Johnny 2 Fingers has a new right-hand man.
The Moose Jaw’s Johnny 2 Fingers and The Deformities will debut its new lineup Thursday as Dave Howard from The 86’s joins guitarist John Dale and drummer Cannonball Kelly Gower in the power trio. Howard takes over on bass following the departure of Travis Geib at the start of February.
“It’s been two or three weeks now,” said Dale, the band’s guitarist and lead singer, regarding the new lineup. “There were a few guys I was thinking about, but Dave seemed to have the most interest in it, the flexibility and the most desire to want to join the band. We’ve been practicing quite a bit lately and it’s been very positive and he’s been a nice addition.”
Dale and Howard go back a long time. Howard was the first long-term drummer in Dale’s band Brain Sauce from 2006-08.
“Dave told us that he wanted to be in this band for two or four years or something. I didn’t really know about that until after we got him in there,” Dale said. What Dale said in response to Howard’s long-standing desire to be in the band isn’t publishable and questioned Howard’s mental well-being.
“The only two guys that I know that want to be in this band are me and Kelly,” Dale said. “He brings his own flavour. He likes to keep it simple and that fits well with us.
“He has a good attitude and now I’m not the oldest guy in the band anymore. I can be immature now.”
Before Howard learned their songs, the trio spent time jamming together and Dale said there was a lot of good chemistry there.
Johnny 2 Fingers and The Deformities will play at the Park Hotel Thursday night with The 86’s and Dusty Tucker from Red Deer. Johnny 2 Fingers and The Deformities will then play Regina Friday at O’Hanlon’s and Saturday in Saskatoon at Amigos with Velvet Threads and Taylor Jade.
“It’ll be nice to cut Dave’s teeth with these shows,” Dale said. “We’re playing with Dusty Tucker on the first two shows. The first time I saw them at Bobby’s Place and I remember banging my head to them… it’s not often that I get excited seeing a band I’ve never heard of before.
“They have two guitar players and a lead singer who just sings, so they can be really engaging. It’s nice to be able to share a stage with them.”
Johnny 2 Fingers and The Deformities have a new look in more ways than one; Dale is clean-shaven for the first time in eight years.
“I freaked out my oldest daughter. I forgot I shaved and she came downstairs… ’Hey dad, what’s going on? Your beard’s gone! Now you’re evil dad!’ So that’s nice. Now I’m ‘evil dad.’ I don’t know what Bizarro World that my daughter lives in where the bearded men are the good ones and the clean-shaven ones are evil, but that’s what we raised,” said Dale who laughed and said all of the ladies he works with at Citizens All were beaming.
Thursday’s show is $5 at the Park Hotel and the triple bill starts at 9 p.m.
