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Last month, Calgary band Bad Animal played what is generally considered the longest-standing independent rock ‘n’ roll venue in the world.

Actually, The 100 Club in London predates rock ‘n’ roll. It began life as a swing club in the early 1940s before it became known for hosting a who’s who of rock and punk icons. Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The New York Dolls and the Clash were just a few of the acts that have been on the stage.

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“Honestly, I was having a tough time finding my rhythm again,” says Bad Animal frontman Ben Painter. “It felt like London had cured me and being on that stage made it so I could be myself again. It was wild. I don’t even know how to explain it.”

The five-piece act were in London as part of its first international tour, which also took them into Wales, the U.S. and throughout Canada before returning home to Calgary earlier this month.

Since the band would often appear as a supporting act during the tour, it offered a lesson in the need for versatility and the role an audience can play in shaping a live sound. While in Washington, D.C., for instance, Bad Animal were put on the same bill as a “super group” made up of members of heavy metal act The Darkest Hour and Virginia grindcore veterans Pig Destroyer.