January 13, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cape Breton Artists Come Together for “T-Bone Needs a Cape Breton” Fundraiser
Concert to support Tom ’T-Bone’ Antle of The Motorleague in his fight against cancer.
Sydney, Cape Breton Island - In the opening line of The Motorleague's 2013 song "Every Man Needs a Cape Breton," singer Don Levandier sings "I swear, by the dirt on my hands by my blood, that our lives will be more than the sum of their parts." The Moncton band has a dear relationship with the Cape Breton music scene, built over decades of sweaty rock shows at a who's who of Sydney festivals and venues: Bunkers, The Maple Leaf, The Elks Lodge, Gobblefest... So, when their drummer Tom 'T-Bone' Antle made public his lung cancer diagnosis this Fall, it was the Cape Breton music scene's opportunity to give back the same kind of love and appreciation that our adopted Moncton rockers have shown us time and again.
Friday, February 27 will see many long time Cape Breton rock and punk musicians come together for "T-Bone Needs a Cape Breton," a one night fundraiser held at the Ashby Legion to support Tom "T-Bone" Antle. Tom, who also plays in Moncton punk rock groups The Nuclear and HOPE, has been coming to Sydney to perform since the early 2000s and is known for his powerful drumming as well as his big smile and boisterous laugh that leaves a mark with everyone around him. The show will feature five bands who have played many times with The Motorleague over the years, as well as a special tribute to the band featuring members of local bands The Shithawks and The High Tide with guest vocalists on each song.
Admission will be a $20 minimum donation with all proceeds to support T-Bone's journey to health. If you can not make the show, a GoFundMe is accepting donations at https://www.gofundme.com/f/tom-tbone-antle
CTV Video: https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/video/2025/12/22/moncton-musicians-rally-for-drummer-with-cancer/
THE BANDS
YELLOW - Five piece rock group led by the unmistakable vocals and songwriting of Alicia Penney. The band, which has had many formations since debuting in 2001, now features an all star lineup including members of Fire Valley Fire, The Shithawks, The High Tide, and The Lotoyas.
FIRE VALLEY FIRE - Having just passed the decade mark as a band and cemented as a pillar of the Cape Breton rock scene, Fire Valley Fire has released three albums full of classic rock n' roll riffs and memorable sing-along lyrics while performing at sold out shows and festivals like Makin' Waves, Rock the Fiddle, and Gobblefest.
RICOCHET - After breaking a six year hiatus this Fall with their appearance at Gobblefest 2025, Ricochet has shown that getting older doesn't mean getting slower. Coming up on 20 years as a band, the four piece street punk group wear their longevity as a badge of honour while now acting as a shining beacon for a new generation of Cape Breton punks to look up to.
CARMEN TOWNSEND - Since the late 90s, there perhaps has not been a Cape Breton voice as singular as that of Carmen Townsend. Somehow able to be sensitive and ferocious at the same time, Carmen unleashes an intensity that overtakes the audience whether it's a sweaty club with her band or solo in a theatre opening for Heart.
FRIGGED - Many words can be used to describe a band. Tight. Technical. Groundbreaking. Artistic. Frigged is none of these. A chaotic, breakneck group of punks that lack practice, patience, and even common sense, the songs will be fast, filled with horror movie imagery and fast food laments, and fall apart as quickly as it began. You'll love it… probably.
