The first-ever Steadily Deadly Fest is turning up the volume with three new bands added to its lineup on Tuesday.
Taking place on May 31 at the Yellowknife Community Arena, the festival will bring together punk, thrash, and metal acts from across Canada.
This week’s additions include Valley of Despair from Edmonton, a melodic metal band led by a powerhouse female vocalist, along with local acts PARTS and Fur Fox Aches.
Artists already announced include headliners and Calgary melodic skatepunk veterans Belvedere alongside Yellowknife’s own Gnarwhal and Brenden Macintosh, plus Fort Smith thrash metal powerhouse State of the Art.
A third wave of artist announcements is planned later this spring.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Yellowknifer Tyler WhiteKeyes is organizing the music festival. He told Cabin Radio Steadily Deadly is the city’s first festival of its kind “since the early 2000s DIY scene.”
“Yellowknifers can experience a full day of rocking bands from afternoon to night,” he wrote, adding the festival is open to adults 19 and older during its inaugural year due to insurance costs.
For Valley of Despair guitarist TJ Buggins, the festival marks a long-awaited return home.
“We’ve been playing shows in Edmonton and Calgary, and our EP release in November was a huge success – it even topped the college radio charts in Prince George. This festival comes at the perfect time, and I can’t wait to bring my band up north,” he said.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Buggins, who grew up in Yellowknife, said playing this festival has personal significance.
“I moved to Edmonton five years ago for my career, but I always dreamed of putting together a festival like this when I lived here. Seeing Tyler make it happen is inspiring, and I’m so proud of them for pulling together such a strong lineup.”
Local punk-metal band Gnarwhal – who broke into the CBC’s Top 100 Songs of 2024 – will also take the stage. Guitarist Benji Straker sees the festival as a major step forward for Yellowknife’s music scene.
“We’ve known Tyler for years through playing shows together and he’s worked hard to make this happen. He’s a big supporter of the heavy music scene, and organizing something like this is huge,” Straker said.
The festival aims to give local and touring bands a bigger platform.
“Events like this are so important. They give heavy bands a place to play and bring in fans who might not usually check out punk or metal shows,” Straker added.
Tickets to the one-day music festival can be purchased through Eventbrite or at the door on May 31 if pre-sales don’t sell out.
