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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Small Narrow Valley, or SNV as they are known to their expanding coterie of fans, filled the Top Knight on Friday. It was the band's first gig in a year.

Not since the Village People has one band united musicians from such a diverse array of backgrounds.

Bassist and Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy played the Top Knight last weekend alongside SNV bandmates Spenser DeCorby on drums, and guitarists Glen MacKay and Keith Shergold. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Composed of bassist and Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy, vocalist, guitarist and twin otter pilot Keith Shergold, guitarist and archaeologist Glen MacKay and construction project manager and drummer Spenser DeCorby, SNV debuted at the open mic at Sam's Monkey Tree three years ago.

"We're four guys who have regular jobs and we get together to play music in basements to let off steam," Shergold said. "Our motto is 'reduce, reuse,' which means we take obscure pop songs and put a punky twist to them. We haven't written any of our own songs, but we've twisted some of them almost beyond recognition."

The popular and plucky quartet punched out dozens of creatively-contorted classics by the likes of AC/DC, Jimmy Hendrix and Johnny Cash with an intense energy that was mirrored by the rowdy revelers who flocked to the dance floor.

"Some of our songs are genuine attempts to play songs that we think are really good and other times we're poking fun at songs we think are really silly," Shergold explained.

Examples of the former include the band's spirited tribute to the Pogues' Turkish Song of the Damned, which pulled a crowd onto the Top Knight dance floor with the opening chords. The musicians also honoured one of their local heroes, Diga, on Friday with their rendition of Walk on Water, a track from the Dogrib artist's 2007 album, Forest Fire.

In keeping with the band's sense of humour, their irreverent repertoire also featured a hardcore version of Ann Murray's Snowbird.

SNV is headlining this Saturday night's Sunshine fundraiser at the Top Knight, The boys are also scheduled to play their third annual appearance at the Snow Castle during the Shiver n' Shake Rock n' Roll Night on March 8, when they will be joined by the veteran blues rockers of Priscilla's Revenge.