Blending cabaret-inspired visuals from 1930s Europe with a vigorous mix of pop, punk, metal, and ska sounds, Vincent Black Shadow emerged as one of the more singular acts to surface from Vancouver’s pop landscape after 2000. The group’s formation began when singer Cassandra Ford drew the notice of guitarist Robbie Kirkham after both requested the identical beverage at a Vancouver cocktail lounge. Born in the Philippines and raised in Vancouver, Ford had just come back to Canada following the collapse of a Manila label contract that sought to recast her as a prefabricated pop figure, though she held broader artistic goals; meanwhile Robbie, whose father had served nearly four decades in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, was assembling a new band alongside brothers Chris on bass and Anthony on drums. Taking their name from a motorcycle referenced by Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the band swiftly built a devoted local audience, drawn equally to Ford’s striking appearance, the group’s crisp vintage attire, their synchronized choreography, and their daring fusion of styles. Keyboardist Mary Ancheta soon joined, elevating the pop elements and theatrical textures within the material. Bodog Music signed Vincent Black Shadow in 2006, issuing the debut album Fear’s in the Water that June. Airplay followed for the “Metro” video, which incorporated footage from the horror film Feast that had featured the track on its soundtrack, while a successful 2006 Warped Tour appearance and an anticipated U.S. headline trek supporting Halifax promised further exposure.
