STEEL CITY HARDCORE || A LESSON IN HOW TO REVIVE A DYING SCENE
Photo Cred 📸: @scumcollective
The pandemic was an interesting time for us hardcore kids.
Brand new bands spawned from the sheer boredom that rippled through us during lockdown, while some, such as myself tried their hand at learning a new instrument, making beats or electronic music production. As our friends and family occupied their time with Tiger King and Animal Crossing, we were all too thrilled to finally be able to finish writing that song that they couldn’t get quite right or finally take up learning that obscure instrument. However, while we were spoiled with free time, there was one thing that weighed heavy on the heart of everyone in the scene — the lack of the live experience. The live show is the lifeblood of every musician, full stop.
Arguably, a musician who doesn’t perform might be considered a mere hobbyist. That important connection between fan and performer, the emotion, the energy — it disappeared faster than you could say “six feet apart”. As we know, however, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Restaurants were reopening, offices were reopening, but most importantly, music venues were reopening. Things were once again bubbling in the hardcore scene.
Whispers of small-scale DIY shows were making the rounds. It wasn’t going to take long until promoters started booking shows again, at actual venues nonetheless. And it didn’t. Rising out of the ashes of the pandemic, you might have heard of Steel City Hardcore, a promotion company based out of Hamilton, Ontario.
Its shows are violent. Fists and feet flying in every direction, people diving off the stage, people diving off of each other — the days of standing there with your arms crossed are long, long gone (thank fucking god). People even mosh for the opening bands (Shock! Horror! Panic), a testament to the worthiness of up and coming bands who rep our beloved Steeltown. If you attend a show you’ll notice a pattern.
You’ll see the same faces, smiling, talking and forming bonds (and then later virtually murdering them in the pit minutes later - with love, of course). Steel City Hardcore shows are a tight-knit, welcoming space for anyone who might be remotely interested in punk and hardcore music. It’s more than just a ten dollar cover charge to watch live music. The shows are a central hub for lovers of aggressive music, all the while local artists, food vendors and craftspeople occupy the merchandise booths alongside the bands.
Spearheaded by Rob Beaulieu and Jordon McGovern, the two have taken their brand to astonishing heights, inviting bands and attendees from outside Canada and beyond to experience the thrill of hardcore, Steel City style.
“ROB AND I STARTED CHATTING OVER THE PANDEMIC ABOUT HOW MUCH WE MISS SHOWS. WE WERE SEEING CLIPS OF DIY SHOWS HAPPENING IN THE USA, DESPITE LOCKDOWNS BEING IN PLACE AND IT WAS EVEN MORE FUEL TO THE FIRE.”
- JORDON @jordonxjohn
Rob shares the same sentiments..
“STEEL CITY HARDCORE STARTED BECAUSE WE WANTED TO THROW THE KINDS OF SHOWS WITH THE KIND OF BANDS WE WANTED TO SEE, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO BRING BACK A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN OUR LOCAL SCENE. WE WATED ANYONE AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN HELPING BOOK SHOWS, PLAY SHOWS, CREATE CONTENT, COME TO SHOWS, ANYTHING TO HELP SHOWCASE OUR SCENE AND WHAT WE’RE ABOUT HERE. TORONTO HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CENTRAL HUB FOR HARDCORE AND PUNK MUSIC BUT WE WANTED TO SHOWCASE THAT HARDCORE EXISTS IN HAMILTON. WE WANTED TO SHOW BANDS THAT WE’RE A COMMUNITY WORTH PLAYING IN.”
- ROB @dadxball
Steel City Hardcore’s virtuous origin story seems to have paid off. Rob and Jordon have successfully harnessed the frustrations from the pandemic and funneled them into a positive space where musicians, fans and artists can express themselves. It’s worth noting that prior to the pandemic, the Ontario hardcore scene was severely lacking in attendance. These are problems of the past however, as the emergence of Steel City Hardcore has increased attendance tenfold, oftentimes selling out shows completely.
It’s not like Rob and Jordon are booking massive, world-touring bands — most of the time, the bands booked are local within the GTA. Attendees merely want a place to, as Rob said, get involved. Hardcore and punk has always been a place for community, its fans and bands continuing to support the scene well after their teens and early 20s, Rob and Jordon being no exception. But everyone has an origin story.
“My hardcore origin story started in Alberta back in the late 90s the first time I heard the band Hatebreed,” Rob states. “I knew I needed more of that so I went searching, and soon I found bands like Agnostic Front, Madball and Biohazard. Something struck me about how real this music was. The lyrics were relatable.
There were songs about unity, community, family, having each other's backs and looking out for one another. Values that STILL hold true many years later. Values I strive to teach my own kids as they grow up. Fast forward to today: I play in two hardcore bands called Rust and Die Alone.
Through the community I’ve found these opportunities and have been able to apply and channel them into Steel City Hardcore as well”. Jordon’s ties to the scene are much more local, a likely reason why SCHC is so focused on fostering a local community: “I always leaned toward heavy music growing up, but it was my friend Kenedi (who now fronts Hamilton hardcore band Fight On Sight) who showed me a few local bands. They were playing in the area and we went to check them out. The rest is history.”
While the emergence of live sets on YouTube allows one to witness the chaos of a show from the comfort of their home, the overall experience is lost in the mix. The kinetic energy of a hardcore show is something that must be felt, not seen. Rob and Jordon know this, and have fortunately revived what was a dying scene into one that is truly worth writing about. If anyone is thinking about participating in their local scene, the time is undoubtedly ripe, with some even dubbing this era of Ontario hardcore the “golden age”.
The relatability of hardcore always been a major factor in why its fans stick around. A working class city like Hamilton was begging for a revival of the local punk and hardcore music scene. Rob and Jordon’s dedication to their community is a testament of what one can accomplish when the goal isn’t what’s in the cashbox at the end of the night, instead opting for creating an inclusive space while supporting local and touring bands, no matter the cost.
Checkout Steel City Hardcore here: @steelcityhardcore
Writer : @dyingyeetus
Editor : @just_reidz
10/13/23
