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Local Guides
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HAMILTON MUSICS NEWS
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by
Ric Taylor
September 3 -9, 2009 |
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Steve Negus
Saga were one of Canada’s premiere musical exports in the early
‘80s but who knew their drummer was from the Hamilton area?
Born in Hamilton at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Steve Negus grew up in
Fruitland and went to high school in Grimsby in the late 50s and
early 60s but when he got his first drum kit when he was 12, his
life would change. He’d play in a variety of bands but by the time
he was setting out on a career in banking, his move to Toronto in
1970 would mean more music and one band in particular named
Fludd.
Fludd’s core, brothers Brian and Ed Pilling, led the band but
when Brian developed leukemia the three remaining members,
Negus, Peter Roshon and Jimmy Chrichton would form a band
that would begin the legacy of Canadian progressive rock
legends, Saga. With a 30 year career, the band won awards, sold
millions of records and toured the world. Three decades later,
when the most recent era of the band became less fun than the
one he’d helped form, Negus would decide to leave the outfit.
It was 2003, but Negus had been living in Hamilton for a
while eventhough musically very much under the radar. That
didn’t mean he wasn’t still making music, in fact, the music for a
dozen songs that didn’t make the last Saga album became the
fodder for he and Hamilton vocalist Al Langlade to start writing
their own music.
Negus still remains chummy with Sagam filling in as recently
as 2007 for a couple of shows, but his main focus is the music
he’s making in Hamilton these days. Powerhouse revisits some of
that rhythm and blues he started playing decades ago but his
band, Negus, and the new CD, Dare To Dream is a dream come
true for Steve.
“It’s really put the love of music back into what I do,” smiles
Negus on his recent musical endeavours. “Sometimes you just
have to take control of your own destiny and you have to clear the
slate so you can do the things that are important to you and
that’s really what the Dare To Dream album is all about.
“I haven’t been doing a lot here that I thought was press-
worthy,” says Negus about his relative local anonymity over the
last decade or two. “Apart from the fact that I’ve been producing
a lot of local artists - I have a studio here at home where I’ve
been producing Brian Melo when he won the Canadian Idol, Jerry
Johnson, Frank Cosantino and more - It’s only now that I started
doing some shows with my new band that people are starting to
figure out that I do live here.”
Recorded it at his own studio with additional drum tracks
being done at Tony Furtado’s Jam House, Dare to Dream features
Langlade, Negus and Kelly Kereliuk (guitars), Ian Nielsen (bass),
Matt Whale (keyboards) - offering a prime list of local performers
playing a selection of tunes that progressive rock fans will
salivate for – and it’s is as good if not better than anything Saga
has recently done.
“That’s what I was hoping for,” laughs Negus to the comment
about his old band. “I had a different direction in mind than what
Saga was doing and I don’t like where they are musically now. It’s
way more satisfying doing my own album and being much more
the music that I like to play. The important thing for me is to get
out there and play my music.”
Negus performs at This Ain’t Hollywood this Thursday September
3 and Gage Park this Friday night. Click on www.stevenegus.com
for more details.
threat signal
It’s been six years since Threat Signal formed and garnered
international notoriety from their first few songs released via the
Internet before they were even a live performing band. Threat
Signal’s lead singer and face, Jon Howard, is now a little more
worldy 27 year old these days. His tastes are maturing and his
skills refining but while a lot of his young bandmates chose to
leave the band for regular lives, the singer has remained
steadfast to his original ideal.
The band isn’t the same as when we last reported but after a
three-year wait since their Nuclear Blast debut, Under Reprisal,
Howard and the latest incarnation of Threat Signal return more
with a monster of an album named Vigilance.
“The label came to us and wanted us to sign a deal and put
together a band,” recalls Howard on finding a band to play his
music originally that would later opt out mostly to form families.
“I don’t think we knew what we were getting into, how hard it
would be and how broke we would be and the touring behind it.
My cousin left the band to get married and have a kid and so did
our ex-drummer. I don’t want that, I want to tour, I want to be in
a band. The band I have right now is completely amazing. I’d like
to say I wish I had them from the start because I love this band.”
Howard, alongside bassist Pat Kavanagh and the new
additions of drummer Norm Killeen and guitarists Travis
Montgomery and Adam Weber, hammered out the new metal in
the basement of Howard’s mom’s north end home. While the
band has toured for internationally, Howard maintains his roots,
both geographically and musically.
“I live in the north end and it’s an influence,” says Howard. “I
walked down the street and saw this really scratched up piece of
shitty metal in a scrap yard, and I thought we should just carve
our logo into this crappy piece of metal and that’s what we made
the art for the album. I’m so happy to be from Hamilton, I think
it’s helped me out a lot.
“When we first started TS, I wanted it to be really heavy and
pissed off - I listened to a lot of Pantera and Slayer,” offers
Howard on the new musical growth. “I grew up listening to music
as a grunge kid. Lately I’ve been going back to my roots and
expanding things and realizing that there can be a lot more done
with metal and I try to put a lot of diversity and melody into what
I’m doing now. But I went to the label and told them I wanted to
produce the new CD and they were sceptical at first. I stuck to my
guns because I knew how to record the album, I knew what I
wanted it to sound like and I didn’t want anyone else to have
control of it because I’ve been basically recording these demos
from the beginning and they’ve always loved my demos so I
convinced them to let me produce the album. They don’t regret
their decision and they love what I did. It’s a little more grown up
sounding and a little more diverse and it’s a lot more melodic as
well. I think I’ve found myself as a singer and a songwriter.
Howard has a new band called Arkaea with Under Reprisal
producer Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory that hits Canada
this fall but Threat Signal will always be Howard’s favourite baby.
“We’ll be playing a sick show and we hang out and talk to
people,” smiles Howard about the hometown return. “We’ve
always been one of those social bands. We appreciate what we
have and don’t take it for granted and I love meeting people and
hanging out. And Casbah gigs are always the greatest.”
Threat Signal plays this Saturday September 5 at the Casbah with
Deathmarch and Passilith opening. $12 gets you into the all ages
/ licenced gig.
With the labour day weekend marking the end of a dismal
summer of rain, it looks like we’ll have mostly sunshine for you to
check out one or more of at least four local festivals and a ton of
music over the next few days.
BURLINGTON RIBFEST
There’s ribs, ribs and more ribs all weekend in Burlington and the
people involved take it seriously hence the moniker of ‘Canada’s
largest ribfest’ but there’s also a wack of music to check out as a
side for your ribs. Tom Wilson headlines Friday, the Spoons and
the Kings headline Saturday, the Downchild Blues Band headlines
on Sunday and Powerhouse on Monday afternoon.
www.canadaslargestribfest.com/
FESTIVAL IN GAGE PARK
Francois Tanguay is listed as the primary contact behind this
brand new festival although finding information on it or speaking
with Tanguay has been more than difficult. With scheduled
performers including Brian Melo, Spirits, and Negus on Friday
night, Powerhouse and The Acoustics on Saturday night and
Cyclone Sunday, and Hard Road on Sunday a call to Mustart
Productions did get me in touch with Toronto producer/promoter
George Roche who was enlisted to work the festival. He was
initially quite excited about offering a larger stage to some
independent talent in the festival format but over last weekend,
we’ve received word that the festival might not be happening. At
press time, we’re unsure of the status but the proposed 2009
Labour Day Music Festival is scheduled to happen this September
4, 5, and 6 from 11am to 11pm in Gage Park. For more info click
on http://musartproduction.com/
FIX OUR WORLD FESTIVAL
I’ve run into Linda Lannigan several times in the clubs scouting
bands and promoting her cause but when I first met her, I was
concerned that she might be taking on too much with fixing our
world. As a music fan, mom and socially conscious person,
Lannigan found some more time to focus on altruistic goals once
a neck injury meant she had to quit her job. Lannigan would
name a local foundation to tackle local and global issues from
aids, to poverty, to the environment and more. Whatever needs
fixing, Lannigan is there with her proverbial tool belt but while her
efforts have turned into daily activities, the main focus of the
campaign has become a three day festival to educate attendees
who want to check out a seriously environmentally focused
weekend of music.
“The second annual Fix Our World Festival is about giving
people the tools they need to become part of the solution to clean
up our own backyards and be better global citizens,” explains
Lannigan. “It is a fun-filled event for all members of the family
with interactive stations, workshops, games, guest speakers,
massages, reek, an environment film tent and fundraising games
to support four local and four global Canadian charities - The
Stephen Lewis Foundation, Make Poverty History, Oxfam Canada,
The David Suzuki Foundation, Café Adonai, CURE Canada, Fix Our
World Foundation, Hamilton Out of The Cold. All of these issues
are interrelated, they affect every one of us individually, our cities
and the world so it makes sense to work on them at the same
time.”
Russ Wilson, Christopher Clause, Kim and Frank Koren,
Prologic, Fall of Spring, Distance Between Stars, Zone of
Resistance and dozens more perform at Fix Our World but there’s
also even more educational and environmental elements people
can get involved with including a poverty and labour walk on
Sunday and Monday respectively.
“All of the bands performing are very proud to participate and
support the mission and vision of the Fix Our World Foundation,”
smiles Lannigan. “What makes our festival different from others is
that everyone who attends has the opportunity to give back to the
community. If you are searching for something more, a better
future for ourselves our city and our world you need to come out
and be part of this event because it all starts in our own
backyards. What a better way than to listen to some incredible
talent and have fun learning at the same time.”
The second annual Fix Our World Festival happens this
Thursday Sept 4 though Monday September 7 at Pier 4 Park for
free. For more details click on fixourworld.ca
MUSTARD FESTIVAL
I don’t know how much mustard I’ve seen in years gone by at the
festival named after the condiment but the weekend long fest at
Ferguson Station does bring out the crowds for music, food and
reportedly mustard. You can check out both youthful and more
veteran musical acts on the main stage, from the likes of Melissa
Bel to the Garburators to Sonny Del Rio, but there’s also another
new stage as part of the festval that taps a young budding
promoter with his ear a little closer to the underground.
Sean Gratton is currently working on the new CDEP from his
band Weakgenes, but he might be developing a greater profile as
Executive Director of Millionth Monkey Music, his production
company offering economically priced recording for needy local
musicians, and as a promoter, bridging the art and music worlds
along James Street North. As a result, Paul deCourcy of Arts
Hamilton asked him to help with an indie rock showcase at the
Mustard Festival.
The stage at the corner of King William and Ferguson
defintely offers a local indie rock flavour for the festival and
Gratton hopes it’s a welcome addition.
“It was suggested to me that I give each night a certain
theme, and focus on bands that would fit that theme, so I was
able to break it down into, let's say, indie rock, artsy rock, and
folk rock,” says Gratton. “The acts that I have I believe are truly
solid and really demonstrate the strength in our local talent. I
think that I've managed to bring together some of the best young
talent that Hamilton has to offer. Our stage is a major contrast to
the Mustard Festival's main stage and I think it's going to turn
some heads. This is my first festival and I'm psyched about it.”
The Mustard Festival runs Friday through Sunday with the
Young Artists of Hamilton stage featuring on Friday September 4
Pumps (7:30), Texas Gold (8:30), and the Ascot Royals (9:30), on
Saturday September 5, En Francais (6:30), Weakgenes (7:30) and
Book of Gnomes (8:30) and on Sunday September 6 Annette
Green (4:00), Little Silver Tabby (4:30), Katie Caron (5:30), Terra
Lightfoot (6:00), Michelle Bellerose (6:30), Human Race (7:15),
Kidd Sister (8:00), and Dave Macintosh (9:00). For more info on
the Mustard Festival click on
www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca/MFEntertainment.asp V
[RIC TAYLOR]
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