Kurt Robertson, also known as "Dirty Kurt" (born July 21, 1965 in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

), is a Canadian punk rock guitarist and musician. Robertson was a member of Vancouver-based

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band

The Real McKenzies The Real McKenzies is a Canadian Celtic punk band founded in 1992 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are one of the founders of the Celtic punk movement, albeit 10 years after The Pogues. In addition to writing and performing origin ...

from 1993 to 2013, appearing on their first seven full-length studio albums. In 2014, he joined the

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band

SNFU SNFU was a Canadian hardcore punk band formed in Edmonton in 1981, relocated to Vancouver in 1992, and disbanded in 2018. They released eight albums, two live records, and one compilation amid many lineup changes and several temporary breakups. ...

Biography

Early years and career

Robertson was born with a congenital heart problem and was adopted at birth. Chris Walter. ''Under the Kilt: The Real McKenzies Exposed''. Vancouver: GFY Press, 2015, pg. 150. He grew up on

Quadra Island Quadra Island is a large island off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, in the Strathcona Regional District. Etymology In 1903, the island was named after the Peruvian Spanish n ...

before the early death of his adoptive parents. He then returned to Vancouver. In Vancouver, Robertson played with the groups Curious George and Stick Monkey. Curious George released the album ''Children of a Common Mother'' in 1989 on the

Nemesis Records Nemesis Records was an American independent record label which released the Offspring's debut studio album, ''The Offspring'', in 1989 as well as their 1991 EP ''Baghdad''. Nemesis was founded by Frank Harrison, distributed by Cargo Records fro ...

imprint. Robertson later joined the band JP5, led by Gerry-Jenn Wilson. They also released one album, ''Hot Box''.

With The Real McKenzies

In 1993, Robertson joined The Real McKenzies, initially as a guest member to replace guitarist Tony Walker for a single gig. Robertson stayed with the band, and remained in various capacities for 20 years. He performed with the group on their first three albums and through numerous tours. Robertson took a hiatus from the band in 2005 when his girlfriend was pregnant with a child. He returned to the group in 2007 and appeared on their next four studio albums. He was only able to perform on select tours, however, due to his familial obligations and health problems. After suffering a heart attack and further complications from his condition, he left the band in 2013.

With SNFU

The following year, SNFU vocalist

Ken Chinn Kendall Steven Chinn (October 19, 1962 – July 16, 2020), known under the stage name Mr. Chi Pig, was a Canadian punk rock vocalist and artist born in Edmonton and long residing in Vancouver. He fronted the hardcore punk band SNFU from 1981 unt ...

assembled a new lineup of his recently splintered band to tour behind their latest album, '' Never Trouble Trouble Until Trouble Troubles You''. Robertson was recruited, and joined the band for their subsequent tours.

References

External links

The Real McKenzies
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Kurt 1965 births Canadian punk rock guitarists Living people Musicians from Vancouver SNFU members