Information/Write-up
While their name may still fly under the radar for all but the most dedicated punk collectors, the Rock and Roll Bitches hold a hallowed spot in Canadian punk lore. Emerging full-force from Edmonton’s underground in 1980, the group burned bright and fast, releasing a single self-titled 7” that has since become one of the most coveted punk artifacts in Western Canada.
Their lone release, issued in a hand-numbered run of just 500 copies, captures the band at full throttle—combining the raw, tuneful immediacy of early Teenage Head with a sharper, more menacing edge. It’s a snarling, swaggering slab of punk rock that pulls no punches and wastes no time. Tracks like “Wild West” are a perfect distillation of Alberta punk energy at the dawn of the ‘80s.
The single’s reputation has only grown with time. All three songs were later featured on Frank Manley’s landmark Smash the State: Canadian Hardcore Punk, 1975–1985 (Vol. 1) compilation, further cementing its status as a foundational document of the Canadian punk movement. “Wild West” was also pressed onto the bonus 7” included with the Smash the State book, bringing the band’s work to a new generation of listeners and collectors.
In 2012, Toronto’s Ugly Pop Records brought the band’s music back into circulation for the first time in over 30 years, reissuing the single as Ugly Pop 029 and reaffirming its rightful place among the best punk records ever produced in Canada.
Although the Rock and Roll Bitches never released another record or toured extensively, their brief existence left an outsized impact on Edmonton's punk legacy—standing as both a testament to the region’s DIY spirit and a prized cornerstone of Canada’s early punk scene.
-Robert Williston
All photos courtesy Rose Kapp.
Bob Drysdale: bass
Kenny MacKay: vocals, bass
George Wall: guitar, vocals
Rich Young: drums
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