Holy Smoke
Picture credit BC Sound Productions.
Victoria's Holy Smoke were a power rock trio from 1972-1977. Not to be confused Vancouver based folk/pop group Wholly Smoke who were together in the late 1960's.
[email protected] says:
I saw Holy Smoke open for T. Rex and Blue Oyster Cult at the Memorial Arena in 1974 or 1975. They were famous for doing a Hendrix style version of the Canadian national anthem. T.Rex had their equipment stopped at the US border and had to use part of Holy Smoke's system. Marc Bolan was very pissed off and gave us a poor performance. BOC stole the show and Holy Smoke made Victoria very proud. Also, Holy Smoke did lot's of high school dances and did the best cover of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven.
[email protected] says:
Actually the story about the Memorial Arena show is not quite right. The sound equipment did get stopped at the border and it was Holy Smokes PA plus some other local bands equipment that was scrounged up last minute to make a sound system for the show. As a reward for saving the gig, at the Pacific Coliseum the following night we were given an extra set of Blue Oysters lights to use for our set. Another side note to that show was we were going to get an encore at the end of the set as the crowd loved it but the promoter got staff to turn on the house lights to kill it. Not good protocol for the opening act to get an encore in those days! Steve Farmer lightman for Holy Smoke 1973-77
[email protected] says:
"Holy Smoke" played at Nine in the Fifth Place, 1313 Government Street at 10:00 pm, Thursday, August 22, 1968 and Friday, August 23, 1968. Admission was $1.50. This was part of "Youth Week" in Victoria.
During the remainder of that week, other bands played, but ttheir admission was 50 cents. On August August 19- "The Arthur Steam Pump"; August 20 - "Joe & Bloz & the Soapsuds"; August 21 - "As Sheriff".
I took this information directly from an original copy of the Youth Week program of events, which I found in my box of old shit from 40 years ago.
