The Canmore Alternative, Metal, and Punk Music Festival (AMPFest) featured 12 bands from the Bow Valley including the power trio ¡BAWANG!. With musical influences ranging from Queen and the Melvins to In Flames, the group claims to fit no one genre, but aims to deliver anything and everything in your face. And on November 12, that’s exactly what they did.

“It was amazing!” says Kyle Pullan, who plays guitar and sings back-up vocals in the band. “Everyone who was there came for the show; they wanted to be there and they loved it. It was high energy from start to finish!”

Having an engaged audience might seem like a low bar, but for some heavy metal, punk, and alternative bands, it’s beyond their wildest dreams. Most get their start performing in bars or nightclubs where the band isn’t always top billing. “Let’s be honest, [club owners] really want the bands that are going to bring people in to drink at the bar,” says Kyle. “And most will choose a cover band over a heavy metal band they’ve never seen before.”

But there are a number of bands in the Bow Valley waiting to take the stage. They just need the right venue, says Kyle. “One that can match the energy that heavy metal can bring.”

Cue artsPlace.

Over 175 audience members filled the community art centre’s black box theatre that day (which had been retrofitted to accommodate the mosh pit). They sang along, moshed, and bought merchandise—but most importantly, they listened.

“It’s really important to play for people who want to hear you. And at artsPlace, people are there for the music,” says Kyle. “To have a spot like artsPlace let us be ourselves in that environment, in that venue, and make noise for people was really powerful. It gave us the space to let our inner metalheads come out!”

That’s what artsPlace does. From rock fans to folkies and everyone in between, the community arts centre offers space for people to gather and connect, regardless of genre, gender, age, ability, or nationality.