One year ago, on a dark and stormy night, Mr! Erik spilled his last prized can of Jolt into his computer while viewing pictures of a tour gone by. Lo and behold, from the primordigital ooze came the Tiny Humans, armed and ready to expand the borders of the Nation of Wiggler. And what a year it has been - fundraisers, art crawls, tributes, slamfests and good-natured rivalry. What better way to celebrate than to throw together a daring medley of Clash songs to play at the Joe Strummer tribute? The Tiny Humans were out in full force, sporting eyeglass-mounted rayguns that blinded the audience while the Wiggler!?! Human Tornado show did the rest.

The past year has also allowed us to discover a rich and dynamic music scene in Hamilton. It has been an honour to share the stage with Adelleda, Web Society, Rackula, Burnin’ Ethyl, Sexbeast and 2x the Mono (I hope we’re not forgetting anyone), while the passion and dedication of people like Kristine Wales (Thunder! fanzine), Nathaniel Blizzard (Hamilton Punk Contingent on Facebook), and Craig Argyle (Red, White and Argyle on realpunkradio.com) help bring the bands together and allow them to connect with a wider audience.

Let’s not forget the venues, either - This Ain’t Hollywood and the Doors Pub in particular have provided a great deal of support to this growing scene. The Hammer City Records and Crash Landing record stores have also acted as focal points, allowing the bands to sell their CDs, play all ages matin&eactue;es, and get together for the Destroy All Music compilation, due on July 1st (Happy Birthday, Canada… heh heh).

A review of the Hamilton punk rock scene would not be complete without a nod to the Roller Derby community, of which Mr! Erik is a referee.

So here’s to a great year and a new year of stepping it up to the next level. Thanks Hamilton: we’re proud of your grit, your grime and all-out unapologetic honesty, and we hope to see many more years surrounded by such inspiring and passionate people!