Steadily Deadly Fest Expands Lineup with Three New Bands

Steadily Deadly Fest Expands Lineup with Three New Bands

The inaugural Steadily Deadly Fest is turning up the volume with three exciting additions to its lineup. Set to take place on May 31 at the Yellowknife Community Arena, this festival is bringing together an eclectic mix of punk, thrash, and metal acts from across Canada.

The latest additions to the bill include Edmonton-based melodic metal outfit Valley of Despair, fronted by a powerhouse female vocalist, as well as Yellowknife’s own punk-infused rockers PARTS and the uniquely named Fur Fox Aches. These bands will join an already impressive lineup featuring Calgary skatepunk legends Belvedere, Yellowknife’s Gnarwhal and Brenden Macintosh, and Fort Smith’s thrash metal powerhouse State of the Art.

Festival organizer Tyler WhiteKeyes, a longtime advocate for Yellowknife’s alternative music scene, emphasized the significance of this event. “This is the first festival of its kind in Yellowknife since the early 2000s DIY scene,” he said. “Yellowknifers can experience a full day of rocking bands from afternoon to night.” Due to insurance costs, the event will be open to attendees aged 19 and older for its inaugural year.

For Valley of Despair guitarist TJ Buggins, this festival is more than just another gig—it’s a homecoming. “We’ve been playing shows in Edmonton and Calgary, and our EP release in November was a huge success—it even topped the college radio charts in Prince George. This festival comes at the perfect time, and I can’t wait to bring my band up north,” he shared.

Having grown up in Yellowknife, Buggins expressed how deeply personal this event is for him. “I moved to Edmonton five years ago for my career, but I always dreamed of putting together a festival like this when I lived here. Seeing Tyler make it happen is inspiring, and I’m so proud of them for pulling together such a strong lineup.”

Local punk-metal band Gnarwhal, who recently broke into CBC’s Top 100 Songs of 2024, is another highlight of the festival. Guitarist Benji Straker sees the event as a major milestone for Yellowknife’s growing music scene. “We’ve known Tyler for years through playing shows together, and he’s worked hard to make this happen. He’s a big supporter of the heavy music scene, and organizing something like this is huge.”

Beyond showcasing incredible talent, the festival aims to provide both local and touring bands with a larger platform. “Events like this are so important. They give heavy bands a place to play and bring in fans who might not usually check out punk or metal shows,” Straker added.

A third wave of artist announcements is expected later this spring, further solidifying Steadily Deadly Fest as a must-attend event for fans of alternative and heavy music.

Tickets for the one-day festival are available for purchase via Eventbrite and will also be sold at the door on May 31, provided they don’t sell out in advance. Don’t miss your chance to be part of Yellowknife’s biggest punk and alt-rock festival of the year!