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Punch Drunk Cabaret welcomes Sylvan Lake bassist as newest member

Teddy Roy plays the stand-up bass for the rockabilly-steampunk band
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Punch Drunk Cabaret’s Randy Bailer and Sean Watts welcome Sylvan Lake bassist Teddy Roy as their newest member. The band recently released it’s fourth album, ‘This is a Disturbance’. Photo by Larrie Thomson

From a country sound to what is being called “rockabilly-steam punk” a Sylvan Lake rocker has made the switch to Central Albertan band Punch Drunk Cabaret.

Teddy Roy, a bassist from Sylvan Lake, says he knew Punch Drunk Cabaret would be a great fit for him well before he was a member of the band.

He was invited to a show about three years ago and said he knew while taking in the show that if he ever got the chance he wanted to play in the three-piece band.

Roy said he jumped at the chance to play with the band last year as a fill-in.

“They sort of swindled me at first,” he joked. “They didn’t want anyone to know their bassist had left… They must have liked me because the told me I had the gig.”

Punch Drunk Cabaret has released their fourth album, and Roy says he worked with the band through it, and plays the stand-up bass on the album.

The return to the stand-up bass has been a welcome change for Roy, who says he didn’t really get the chance to play it with his former band Boom Chucka Boy.

“[With Boom Chucka Boy] we were sort of steered away from rockabilly and more into country… And record companies weren’t fan of the stand-up bass at that time,” said Roy.

Punch Drunk Cabaret’s fourth album, ‘This is a Disturbance’ was released on May 11 and uses a lot of the stand-up bass, according to Roy.

The sound from this band is a little “harder” than what Roy performed with Boom Chucka Boy.

When it comes to the steampunk edge to the music, Roy says it is hard to describe.

“Steampunk music is hard to describe, because it can really be anything.”

Roy gave the example of a steampunk band he met at a festival whose musical genre was rap.

“We kind of use the term loosely, but steampunk is the mix of the old and new, and I think we do that pretty well,” Roy said.

On stage the band members, which include Randy Bailer and Sean Watts, portray the steampunk look with a almost Victoria-edge complete with top hats and goggles.

As a Sylvan Laker, Roy hopes to bring the band to Town and grow the following. Already the band’s is popular in Hanna and Camrose.

Roy had always wanted to play in Sylvan Lake with Boom Chucka Boy, particularly at stage at Shake the Lake, but never got the chance.

Now he is hoping to bring his new band to his hometown.

“I think we would be perfect for Shake the Lake. We would love to play the festival.”

Punch Drunk Cabaret will soon be releasing its first music video from the latest album.

The fourth album by Punch Drunk Cabaret, complete with bass lines from Roy, is now available at Sunrise Records in Red Deer. It can also be found at Sunrise Records at the West Edmonton Mall and Chinook Mall in Calgary.



megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com

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