CKXU at Sled Island 2025: Day 1
HAPPY SLED 2025! CKXU is thrilled to be back in Calgary for another great iteration of Sled Island which is filled with an amazing collection of eclectic bands; from Mineo Kawasaki to Tropical F*ck Storm. Also new for this year at Sled, CKXU has a new photographer assisting Kort in getting all the spicy flicks and tight angles, everyone welcome Spice (Braden Hood)! But our night was spent at The Palomino…
CAT PISS is synth punk band straight from Calgary Alberta. They played upstairs at the Pal and were the first band we got to see at Sled. It was hard to see a band that good as our first set of the week as they blew everyone away. The vocalist brought a level of intensity and emotion that perfectly complimented the atonal guitars and powerful drum machine beats. Though the crowd was dancing in place, in the right context this is totally a moshable band.
Fulfillment
This was a classic Sled Island performance. All of us had zero idea who Fulfillment were, we know now they have an amazing debut record that was released just last month and judging from their performance last night that they are the tone masters! The guitarist wielded this gorgeously abused custom axe that ran into a gain machine of an amplifier, it was so pure and added so much flavour to the energy Fulfillment created. Some musical MSG if you will.
Fulfillment rocks as a power trio and they are all the better for it. They are able to whip their songs into a frenzy of atonal chords and thundering, driving bass lines all backed up by an open-handed drummer channelling some serious Billy Cobham energy in his fills. All in, Fulfillment was a fantastic set to kick off Sled Island for us personally and the Palomino audience on the whole.
Non-Ultras
Lethbridge local legends brought the classic new wave sound to the palomino summoning a spell on on concert goers to cut a rug. They played in the basement of the pal which had incredible sound and is an optimal venue for a band like that. One of the members uses an Electronic Saxophone to create luscious synth melodies that sometimes dips into the low end to add some more power to the very funky baselines. All being said getting to see a band from Lethbridge play sled and have a crowd that receptive brings a tear to my eye.
Computer is very cool. Alright everyone pack it up!
No seriously though, this band blew me away. They feature the classic 2 guitar, bass, and drum composition but their fifth member is ripping a tenor saxophone through what I can only assume is a spaceship of effect pedals because the dimensions added through that saxophone may as well be extra terrestrial. The other band member I want to highlight is their drummer, this dude was shredding the whole set. Odd time? He holds it down. Breakdown? He broke it down. Backbeats? He backed them. Guy was nuts. Bottom line.
After the set finished I was quick to look up these guys and see what is what. I was surprised they did not have a full length out, now obviously there’s nothing wrong with not having an album out but Computer’s sound was very conceptual in a way that would really draw the music into being released as an album. Enough speculation though, you can stream Dissolution Use, Computer’s new single everywhere now! And keep you eyes on them for what comes next because we may have Western Canada’s next Black Country, New Road.
Come back tomorrow to check out what we got up to on Thursday night!
Photos by Kort Woycheshin, @flamesgrain & Braden Hood, @spicy__salsa
Words by Jeremy Collier, and Kort Woycheshin
