Andrea Langlois et al - Islands of Resistance - Pirate Radio in Canada

The Care and Feeding of TAR • 129
And so, returning to the TAR festival described at the outset of this
chapter, in May 2009, a few of us arrived one afternoon around 5p.m.
to set up the antenna and transmitter on the roof, ran over 200 feet of
XLR cables down the side of the wall and into the club, along the ceiling
of the bar to a makeshift on-air booth in a corner, and pulled a feed
off of the main mixing board for the live musicians. Upon exiting the
building and arriving on the roof, we were met with a stunning view
of the city on a hot summer day with blue skies. Knowing that height
and clearance is so valuable, our antenna technician scaled a rickety
rail, in order to boost herself up onto a higher position. From here, the
way was clear in every direction. We handed her up the gear, flinching
a little at the sirens we could hear in the distance. We knew they were
not for us, but one becomes slightly more sensitive in these piratical
situations.
We had more technicians then we had ever had before, running
cables and setting up, and I was left with little to do — a rarity. By
seven in the evening, we were narrowcasting live across Victoria. It
was the strongest range we have had yet, and it could be heard virtually
across the entire city. For a city as hilly as Victoria, this was excellent
for a 12-watt transmitter.
Ten bands played. Again, we had interviews, live poetry, rants and
canned music between sets. A local musician and artist, J. McLaughlin,
emceed from the stage as well, calling folks in to the club with
mock promises of nudity on stage and rousing the listeners with comments
about the importance of pirate radio in a “whitebread” city
like Victoria, presumably commenting on the locality’s conservative
media outlets, as well as its residents. Folks played, drank, heckled,
danced inside the bar and were merry. We didn’t know how listeners
enjoyed the suggestive humour and the tunes, but some must have, as
they showed up in person with reports about the distance of the narrowcast.
For myself, interested in playing with identity construction,
I chose to wear a blond wig to create a sense of mystique and anonymity.
Pirate Emma P also appeared in pirate garb for the evening.
By the end of the festival, past 1a.m., most folks had taken off, preferring
to catch the last band or two from home. In the past, TAR
festivals had occurred during the day and ended around 10 or 11p.m.
Now, by the end of night, few friends were left to help out. Three of
the guys from the last band to play, The Remanes (aptly named in this
instance), helped to bring some gear down from the roof. My husband