{"id":75009,"date":"2024-03-12T16:59:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T22:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=75009"},"modified":"2024-03-12T16:59:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T22:59:12","slug":"a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/","title":{"rendered":"A welder, a writer and a teacher walk in to a bar&#8230; as punk rockers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"width: 1280px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-75009-1\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/NathanIlesMiniDocwordpressFINAL.MOV.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/NathanIlesMiniDocwordpressFINAL.MOV.mp4\">http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/NathanIlesMiniDocwordpressFINAL.MOV.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"wpsdc-drop-cap\">T<\/span>here\u2019s a story behind why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/the_galacticas\/\">The Galacticas<\/a> hate driving at night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was like 3 a.m. and we were driving back from Medicine Hat,\u201d says the band\u2019s guitarist and singer Anthony Janicki. \u201cWe hit a deer while going 100 km an hour and destroyed my car.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had gotten into a bad habit of deciding to drive home for three hours in the middle of the night after a gig, thinking that we could tough it out.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Dangerous as it may be, driving home in the dead of night \u2014 riding the high of performing \u2014 is a necessary evil for the trio. On top regularly touring and performing, all three members of The Galacticas have day jobs.<\/p>\n<p>A welder, a teacher and a writer may sound like the beginning of a bad joke \u2013 but it\u2019s the daytime reality of all three members of this Calgary punk band.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not care about sleep in my twenties,\u201d Janicki said. \u201cI would play Tuesday nights and stay out till one in the morning on a Wednesday just to be in the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t do that as much anymore. I\u2019m getting older, and my job is what lets me do all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By day, Janicki is a journeyman structural welder with <a href=\"https:\/\/tiwwestern.com\/\">TIW Western.<\/a> He has worked in the field for more than a decade.<\/p>\n<p>At night, Janicki cut his teeth in Calgary\u2019s music scene. He played in groups such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/connivingcadavers\/\">Conniving Cadavers,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/deluge.bandcamp.com\/\">Deluge<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/blackearthammo.bandcamp.com\/\">Black Earth<\/a> before forming The Galacticas in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had never gotten to front a band like I always wanted to,\u201d said Janicki. \u201cSo, I collected a couple of guys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of those guys is Will Cowan, a drummer who previously met Janicki while writing about the band Deluge for a university assignment.<\/p>\n<p>Two weeks later, Janicki sent Cowan a text.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hey, you said you weren&#8217;t in a band,&#8221; Janicki wrote. &#8220;Do you want try out for this new project that I&#8217;m doing?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Cowan replied in the affirmative.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe went from there,&#8221; Cowan said. &#8220;And it developed it into what we\u2019ve got now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cowan has served as The Galacticas drummer since day one. Several years later, Mark Ferguson rounded out the lineup on the bass guitar.<\/p>\n<p>Ferguson works as a music teacher at <a href=\"https:\/\/airdriemusiclessons.com\/\">Airdrie Music Lessons.<\/a> Cowan, meanwhile, balances his rockstar nightlife with a day job as a content writer for <a href=\"https:\/\/podmarketinginc.com\/\">POD Marketing.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>These three rockers are not unique. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/Entertainment-and-Sports\/Musicians-and-singers.htm\">The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> estimated job prospects for musicians and singers at 1 per cent in North America.<\/p>\n<p>A recent article from <a href=\"https:\/\/exclaim.ca\/music\/article\/canadian_musicians_day_jobs\">Exclaim<\/a>, meanwhile, highlighted successful touring musicians who work in a variety of second careers, from management to healthcare.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-75009 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/20240204-mini-doc-ni-0331\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240204-Mini-Doc-NI-0331-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-75282\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-75282'>\n\t\t\t\tThe Galacticas rock out at their album release show at Dickens Pub in Calgary on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.  (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/20240218-minidoc-ni-0071\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240218-MiniDoc-NI-0071-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-75279\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-75279'>\n\t\t\t\tThe Galacticas practice their set in Calgary on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024.(Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/20240225-minidoc-ni-0025\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240225-MiniDoc-NI-0025-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-75301\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-75301'>\n\t\t\t\tAnthony Janicki relaxes in his home in Calgary on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024.(Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/20240204-mini-doc-ni-0393\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240204-Mini-Doc-NI-0393-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-75302\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-75302'>\n\t\t\t\tThe Galacticas rock out at their album release show at Dickens Pub in Calgary on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.  (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/20240227-minidoc-ni-0003\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0003-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-75277\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-75277'>\n\t\t\t\tAnthony Janicki works on a project at work in Calgary on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Janicki has been a welder at TIW Western for over a decade. (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/20240227-minidoc-ni-0034\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0034-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-75303\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-75303'>\n\t\t\t\tThe Galacticas practice their set in Calgary on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024.(Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Like most musicians, The Galacticas handle their existence with stubbornness \u2013 and humour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the dumbest band in the world,\u201d laughs Cowan.<\/p>\n<p>The Galacticas describe themselves as, <a href=\"https:\/\/thegalacticasalberta.bandcamp.com\/\">\u2018Just 3 nerds from Calgary who love punk rock and awkward high fives.\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Their irreverent blend of distortion, melody and earnest lyrics has landed the band spots on various pop-punk and emo playlists on Spotify.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2016, the group has released four albums. The most recent, <a href=\"https:\/\/thegalacticasalberta.bandcamp.com\/album\/planned-obsolescence\"><em>Planned Obsolescence<\/em>,<\/a>\u00a0came on \u00a0Feb. 3.<\/p>\n<p>Several weeks after celebrating the album\u2019s release with a hometown show at Dickens Pub, The Galacticas headed back out on the road, going west to Canmore to play at the Canmore Hotel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we are a little more strategic about how we approach tours and shows,\u201d Cowan said. \u201cWe do the weekend warrior thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe go to a town and play all night long, go to another town and play all night long, and then we come home on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Janicki echoes the sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter touring through my twenties, I realized that nobody wants to see you on a Tuesday night in a small town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Fueled by \u2018McDonald\u2019s and diet soda,\u2019 the band has played all over the province, from Edmonton to Lethbridge.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve even made further excursions out west to mountainous towns like Fernie and Revelstoke.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>How do these full-time employees balance work, life and rock and roll?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRoutine is my secret weapon,\u201d Cowan said. \u201cAnd ADHD medication.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_75016\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75016\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-75016\" src=\"http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0052-300x207.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0052-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0052-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0052-768x530.jpg 768w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0052-1536x1061.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0052-2048x1415.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-75016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Routine and structure:<\/strong> Will Cowan takes a break from work in Calgary. Cowan is a content writer at POD Marketing. (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For Cowan, most days start at 5:30 a.m. Whether he is creating copy for work, editing podcasts or unwinding with his fianc\u00e9, every hour is \u00a0carefully scheduled.<\/p>\n<p>Janicki has a similar approach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI compartmentalize it,\u201d he said. \u201cI have pretty strict boundaries about when I can and can\u2019t jam.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFortunately for us, The Galacticas is a pretty well-oiled machine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This machine is fuelled primarily by Janicki himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve taken a backseat in terms of the creative output of The Galacticas,\u201d says Cowan.<\/p>\n<p>Janicki is often the one in the driver\u2019s seat on tour. He schedules most shows, handles social media and has created animation for the band\u2019s music videos. On top of all that, he writes all the lyrics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to start a band where I was completely in control, where it could be my life project,\u201d said Janicki.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u201cTony\u2019s words take universal emotions and make them accessible,\u201d says local musician Harvey Hinton.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Galacticas are important. They are the curators of an island of misfit punk toys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hinton, who works during the day as a porter at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.albertahealthservices.ca\/rgh\/rgh.aspx\">Rockyview Hospital<\/a>, plays bass in local bands <a href=\"https:\/\/glitterglueyyc.bandcamp.com\/\">Glitter Glue<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/go.away.fast\/\">Go Away Fast.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For Hinton, the motivation is entirely personal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do it for the love of the game,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s who I am.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarvey Hinton has to play music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the kind of inner strength that every performing artist must find within themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have always been a creator,\u201d says Cowan. \u201cThe process is the really rewarding part, and that\u2019s why I keep coming back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What keeps Janicki going?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that if I was to die tomorrow, my obituary would have something cool to say about me,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cBecause otherwise, I would just be a welder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about having a purpose in life.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_75278\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75278\" style=\"width: 1863px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-75278\" src=\"http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1863\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-scaled.jpg 1863w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-218x300.jpg 218w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-745x1024.jpg 745w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-768x1055.jpg 768w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-1118x1536.jpg 1118w, https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/20240227-MiniDoc-NI-0022-1-1490x2048.jpg 1490w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1863px) 100vw, 1863px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-75278\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Forging a path:<\/strong> Anthony Janicki is a journeyman welder at TIW Western. (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Being a touring musician with a day-job is the reality of all three members of this Calgary punk rock band.  <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/03\/12\/a-welder-a-writer-and-a-teacher-walk-in-to-a-bar-as-punk-rockers\/\" title=\"A welder, a writer and a teacher walk in to a bar&#8230; as punk rockers\">[ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":870,"featured_media":75275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"S4 Punk Rock NI","footnotes":""},"categories":[1590,1432,5,9,1592],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-75009","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts","8":"category-business-jobs","9":"category-entertainment","10":"category-life","11":"category-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/870"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75009"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75297,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75009\/revisions\/75297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}