Billy the Kid
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Billy the Kid

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | INDIE

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | INDIE
Band Americana Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"BILLY THE KID AMAZES"

It was an unexpected treat to see a Canadian act called Billy The Kid perform at the Rivoli on Queen Street West this past Thursday night. I wandered in thinking I would just stay for a quick pint of beer before heading home but was drawn in to the music coming from the back room concert theatre. The riveting performance of just one adorable young woman and her guitar delighted the large crowd huddled together, standing room only in a tiny venue that smelled like a cross between hamster cage and old gym sock. Whatever the setting may have lacked the performer more than compensated for with a thoroughly beautiful performance of original and truly unique material.

The real emotion that fueled the writing of compositions like one she calls "the Accident" was fully in evidence. Few performers sing with such conviction these days yet many of them remain undeservedly on top of the pop charts. Fewer still accompany themselves with such competent guitar playing. I could barely believe the almost otherworldly level of intensity I was hearing coming out of such a normal, pleasant looking person but it was impossible to ignore as it filled the room. I could see that the rest of the audience felt it too from where I was sitting. When a performer can let the music they have composed seemingly take them over during performance it redefines the cutting edge.

There was none of this sense of people in the crowd who were there just to be seen. They were a very trendy looking group but from how they reacted they clearly came for the music and got their moneys worth.

I also came out admiring Billy the Kid's confidence. She played the whole show without any rhythm section whatsoever. She even started one number acappella but nobody could pay attention to anything else except her. I just had to shake my head and ask myself "Who is this woman?".

I used to listen in disbelief when older concert goers whom I am friends with talked of seeing local acts like Rush or Triumph perform before they became world famous and how terrific those early concerts were. Now I have some sense of what that must have been like. I bought her independently produced CD on the spot and have been trying to find out as much as I can about her because I know she is going to be huge one day soon. - JASON DANIEL BAKER of Canoe


"BILLY THE KID ROCKS THE RIVOLI"

An email appeared in my inbox a few weeks ago. It was an invitation to attend a charity fundraiser at the Rivoli, hosted by Banyan Tree Initiatives and Low Income Families Together. What caught my interest was the person doing the inviting.

Billy Pettinger, AKA Billy the Kid, was performing solo as the first act. Emails exchanged and an interview arranged. Not knowing what to expect from a solo guitar act (the potential for boredom is pretty high), I sat down for the set.

I was not disappointed.

Upon taking the stage, Billy set the tone by launching into a heartfelt rendition of Billy Bragg's "To Have and To Have Not". The rest of the set consisted of her own songs, both solo work and material from her band Billy and The Lost Boys. The set was kick ass, and Billy is one of the best female guitarists I've ever met.

After the set, Billy and I sat down for a pint a quick interview (after running around the building trying to hide from the blistering techno-rock).

Billy is a new transplant to the Toronto area, landing here after years of touring and working out of her home base of Vancouver. She's no stranger to the road, boasting a recent 5-month/60-show tour that saw the Lost Boys blast across the whole country before making the move to Toronto; opening for some pretty big name bands, including Face to Face, DOA, and The Weakerthans.

Billy also runs Lost Records, and independent music label with 7 releases to date.

As with every interview I do, I really only have one question. "Who are you and what do you do?"

I think Billy had the best response to date: "My name is Billy and I am a wrecking-ball".

Indeed. Billy's a sweetheart and a hard workin', hard rockin' girl. Keep an eye out for her and her band around town in the next few months. You'll be happy you did. - RYAN LAFLAMME of the DailyNar etc


"CANAIDAN MUSIC WEEK HIGHLIGHTS"

Right next door, is the dimly lit, small intimate setting of the Art Bar; a perfect background for the singer/songwriter showcase. Billy the Kid, is a petite brunette with rocker tats, new wave short hair, alternative cool glasses and the most pure supple voice I heard all week. With only her guitar in hand, Billy gave us a too short set of her latest solo endeavors. She opted to plug in the guitar so as not to be over-powered by the karaoke madness adjacent to this room. Gently strumming her guitar, Billy shared her deeply personal writings like "it was the drugs girl"; "it'll all come back but you try to push it down" and the poignant song "The Accident". Even when she wasn't singing, Billy the Kid offered inspiring words; "Find your passion and make it happen." All of this is summoned up in the last song, "The Lost Cause", which details her own struggles in following her passion with "they call it a lost cause, I call it my reason for breathing". Prolific and incredibly talented, this is Billy's passion and she will make it happen. In fact, it's happening already. - SOULSHINE.CA


Discography

"The Lost Cause" Produced by Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace)
"Ours" Fan Funded Full Length
"Stars, Exploding" Produced by Jamie Candiloro Ryan Adams/ R.E.M./Willie Neslon)

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Bio

"Precociously gifted." - Shawn Conner of the Georgia Straight

"One of Canada's rising stars." - Fritz Francois of See Magazine

"Prolific and incredibly talented." - Gerry Krochak of the Leader-Post

"Billy is a DIY poster girl." - Chad Hucalak of Vue Weekly

"Always stood apart from the pack with true street-level integrity, an almost Mennonitish indie-rock work ethic and outstanding musicianship." - Ferdy Belland of the Nerve Magazine

"(Billy)'s the kind of thorough, do-it-yourself poster girl that will go to hell and back in order to put out a good record." - Lisa Schindel of Beatroute Magazine

"If you need any inspiration to keep your New Year's Resolution 'I shall cast off the shackles of procrastination and actually do something with myself...' look no further than a young lady who goes by the name of Billy the Kid." - Chartattack

"Somewhere between Neil Young and the Band." - Raine Maida

Billy Pettinger is a Canadian-born singer and songwriter who performs under the moniker Billy the Kid. She also fronts the rock band Billy and the Lost Boys and played drums in Vancouver's longest surviving Ramones cover band, the Ramores.

Pettinger has been the primary songwriter in all of her original projects and has collaborated with such artists as Garth Hudson from The Band and Bob Dylan, Randy Cooke of Dave Stewart's Rock Fabulous Orchestra and Ringo Starr and Stan "the Baron" Behrens, who played harmonica for Willie Dixon, Ruth Brown and the Four Tops.

Her debut release The Lost Cause was produced and engineered by Raine Maida, lead singer of Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace. In 2012 she teamed up with Joe McMahon of Smoke or Fire, and they released the Breathe EP under the name Billy + Joe.. Billy is currently in the studio with Jamie Candiloro (Ryan Adams/R.E.M./Willie Nelson).

In 2010 Billy the Kid began a crowd sourcing campaign to fund her debut full-length album. In addition to pre-orders and specialized bundles, she traveled across the continent to play fundraisers, anniversaries, birthday parties and private concerts as well as go camping, white water rafting and rock climbing with fans. The result was the appropriately titled album "Ours".

Pettinger's songs have appeared in A&E's Biography, Miami Ink, American Idol, My 600 LB Life, Gene Simmons' The Family Jewels, Chelsea Settles, Sweet Home Alabama, 16 and Pregnant, Exes and Ohs, One Angry Juror, Alienated and Canada In The Rough. Most recently her music has been featured in the Showcase science fiction series Continuum and the movie Foreverland featuring Juliette Lewis.