The Vile Bodies is a lo-fi rock and roll revival act with its roots in Belleville’s Downtown. I met with band members Rory Kyte, Elliott Gould, Mike Faires, Chandler Betteridge, and Dylan Hendrick during a band practice to discuss what the region has meant to them.
M: You’ve all left the area at one point or another and ended up coming back. What is it that’s brought you back to the Bay of Quinte Region?
VB: Dylan started living here and we all just sort of converged on this house. We started playing together and hanging out at Vic’s place and eventually playing there. They treat us nice.
M: How different is it playing shows in Belleville compared to other places you’ve played?
VB: There’s a lot more love here. People feel freer to cut loose I think and enjoy themselves. There’s also less music in Belleville currently so when there is an event a lot more people show up and more people are happy to see live music because it’s not happening every weekend like it is in Ottawa or Toronto or Montreal.
M: Do you think there’s a distinct sound that comes from the Bay of Quinte?
VB: Belleville’s bred a lot of cool bands, it’s kind of interesting because it seems to be all over the place. I don’t think you can say there’s one specific sound or at least not anymore. It’s definitely evolved since we played in high school.
M: Growing up here, did you find it difficult to find shows to play or venues to play in?
VB: There were more shows when we were in high school than there are now. We used to play shows every other weekend and we had a few good spots but now they’re all shut down. We played Trenton once and would love to play the county, we just haven’t had the opportunity yet. We’re trying to turn Vic’s into a new spot, do a few shows a year and get other bands involved. We’re actually doing another free show there September 2nd, hopefully.
M: Is it safe to say Vic’s Place is your favourite venue to play here then?
VB: Oh yeah. It’s great because of the atmosphere and the turn out; it’s always friends around. We get sort of a long leash, we had a fog machine at our last show and filled the place with confetti. Places in Ottawa are a lot more strict on what you can and cannot do.
M: What’s next for you guys? What are your plans after Rockfest?
VB: Hopefully a small 3-day tour in September. We’re finishing an album up, coming out August 10th. We’re hoping this opens more doors to play more shows.
The Vile Bodies open for The Sheepdogs Saturday July 22nd at 7:00 pm sharp at The Empire Theatre. You can check out their music at https://thevilebodies.bandcamp.com
