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The Borderguards: Still Loyal
Started in the summer of 1999, The Borderguards exploded upon the Canadian music scene with an abrasive mix of melody, rockabilly, blues and street punk. Singing songs about drinking, working, love gone wrong, loss, Canada and the world they live in, it was not long before the 4 piece street rock outfit found themselves headlining all over their home province of Alberta. To date the band has recorded a self titled 8 song CD and a handful of new songs for 2005 from which they have donated tracks to numerous compilations and radio stations, both local and worldwide. Notable compilations are the Meathead Records World Wide Box set and the Mayday Records compilation put out in 2002- 2003. Upcoming compilations include the re-launching of Oi! Records with Roddy Moreno of The Oppressed fame, Insurgence Records, Scandal Records, Core-upt Records, a skateboarding video and several more un-confirmed projects in the works as you read this.
The Borderguards rank and file is as follows:
Brian "Stogie" Stogran - Lead vox / guitar |
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|  | "Never give up on an idea because it is bad and doesn't work . Cling to it even when it is hopeless. Anyone can cut and run , but it takes a very special person to stay with something that is stupid and harmful." - George Carlin |
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| | | Jason "Oley" Ohlhauser - Harder hitting drums and back up vox |
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|  | A former rebel, "Oley" has now adopted a soccer coaching, laundry doing, picking up after lazy family kind of lifestyle. And he is only mildly bitter about being the lowest on the household totempole. The Borderguards will be Oley's last shot at fame and fortune that only a multi platinum album can bring. "Welcome to the real world son." - Dad |
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| | | Rick "The Rocket" Dang - Bassist / Webmaster |
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|  | Rick, when he's not saving the world from evil forces of non-Asian types, he enjoys a quite night by the fire, his stroke of genius, some classical music, and the thought of a million adoring fans pampering his every whim. With his spare time, he enjoys donating blood, volunteering for green peace and helping care for endangered animals "A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. "Hear that?" you say. "That's dynamite, baby."" - Jack Handy |
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| | | Victor "Scotchy" Pratt - Lead guitar / back up vox |
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|  | Constantly striving to reach new levels in musical thought and philosophy, this lyrical Plato is a major creative force behind the band.
Lead guitars from hell with purpose and all that kinda shite. "So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an Angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him, thy son.
Behold! Caught in a thicket by its horns,
A Ram. Offer the Ram of Pride instead.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one." - Wilfred Owen |
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After 6 years of countless shows with countless bands, including acts such as The Ripcordz from Montreal and Canadian punk rock legends D.O.A., numerous interviews, a past honorary piper named Scruffy Wallace going on to join Dropkick Murphys, line up changes, a mini movie on the internet and over 50,000 hits since October 2002 on the bands website, The Borderguards have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Whether assertively standing tough against critics of the band or organizing entire shows for charities such as the malaria endemic in Africa, Free Tibet, Haymarket café Organization or the Tsunami disaster, the group has proven that they are an outfit that is not afraid to make a stand for what they believe in.
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After working with several drummers during 2003-2004 the band is proud to welcome hard hitting replacement Jason Ohlhauser aboard as a permanent member. It is full steam ahead once more for Canada's legendary street-punk-rock'n'roll-oi-a-billy-bluescore heroes. Going 6 years strong since the summer 'o' '99 , The Borderguards are stronger than ever. They aint looking back, going away or lettin' up. Now with even more songs about the world around us, working, love, loss, booze and the good old glory days to name just a few 2005 will prove to be busy year for them; a new album on the way, the promise of more shows around Western Canada, imminent label interest, as well as a couple of surprises in store for those who follow the band. Never mind the posers, fuck fashion and kick over the elitists. Here come The Borderguards.
'Nuff said.
The Borderguards: What's in a name?
In the past, many people have wondered why they would choose to use the name "The Borderguards". Is there some basis in politics for this choice? The band has been accused of being a political band because of their name but they all maintain that they are not. For those who are new to the band and are unclear as to where the bands name came from Border-guitarist Victor Pratt explains:
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"We have no political agenda to follow, we are just 4 regular guys calling it as we see it. I saw the name 'Borderguards' on a Red Alert E.P. of the same name years & years ago. It sounded like a name you would remember and was very original, no other bands names even came close to it because no other name made me think so much. I held on to that name in my head and when we started this band I immediately remembered it. I felt that it had a sort of cult of personality about it, a romantic side, probably because it sounded a little more intriguing to me than just having some name with a swear word in it or some phrase that would offend people. That type of stuff isn't for us. Nowadays, after being confronted with these questions about our name I think of how historically, there have always been borderguards all over the world. Every country & every sphere of influence has had to defend itself from another sphere of influence. It doesn't matter if its Canadians, the red army, the Kaisers armies, Ethiopians, the Tsars armies, Japanese kamikazes, Chinese peasants, Africans or even arguably, todays suicide bombers, it really makes no difference; they all apply. & that is why The Borderguards will always be a very relevant name because anybody can relate to it. I like the sense of alarm it commands when said and heard."
This is a band that believes in diversity and their music is a reflection of this, taking the best of the genres that have influenced them and molding a new, solid, original sound.
The University of Calgary's campus newspaper "The Gauntlet": "The Borderguards will save the world with their brand of punk rock."
Canadian run "Virus Zine": "The Borderguards are not Canadian punk rock, THEY ARE AWESOME."
Cast Iron Steve Smith of the aforementioned Red Alert- "Great site, great band."
For a sample of our awesome sound, click here.
Contact the band by clicking here or emailing us at borderguards@yahoo.com
For less information, visit the bands website @ http://www.borderguards.com
Click here to download a PDF version of our biography (364k)
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