This local comedy troupe comes with a Bang

Lively City column by Dan Hilborn
Published Feb. 5, 2005


They certainly have a different take on comedy. The Asian-Canadian comedy troupe Assaulted Fish, which features Burnaby resident Diana Bang, will be on stage at the Waterfront Theatre during SketchFest Vancouver on Feb. 9, 10 and 12.

The troupe, which won the People's Choy's Award at last year's SketchFest, will perform a variety of skits, including: What Not To Wear: Asian, a twisted take on the popular TV show; Children is Innocent, a send-up of Jackie Chan movies, and; Battle Royale, inspired by a violent Japanese film of the same name.

Assaulted Fish features Bang, Marlene Dong, Kuan Foo, Yumi Ogawa and Nelson Wong. They describe themselves as a "Vancouver-based, pan-Asian-Canadian, shorter-than-average, cross-cultural sketch comedy troupe that enjoys using multiple-hyphenated words."

Assaulted Fish will perform Feb. 9 as part of the SketchFest Snack Pack, showcasing six different comedy troupes, and then return on Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. for their own feature performance. On Feb. 12 they open for the San Francisco-based troupe Kaspar Hauser.

Tickets for SketchFest are $13 for opening night and $10 for the other dates from the website www. ticketstonight.ca.

CONCERT FOR TSUNAMI VICTIMS

A group of young musicians from South Burnaby will be playing in a benefit concert to aid the victims of the Southeast Asian tsunami at the Southside Community Church, tonight.

The rock band According to Who, made up of five local teenaged boys, will headline the benefit, in a show that also features Recapture and The Old Men (which includes several of the younger band members' fathers).

"This is our second concert," said Shawn Flanagan-Fortin, the 14- year-old drummer and spokesperson for ATW, which came together last November to play at a talent show to aid the 30-Hour Famine.

Band members include Flanagan-Fortin, guitarist Jordan Bennett, 15, vocalist and guitarist David Gurtina, 15, guitarist Jordan White, 17, and bass player Nathan Bennett, 13.

Since sending out a press release on the event last week, Flanagan-Fortin said he's been impressed by the response they've received from their friends and local media.

"We weren't expecting it to be as big as it's going to be," he said. "It's kind of overwhelming, but I'm excited and I expect us to do pretty well."

The concert takes place from 7 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 5 at Southside Community Church, 7135 Walker Ave., near Kingsway and Edmonds. The suggested minimum donation of $5 will be given to the Red Cross.

MARLEY'S BIRTHDAY

By day, he's a customer support engineer for the world-renowned digital imaging firm Creo of Burnaby, but at night, he's one of the most popular reggae DJs in the country.

Louie Sutherland, co-host of The Reggae Show on Vancouver Cooperative Radio, will be the master of ceremonies when Bob Marley's 60th birthday bash is celebrated at Richard's on Richards on Thursday night.

This year's show features Mikey Dread and his nine-piece band from Jamaica playing alongside some of the top reggae musicians in the Lower Mainland, including two who call Burnaby home - local recording artists Zuki Joseph and Jahronimo.

"My main thing is to spread the music as far as it can go," said Sutherland, who arrived in Canada in 1986 and soon became co-host of George Barrett's top-ranking radio show, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays on 102.7 FM.

"For me, it's fun," Sutherland said. "This gives me an opportunity to share the Jamaican culture and the Jamaican way of life."

Bob Marley's 60th Birthday Bash, featuring the George Barrett Reggae Appreciation Music Awards takes place Thursday, Feb. 10 at Richard's on Richards.