The Grave Mistakes are back from the big tour, and ready to bring their rockabilly insanity to the Jasper crowd with the Raygun Cowboys on June 18. 

“It was a really good time from beginning to end,” said Jamie “Bastard” Baldwin, the Grave Mistakes’ drummer. 

The band was fortunate to have clear weather across the country, despite their worry that they may experience unpredictable late spring weather. They met many people along the way, had a great turnout and even got to hit the studio to record a few songs that will eventually be released on vinyl. 

The band discovered that many people had checked out the band ahead of time, which meant full crowds at many of the 17 dates from March 23 to April 14. 

“Essentially we played, slept a bit and then hit the road onto the next venue,” said Billie Hell, bassist. “There were times we even had to leave after playing in order to make it to the next city.”

The band was surprised at the response they experienced. Jamie remembers a radio host in Thunder Bay who stopped them on the street within 10 minutes of arriving in town and gave them his cover charge – even though he couldn’t make the show later. The radio station had been playing a pirated copy of their CD on air for months, and it had become a favourite. 

Jamie and Brad Graves, the group’s vocalist and guitarist, remember Toronto as an insane show they won’t soon forget. 

“The place just exploded,” Jamie said. “We didn’t know what to expect.”

The band hit the stage and launched into a three-song introduction, only to find out that was all the time they had on the multi-band bill. When they got cut off by the sound guy, they asked the crowd if they wanted more. The answer was a resounding yes. 

The band learned some valuable lessons that they will apply to future tours. The most valuable lesson of those, was who they will not be working with in the future as they connect the dates across the country. 

“There was definitely some lack-lustre promoters out there, so that was a lesson learned,” Billie said. 

They also have found new fans across the country. 

“There were people who really dug us,” Brad said. “It was definitely a learning experience.”

The band got a chance to play some all-ages shows, something they are more than happy to do. One of those shows included performing with the Brains, the Montreal-based band that features former Jasperite Colin Irvine on the bass.

“They’re excellent, the kids just love it,” Jamie said of the under-18 crowd. “They definitely have a lot of support for their favourite bands.”

To that end, the band will play an all-ages show in Hinton on June 25. 

Billie says her favourite moments were interacting with her female fans after the show. 

“Some of my favourite moments were when female fans approached me and said that I inspire them,” she said. “It’s still such a male dominated industry and a lot of the time I’m the only woman on the line-up. So I can see how that registers with them. If after they’ve seen our band they get the encouragement to try it themselves, that’s really cool.”

The Grave Mistakes got a chance to record four songs that will be released later this year on a 7” vinyl record. The band was able to squeeze in to a busy sound engineer’s schedule, and knocked out four songs in 13 hours. Recording isn’t Billie’s favourite activity, but it is a necessary evil for any successful band. 

“I always find recording stressful. The whole process is interesting and I love being part of it but when it comes to be my turn I panic a bit,” she said. “There’s really no room to just go crazy and let loose like when you’re on stage. It’s very structured and precise.”

The Grave Mistakes will perform in Jasper on June 18 with the Edmonton-based Raygun Cowboys, a band who was last in Jasper five years ago. 

The Raygun Cowboys are preparing their next album, slated to begin recording in September. Until then, they are touring on the weekends to prepare for the next year. The band plays a high-energy show complete with a horn section that is great for dancing. The band’s sound is a mixture of rockabilly and its much cooler cousin, psychobilly.