PUP Tickets

PUP is fast, raw and heavy

PUP stands for "Pathetic Use of Potential", but this is hardly true of this Canadian punk band who have stormed into the spotlight and garnered a welter of praise and critical acclaim. Their music is fast and raw, heavy on guitar and speedy drumming. The vocals are loud – shouted with little room for subtlety. PUP are about impact and energy. They are the kind of band that reaches out, grabs the audience’s attention and, like a dog with a bone, does not let go. Experience the energy when you buy and sell PUP tickets on StubHub.

A critically acclaimed band

The band was formed in Toronto in 2010 by childhood friends Steve Sladkowski on guitar, Nestor Chumak on bass, and Zack Mykula on drums. The line-up was completed when they joined forces with Stefan Babcock, who took on vocals as well as guitar. They called themselves Topanga, after a television sitcom character named Topanga Matthews, and recorded an EP of the same name. Although the EP was supposed to be a one-off musical project, the band ended up playing gigs together. Their first one was at the Bovine Sex Club in Toronto, home to the city’s punk and rock music underground. Eventually PUP had enough songs for an album which they recorded with Dave Schiffman, who had also worked with the likes of Anti-Flag, Rage Against the Machine and Weezer. The album was highly acclaimed and earned several awards and nominations. PUP’s second album was titled "The Dream Is Over", which is allegedly a quote from a doctor who told Stefan Babcock that he had damaged his vocal cords. PUP have also released a disc-and-comic set in two volumes called "Pup The Zine". They are the latest of a long line of successful rock acts from Canada, which include Paul Anka, Neil Young, Barenaked Ladies, Rush, Nickelback and Alanis Morrissette. See these inheritors of the Canadian rock mantle in action when you buy and sell PUP tickets on StubHub.

Aggression and attack

PUP’s songs have a stomping, chant-like quality – as in a mob chanting. There is aggression and attack in their performances, but also a sense of fun. They make it clear that they want the audience to join in and have a good time. PUP are part of the current wave of punk rock, which was born out of the angry, homemade music revolution of the 1970s. That initial outburst may have faded into the musical underground, but it has never gone away. Instead, it has evolved into a breed of young, musically proficient and energised bands that are taking the new century by storm. Ready to feel the noise? Buy and sell PUP tickets on StubHub.