:14:04.649 --> 00:14:07.110 comprehend the sheer logistics of pulling this 00:14:07.110 --> 00:14:10.409 off. The timeline is wild. It's insane. Sarah 00:14:10.409 --> 00:14:13.590 announces her departure on July 16th. The sorts 00:14:13.590 --> 00:14:15.970 of show Kenda playing her first live shows with 00:14:15.970 --> 00:14:19.610 the band in Hamilton on Friday, July 27, and 00:14:19.610 --> 00:14:21.690 then in Toronto the very next day. Yeah. That 00:14:21.690 --> 00:14:25.159 is an 11 day turnaround. 11 days. And that highlights 00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:28.179 the invisible mechanical reality of being a professional 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:31.059 touring musician. To transition a lead vocalist 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:33.740 in 11 days requires immense technical discipline. 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:36.080 I can't even imagine the rehearsals. Right. You 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:37.799 were talking about someone learning a catalog 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:41.539 of what 15 to 20 highly specific fast paced songs 00:14:41.539 --> 00:14:43.919 and developing the vocal stamina to perform them 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.639 back to back. Plus integrating into the existing 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:48.539 stage chemistry of a band that has been touring 00:14:48.539 --> 00:14:51.360 relentlessly for seven years. And then immediately 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:53.899 after those two local shows. They fly to Germany 00:14:53.899 --> 00:14:56.899 for four dates, and then they hit the UK in August. 00:14:57.460 --> 00:14:59.340 Fulfilling every single obligation they had on 00:14:59.340 --> 00:15:01.460 the books, they didn't drop a single tour date. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:03.700 Because they understood that their leverage in 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:06.159 the industry was their reliability. If they had 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:07.960 flinched, the promoters would have panicked. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.559 Right. But by showing up in Germany with a fully 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.879 functional high energy set just weeks after losing 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:16.259 their singer to a Columbia Records pop back, 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:19.340 they cemented their reputation as an unstoppable 00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:22.779 force. And they didn't just survive. They thrived. 00:15:22.940 --> 00:15:25.799 The momentum only accelerated from there. By 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:29.320 January 2013, they were demoing a new album in 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:32.840 Toronto. That's fast. Super fast. In July, they 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.539 released the single Sinners and Saints on limited 00:15:35.539 --> 00:15:38.600 edition brown vinyl. And then in October 2013 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:41.360 through Stomp Records, they dropped their fourth 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.379 studio album on white vinyl. And the title they 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:47.000 chose for that record feels incredibly pointed. 00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:49.980 What was it? Life After Death. Oh, that is perfect. 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:52.279 It's the perfect encapsulation of their entire 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:54.820 operational ethos. They took what should have 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:56.919 been a fatal blow and commodified it into their 00:15:56.919 --> 00:15:59.519 ongoing narrative. They really did. And they 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.679 sustained that energy for years. They hit their 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.399 10th anniversary. They headlined the arena at 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.379 the Rebellion Festival in August 2015. And they 00:16:07.379 --> 00:16:10.980 supported massive punk acts like NOFX and Dropkick 00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:13.120 Murphys. Didn't they play a huge New Year's Eve 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:15.580 show right after the transition, too? Yeah. They 00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:18.600 spent New Year's Eve 2012 playing with NOFX in 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:21.059 Montreal right on the heels of the Kenda transition. 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:23.740 And then they released their next album, Death 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:27.440 at My Door, in 2017. They even saw their track 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:31.039 Blood, Blood, Blood featured in the closing credits 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:34.980 of a Borderlands 3DLC expansion. Oh. Yeah. They 00:16:34.980 --> 00:16:37.399 completely outran the shadow of that viral walk 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:39.350 off the earth moment. And I think the broader 00:16:39.350 --> 00:16:41.129 takeaway here, especially for you listening, 00:16:41.389 --> 00:16:43.389 is about the difference between a project built 00:16:43.389 --> 00:16:45.769 on an individual and a project built on a system. 00:16:45.929 --> 00:16:47.990 Yeah, that's a crucial distinction. The Creep 00:16:47.990 --> 00:16:52.269 Show survived because their core identity, their 00:16:52.269 --> 00:16:54.750 work ethic, their ties to the local scene, their 00:16:54.750 --> 00:16:57.190 commitment to the psychobilly aesthetic, all 00:16:57.190 --> 00:16:59.490 of that was stronger than any single component 00:16:59.490 --> 00:17:01.840 part. When you lay the whole timeline out. It 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.279 is just staggering. It really is. Like a group 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:07.880 of scene veterans in Burlington combine an upright 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:11.319 base and a horror motif. They build a touring 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:13.740 engine powerful enough to land a Hellcat Records 00:17:13.740 --> 00:17:16.779 contract. They survive the departure of their 00:17:16.779 --> 00:17:19.160 original lead singer by bringing in her sister. 00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:21.359 Right. And then when that sister gets pulled 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:24.119 into the stratosphere of viral pop fame, they 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:27.279 execute an 11 day transition to a new vocalist 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:29.799 without canceling a single European tour date. 00:17:29.930 --> 00:17:32.609 It's unbelievable. And it forces us to ask a 00:17:32.609 --> 00:17:34.769 really compelling question about the nature of 00:17:34.769 --> 00:17:37.369 creative projects. What's that? Well, there is 00:17:37.369 --> 00:17:39.490 this ancient philosophical thought experiment 00:17:39.490 --> 00:17:41.710 called the Ship of Theseus. OK, yeah, I've heard 00:17:41.710 --> 00:17:44.269 of this. The premise is that if you have a wooden 00:17:44.269 --> 00:17:47.890 ship and over time you replace every single rotting 00:17:47.890 --> 00:17:49.970 plank until none of the original wood remains, 00:17:50.650 --> 00:17:53.650 Is it still the same ship? Oh, wow. Applied to 00:17:53.650 --> 00:17:56.289 a band with this much turnover, that is a wild 00:17:56.289 --> 00:17:59.430 concept to untangle. Exactly. If a band changes 00:17:59.430 --> 00:18:02.170 its label, completely replaces its front person 00:18:02.170 --> 00:18:04.930 twice, and cycles through various rhythm section 00:18:04.930 --> 00:18:07.869 players over a couple of decades, is it still 00:18:07.869 --> 00:18:10.569 the same band? That's the big question. Or does 00:18:10.569 --> 00:18:13.190 a project like The Creepshow eventually transcend 00:18:13.190 --> 00:18:16.420 its personnel? Does it become a shared immortal 00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:19.779 energy, like a specific set of ideals or aesthetics 00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:22.519 that exists entirely separate from the specific 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:25.039 individuals who first brought it to life in that 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:28.079 Burlington garage? I love that. That is the exact 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:30.660 kind of puzzle that stays with you. Because it 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:32.779 suggests that if you build the architecture of 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:35.640 your project correctly, and you manage the transitions 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:38.220 with enough transparency and confidence, the 00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:40.640 machine never really relies on one specific gear. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:42.740 No, it doesn't. It just relies on the collective 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:45.150 will to keep ticking. Thank you so much for joining 00:18:45.150 --> 00:18:46.970 us on this deep dive. We'll see you next time.