The Birthday Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Birthday Massacre is a synthrock band, based in Toronto
, Canada
. The band formed in 1999, known then as Imagica. This name was borrowed from the novel Imajica
by Clive Barker
.
, under the name Imagica with members using pseudonym
s and nicknames instead of their birth names. The group's original line-up formed when Rainbow met Chibi at Fanshawe College
, studying in the same Fine Arts program. After having dinner one night the two decided to start a band for fun as they were already hanging around writing music together. Rainbow recruited childhood friend Michael Falcore to join on guitar since they had already been recording music together in high-school. Aslan, who was also attending the same college
, became roommates with Rainbow and joined on bass. In mid 2000, Dank, a long time friend of Chibi's, joined to play live keyboards but left the group shortly before they relocated to Toronto. After months of rehearsals and writing songs, they played their first gig on October 28, 2000, at Diversity night club in London. The band released a seven-song limited edition
demo CD at the show which had been recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder
during a time when the group was recording cover songs for fun. There were 40 hand numbered copies of the demo which included the first recorded version of the song "The Birthday Massacre" (later renamed "Happy Birthday"). The following month, in answering an ad posted at the college, O.E. was added to play live drums. During this time, the band also met Rhim
, Owen and Brett Carruthers
who all attended the same college. In addition to this, later in October 2006, Terry McManus, Professor of Music Business and Entertainment Law
at Fanshawe College, would join as the band's personal manager. Since its inception, The Birthday Massacre have described the band as an Audio-visual
project. In a 2009 interview, when asked about why they had started the band, Rainbow states: "I think more than just being a band, it's a way to sort of incorporate, not just music, but other things. So I think more so than just music, the idea of having a band, and being able to perform, and being able do artwork, to do music... all these different avenues." Neither Rainbow, Chibi nor Michael Falcore had been in any previous bands and have expressed in multiple interviews that the group formed naturally as a result of spending time together as friends.
. They began recording a new album which they announced would be available through the official website beginning May 31, 2002, in another limited edition of 500-1000. Shortly before releasing the CD the band opted to change their name from Imagica to The Birthday Massacre in order to avoid confusion with a California Metal
band with the same name. The band chose the name "The Birthday Massacre" since people were already familiar with the song of the same title. In July 2002, The Birthday Massacre independently released a limited edition CD entitled Nothing and Nowhere
. In 2003, Adm joined the band on live keyboards and O.E left to focus on his own band Tepid Lust, later to become Isle of Dogs. The band began playing more live shows in London, Toronto, Oshawa
and Montreal
. Rhim was drumming for the band during these years, rotating between playing for fellow London band Aphasia
. Later, On Feb 9, 2005, Rhim posted on his LiveJournal
that he was now a permanent member of The Birthday Massacre and that the band has his "110%unwavering, full-throttle, metronomic fabulousness...now 24-7." 2003 also saw the creation of the band's Flash website NothingAndNowhere.com., designed by Aslan and the band which included unreleased music and hidden objects
throughout the site. While studying fine arts, the group learned about color theory
and chose the color Violet
to represent the bands themes. Rainbow said in an early interview: "Violet is the color of the tragic comedy. We associate it with fantasy and melancholy. These themes make up much of the bands lyrical inspiration. The color also mirrors our sound dynamic. Our music mixes contrasting elements. In turn, violet is the sum of two contrasting colors: Red and Blue." The band established their signature sound and visuals during this time and later when they signed to there labels retained complete artistic freedom.
, signed the band to his label in Germany. They released a remastered and expanded LP version of Violet in Europe, including updated album art in a Digipak
case. Adm left the band shortly before signing to Repo Records and can be seen in the original group photo on the nine song EP but is absent in the Digipak and LP version. In 2004, Brett Carruthers briefly joined the band on live keyboards. 2004 saw the band touring outside of Canada for the first time, playing the states of NY, OH
, IN
, MI
, IL
, VA
, PA
and MD
performing with American bands 51 Peg
, Deadstar Assembly
, Celldweller
and Crossbreed
.
In 2005 the band signed to Metropolis Records
and re-released Violet. In August, the band began a series of international tours taking them to Germany, Switzerland
, Netherlands
, Hungary
, Czech Republic
, Belgium
, Spain
and UK. Also in August the band released a DVD with the video for Blue by Dan Ouellette
. Owen joined on keyboards first assuming the name Waffles, then O-en, then finally using his given name. Owen previously met The Birthday Massacre when playing in another band called Electric Knife Fight and joined just after the Blue filming was completed and therefore missed making an appearance in the video. On New Years Eve the band performed in LA
, at Bar Sinister.
In early 2006, the Birthday Massacre toured North America, playing across Canada, the United States
and Mexico
on their "Broken Minds" tour sharing the stage with KMFDM
, Schoolyard Heroes
, Suicide City
and The Start. They toured Europe again with bands Das Ich
, Jesus on Extasy
and Dope Stars Inc; playing in France
, Italy
, and Poland
's Castle Party 2006. Through its European debut, "Violet" was seen as the new hope in the alternative scene and ranked high in the alternative charts. In several countries, the band made it onto the front pages of magazines; performing at some of Germany's largest music festivals, including the annual Highfeild and M'era Luna summer festivals. Also in 2006 the band recorded a remix of the song Straight to Video
by Mindless Self Indulgence
. Later in 2008, the band would record a second remix, this time of the song Never Wanted To Dance
with the addition of Chibi's vocals.
profile, which remained for several years the number one ranked profile for the highest amount of listeners. In June, the band announced it was working on a new record with Canadian producer/engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
and that Aslan was leaving to start a new project and that O.E would be returning to the lineup on bass duties. Aslan posted on the band's popular Fans Forum that he would be writing under the name Aslan Osiris. In August the band began planning a new video to be directed again by Dan Ouellette
.
On September 11, 2007, the band released Walking with Strangers
in North America, entering at #10 on the Billboard
"Top Heatseekers" chart for September 29. The album was released in Europe on September 21 and in the UK on 22 October. Artwork was created by JUNO Award
winner, Vincent Marcone
of Johnny Hollow
. In October and November, the band toured Europe and the U.K with German band Psycho Luna, and during a performance in Hamburg
, a film crew taped the performance, a recording which would later become the "Show and Tell" live recording after being remixed and edited.
, Jamie Miller and Dave Ogilvie. Beginning in June, the band embarked on a large American tour, opening up for Mindless Self Indulgence, and sharing shows with Julien-K
, Fake Shark - Real Zombie!
, London After Midnight
and Combichrist
. They would further tour America with bands Tub Ring
, Hollowboy and Creature Feature. November 2008 also saw the band touring Australia
for the first time.
CD, featuring 16 live tracks from their show in Hamburg, Germany, filmed at Knust, which occurred during their 'Walking With Strangers' European Tour in 2007. The DVD portion of the show was released on October 2, 2009, in Europe and in North America on February 9, 2010. Chibi can be heard in the opening seconds of the performance saying Hi Everyone!. During the summer of 2009, Chibi recorded vocals for former WWE Diva Katie Lea Burchill's entrance theme, "Hurt You".
During the spring and summer of 2009, the band went on tour with bands I Am Ghost
and Dommin
in both North America and Europe. In late July 2009, the band was featured on a contest called 'Book The Band', at Virgin Mobile Festival, which took place online and allowed fans to vote repeatedly. On August 17, The Birthday Massacre was declared winner of the contest and was given 100 tickets to hand out to the most devote fans who voted for the band. They performed at the festival on August 30, 2009, held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion
in Columbia, MD. Chibi stated in an interview, that since the band is unable to write while touring, the band took a year off to write and record a new album.
. It premiered on August 28, 2010, as part of Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear and was released to the general public on YouTube
on September 7, 2010. The video pays homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street
and Legend
among other Horror and Fantasy films.
On September 14, 2010, The Birthday Massacre released the album, Pins and Needles
which was recorded in Toronto and in a basement studio in Dundas, Ontario
, hometown of Rainbow and Michael Falcore. The album marked the first time the band released all new material on an album and was produced differently from previous albums by using the same guitar and drums tones on each track. Album artwork was created by Vincent Marcone, as well as artwork contributions from Natalie Shau, and Aslan. The album artwork also differed in that it broke from the traditional silhouette
art found on other releases.
The band toured America opening up for Otep
in July and August then in October toured the UK with fellow Canadian act Raggedy Angry
. In November they continued touring America with Black Veil Brides
, Aural Vampire
and Dommin as co-headlining acts. The band also made a lineup change by adding Nate Manor, formally of Wednesday 13
, to replace O.E on bass. The tour's setlist featured 5-6 tracks off of Pins and Needles, with "Always" and "Midnight" rotating during different shows. 2010 also saw the launch of the band's new website TheBirthdayMassacre.com created by Owen and the group. Later that year, Owen would also co-create a new online comic strip
called Disappointing Monsters.
as part of JUNOFEST
with fellow Toronto band Die Mannequin
and Montreal band Ariel. On May 21, 2011, The Birthday Massacre announced that Imaginary Monsters
would be released on August 9, 2011, through Metropolis Records. Later in the summer it was announced that the band would be the support act for an upcoming North American tour by artful Japanese metal band Dir En Grey
beginning in December. On August 4, 2011 the band released the Imaginary Monsters EP to listen to in full on their Myspace profile. Imaginary Monsters includes remixes of tracks from their 2010 album Pins and Needles by Combichrist, SKOLD
, Kevvy Mental
& Dave Ogilvie, Tweaker, and Assemblage 23
. The EP also features the video for In The Dark.
throughout their career and are an example of a musical group that's evolved alongside File sharing
, and advancements in audio streaming capabilities. Initially the band distributed their music for free, using music sharing software Napster
, in addition to sharing their music on MP3.com
and their official websites. The band was active in updating their websites regularly, interacting with fans on their forum, and offering their site in multiple languages like French
, German
and Japanese
. Early on the band encouraged fans to create their own content, and consequently the band saw a surge in fan-created content, which they organized on a webring
called Violetprison.com, posting in 2003; "We want our fans to contribute and be involved so rather than telling new comers who we are, we would rather our fans tell you."
When asked about how the band uses the Internet, Rainbow stated in a 2009 interview: "It's also a way to you know, not just present the music, but make an environment, a visual environment around the music, which was something we were really interested in." When asked about File sharing, Chibi said in a 2010 interview: "It's like the best friend of a band when you're starting up...But then, it's like the worst enemy...The Internet can take you so far." Michael Falcore also stated in a 2010 interview: "File sharing...once its released, people start downloading for free and not paying for it, you know - it hurts the artist." The band has continued to remain popular for over a decade despite receiving very little mainstream press or radio play, referring to themselves as the "Black sheep
" of the Canadian scene.
, about factory farming of animals being the number one cause of global warming
, Chibi said: "Our manager is really on the politicians about factory farming in Southwestern Ontario. Besides the cruelty to the animals, the runoff of the manure in the spring and with heavy rains is making the coastline of Lake Huron a disaster zone. He tells me that the beautiful stretch of sand dunes and beaches around The Pinery Provincial Park
and well north of Grand Bend (the big resort town) gets posted for no swimming half the summer. It should probably be posted all the time until they dismantle the factory farms in Huron County
."
When asked in a video interview by TasteitTV, about having to conform to society, Rainbow says: "...A lot of the inspirations and themes in the lyrics, and even in the imagery is sort of childhood, and you know that perspective of when your younger... you lose a bit of that sense of wonder and mystery, and is really inspiring, and gives you a lot of energy when your younger. Chibi follows by saying: "You have to be an adult, and you have to conform in certain ways because you have responsibilities now, whereas when you were a child, all you had to do is play games and lay in the grass, you know what I mean?"
On The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, when asked about what kind of advice Chibi would give to somebody who was thinking about committing suicide
, Chibi says: "Just ride it out because things can get better. When I think back to times in my life when I was having a horrible time, like I hated High-school, I was unpopular, the whole thing, it became so irrelevant. It's like if you just give things time, you be like, what was I worried about five years ago? Nothing that's relevant."
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The band formed in 1999, known then as Imagica. This name was borrowed from the novel Imajica
Imajica
Imajica is a fantasy novel by British author Clive Barker. Barker names it as his favorite of all his writings. The work, 825 pages at its first printing in 1991, chronicles the events surrounding the reconciliation of Earth, called the Fifth Dominion, with the other four Dominions, parallel...
by Clive Barker
Clive Barker
Clive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
.
Imagica (1999-2001)
The group originated in London, OntarioLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, under the name Imagica with members using pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s and nicknames instead of their birth names. The group's original line-up formed when Rainbow met Chibi at Fanshawe College
Fanshawe College
Fanshawe College is one of the largest colleges in Ontario, Canada. The main campus is in London, Ontario, with additional campuses in Simcoe, St. Thomas, Woodstock, and Tillsonburg. There are about 15,000 full-time students and 40,000 part-time students. Fanshawe College has more than 112,000 alumni...
, studying in the same Fine Arts program. After having dinner one night the two decided to start a band for fun as they were already hanging around writing music together. Rainbow recruited childhood friend Michael Falcore to join on guitar since they had already been recording music together in high-school. Aslan, who was also attending the same college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, became roommates with Rainbow and joined on bass. In mid 2000, Dank, a long time friend of Chibi's, joined to play live keyboards but left the group shortly before they relocated to Toronto. After months of rehearsals and writing songs, they played their first gig on October 28, 2000, at Diversity night club in London. The band released a seven-song limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
demo CD at the show which had been recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
during a time when the group was recording cover songs for fun. There were 40 hand numbered copies of the demo which included the first recorded version of the song "The Birthday Massacre" (later renamed "Happy Birthday"). The following month, in answering an ad posted at the college, O.E. was added to play live drums. During this time, the band also met Rhim
Rhim
Rhim is a Toronto based musician and sound designer/engineer best known as the drummer for the band The Birthday Massacre since he joined in 2003. As a sound designer for the St. Catharine's based video game developer Silicon Knights, he worked on games including the Xbox 360 title Too Human...
, Owen and Brett Carruthers
A Primitive Evolution
A Primitive Evolution is an alternative rock band based in Toronto, Canada.-Formation:Formed in the fall of 2007 out of band Lye , vocalist Brett Carruthers and bassist Stephany Seki began jamming with drummer Stu Dead, founder of Playdead Cult, a clothing brand and creative lifestyle house...
who all attended the same college. In addition to this, later in October 2006, Terry McManus, Professor of Music Business and Entertainment Law
Entertainment law
Entertainment law or media law is a term for a mix of more traditional categories of law with a focus on providing legal services to the entertainment industry. The principal areas of Entertainment Law overlap substantially with the well-known and conventional field of intellectual property law...
at Fanshawe College, would join as the band's personal manager. Since its inception, The Birthday Massacre have described the band as an Audio-visual
Audio-visual
The term Audio-Visual may refer to works with both a sound and a visual component, the production or use of such works, or to equipment used to create and present such works...
project. In a 2009 interview, when asked about why they had started the band, Rainbow states: "I think more than just being a band, it's a way to sort of incorporate, not just music, but other things. So I think more so than just music, the idea of having a band, and being able to perform, and being able do artwork, to do music... all these different avenues." Neither Rainbow, Chibi nor Michael Falcore had been in any previous bands and have expressed in multiple interviews that the group formed naturally as a result of spending time together as friends.
Nothing & Nowhere (2001–2003)
In 2001, the band relocated to Toronto, Ontario, except for Michael Falcore who was already living in Toronto studying video productionVideo production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
. They began recording a new album which they announced would be available through the official website beginning May 31, 2002, in another limited edition of 500-1000. Shortly before releasing the CD the band opted to change their name from Imagica to The Birthday Massacre in order to avoid confusion with a California Metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band with the same name. The band chose the name "The Birthday Massacre" since people were already familiar with the song of the same title. In July 2002, The Birthday Massacre independently released a limited edition CD entitled Nothing and Nowhere
Nothing and Nowhere
-Credits:*Chibi - Vocals*Rainbow - Guitar and Programming*Michael Falcore - Guitar*J. Aslan - Bass*O.E. - Drums -Reception: * Vampirefreaks...
. In 2003, Adm joined the band on live keyboards and O.E left to focus on his own band Tepid Lust, later to become Isle of Dogs. The band began playing more live shows in London, Toronto, Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Rhim was drumming for the band during these years, rotating between playing for fellow London band Aphasia
A Primitive Evolution
A Primitive Evolution is an alternative rock band based in Toronto, Canada.-Formation:Formed in the fall of 2007 out of band Lye , vocalist Brett Carruthers and bassist Stephany Seki began jamming with drummer Stu Dead, founder of Playdead Cult, a clothing brand and creative lifestyle house...
. Later, On Feb 9, 2005, Rhim posted on his LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
that he was now a permanent member of The Birthday Massacre and that the band has his "110%unwavering, full-throttle, metronomic fabulousness...now 24-7." 2003 also saw the creation of the band's Flash website NothingAndNowhere.com., designed by Aslan and the band which included unreleased music and hidden objects
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
throughout the site. While studying fine arts, the group learned about color theory
Color theory
In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of specific color combinations. Although color theory principles first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci , a tradition of "colory theory"...
and chose the color Violet
Violet (color)
As the name of a color, violet is synonymous with a bluish purple, when the word "purple" is used in the common English language sense of any color between blue and red, not including either blue or red...
to represent the bands themes. Rainbow said in an early interview: "Violet is the color of the tragic comedy. We associate it with fantasy and melancholy. These themes make up much of the bands lyrical inspiration. The color also mirrors our sound dynamic. Our music mixes contrasting elements. In turn, violet is the sum of two contrasting colors: Red and Blue." The band established their signature sound and visuals during this time and later when they signed to there labels retained complete artistic freedom.
Violet (2004–2006)
On July 20, 2004, The Birthday Massacre again independently released an EP, Violet, and at the end of the year, re-released Nothing and Nowhere with new sleeve artwork. In the fall of 2004, Kai Schmidt, former member of electronic group Funker VogtFunker Vogt
Funker Vogt is a German electronic music project with an aggressive style, formed by vocalist Jens Kästel and programmer Gerrit Thomas in 1995. Other members of the band are keyboardist/manager Bjorn Bottcher, live guitarist Frank Schweigert and lyricist Kai Schmidt...
, signed the band to his label in Germany. They released a remastered and expanded LP version of Violet in Europe, including updated album art in a Digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
case. Adm left the band shortly before signing to Repo Records and can be seen in the original group photo on the nine song EP but is absent in the Digipak and LP version. In 2004, Brett Carruthers briefly joined the band on live keyboards. 2004 saw the band touring outside of Canada for the first time, playing the states of NY, OH
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, IN
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, MI
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, PA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and MD
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
performing with American bands 51 Peg
51 Peg (band)
51 Peg is an electronic/industrial rock band from the Washington D.C. area, named for a star in the Pegasus constellation. The band's unique blend of electronic, industrial, metal, and synthpop has brought it some success and a loyal fanbase in the DC/Baltimore/Northern Virginia region as well as...
, Deadstar Assembly
Deadstar Assembly
Deadstar Assembly is an American industrial metal band formed in 2001 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.-2001-2006:Deadstar Assembly formed in 2001 from a collaboration between Dearborn and techno producer Luis Duran. They recruited MuBo to play keyboards...
, Celldweller
Celldweller
Celldweller is a Detroit, Michigan-based Electronic Rock project that was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton, former frontman and songwriter of the bands Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, Angeldust . Celldweller's music is multi-faceted, often labeled electronic rock and more commonly being...
and Crossbreed
Crossbreed (band)
Crossbreed was a six member industrial metal band from Clearwater, Florida, formed in 1996. They were signed with Artemis Records before being dropped from the label in 2003.-Early years:...
.
In 2005 the band signed to Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
and re-released Violet. In August, the band began a series of international tours taking them to Germany, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and UK. Also in August the band released a DVD with the video for Blue by Dan Ouellette
Dan Ouellette
Dan Ouellette is an American artist, illustrator, director, author and production designer. He began drawing as a child inspired by Escher, Dalí and Moebius. His drawings usually begin with very rough sketches and are intended to capture a moment of tension or eroticism...
. Owen joined on keyboards first assuming the name Waffles, then O-en, then finally using his given name. Owen previously met The Birthday Massacre when playing in another band called Electric Knife Fight and joined just after the Blue filming was completed and therefore missed making an appearance in the video. On New Years Eve the band performed in LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, at Bar Sinister.
In early 2006, the Birthday Massacre toured North America, playing across Canada, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on their "Broken Minds" tour sharing the stage with KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
, Schoolyard Heroes
Schoolyard Heroes
Schoolyard Heroes was a horror punk/alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington, consisting of four members: Ryann Donnelly , Jonah Bergman , Steve Bonnell , and Brian Turner .-History:...
, Suicide City
Suicide City
Suicide City was an American punk rock band from Brooklyn, New York, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Billy Graziadei, vocalist Karl Bernholtz, drummer Danny Lamagna, guitarist AJ Marchetta and bassist Jennifer Arroyo.- Biography :...
and The Start. They toured Europe again with bands Das Ich
Das Ich
Das Ich is a German electronic music group formed in 1989. The group, fronted by Stefan Ackermann and Bruno Kramm, were one of the prominent founders of and contributors to "Neue Deutsche Todeskunst" a musical movement in the early 1990s...
, Jesus on Extasy
Jesus on Extasy
Jesus on Extasy is an electronic rock band from Essen, Germany, formed in 2005.-History:The band was formed in 2005 by the cousins Dorian Deveraux and Chai Deveraux. After their first show big show at one of the biggest festivals in europe Bochum-Total Festival the band signed to Drakkar...
and Dope Stars Inc; playing in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's Castle Party 2006. Through its European debut, "Violet" was seen as the new hope in the alternative scene and ranked high in the alternative charts. In several countries, the band made it onto the front pages of magazines; performing at some of Germany's largest music festivals, including the annual Highfeild and M'era Luna summer festivals. Also in 2006 the band recorded a remix of the song Straight to Video
You'll Rebel to Anything
You'll Rebel to Anything is the third studio album by New York City band Mindless Self Indulgence released on April 12, 2005. The album was released outside of the US on November 5, 2007 in an "Expanded and Remastered" edition. On January 22, 2008 the Expanded & Remastered version was released in...
by Mindless Self Indulgence
Mindless Self Indulgence
Mindless Self Indulgence is an American musical group formed in New York in 1997. Their music has a mixed style including rap, punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno and industrial...
. Later in 2008, the band would record a second remix, this time of the song Never Wanted To Dance
Never Wanted to Dance
"Never Wanted to Dance" is a single by the New York electro-punk band Mindless Self Indulgence, released in the US on March 18, 2008. The single reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart.Released in the U.S...
with the addition of Chibi's vocals.
Walking With Strangers (2007)
On January 1, 2007, a demo version of the song "Kill the Lights" was released for streaming on the band's VampirefreaksVampirefreaks
VampireFreaks.com is an online community for the Gothic–industrial subcultures. It was created by site owner Jethro Berelson in 1999. It began with a small number of forums dedicated to Gothic–industrial music....
profile, which remained for several years the number one ranked profile for the highest amount of listeners. In June, the band announced it was working on a new record with Canadian producer/engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
Dave Ogilvie
Dave "Rave" Ogilvie is a Canadian record producer and musician. He is a producer of industrial music and has been associated with bands such as Skinny Puppy , Doughboys, The Birthday Massacre , Marilyn Manson, Jakalope , Killing Joke, Queensrÿche, Alexz Johnson, Fake Shark...
and that Aslan was leaving to start a new project and that O.E would be returning to the lineup on bass duties. Aslan posted on the band's popular Fans Forum that he would be writing under the name Aslan Osiris. In August the band began planning a new video to be directed again by Dan Ouellette
Dan Ouellette
Dan Ouellette is an American artist, illustrator, director, author and production designer. He began drawing as a child inspired by Escher, Dalí and Moebius. His drawings usually begin with very rough sketches and are intended to capture a moment of tension or eroticism...
.
On September 11, 2007, the band released Walking with Strangers
Walking with Strangers
-Singles:The first single, Red Stars, was released as a digital download on iTunes on August 21, 2007.An EP for the song Looking Glass was released on May 6, 2008.-Credits:*Chibi - Vocals*Rainbow - Guitar, Synth/Percussion Programming, Vocals...
in North America, entering at #10 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
"Top Heatseekers" chart for September 29. The album was released in Europe on September 21 and in the UK on 22 October. Artwork was created by JUNO Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
winner, Vincent Marcone
Vincent Marcone
Vincent Marcone is a Canadian web designer, illustrator, film director, and musician. He forms one third of the Guelph, Ontario based band Johnny Hollow...
of Johnny Hollow
Johnny Hollow
Johnny Hollow, often abbreviated JH, is a band composed of singer Janine White, digital artist Vincent Marcone, cellist Kitty Thompson and guitarist Steve Heihn. The band was formed in 2001, Ontario, Canada.-Founding of the band:...
. In October and November, the band toured Europe and the U.K with German band Psycho Luna, and during a performance in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, a film crew taped the performance, a recording which would later become the "Show and Tell" live recording after being remixed and edited.
Looking Glass (2008)
Primary filming of the Looking Glass video took place February 10–11, 2008 directed by Dan Ouellette. Extras were culled from The Birthday Massacre’s fan base and all 35 masks were handcrafted. The Looking Glass video was released on the bands official YouTube channel on April 1, 2008 and distributed as a video data file on the Looking Glass EP which was released in May 2008. It contained several remixes by high-profile electronic artists such as Dean GarciaCurve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
, Jamie Miller and Dave Ogilvie. Beginning in June, the band embarked on a large American tour, opening up for Mindless Self Indulgence, and sharing shows with Julien-K
Julien-K
Julien-K is a music group that began as a side project for electronic music created by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from Orgy, with the later addition of Elias Andra, and Anthony 'Fu' Valcic....
, Fake Shark - Real Zombie!
Fake Shark - Real Zombie!
Fake Shark – Real Zombie! is a Canadian dance punk band. Formed in 2005, their musical style combines elements of IDM and post-hardcore. The name is a reference to Lucio Fulci's film Zombi 2, where a real shark and a zombie engage in combat.-History:...
, London After Midnight
London After Midnight (band)
London After Midnight is a project formed in the 1990s by songwriter and instrumentalist Sean Brennan. It is active to the present day....
and Combichrist
CombiChrist
Combichrist is a Norwegian Aggrotech band formed in 2003 by Norwegian Andy LaPlegua based in Atlanta.-Formation:The first material LaPlegua wrote was a few powernoise/techno crossover tracks under the moniker DRIVE...
. They would further tour America with bands Tub Ring
Tub Ring
-Biography:Tub Ring formed in 1992 as a high school punk band.The band really took form with addition of keyboard player Rob Kleiner, who spent his teenage years following around the band Mr. Bungle. With Kleiner added to the band, Tub Ring adopted the similar sounds of Mr. Bungle. Mr...
, Hollowboy and Creature Feature. November 2008 also saw the band touring Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for the first time.
Show And Tell (2009)
On May 5, 2009, the band released their Show And TellShow and Tell (The Birthday Massacre album)
Show and Tell is the first live album by the Canadian band, The Birthday Massacre. It was recorded in Hamburg, Germany in Autumn 2007, and the album was released during Spring 2009. A DVD portion was released later in Europe and North America ....
CD, featuring 16 live tracks from their show in Hamburg, Germany, filmed at Knust, which occurred during their 'Walking With Strangers' European Tour in 2007. The DVD portion of the show was released on October 2, 2009, in Europe and in North America on February 9, 2010. Chibi can be heard in the opening seconds of the performance saying Hi Everyone!. During the summer of 2009, Chibi recorded vocals for former WWE Diva Katie Lea Burchill's entrance theme, "Hurt You".
During the spring and summer of 2009, the band went on tour with bands I Am Ghost
I Am Ghost
I Am Ghost was an American band from Long Beach, California, conceived of and founded by Steven Juliano in 2004. They were signed to Epitaph Records from 2005 to 2010, before splitting up in July 2010.- History :...
and Dommin
Dommin
Dommin is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, consisting of Kristofer Dommin on vocals and guitar, Billy James on bass, Konstantine on keyboards, and Cameron Morris on drums...
in both North America and Europe. In late July 2009, the band was featured on a contest called 'Book The Band', at Virgin Mobile Festival, which took place online and allowed fans to vote repeatedly. On August 17, The Birthday Massacre was declared winner of the contest and was given 100 tickets to hand out to the most devote fans who voted for the band. They performed at the festival on August 30, 2009, held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. It was named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post...
in Columbia, MD. Chibi stated in an interview, that since the band is unable to write while touring, the band took a year off to write and record a new album.
Pins and Needles (2010)
In early July, the band shot a video for "In The Dark" which was directed by Michael Falcore and Rodrigo Gudino, founder and publisher of Rue Morgue MagazineRue Morgue Magazine
Rue Morgue is a Canadian magazine dedicated to covering "horror in culture and entertainment," taking its name from Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."...
. It premiered on August 28, 2010, as part of Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear and was released to the general public on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on September 7, 2010. The video pays homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...
and Legend
Legend (film)
Legend is a 1985 fantasy film released by Universal Pictures, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry. Though not a very notable success when first released, it received a single Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup, and since its initial release, has developed...
among other Horror and Fantasy films.
On September 14, 2010, The Birthday Massacre released the album, Pins and Needles
Pins and Needles (The Birthday Massacre album)
-Personnel:*The band:**Chibi - Vocals**Rainbow - Guitar, Synth/Percussion Programming, Vocals**Michael Falcore - Guitar, Synth/Percussion Programming**O.E. - Bass, Vocals**Rhim - Drums**Owen - Keyboards*Rainbow and M...
which was recorded in Toronto and in a basement studio in Dundas, Ontario
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
, hometown of Rainbow and Michael Falcore. The album marked the first time the band released all new material on an album and was produced differently from previous albums by using the same guitar and drums tones on each track. Album artwork was created by Vincent Marcone, as well as artwork contributions from Natalie Shau, and Aslan. The album artwork also differed in that it broke from the traditional silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
art found on other releases.
The band toured America opening up for Otep
Otep
Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
in July and August then in October toured the UK with fellow Canadian act Raggedy Angry
Raggedy Angry
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Raggedy Angry is a band that plays a mixture of synth and industrial rock music.On October 1, 2010 via Synthetic Sounds and Danse Macabre the band released their 3rd full length album entitled How I Learned To Love Our Robot Overlords...
. In November they continued touring America with Black Veil Brides
Black Veil Brides
Black Veil Brides is an American rock band based out of Hollywood, California. The group is composed of Andrew Biersack , Ashley Purdy , Jake Pitts , Jinxx , and Christian "CC" Coma...
, Aural Vampire
Aural Vampire
is a Japanese darkwave music duo consisting of Exo-Chika and Raveman . They hail from Tokyo, Japan and compose mainly darkwave music. Aural Vampire has toured Europe numerous times and been featured in magazines such as Astan Magazine and The Dose...
and Dommin as co-headlining acts. The band also made a lineup change by adding Nate Manor, formally of Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13
Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...
, to replace O.E on bass. The tour's setlist featured 5-6 tracks off of Pins and Needles, with "Always" and "Midnight" rotating during different shows. 2010 also saw the launch of the band's new website TheBirthdayMassacre.com created by Owen and the group. Later that year, Owen would also co-create a new online comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
called Disappointing Monsters.
Imaginary Monsters (2011)
In early 2011, the band played the Opera HouseThe Opera House (Toronto)
The Opera House is a music venue in Toronto, Canada. It is one of the city's most historic performing venues, opening in 1909. It has also been a cinema and a live theatre venue. It is located at 735 Queen Street East, east of downtown in the Riverdale neighbourhood.-History:It opened in 1909 as a...
as part of JUNOFEST
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
with fellow Toronto band Die Mannequin
Die Mannequin
Die Mannequin is a punk rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are fronted by 23-year-old guitar player and singer Care Failure . They played the "Next Big Thing" Stage at Edgefest 1 in 2006, have toured across Eastern Canada several times on their own as well as opening for Buckcherry on...
and Montreal band Ariel. On May 21, 2011, The Birthday Massacre announced that Imaginary Monsters
Imaginary Monsters
"Imaginary Monsters" is the third EP by the Canadian rock band The Birthday Massacre, and contains three new tracks, and five remixes. It was released August 9, 2011...
would be released on August 9, 2011, through Metropolis Records. Later in the summer it was announced that the band would be the support act for an upcoming North American tour by artful Japanese metal band Dir En Grey
Dir en grey
Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...
beginning in December. On August 4, 2011 the band released the Imaginary Monsters EP to listen to in full on their Myspace profile. Imaginary Monsters includes remixes of tracks from their 2010 album Pins and Needles by Combichrist, SKOLD
Tim Skold
Tim Sköld is a multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to producing solo work, has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM and Marilyn Manson.-Early life:...
, Kevvy Mental
Kevin James Maher
Kevin “Kevvy Mental” Maher is a Canadian musician, film composer, remix artist and music producer, most notable for his work in Fake Shark - Real Zombie! as lead vocalist and programmer.-Early life:...
& Dave Ogilvie, Tweaker, and Assemblage 23
Assemblage 23
Assemblage 23 is an electronic act from the United States, currently based in Seattle. It was founded in 1988 by Tom Shear who writes the music and lyrics and does the recording himself.-1980s–1990s :...
. The EP also features the video for In The Dark.
Internet Presence
The Birthday Massacre have utilized the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
throughout their career and are an example of a musical group that's evolved alongside File sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
, and advancements in audio streaming capabilities. Initially the band distributed their music for free, using music sharing software Napster
Napster
Napster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
, in addition to sharing their music on MP3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
and their official websites. The band was active in updating their websites regularly, interacting with fans on their forum, and offering their site in multiple languages like French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. Early on the band encouraged fans to create their own content, and consequently the band saw a surge in fan-created content, which they organized on a webring
Webring
A webring is a collection of websites linked together in a circular structure, and usually organized around a specific theme, often educational or social...
called Violetprison.com, posting in 2003; "We want our fans to contribute and be involved so rather than telling new comers who we are, we would rather our fans tell you."
When asked about how the band uses the Internet, Rainbow stated in a 2009 interview: "It's also a way to you know, not just present the music, but make an environment, a visual environment around the music, which was something we were really interested in." When asked about File sharing, Chibi said in a 2010 interview: "It's like the best friend of a band when you're starting up...But then, it's like the worst enemy...The Internet can take you so far." Michael Falcore also stated in a 2010 interview: "File sharing...once its released, people start downloading for free and not paying for it, you know - it hurts the artist." The band has continued to remain popular for over a decade despite receiving very little mainstream press or radio play, referring to themselves as the "Black sheep
Black sheep
In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness...
" of the Canadian scene.
Views
When asked in a interview by PetaPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
, about factory farming of animals being the number one cause of global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, Chibi said: "Our manager is really on the politicians about factory farming in Southwestern Ontario. Besides the cruelty to the animals, the runoff of the manure in the spring and with heavy rains is making the coastline of Lake Huron a disaster zone. He tells me that the beautiful stretch of sand dunes and beaches around The Pinery Provincial Park
Pinery Provincial Park
The Pinery Provincial Park is a park located on Lake Huron near Grand Bend, Ontario. It occupies an area of 25.32 square kilometres ....
and well north of Grand Bend (the big resort town) gets posted for no swimming half the summer. It should probably be posted all the time until they dismantle the factory farms in Huron County
Huron County, Ontario
Huron County is a census division and county of the province of Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeast shore of its namesake, Lake Huron, in the southwest part of the province...
."
When asked in a video interview by TasteitTV, about having to conform to society, Rainbow says: "...A lot of the inspirations and themes in the lyrics, and even in the imagery is sort of childhood, and you know that perspective of when your younger... you lose a bit of that sense of wonder and mystery, and is really inspiring, and gives you a lot of energy when your younger. Chibi follows by saying: "You have to be an adult, and you have to conform in certain ways because you have responsibilities now, whereas when you were a child, all you had to do is play games and lay in the grass, you know what I mean?"
On The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show, when asked about what kind of advice Chibi would give to somebody who was thinking about committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, Chibi says: "Just ride it out because things can get better. When I think back to times in my life when I was having a horrible time, like I hated High-school, I was unpopular, the whole thing, it became so irrelevant. It's like if you just give things time, you be like, what was I worried about five years ago? Nothing that's relevant."
Members
- Chibi – lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lyricistLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
(1999–present) - Rainbow – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, audio engineer, mixer, producer, drum programmingDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, lyricist (1999–present) - Falcore – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, audio engineer, mixer, producer, film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, lyricist (1999–present) - RhimRhimRhim is a Toronto based musician and sound designer/engineer best known as the drummer for the band The Birthday Massacre since he joined in 2003. As a sound designer for the St. Catharine's based video game developer Silicon Knights, he worked on games including the Xbox 360 title Too Human...
– drumsDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, sound designer (2003–present) - Owen – keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
/keytarKeytarA keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
, web designer, comics artistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
(2004–present) - Nate Manor – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(summer 2010–present)
Former members
- O.E. – live bass, backing vocals, audio engineer, lyricist (2007–2010), live drums (2000–2003)
- Aslan – live bass, audio engineer, web designer (1999–2007)
- Adm – live keyboards (2002–2004)
- Dank – live keyboards (1999–2001)
Touring members
- Brett CarruthersA Primitive EvolutionA Primitive Evolution is an alternative rock band based in Toronto, Canada.-Formation:Formed in the fall of 2007 out of band Lye , vocalist Brett Carruthers and bassist Stephany Seki began jamming with drummer Stu Dead, founder of Playdead Cult, a clothing brand and creative lifestyle house...
– keyboards (fall 2004)
Albums
- Nothing and NowhereNothing and Nowhere-Credits:*Chibi - Vocals*Rainbow - Guitar and Programming*Michael Falcore - Guitar*J. Aslan - Bass*O.E. - Drums -Reception: * Vampirefreaks...
(2002) - Violet (2004)
- Walking with StrangersWalking with Strangers-Singles:The first single, Red Stars, was released as a digital download on iTunes on August 21, 2007.An EP for the song Looking Glass was released on May 6, 2008.-Credits:*Chibi - Vocals*Rainbow - Guitar, Synth/Percussion Programming, Vocals...
(2007) - Pins and NeedlesPins and Needles (The Birthday Massacre album)-Personnel:*The band:**Chibi - Vocals**Rainbow - Guitar, Synth/Percussion Programming, Vocals**Michael Falcore - Guitar, Synth/Percussion Programming**O.E. - Bass, Vocals**Rhim - Drums**Owen - Keyboards*Rainbow and M...
(2010)
EPs
- Violet (2004)
- Looking GlassLooking Glass EP"Looking Glass" is a single/EP by the Canadian Synthrock band The Birthday Massacre. Unlike their previous single, Red Stars, the Looking Glass EP is a physical release rather than a digital download available through iTunes....
(2008) - Imaginary MonstersImaginary Monsters"Imaginary Monsters" is the third EP by the Canadian rock band The Birthday Massacre, and contains three new tracks, and five remixes. It was released August 9, 2011...
(2011)