CONTENTdm
Discorder
CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.)
48 pages
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^xxxv^i Trims avijiTjiiTg—srjpixx— _ cinematic a., relating to and/or having qualities characteristic of the cinema. Cin-e-ma* •ttieque (sin's ma tek) n. [<Gr. kinema, motion plus Fr. theque, library, place to collect] umm 1. like a discotheque, but without as much dancing 2. a friendly, state-of-the-art, screening room right downtown 3. a place to find brand-new HHHMM9B film classics and to rediscover old ones 4. a cheap way to travel around the world without ever leaving Vancouver 5, a member-run film society that you can call your own. CNEMATHEQUE 1131 HOWE ST. CONTENTS September 1989 * Issue #80 5 Airhead 5 6 Fanzines From A to Z 6 8 Go Ask Laurie Pt 2 8 10 My Lunch With Shithead 10 12 Ashwin Batish 12 13 Soul Vibrations 13 14 An Incomplete Spotter's Guide To Fraternities At U.B.C. 14 16 Looking For The Real Goods 16 18 Hell's Kitchen 18 19 Art & About 19 20 The Second Coming! 20 22 The Nature Of Chaos 22 24 Toilet Paper Celluloid 24 26 . Beatmix 26 27 Plangent, Plank, Plant 27 28 Tape-A-Mania 28 29 Local Motion 29 30 Throw It To The Dogs 30 32 Real Live Action 32 35 Discorder Datebook 35 36 Searching For The Subtones 36 37 Books 37 38 On The Dial 38 41 Listener's Survey 41 43 Cybertoons 43 44 Under Review 44 EDITOR Kevin Smith / EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Viola Funk / WRITERS Janis McKenzie, John Ruskin, Michael Klassen, Bill Baker, Lloyd Uliana, Pat Carroll, Judy Lahti, Viola Funk, Jeanna South, Chris Buchanan, Mike Grigg, David Hauck, Den Lebel, Mike Harding, Brian Hohm, Janis McKenzie, Leigh Wolf/ ART DIRECTOR Scott Chernoff/ ARTIST Den Lebel, Jillian Farnsworth / PHOTOGRAPHER Stacey Hooper / COVER Pax (photo by E.) / PROGRAM GUIDE BY Randy Iwata / ADVERTISING MANAGER Mike Harding / ACCOUNTS GUY Randy Iwata / SUBSCRIPTIONS Robynn Iwata Discorder is That Magazine from CiTR 101.9 fM/ published monthly by the Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia. Discorder prints what it wants/ the CiTR On the Dial program guide/the CiTR Spinlist record chart/17,500 copies to over 200 spots. Twelve-month subscriptions are $12 in Canada/$12 (US) to the US/$20 elsewhere/payable by cheque to Discorder Magazine. We want your stuff: send in stories, drawings, photos/ and we won't give it back. CiTR 101.9 fM is 1800 watts of stereophonic bliss/ on cable fM from UBC to Langley, Squamish to Point Roberts, USA, but not on Shaw Cable in White Rock (bug them about it) /now available on most clock radios and in cars too. Office hours for CiTR, Discorder, CiTR Mobile Sound Rental are Mon-Fri, 10am - 4pm (please avoid Fri-afts.) Call Office 228-3017/News Sports 224-4320/DJ 228-CiTR. Send stuff to Discorder Magazine or CiTR Radio/ SUB Rm 233/UBC, Vancouver, BC/V6T 2A5 /Fax (604) 228-6093. a ten day extravaganza of Alternative Theatre and Performance Art THE FIFTH ANNUAL VANCOUVER -F^U^F FESTIVAL Entertainment from across Canada, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Switzerland. SEPTEMBER 8-17 • 1989 PROGRAM DETAILS AVAILABLE IN THE SEPTEMBER 01 ISSUE OF THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT call today for more information (604) 873-3646 or write Theatrespace, #18-2414 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 3E3 SEPTEMBER 1989 3 .£ TIMBRE '89 PRESENTS: N m \«4 \jefs. CiTR 101 present Sept. # - ciTR BEo 4attheOOMMODORE presents |7| ^ ^AO 101.9 fM r "king sunny ade p Sept. 22 & 23 at the COMMODOrI:JB Sept. 26 at the TOWN PUMP presentations of Timbre '89 GET YOUR FUNKIN' FACTS STRAIGHT Dear Airhead, I was reading your July '89 issue when I came across a review of the Replacements' new LP "Don't Tell A Soul" by Viola Funk. I have been a Replacements fan since "Sorry Ma!..." and I have lived for every album since, as would every Replacements fan. Ms Funk says that she hero-worships the band. BULLSHIT! I can accept the fact that she is giving her point of view of the album, but she obviously hasn't listened to ANY of their old albums. The final straw comes when she quotes a line from "Rock 'n' Roll Ghost" ("much too young/ much too cool for words") under the impression that it is in the song "I'll Be You", which she called a "sad travesty". GET YOUR FUCKIN' FACTS STRAIGHT FUNK! Take my advice and chuck her out, and get more good people like DDD and Peter Sickert who know how to review vinyl. Discorder Fan Liam Milliken PS Don't get me wrong; I LOVE Discorder and have high respect for anyone INVOLVED with it. Okay dude. I was hoping some one out there wouldpick up onmy misquote, which I realised in retrospect but was too damn lazy to correct. However, you have sorely misinterpreted my words. If you read carefully, you'll find the slight was directed at the song "I Won't", not at "I'll Be You". Anyway, this is all water under the bridge now, as the album has wormed its way into my psyche to the point where I now listen to it more than the Femmes one. Go figure. —Viola INTELLIGENTSIA TERRORIST REARS UGLY HEAD Dear Airhead, This is a public announcement. It is with greatest chagrin that I present this ing to your listening and reading public. Having returned to my beloved city (one among several dozen) after some years of wreaking intellectual terrorist havoc at fine academic institutions everywhere, I find the results of my early, less refined, cerebral-explosive experiments loose among you in a virulently mutant form. He's been in your galleries, on your airwaves, and even quoted on your fine pages. Before this semi-talented, misogynistic (didn't you learn anything boy!), ^\\jm^iR\wwm egomaniacal twerp infests everyone's lives like chronic athlete's foot, the situation must be cor- An innocent child once stumbled into my laboratory and volunteered for experiments. He was metamorphosed immediately into my dog. The little pooch sat in the comer wide-eyed and panting (gonad problem which I totally neglected/Now obviously out of control/Should have had him neutered.). This once-harmless nuisance called Bryce is attempting to overrun your city and your minds. So whenever it is possible to take a day off from subverting UBC intellectuals and scaring yuppies at Kits Beach, the necessary attitude transplant will be performed so we can alll sleep soundly once again. My profoundest apologies for what- part my work has contributed to the manifestation of this offensive little scourge. And for all individuals infested with Bryce-myth-itis, intensive, two- minute deprogramming courses will be set up at all city emergency facilities and at all public refuse containers within a five- block radius of Bryce's current address and public appearance locations. Do not despair. The situation will be rectified shortly. Thankyou. Sincerely, Marnie representing Society for Bryce Banishment The Academy of Alchemical Anarchists The Brotherhood of Boredom Bashers Etc etc etc. If you wanna insult someone, why not do it so that we can sympathise, rather than in obtuse metaphors? HEH...HEH...HEH... ITS WHO YOU KNOW Dear Airhead, I recently received the copies of the Discorder Magazine and the tape of Joey Rati sent I would just like to say thank you for evetything you've done. We enjoyedreading the Discorder Magazine and would love to read Part 2 of The Shocking Untold Story of The Partridge Family, if you could find it in your heart to send us a copy. We have a couple of big Partridge Family Fans (I don't know if I should put this in print). I look forward to working with you in the future, thanks again. Regards, Barbara Pisano Public I Publicity Services, Inc. New York, New York IT JUST GETS BETTER Dear Airhead, Received the bundle of DISCOR- DERS today, and distributed them to various record stores (indies!) and like venues. The people really appreciated 'em, so we're off. The monthly distribution will really be possible. Looking forward to the new format in September. It Just Gets Better! Most Sincerely, Terry Gibson Regina Yes you too can distribute DISCORDER. Contact: Robynn FANZINES FROM A TO Z Riches in the Rags and Fave Raves by John Ruskin So Mr.SparkGv's got rhythm anil a shot of the blues. But WHOA DAD!, your own dignity and self worth is totally low. lat makes George Sparley tic. you ask? Well he buys Fanzines, cute, inty, little typewritten mags, available at better outlets everywhere, or through the mail. The varied list of essential fanzines, narrowed down to a few, guaranteed to give you, the daring thrillseeter, many a tict and pert is as follows: The 100 Greatest Cult Exploitation Magazines - One dinger of n zine chock full of history and intrigue, centered around North America's obsession with cheezy way-out seiual turn-cms. Author Alan Betroct has outdone himself in carefully annotating a hundred crazy mags from the years 1950 -1965. boasting such titles as: Bad Girls USA: Anything Goes; Pirl Watcher; Strange Medical Facts; Hush-Hush; and Exposing America's Sin Cities. Get this! (S7 US ppd.from Norton Records, PA. Box 646 Cooper Station, NY NY 103. USA) The Alien - A colorful local Vancouver publication put out by a one Mr. Jesse Rind The current issue.funded by the fine fnlis at Cabbage & Kim. contains a full spectrum nf psycho comii printed on high quality Day-Glow paper. Past editions of the Alien hare featured a mixed bag of politics, music,comiund international contributing illustrators lite K Sloan. Iruelyan inspirational piece of literature. (Free at Cabbages rHinx). Backlash - Seattle is tnnwn for a few things: liar's lite Clam Chowder, eiclusine 21 and over clubs. Expo 62. wicted metal garage grunge, weird smells, and. The Rocket. "ARGGGGGI," Blactlash editor Dawn Anderson would ve hemently shout. "WHATTHEFUCKDDYOUKNDW. Exactly, I tnow diet, but I can FEa that Bactlash is presenting a fun, informatire document of Washington State's explosive musical scene. Each month this "newspaper" has got thicker and slider, culminating with an outstanding June issue on numerous Oregon rawt V roll ensembles. Furthermore.a solid layout and good photos gires Bactlash the edge as a very worthw hile and eiciting toilet companion. (Free, in the Seattle and surrounding area.or write: 41 Fremont Are. N, Seattle, WA98D3, USA) Bad Seed - Created with the sole intent of uniting paperback collectors with a preference for teen crime boots. Sex. dope, murder, teen tramps, jailbait jennies, and girl gangs; Bad Seed touches everything that should be touched! Editor Miriam Linns, again and again, disgraces untnowing readers with a relentless barrage of information as only a real bent American knows how to do.Take cover goof hall! (S4 US ppd from Norton Records. Pi Boi 646 Cooper Station, NY NY 10003. USA J Flesh and Bones - Trippy BO page newsprinted fanzine dedicated to filth and sleeze lovers everywhere. Issue S contains great features on Sloth. Gwar, Hawkwind, Soundgarden. later lotz, the Lunachicks and artist JO. (ing. Each installment of Flesh and Bnnes comes with a large array of electrifiying vintage "Ts ads, plenty of brillant illustrations, and gobs of demented typographic styles. Incredible! (950 at Scratch Records, or send §4 US ppd to: 351 Beechwood Avenue. Middlesex NY OK USA) Fuzz Buzz - Fanzines started nut as publications written exclusively for fans, by fans, and this zine is just that. Fuzz Buzz contains all the monthly news you need to know about New York's favorite son's, the Fuzztones. Of special interest are the diverse band photos, eitensive tour and gig reports, and neat press clippings. The Cult of Fuzz awaits p. ($2 US ppd, from: Lively Arts. PH Box 4906. San Diego, CA 92104, USA) Hip Teen - One well produced joint collaboration between Greg 'Dove' Mcbryde of Gibsons, BC and Darren 'Sky' Merinuk of Lundar, Man. Printed in terrifying psychographics, issue #16 literally "pops" out at the reader with an amazing b&w comix center-spread. As for the rest of this handy sized digest, it is filled with lotsa fiction, non fiction, crayon marks, record reviews, and general reality destroying, pile-drivin'. geek manglin' contributions. Hip Teen, "the official magazine of the out crowd." (5D cents,at Scratch records,or 75 cents ppd to: Merinuk, Box 52, Lundar, Man,RDC1YD) interregnum-Brand new,and rip roaring to go. Interregnum gives us the scooop on Shattered Silence.Political Asylumand the Polish Punt Scene. Based out of Vancouver, BC. this zine also carries informative write-ups on local happenings, such as the Anarchist Bootfair and the Boots to Prisoners Project. Yeah! (50 cents at Tract records, or 75 cents US ppd from: R. Coury, 3175 W. 37th Ave. Vancouver BC, V6NZV1) international Spectator-A neodada sensationalist publication, led by the inventive Rich S. Since it's inception B years ago, the Spectator has "vomited forth" entire issues devoted to the lites of Magic, Anarchy, Drugs, Mods,and snnn. Comix! Containing carefully designed pull-out sections and nifty little stickers, this magazine has all the pranks needed to catapult itself intn the higher echelons of our weird, wicked and wonderful society. (50 cents at the International Spectator Shop. 432 Homer, Vancouver. Back issues are also available) Kicks-Everyyear.a transplanted Canadian. Miriam Linna,and her pal. the rubberlegged New Yorker, Billy Miller, bring forth into this world a mighty and precious creation - Nets Magazine.Often called the 'Zine of zines'. Kicks exhaustively documents every way cool rocker to grace the stage since the beginning of time. Hictoids such as.Esquer ita, Hasil Adtins, Ronnie Dawson, Bobby Fuller, Lint Wray, and others - YES, I mean others - are profiled. Kicts is known for its diversity, pardner, so 6 DISCORDER whether it be the lowly Swamp Rats, or the snotty Beach Boys, you can be promised to get a panttoad full of action each issue. (S5 US ppd from PJ3 .Box 646,Cooper Station, NY.NY.103USA) Living Blues-A "Journal of the Black American Blues Tradition" published bimonthly by the Centre for the Study of Southern Culture. Ya still with me pal?Number 06 is a whopping 63 pages long.hubhling with interviews and info on Bishop Arnold Dwight "Gatemnuth" Moore, Flora Morton, the Black Swan Record Label, and the present day blues and gospel scene. Unlike other "university" publications. Living Blues reads easily.has eye-catching ads. is brushed with more pictures than TIME, and should be re- T h e P s y - chede- 1 i - catessen - Editor Tim Glassen. ata Randy Lon of the Marshmellow Onrcnatishes out a smorgasbord of underground rock with each installment of this mag. Issue #3. which comes direct from Glassen's "mighty paisley pen", totes care of the poop on the Black light Chameleons. The Brood. A! Perry & the Cattle plus Tucson's fuzzed-out BO's punt wallers the Sot Weed Factor and the Dearly Delond. Totally soft, gooey, moist and chewy - Oh-la-la! (S3 US ppd from PD. Box 121, Tuscan, Arizona 85702 USA) Psychotronic video-As with the Psychottonic Encyctope- diaof Filmsicto Michael Weldon has once again.through his Psychotronic Video, scared the shit outta every lover of channel 9's "Masterbate Theatre". Be warned that this publication goes all out in accurately furnishing a giant heap of tne trashiest, tasteless, most putrid on-screen much you'll ever want to know about. Exploitation, horror, music,sex. interTiews,dozens of reviews.and plenty of thrill chapters are all included for your reading pleasure each issue. (S4 US ppd from: Michael J. WeIdon,Psychotronic Video.~E1 First Avenue, Oept. PV Jew York Jew bit ma) Rough Draft - Giant sized tabloid format literary zine that dabbles in something here and something there. From poetry and politics to the Gruesomes and 64 Funnycars, Victoria's Rough Draft refuses to be pinned down-it's a people's magazine, dependent on YDUR input and money! Thant you. (Free in Victoria, or write: Rough Draft, D37-172D Douglas Street,Victoria BC. VBW ZE7> Ugly Things- Uggah! Uggah! Uggah! UggahlUggah! Uggah! Uggah! Uggah! UggahlThis Intensely astonishing zernxine that bellows out the definitive word on mid BO's roct noil sounds. Wild,uncompromising, ugly groups, such os the Pretty Things. The Dnwnliner's Sect. The Outsiders. The Leans, and the Q65 ban all. at one time or another, been featored in detailed interviews which are generously sprintled with strikingly accurate discographies and rare.unpublished photos. 72 pages worth of stunning layout,good writing, and inciteful commentary/raving from editor Mike Stax.Truly fabl (S5 US ppd from Mike Stax,405 W. Washiogton.Suite 237, San Diego. CA.9ZU3 USA) What Wave-Put out by the fabled London,Ontario team of Dan and Rena D'Halloran.What Ware has thiifed for 17 issues on the glorification of unheard- of cellar dwelling Canadian.US.and European garage bands.Nn major label acid-wash scum here. Yup. throughout number 17's 50 or so pages are spotlights on The Flying Squad. The Thanes, Dead Moon, the Surf Trio. BO's losers Lute and the Apostles, the Progressive Minstrels, various Canadian rack- abillybands, the Easi Germai Scene wrestling, comix, and correc laddy there's lots of DTHER extra features to penetrate m. Slffk fiT^-^ Behind the wave of juvenile ci #1& •Mp^gBan exclusive word and text s nc PaLlJCflaV Wildcat Williams. She was married to 1V/X Tf 7 ILDCAT was having the W life, meanwhile. She glo ! bar. the tfctee ot them, role of kid gang-leader, and is as though she was Ma Barker. in awe of bet. and preying on men who hours altet the Hoffman a Gillette, whete they abandon Ml the bar and order . Montana, but they wanted to get away in Georgie had stolen in Laurel wallowed her beet .nd stantly. Young Georgie. who wis on themselves to a blue four-dot wt of .he cornet o( bet parked'a couple of blocks from the bat. but they needed money for food and gas. Tommy leaned over and whispered to Wildcat. "You get him out of herc-and the wanted; she didn't Georgie and 1 II be wajtin around by the uy. Wildcat, but he'll fall bet. Thii bo,. Tommy ^."cou'p'le'Ze'Soo.'' Tommy and Georgie downed theit They rude sure then that the td Wildcat already had a She wai a redhead with a. and trot he'd like to buy her • drink TVTOW as Wildcat's little ba ll through Utah, their roone get Sometime! she called A"*-**.*^!?^ and the gang looked to their le your mind, body, soul, skull and belly. (Like a 90 minute cassette of rippin' bands that comes free with the zine) Devilishly outlandish. What Wave is endorsed by Cleopatra Von Flufflestein. (S5 from Scratch Records or write OHalloran.17 Erie Avenue. London. Ontario, N6J1H9) Please note Mr. & Mrs. Babs Worthington. yes you dear reader, that Factsheet Fire, S3 US ppd from Mike Gunderloy, 6 Arizona Ave, Rensselaer, NY 12144- 45D2.is the most primo Fanzine/Underground Press Listings magazine around.A mam- math listing of 'zines' and other stuff,Factsheet Five will definitely reem a chunk of enlightenment into your heart. Parcheeesy! -^(•Mar^tQue^ v.£D. SEPT 2.1 GRUNT GALLERY 2-0<\ e.6+h fc"**3 M of£ Albion Books 523 Richards St. Vancouver 662-3113 for quality used books and records SEPTEMBER 1989 7 8 DISCORDER The following is the second fascinating installment of Discorder's exclusive presentation of excerpts from Go Ask Laurie: Laurie Partridge's Diaries 1969-1971. Read on to discover more of the shocking truth behind the rise and fall of television's most beloved singing family... March 10,1971 Our second album, "Up to Date", come out today with advance orders of half a million copies. This week there is a spread in "Newsweek", and "Rolling Stone". Mom is featured in "Homes andGardens"(tided"No Singing at the Dinner Table!"). Danny is mentioned in an article in "Forbes" about the music biz. Keith is being interviewed by "Playboy", although Mom doesn't know it yet. My piano teacher was even interviewed by a local television station, although he didn't mention he liked to feel my bum. But y'know, I'd give it all up today to run off with Bobby. He and I have been getting into some steaminess behind our gear at the back of the Partridge bus. Boy if Chris knew what his tomtoms know now... April 3,1971 Mom's in big trouble with the local schools because we've all been truant most of this school year. She got real smashed on gin thenightofTracy'sbirthday party probably because of the scandal. The newspapers printed a picture of her ripping up a bad review of "Up to Date" and said it was her ripping up her P.T.A. membership. The school board went so far as to reveal Chris's poor scores on the grade six placement exams to thepress. Along the way somebody forgot I guess that Chris is only in grade five. April 29,1971 Bobby is now confirmed as the backup act on the Partridge Family Summer Tour '71. To celebrate I gave him the gift a girl can only give once in her life. 'Nuff said. May 9,1971 To help us on the tour Reuban has hired an ex-biker named Lee as road manager. With Bobby, Rueban, Lee and this man named Maurice Mom's dating, the tour bus was getting a bit crowded, so we bought another bus, and painted it identical to the first Great idea, I thought, twin re- June 2,1971 Rueban was jailed six hours this afternoon when he failed to report to Canada Customs he was transporting firearms on our bus. Danny was pouring with sweat. He and Reuban had been shooting at prairie dogs the day before last so I know he's packed his gun along too. June 23,1971 Dear God, I hope Tracy is all right. Why anyone thought a nine- year-old girl culd endure a schoolbus ride on a nation-wide summer concert tour is beyond me. Soon as we booked into a Minneapolis Travel Lodge Tracy and a bagload of her things went missing. I wish I took the time to talk to her now. While I spent all my time groping Bobby, Tracy was sitting at the back of the other bus buried in Betty and Veronica comics. Danny's first impulse was that we should begin auditioning Tracy lookalikes, preferably musicians. Keith cracked him with an empty road case for that June 24,1971 Still no sign of Tracy. The police have a state-wide search in effect. Lee has enlisted the help of the Minnesota Satan's Angels chapter. The press is being really nasty to Mom over this. Maurice I guess couldn't handle the heavy mood and left Mom too. June 26,1971 Tracy's been found!! Apparently the "Ask Veronica Lodge" advice column was a post office box across the river in St. Paul and Tracy went looking for help in person. DC Comics quickly denied that they would advise girls to visit them. The publishers admitted however they received several letters from Tracy over several weeks, but explained "Veronica" was unlikely to give the revenge suggestions Tracy was looking for. June 27,1971 Mom's announced that she's cancelling the tour and we're going into the studio to record a project called the "Sound Magazine". Tracy is being enrolled this fall into a private art school in northern California. We got news that Maurice was found beaten and left for dead in a rent-a-car outside Minneapolis. In the hospital and with tubes up his nose and everything, Maurice says it was bikers that beat him up. State police held Lee for questioning. Danny, who said Lee was a "buddy", boasted Maurice was thumped on his orders because he didn't like him. Such were the Partridge's On Tour '71. August 26,1971 The "Sound Magizine" sessions are going down surprisingly well, considering the pressure of school starting in two weeks. Any over- dubbing later could be arranged for after classes I guess, with homework probably forced on us between takes. A publicity photo got released of the group recording. Danny was wearing that stupid ghoul mask I bought him for Christmas once. One writer thought the chubby, bass-playing ghoul might not be Danny, and now "Is Danny Dead?" rumours are flying around. September 17,1971 Our first single off the new album, "I Woke Up in Love This Morning", which Keith wrote after he had a wet dream, sailed into the top five after one week. Advanced orders for "Sound Magazine" were around two million. Personally, I think this dead Danny story is really starting to dog the band, and Danny is not improving things by skipping school. I think Reuban put him up to this. He claims we move an extra 25,000 copies of "Sound Magazine" every day Danny is believed to be dead. October 3,1971 Keith has persuaded Mom to let me, Chris, Danny and himself play a one night gig in a local hall. Keith decided on "The Leather Apple Bedtime" as a name change for the group that night, and Reuban is circulating the rumour that Danny will be brought back from the dead the night of the show. I'm wildly unhappy about this because I was getting comfortable being Danny less. October 6,1971 Keith's pot-smoking is definitely testing the family's patience. As a twist for the L.A.B. show, Keith's arranged forus to dress as Ottoman soldiers, with the exception of Danny who'll dress as a Sultan and play from a cloud hanging over the stage. I don' t get it, not a bit. October 8,1971 A truant officer knocked on our door this morning and took Danny off to school. Looks like Mom's going to spend more time in court, but this time over Danny's truancy. The L.A.B. rehearsals are lacking enthusiasm, except from Keith who wears his Turkish tunic with pride. \ October 11,1971 A rumour has gotten back to that the L.A.B. show tonight is supposedly a musical wake for our deceased brother. Having Danny up on a cloud isn't going to help things either. I'm just sick about this stupid show. It's going to be awful. October 13,1971 "LEATHER APRON OF BOMB AST! "..."LEATHER APRON - THE SLEEPY BLACKSMITHS .- OF ROCK?"...Here's the headlines. Somebody printed the posters wrong for the gig naming us "Leather Apron Bedtime". During the show Danny became dizzy and hot hanging over the other members of the group. His monitor blew, then when he tried to climb down from the suspended cloud with his heavy bass guitar slung from his back, Danny lost his grip, landed on the bass and sprained his back. Keith ripped off his tunic defiantly after that and launched into solo renditions of Partridge hits. This quelled the crowd which had begun ripping seats from the floor. Chris and I tended to Danny, who winced with pain when he was loaded onto the stretcher. November 20,1971 I've officially bowed out from the group. By my contract I continue to receive royalties for the first three records. Keith, Danny and Chris are forming a new unnamed group and have enlisted two young women musicians. Really they should call themselves the Cleavidge Family because the two new members are so well endowed. And me? Well, tomorrow's another day. SEPTEMBER 1989 9 STUDENTS - WELCOME TO VANCOUVER'S BEST SHOW VALUE! HOME OF MIDNITE MADNESS!! ENJOY THE BEST IN MOVIE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE LOWEST TICKET PRICE IN TOWN ALL SEATS ALL DAY AT THE PARADISE, YOU CAN SEE GREAT DOUBLE BILL PROGRAMS PLUS BONUS SHOWS ALL FOR ONE LOW ADMISSION PRICE-ONLY $2.50! BUT THAT'S NOT ALL...THE PARADISE ALSO OFFERS • FINEST PROJECTION & SOUND - BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED DECOR • BALCONY ALWAYS OPEN • CONVENIENT "PUSH BACK" SEATING • FRIENDLY COURTEOUS STAFF • BUDGET PRICED REFRESHMENTS - Fresh Popcorn, Real Butter WE WANT TO MAKE THE PARADISE YOUR FAVOURITE THEATRE WHY PAY OUR COMPETITOR'S INFLATED TICKET PRICES? WHY STAY AT HOME AND ACCEPT INFERIOR VIDEO QUALITY? SAVE BIG & SEE MOVIES THE WAY THEY WERE MEANT TO BE SEEN.. ON OUR GIANT SCREEN! VISIT US SOON! ....You'll Be Back! The Paradise features... PUSH BACK THEATRE CHAIRS • •** OPERATED BY 24 HR. SHOW INFO: 681-1732 10 DISCORDER MY LUNCH WITH SHITHEAD Bill Baker Catches Gravy with the One and Only Joe Shithead A few days ago, I had the pleasure of dining with singer, sportsman, and budding thespian Joe "Shithead" Keithley (with a th). Joe (we're on a first name basis, me and Joe) recently completed shooting on the locally produced feature film Terminal City Ricochet, in which he and ex-wrestler, ex-waterbed salesman- turned night club owner Gene Kiniski play a team of police constables. He will be appearing as Las Vegas-style fashion designer Sammy Venus in The World of Beauty, one of the plays in this year's Fringe festival. I joined Joe as he was shoving a final piece of flourescent red pork down his gullet at Hon's Won Ton House on Main street. Bill: Hi. Joe: Hey, Bill. (To the waitress) Could we have a couple glasses of water, too? I don't think she believed me that I wanted a table for two; she thought I wanted to be by myself. You know she gave me my cheque like "Aaaah yer takin' up valuable space there, Bud". At this other place I go to in Chinatown they just throw yer food at ya'. It's the total "White Devil" treatment, you know. B: Did she really say "you're takin' up valuable space"? J: Naw, naw. B: What's good here? (I look at the menu and find an item called a 'Potsticker') What's this pot- sticker? J: Naw, don't buy that...it's like a Chinese version of some ultra deep fried perogies or somethin'. Last time I came here I came with John Card and Richard Duguay from the band T.T. Racer. And I went to the can, and I came back and I was lookin' at the list and I was you know, "Aaaaah, who could order those fuckin' potstick- ers, man? It's like so greasy and gross", and so on, and then this big order arrives for them, you B: Bad news, bad news. Are you rehearsing these days? J: Yah, I am. To be or not to be...no, um. B: I remember one time you called [wrestler] Freddy Blassie "the Ultimate Professional" - singer. actor, and wrestler. When are you going to start wrestling? J: (Laughs) Well, I'm a hockey player, right. It's like his line is "Anything anyone can do Freddy Blassie can do better...whether it be in the art of wrestlin', the art of talkin', or the art of makin' love". I go in with that type of attitude. With wrestlers, itdepends on how you approach 'em, right. When I first met Kiniski, his sort of opening line to me was when somebody asked him "Gene, can I get you acupof coffee?", and he says "Aaaah, come around with it pretty soon; if you don't get back, I'll occupy myself by beatin' the shit outta Joe here". So it's a test to see how you can react to that. Whether you shrivel or rise to the challenge. Even though he may be vastly physically bigger than you, you either laugh or say "Can I get a different trailer?" B: So...tell me about your acting... J: Well, I figured I was usually walkin' around actin' like a buffoon or an asshole anyways, so why not try and turn it into some cold, hard cash, right? B: Is there a lot of cash to be made from this gig? J: Naw, not from the play, like, I'm just gettin' started at that. Like that part in the movie, that's just a small part -1 had quite a lot of fun at it...In the play I have a larger part...it's set up like a TV studio with screens and technicians around...it's like bein' on Geraldo Rivera or somethin' except it's The World of Beauty. They have like different people come in between the commercials, and they actually have commercials up there on the screen. I guess I'm, y'know, one of the feature guests on it B: How did this come about? Did you have an audition, or was it a shoe-in? J: (Pause) It was a shoe in. (Laughs) Naw, it was through my...I'm suppposed to get this in...through my fabulous acting agent Maureen Webb. She thought I could do it., and Goddamn it, she was right! B: You haven't done it yet... J: Well, but I'm gonna do it. I'm not afraid of that, ya pencilneck! You say one more thing like that and you'll be wearin' that soup. What I wannado in acting is like, well, I wanna be an all-around performer, and some people will say like "Joey, you've never had any problem bein' an all-around performer. With that beer belly you've always been an all-round performer. That's an obvious one. But I wanna try and do anything - not be limited by just having one scope, right so I wanna pursue it... I figure I'm a character, and I can be intense when I wanna be, so... Ain't got too many parts yet -1 got a pretty thin resume, right. But y'know I've been in front of cameras and shit for years and years, so it's no big shock. And when they say "Go", you've gotta go, and not just sit there like a dud. Y'know, I figure it's like D.O.A.'s always been tryin' to.., like when we get a chance to vent our spleens, so to speak, we're always tryin' to raise shit whether it be on stage, on the air, on TV, or in press, or on record. To me, y'know, like I always thought music and film are the two most powerful mediums for effecting change in people, so like, hey... why not try and conquer... I ain't "I figure I'm a character... I can be intense when I wanna be" introduce these guests... renowned doctors who... J: Ya, it's just some guy who's notrespectedinanycircles...some crackpot who got his doctor's degree from a Crackerjack box (laughs). B: You seem pretty happy in general. J: Yah, well I feel good, y'know. D.O.A.'s finally back on track - we got a manager, and I got some other ideas, like producing music or whatever, but I don' t wanna let the cat out of the bag. But it wouldn't matter - nobody can do it as good as me. It's all attitude, y'know; I'm gonna get this done by workin' my fuckin' ass like fuckin'...crazy, y'know? It's like when we become the 51 st state, I figure I'll be eligible to run for president. It's right about the time Clint Eastwood' 11 be done his stint stoppin' at the small potatoes, bud. Let me tell you. B: With this acting thing, did you have any lessons? J: Naw...I was a total rookie, but it was just attitude. As I say, it's notreally a huge, developed thing, you know... I'm on screen a fair bit [in the film], I've got six or eight lines, it's easy. You know, it's sort of raunchy - you know, me and Gene and all the other guys who play cops in the movie basically wail on the other guys. It's sort of apolice state run by an ex-TV talk show host. It looks like it's gonna be real good. It's got a whole ton of laughs; it's black humour. It's not like Robin Williams meets Steve Martin or something like that. Its funny... they harpoon modern day TV politics. It's cool because The World of Beauty harpoons TV talk shows and takes on this whole thing of those half-hour shows you see on KVOS at midnight: Stay Young Forever, or whatever. It's all sellin' crap to people, and I think that's going to be one of the big challenges of the 90's - for regular people to realize what a con this is, and people on the other side of the fence, shit disturbers like me, have to beat them at their own game. B: Have you ever seen Let's Talk with Lyle Waggoner where they Shithead's tips: 1) Just uh... when you decide to do a part, make a decision. Take a certain angle, don't change it as you go. Unless you're interpreting the part to be schizophrenic. 2) Think what would you do in that real life situation. If you felt !ike cryin', or laughin', or uhhhhh beatin" the shit outta somebody. 3) Don't have a porcupine haircut like mine. That's the most impor- tant thing. The other stuff's common knowledge. B: The press will tear you to shreds. J: Yah, they're like a bunch of piranhas - go in too deep, and they'll chew ya to shreds. B: You've done a few lately...you're still here. J: Well, they take one bite outta me and its like "Aaaargh BAD TASTE and it smells bad, too." B: Wow... the press is just flocking to your side! J: Yah, y'know I'm just a gravy boat, and ya gotta be there with a cup to catch some of it..be there with an ice cream pail to catch some of the crap comin' over the side there... B: Right Well, anything else? J: Naw. You gonna pick up the tab? J: What's another name for a cheque? B: I don't know...what? J: Bill! (laughs and throws the cheque at me) The World of Beauty will be performed at the Warehouse TheatreonMainStreetdailyfrom September 8-14. D.O.A.'s new album. Murder, will be released in October, and Terminal City Ricochet is slated for release "as early as November." Ample opportunities to catch Joe in action. If you see him alone in a restaurant however... SEPTEMBER 1989 11 ASHWIN BATISH by Lloyd Ullana SDUP STQCIt FROM THE BONES OF THE ELEPHANT MAN FridaY Efenings 1Z3D - 4DQ AM An advertisement for Columbia jazz products that ran in th July 1 st issue of Billboard reads "Where tradition meets tomorrow". A little awkward, I'll admit, and I'm not sure whether the tie in I had dreamt up between this quote and the Ashwin Batish phenomenon is a clear one but I'd be damned if I couldn't use it The notion of 'tradition' and 'tomorrow', I think, per- fecUy sums up Bombay-born American sitarist Batish who - armed with Monsieur le drum machine, Yamaha DX9 synth, and further '80s gadgetry - manages to uniquely and humourously create a musical strain that works on modem aesthetic visions while simultaneously maintaining a secure grasp on both his past and that of his native homeland. Hence - 'traditon' and 'tomorrow'. I had a chance to meet Mr. Batish when he played in Vancouver for the first time at last July's Folk Music Festival. Q: You handle your records on an independent basis. How do your find that has benefitted you or worked against you in some way? Batish: Well, let me start with how I really envisioned going out there and doing it. Every musician's dream is to get a big company to back you. Everybody says that's theonly way to go. And sure enough for the first six months, as soon as I made that single (Bombay Boogie b/w India Beat)...I made copies of that single on really good quality chrome tape with dolby...it was really kicking butt...I thought this would really do it! (laughs) Theyjusthavetoputitin their systems and crank the volume! Well, six months pass by and you start getting these pigeons that you sent out coming back saying "Uh, sorry, this stuff is good, but try an Indian audience" and comments like that. They wanted me to try it in India. I still kept pushing it Finally, by getting many refusals it just made me real numb to the fact I was going to do any more of it. Ijustthought that was it. But I borrowed a few bucks from the rest of the relatives - that's what relatives are for (laughs) - and put out 5,000 singles. Just gave them away to radio stations, to record stores, to djs... whoever wanted one. We just gave'em away. So, it started happening. Certainly it was all over. It was starting to get airplay. People thought it was kind of a crazy thing with my image and stuff. They thought this guy has got to be joking. So that made them play the record and once they played it, they liked itandpalyed it again. I think I sent out over a thousand of those response cards and got almost 600 of them back from stations with great comments on them. After I got all those cards I said "Man, this is happening."(laughs) Q: Is Sitar Power the only album you've released? B: I have about ten different titles, but the rest of them are all classical. I have three albums which are classical and then a bunch of albums with my father and my sister where I am accompanying them on sitar and tabla. But the record company (Batish Records) has about ten albums and Sitar Power is the one that got picked up for distribution by Sha- nachie. Q: Is there a market in India for your work? B: I'm sure there is, but it hasn't been tapped yet. I haven'tpusheditinIndia. I've just pushed it in the US actually and the fact that it has gone bigger in Canada than in the US...you might say I'm really excited about it in a way because I had always envisioned doing things in Canada but I just didn't know how. So when the Festival came through with these concerts, I was very happy about it. Q: Do you perform club dates as well as folk music festivals? B: Most of the concerts I do have been club dates, mostly in the USA of course. But the Canadian circuit is very favorable as far as festivals are concerned and so I'm getting booked in quite a few festivals. I did a World Beat Festival in Ottawa. I'm coming from the Montreal Jazz Festival. I was at the Winnepeg Folk Festival. So they're coming through. I'll be doing WOMAD in Toronto and the Earthsong Festival also, in Hamilton. Q: What criticisms have you received from the Indian community or just your peers in general? B: Sometimes people don't understand. They think I'm trying to fight traditon with this new concept and that has been the main spark of contention, I think. What people think is that I am really a pop musician that does not have a great deal of respect for the traditional forms. A lot of those people are very misguided in that they don't really know what I am doing. A lot of classical musicians, if they hear my music, they'll realize that I am playing very strictly in the ragas; the stuff I do doesn't compromise. I don't go out there and try to do what I call 'piddly licks'. I'm out there really trying to show people what the sitar can do fully. My scales ardi right out of the scale structures of Indian classical music and I am a classically trained musician. Anybody who wants to jam with me at that level, I'd be happy to have them come out. As far as tradition is concerned, for instancc.What is tradition? It starts at a certain point in time. Five hundred years down the road THAT becomes tradition. Tradition is really a relative issue and I think people who think of themselves as traditonalists should also look inwards and question that issue of traditionalism. I'm trying to promote it. That's the message I really try to bring out to people... that the sitar is a very versatile instrument. India is a very versatile country. India is not all meditation and sit down-and-burn incense country. India is a very cosmopolitan country. It has many aspects of music that people over here haven' t even dreamed of. Andso.whatl'm try ing to do is bring out a little, bit of it, but in my own way. I'm making it high tech you might say. I'm trying to bring out a certain culture and as^ pect of the country over here. How can you do it unless you take the help of technology that is out there? You owe it to yourself to go the best route to promote the music. That's what Sitar Power stands for; it's today with the old coming into today. 12 DISCORDER by Lloyd UHana SOUP STOCK FROM THE BONES OF THE ELEPHANT MAN Fridaif Erenings TZ30 - 4110 AM Sure, I was caught off guard when the Folk Fest people called up about doing an interview with a reggae band from Nicaragua. I figured, as probably many of you figured, the musical proponents of revolution from Nicaragua only wield acoustic guitars. Shameful what conclusions stereotypical thinking can cause people to come to! Enter Soul Vibrations, an eight piece reggae outfit from the black English-speaking Bluefields community on Nicaragua's Adantic coast. Bassist/co-lyricist Alfonso Flores spoke to Discorder during their Folk Music Festival stopover. Q: Liberation from oppressive systems, particularly the emancipation of the black comunity, is a major theme that runs through your Iyrics...at least those thatl've heard on your cassette... Does there exist or is it possible, for there to exist any resentment of your peripheral concerns by the much larger revolution taking place in Nicaragua? Flores: TheNicaraguan revolution is very broadminded; the people are open. For example, if you have a method that could solve problems in this society you just put it forward. They'll listen to iL And if it's correct then they'll give you vista bueno, we say in Spanish. They authorise it, so you can do your thing. The revolution is for the people; it's not only for the political party. Other countries think that the revolution is for only one party, that it's radical. It's not That is nonsense. Anyone in Nicaragua can make a revolution. So the black people from the Atlantic Coast... we think the revolution has started not only ten years ago but for many years now. It's a world revolution. Now it seems like Nicaragua has created the possibility to expand this consciousness worldwide. Q: Would you care to discuss your background, your heritage? F: I asked my grandfather where his parents were from when I was younger. He told me they were from the Middle East. But then many writers wrote some big lies aobut the black community and the Caribbean. Of course, some were taken to the Caribbean from Africa as slaves. But not all were slaves. Basically, where I was born in Nicaragua... this place is called Orinoco and these people came from St. Vincent Island in South America.. .Venezuela. There is a river in Venezuela called Orinoco. Well, this village is also called Orinoco and these people weren't slaves, they were mystics; they had mystic powers. They fought their way out and they were trying to return back to South America but the influence of time stopped them on the Nicaraguan east coast So you still find people there who consult the traditions of the occult; they speak the ancient languages. Q: Is racism versus the black population prevalent in Nicaragua? F: In the beginning, maybe in Somosa's days there was a different concept because the black people could not be involved in the environment of the government to develop themselves. They were rejected. But now with the revolution it's a big change because you can develop yourself. The government has given the black people the autonomy and facility to do what they like. And they are free to do what they like. It's a big difference and racism in Nica-. ragua is not strong. I never felt this. From when I was born I never felt rejected by other races, although sometimes in the past 1've met some stupid people. It's nonsense. After all, it's just ignorance that is the cause of this discrimination. Q: With the fabulous response you've received on your tours, do you find it a little tempting to relocate in the United States? F: Basically, we want to distribute our message to the world; not only to the States, but everywhere. We have just come from Europe and we think that our music can help to change a situation because it's not only Nicaragua's problem. It's a world problem. The leaders of society must purge themselves from the hypocritical concept of cheating the people as they have for so many years. The Nicara- guan people, Central American people, a lot of people in Canada, and people everywhere, are aware of this. The politicians present themselves as godly people. We can see they are saying that they are godly people and they are using the same message of great personalities - Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Rama, Krishna. They are using the same policy but they then are hypocrites because of what they are practising. So in the name of humanitarianism or philanthropism, or whatever...socialism, communism, they have cheated people. So we try to sing about this in our music so that people might prepare for a God-conscious government in the future - with purified leaders. State support has given Soul Vibrations the opportunity to record the ten song cassette, mentioned earlier, in a government-run studio in Managua. The tape is not available at retail oudets; however, CiTR does have it in rotation so request it. Apparently Festival records will be making some of their music available on LP in the near future. SEPTEMBER 1989 13 AN NGOMPLHTC STOTffiR'S GUIDE TO fMlMOTIIES AT ILRC by Pal GmJl Chances are if you see a clean cut young man wearing a polo shirt being thrown into the fountain of Main Library, he's in a fraternity. But that is really very obvious. What are some other ways of spotting fraternity members when they are not being so open about their allegiances? Well, we here at Discorder just want to help end the confusion about 'frats' so here is our guide to the ten major 'Greek Societies' on campus. Hopefully, this will aid you the reader in your selection process. ALPHA UPSEDN PSI- A However, at least one young lady, who has seen them up close, describes them as, "geeks and boors". whomever answers the phone will reply. "That's Me." Actually, most of the Figis don't know who their president is because (wait for it) it's a secret; at any rate, all of this assumes you can even find their phone number in the first place. As well, I am not, nor is anyone else, allowed to print what "FIGI" stands for, but we have a game to help you guess (see bottom of page). PHI DELTA THETA "Fidelts" - A group of young men who go in for the student body exective sort of thing - i.e. many past, and present, members of the AMS executive council are Fidelts. They are reportedly more indu vidu- alistic than other frats. PSI UPSttDNTSlT Mostly given to older, Grad student types. A less socially minded frat than most others. One assumes, however, thatT As, and even some less formal of the profs, could attend any social functions they do have. SIGMA PHI The serious, community involved side of fraternities. They do good deeds, have a formal dinner to which one invites ones parents, and, in theUS.SigmaPhi has produced a number of presidents (which may or may not be a good thing). ZETABETATAUThesort of guys who really tike being in a fraternity, and will say, "Hi, Bob Smith,damn glad to see you" and mean it. (see also Alpha Upisoln Psi) new frat at UBC, my source described them as "idealists who left ZETA BETA TAU", because of the latter's perceived deviation from the true path of Greek Brotherhood. On the other hand they may just have wanted to appear in the phone book sooner. BETA THETA PHI The 'Betas'like to cultivatearepu- tation as the 'richestandclassi- est' fraternity on campus; many of its members aspire to be white collar professionals. 14 DISCORDER KAPA SIGMA - The 'Capsigs' were briefly described to me as 'cool' but believe strongly in their rituals, which, needless to say, they are not going to share with the uninitiated - you and me. upper class twits indulging in silly, degrading games involving kidnapping, and goats... these guys are it. However, the extraordinary severity of their initiations may be needed to root out the unworthy, as the nonstop party action they partake in makes them very popular with the 'pledges'(young men seeking to join a fraternity). THE FIGIS - My favorite frat DELTA CAPPAEPSLON for sheer absurd secrecy. If - If you think frat brothers are you phone them up and ask to nothing but overprivileged, speak to their president, NOW ITS TIME FOR THE WHAT DOES "FIGI" STAND FOR GAME First the hints: 1. take the first word from the "Fidelts" and place it in front of... 2. ...the word used in sentences like,' the atom bomb went off and produced a lot of G radiation, and those words follow them with... 3....the name of a Vancouver suburb south of Richmond and west of Surrey. VENI! VICI! VOMATI! AND THERE YOU HAVE 1 ODVttEv impo^Li VANCOUVER'S ALTERNATIVE RECORD STORE - RECORDS • COMPACT DISCS • TAPES • T-SHIRTS • POSTERS -SPECIALIZING IN: UK+U.S. IMPORTS, NEW RELEASE DANCE SINGLES, W^// ALTERNATIVE C.D.'S AND TAPES WTS - OUR SELECTION INCLUDES: ROCK, BLUES, JAZZ, SOUL, REGGAE, WORLD, RAP, HOUSE AND NEW BEAT OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 534 SEYMOUR STREET BETWEEN DUNSMUIR & WEST PENDER 669-6644 WANT TO RAISE MONEY FOR YOUR TECH OR FRATERNITY? HAVE A PARTY ! at I 350 Richards Street 687-5007 Kj^j For More Information, Call Dale. WS^k 16 DISCORDER The walls of the COCA gallery in Seattle ate covered with photos and teit dealing with tattoed torsos, pierced pee-pees and outrageous others. The flesh on display is rivaled only by the gathered melange, a wild assortment of people to say the least. And as I'm taking this all injy hearts going loom boom" with that feelig I'm onto something great. What I am unto is the opening party celebrating the latest Re/ Searchpubiication, Modern Primitives He/Search has vision. Seeting motives and philosophy behind actions, it explores topics of interest for those who are "off the beaten tract", shall we say. Past boots include: INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILMS - Think odd. Horror, biters, beach party, sexploitation - it's ell here. To be followed (this year?) by Incredibly Strage music. PRANKS - Here we hare laid bact conversations with Jello Biafra, Keren Findleyjim Leary, Joe Coleman (remember the madman in Mondo New Tort who had those firecrackers oo his chest?) and more, as they reveal their most outrageous exploits. It's enought to give people ideas, so, as with a few of the Re/Search series. Plants has a disclaimer noting the boot is for entertainment and humour purposes onlyl This is to protect the editors from any lawsuits which could arise. Neato man. DE INDUSTRIAL CULTURE HANDBOOK - A reference book eiaming jost what the heck people like Throbbing Gristle, Z'ev, Mark Pauline (of Survival Research Laboratories) and others are up to. Fascinating and not for the squeamish. Now there's Modern Primitives, a book no modem day anthropologist, tattooed person or voyeur,for that matter, should be without. From the disclaimer onward (Intydo not attempt any of the body modifications or practices described herein. If you insist on doing any, go to a professional. Neither the contributors not the publishers will assume responsibility for the use or misuse of any informal contained within this book), it just gets better. The stylish book is primarily comprised of 24 interviews with a wide range of men and women discussing their ideas and practices of body modification. This is not merely a "show and tell" situation exploiting penple's bodies. It gets into the "Why?" of it all. Why do these people have tattoos? lat is their philosophy? How can it relate to others' lives? The subjects open up and share their experience. The tattoos here have little time for "Born to Lose" insignias or cute little roses. We meet people with intricately eiecuted full back murals. Renowned artist Ed Hardy (whose first shop was Dragon Tattoo io Vancouver) discusses artistic standards. There's an interview with the ever colourful Captain Don,wtio bears an eerie resemblance to David Niven, and ran from home with the circus at age 14 and became a sword swallower and fire eater. Not so light reading is the book's first subject. Fakir Musafar. a 57-year- old executive from California who has practiced virtually every form of ritual known to man. Many of Musafar's actions are simply unpleasant to think about or look at - for example, he has gilded himself and practices the American Indian Sun Dance. The sole Canadian interviewed is ManWoman from Cranbrook. An artist and visionary whose mission is to rehabilitate the swastika (for years before Hitler a sign of good and prosperity), ManWoman is an imposing figure with his burly chest covered by three skull tattoos and his forearms with swastikas. Obviously often misunderstood, the primitives interview shows ManWoman as he would like to be percieved -a peaceful, caring artist. In Seattle I had a chance to purchase the hook and meet Andrea Juno and Hale, editors of Re/Search. Feeling rather awestruck,! asked for their autographs (plus that of Bobby Neal Adams,Re/Search's chief photographer whose excellent work is only made more appealing through his modesty). All three were pleasant and accomodating with Yale taking souvenier pictures of everpe present. Re/Search is planning pre projects. It remains the least presumptuous, most academic series of literature for modern readers who want the real goods. Find Re/Search at easy going bookstores in town, or for a catalogue write to: Re/Search publications, 20 Romolo St. suite 0, San Francisco CA, 94133. o •H -P Pi <D O O ♦H U P4 O U P* r£ ^ books? 9tock *£/SEARc On rH 00 I iH 00 NO 1S to bj) •H -P W cd o CM cati0 PwMfTffiBq sag V! 1 ► at \I Think of You.. |...and Dream of Sguidl .'I Whack Me ^ The Ballad of the Death of Hoss Cartwright ^ and much much more -*" Available at; *r- Zulu/Track/Odyssey Record /^Aieii iSl *"'*> 4 eVi 5s* appear i ng FRI & SAT Sept 29,30 R.J.Christie's 31S E. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 1989 17 YOU CAN HELP STOP this current wave of crime against fashion by stomping out shoe boredom. John Fluevog vows to protect and serve in the never-ending battle for your right to unusual and interesting footwear. If you've been staying inside, clinging to safety, cower no longer: send for this catalogue now, and prepare to walk safely in fashion o-' again. Write today to John Fluevog Shoes Ltd., 852 Granville Street, Vancouver BC Canada V6J 1K3 (604) 688-2828 Agamemnon * Iphigenia * KlytemnaestnT Remember that satisfying, punched-in-the-gut feeling you'd get as a child after guzzling a milkshake? I had forgotten it until the other night, when, to sustain myself on the long trek home, I picked one up at the Granville Mall McDonalds. This mother (vanilla, 99 cents) was quite equal to the challenge. Though the ones I so fondly remember from my childhood were of a different origin. Sunday nights, motoring home to North Van from Abbltsford and the customary visit at Uncle Arden & AuntRosalind,s(arepastof crusty buns, pickles. New Bothwell cheese, cold cuts, fruit preserves, and on good nights, some fancy- dancy dessert), Mum & Dad could usually be coerced into stopping off at the A&W drive-in on Fraser Way. My brother and I would each get a milkshake—in those days, mine were chocolate—and the parental parties would of course have coffees. Well do I remember those late-evening drives home, ripping along the Trans- Canada west—Next Exit: Fort Langley...Langley...Next5 Exits: Surrey...—the eastbound traffic across the median Dopplering away into the night, teeth cold and stomach satiated by the milkshake sitting like cement at its pit. So let's peel away the grimy layers of time and call to mind other delights of childhood, victual-wise... I can't even think about Scooby-Doo cartoons without almost being able to taste Aunt Jemima "Simulated BLUEBERRY Flavour" waffles and Lumberjack syrup. The two went hand in hand ofttimes of a childhood morning. I was twelve before we got a TV set, and thence began a custom of awakening in time to watch the half-hour of Scooby-Doo while I ate my waffles. With Imperial margarine melting on them and intertwining with the syrup in milky strands. "The Weird Winds of Winona" was one of my favourite episodes, although my brother's favourite "The Ghost of the Red Baron" was pretty hot shit too. Porridge. Most kids (and indeed, mostsentientbeings, some may argue) hate it, but for us it was a special treat. My mum never made it lumpy, and plus there was always the bonus of some good ass-kicking lumps of brown sugar melting on top of it. One of my earliestposi- tive run-ins with food used to occur when my mother sent me, age 4, round the comer from our apartment to the Mini-Mart on Lonsdale to pick stuff up for her. I would hand her little list to the man behind the counter, who would amass the indicated items for me. At the end of the list, if I was lucky, would be a Dixie-cup of vanilla ice-cream and a bag of Old Dutch potato chips. Back home with my booty I'd dig in, ditching the little wooden tongue- depressor spoon that came with the ice-cream in favour of just dipping the chips straight into it. (Which inevitably resulted in some breakage, but hey.) Sweet and salt, a truly blissful combina- With muchnostalgia do I recall having floats as a child. Especially the ones served up in Esso Wayfarer cafes in the course of long journeys to and from Manitoba. There were few greater reliefs after long hours in the stuffy, pillow-infested humidity of the Pontiac than to step into those welcoming, A-framed, air- conditioned environs ('70's-A- RAMA!), plant one's ass on a vinyl-upholstered seat, and down a tall cold one. Taking after my father, I generally chose Orange Crush, though my brother would opt for root beer. Which tended to cake onto the inside of the glass with much more alacrity than Orange Crush, forming a truly disgusting pock-marked scum. Hence my aversion to it. For the sake of comparison, I stopped in at the old A&W drive-in at Fraser & 33rd (should be a designated heritage site, if you ask me) last time I was up in that neck of the woods, and purchased a strawberry milkshake. This one'll set you back $1.49, but it's worth every penny—infinitely creamier, smoother and tastier than the McDick's equivalent. And plus, you get one of those grooving straws with orange stripes on it. Now if only my brother had been around for me to shoot the straw wrapper at, it would have been a complete bitchin' blast from the Well hey man, "winter's coming on, summer's almost gone'" why not throw the following concoction on the table at the last barbecue of the season. Thanks to R. Harvey of Nelson St for sending in the recipe. Avocadoes are the dark green fruit that looks like hand grenades in your grocer's produce section; agood avocado is soft, not extra-mushy. TAKE: 2 large avocadoes; remove skin and mash ADD: 3/4 c mayonnaise or salad dressing 1 lemon (the juice or, if you are feeling earthy, toss in the entire lemon, peeled & sectioned) 3/4 c chopped celery 1/4 c chopped green onion 1/2 c grated carrot 1/2 c grated beet This can be refrigerated for a couple of hours before eating but discolours and loses flavour:quickly. Goes great with burgers or your favourite curry dish. For variety add avocado to potato salad, to give it a thought-provoking greenish hue. youve done it youre trapped for eight sunny months at ubc and the exploration of the expanse of campus has begun your rez room the cafeteria sub the pit and of course the book store and buchanan perhaps in time you may even try one of the many libraries for a little r and r woodward is nice if you can put up with the aroma of bologna slices placed in a book at random on every floor hidden in the shelves for some unsuspecting biosci research t a if the smell of decembers processed cow and pig entrails gets to you then you may want to head to sedgewick library but dont forget to check the mirror because we all know sedge is the biggest pickup joint in town after Wednesday at the pit and the pink safeway on a friday nite when youve tired of all left brain activity and youre bored with television and frat pranks (you may say "never!" but just you wait) there are a few alternatives to the usual ubc menu of events you got it buck food for the soul right brain kinda stuff theatre music ART creative writing heres a sampling of some of the ARTstuff that is happening on campus this month at the ubc school of music there is a number of series happening during the fall and winter session and a calender of events will be available for the public by the second week of this month the Wednesday noon hour series returns on September 6th featuring solo and chamber music from Vancouver and beyond the price is practically free (two dollars) an evening concert series of music by outstanding students fondly known as in the spotlight begins October 24 and will cost you nothing there is a faculty and guest concert series beginning September 14 for more info call 228 3113 the ubc school of music is an extremely friendly and happening kind of place Doha took time out of her busy schedule to talk to discorder and go over information that may be of interest to the students most of this stuff takes place in the ubc recital hall citr enjoyed a successful relationship with the student run summer theatre program the actors/resses were enthusiastic to explore the medium of student run radio and its advantages for their stage productions most of the same students will be pARTicipating in the fall productions at the freddy wood theatre but if you want more information marj thepublicistfromhell says godownandgetityourself so much for free advertising hey folks the ams gallery is the place where most of the bfa mfa architecture and ART education students exhibit on campus it provides an easily accessible facility for the artist and students as well as a venue to show off the extensive ART collection of the ams the September lineup includes imaginus that sub poster monopoly thang followed by two mfa exhibits at the end of the month art & about the September exhibit at the fine ARTs gallery features an installation by Canadian ARTist ron huebner entitled need me like i need you huebner created the multimedia exhibit specifically for this gallery space as a meditation on human nature and achievment and will be available for viewing until October 7th the fine arts gallery is in the basement of the main library and offers students an opportunity to view contemporary ART of exceptional quality by professional ARTists if you are a seven foot ART afficionado watch your head because the intimate space of the fine ARTs gallery may not be forehead friendly this is just a taste of the things that can be done here on the campus of the conservatives a few other things to look for are special productions and readings by the creative writing depARTment student created and produced films and special events and presentations by indigenous peoples at the museum of anthropology a groovy thing about the ubc ARTs thing is you can enter any of these places dressed in primary colours thats right you dont have to dig up your one black turtleneck and your nifty leather coat in 30degree weather if you dont feel like it go in red blue yellow orange purple or my favorite green its probably a good idea to leave the old biker shorts at home or if you have to cycle take something to change into spandex is a tad inappropriate in a creative environment (unless its on michelangelos david that is) a lions share of the ubc ARTSscene is a product of the efforts of various fine ARTs students most of whom are widely learned some already have one degree or another or have left a more structured faculty that they have toiled away in for a few torturous years many fine ARTs students have previously entered another faculty such as science anthropology commerce or computers to get a real degree in hopes of getting a real job once they have sheepskin in hand the average fine ARTs student is in the faculty because she/he really really really really likes what he/she is doing within their medium of the ARTs they put in long hours in the studio practice room theatre or in front of the typewriter often to only share their efforts with their peers because they feel that they have something unique to contribute and communicate through the medium accusations of elitism within the ubc fine ARTs depARTments are mainly based on the lack of communicationand cooperation between the fine ARTs faculties for example a camera friendly studio ARTs student cannot use a film depARTments video equipment or when i was trying to get a bit of information regarding the upcoming freddy wood events their publicist snarled that ishouldjustcomeinandpickupapamphlet (all i want to know is who is marjthepublicist and what is she being paid to growl over the phone) but their is an exception once upon a time the music department extended its facilities to certain students outside of their program a commendable and rare occurance if the fine ARTs cats dont even cooperate with each other how can we expect the rest of the campus to acknowledge that the ARTs are an important thing within the structure of this postsecondary educational institution the neatest thing about ubc ARTs is they are practicaly unknown to the rest of the campus populace they struggle for recognition with four billion other students boasting a population far below engineers commerce of general ARTs keeners 4he fine ARTs students lack financial support and recognition of their essential services to the campus you dont often see posters in the chem buildin or war memorial pushing the importance of the ARTs or even mentioning that the cool thing about right brain activity is that you dont tip over onto your left side from knowing too much STUFF stimulating the senses utilizing personal opinion enjoying the aesthetic (if you please) and promoting balance in the noggin thats what the ARTs and ARTists of ubc have to offer. R2B2 BOOKS 2742 West 4th Ave 732-5087 open 7 days a week literature, poetry, art, philosophy, etc., new & used DANCE-DANCE-DANCE sept. 28 MANGO DUB SENSACION LATINA DOORS OPEN 8:00 PM COMMODORE tickets on sale at: LA QUENA, BLACK SWAN, OCTOPUS BOOKS, ALMA STREET CAFE, ARIEL RECORDS, ZULU RECORDS. Presented by: VANCOUVER'S EL SALVADOR REFUGEE ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 1989 19 Tie Second Coning! Look Out, It's MC 900 FT JESUS by J. J. Derrida Imagine the trepidation as my little white ass was assigned to interview one of the freshest and most exciting rap artists to emerge from the United States in quite a while. Although I enjoy listening to rap music, the thought of having to face a man who would inevitably turn out to be a big, black, muscular former gang member who bears a grudge against all of white society did not promise to be a comfortable afternoon. Chances are he would hate me and my middle American values (which I developed by watching too many Happy Days reruns). Remember, rap music means urban strife and racial tensions which would undoubtedly be taken out on me. So as I walked into Nettwerk's offices to interview MC 900 FT JESUS I tried to bring to mind anyMartin Luther King Jr. phrases to be utilised in order to try to make a quick convert. Unfortunately, the violently anti-semi tic remarks made recently by Public Enemy's Professor Griff was making it very difficult to remember the "I Have a Dream" speech. Nonetheless, with tape recorder in hand, and a few pleasantries to exchange in "jive" in mind, I plunged into Black Urban America. With that preamble, imagine my shock and surprise when MC 900 FT JESUS did not turn out to be an ex-Black Panther from New York, but instead, a soft-spoken Caucasian lad from Dallas. Cracking a market dominated by black artists, MC 900 FT JESUS is innovative not only because of his skin coulour but also because of his style and lyrical content., the real name of MC 900FTJESUS,replacestheusual rap topics, like racial strife and women as sex objects, with reflections on religion and insanity. While MC 900 FT JESUS shakes up the message of rap, his sidekick, DJ ZERO, uses traditional rap sounds and structures to make this new creation a lot less alienating for the listeners. This dichotomy between the traditional and non-traditional elements is what makes MC 900 FT JESUS and DJ ZERO not just anotherrap group. Says MC, "We seem to work against each other even though we are working together, it seems to add up to something that is quite a bit different than anything else that has been done before." The new frenzied rap style pioneered by MC 900 FT JESUS has many people debating as to whether or not it is truly rap. "I don't think I'm a rapper, I think what I'm doing is just a little bit different. Its kinda close to a lot of things, and musically it's really based on rap type structures and put together like rap music is, and it uses a lot of the same sounds, but yet, lyrically and vocally I'm coming from a different place. I don't sing, I do deliver almost everything I do in a rap-type style, but to me it's a different thing." While many of today's rappers try to establish a clear and crisp vocal sound on their records, Mark Griffin uses heavy vocal distortions on his voice, like Skinny Puppy, in order to create sinister and uneasy feelings in his listeners. No where is this innovative style more evident than on the new 12" by the duo entitled "Too Bad". "The whole ideabehind MC 900 FT JESUS to me is the connection between the practise of religion, especially in America the way it is and especially T.V. evangelism, and the idea of mental infirmity. A more direct inspiration for MC 900 FT JESUS was this big round guy who was standing on the street corner in downtown Dallas just yelling 'Jezebel was a church going woman'. And he would just say the same thing over and over again, 'Jezebel was a church going woman.' I went and visited a friend for about an hour in a nearby store and when I came back down this guy was still saying'Jezebel was a church going woman.' So this man probably has areal religious conviction about what he is doing. It is really interesting to me about how religious feeling can be tied in with oddmental states. I won'tsay that its necessary, I won't say religion is absolutely insane or anything, but I think that a lot of crazy people, and people who seemingly function in society, say like televangelists, can fill the voids in their lives with religion." "I don't think insanity follows me around but its something that really fascinates me so I tend to notice it more than most people. After writing "Born with Monkey Asses" I went through a great and long period of anguish over the song because I felt I was I really want to create something that will scare people. exploiting this person because in the song I use a big long stretch of hervoice, andldidn'teven bother to alter it at all. So it was kinda like a guilt thing. I mean, well, she wasn't going to make any money off it, let alone the fact that I put her ramblings on a record which I put out all over the country, and now all over the world, just forpeople to enjoy. And then a couple weeks after I wrote the song a different lady started coming into the record store where I work. She was this crazy woman who would come by two to three times a day every day for about six months. She was a really interesting character but it was difficult to have her around. She would mull around the store and then all of a sudden shout at the top of her lungs, 'Howy'alldoing tonight, we're Cheech and Chong', scaring all the customers. The idea always occured to me that this was sort of my kar- mic retribution for stealing this And like the man himself, MC 900 FT JESUS' name is an unusual creation. Based upon a vision Oral Roberts once had in the Tulsa wastelands of a 900 foot Jesus which commanded him to start up a television and religious community on the spot, the moniker has proven to be controversial. "A lot of people wonder about me since I use Jesus in my name; a lot of people just don't like it. Oddly enough, I've had more problems with my friends than with the public. You can't really joke about religion; and the name isn't a joke, well, it is but it's a joke on Oral Roberts, it's not directed at actual religion. Most people will get it, but like I say, not even DJ Zero was too keen on my name for a while. I just tried to explain it the best that I could. There is a real possiblity that I may get banned from radio because of my name, but that wouldn't bother me so much because the people who would appreciate what I do will still find out about it one way or another." While MC 900 FT JESUS has shot onto the Canadian college scene, the trip has not been as smooth for DJ ZERO. Better known as Patrick Rollins, DJ ZERO has recently had a problem entering Canada to help record the group's first album, called Hell With the Lid Off. It seems that he inadvertently had a receipt for a class 'C misdemeanor fine; and to further annoy the border guards, he did not have $ 100 in cash on his person which they interpret as a sign he was coming to Vancouver to work and thereby take income away from loyal free-trade loving Canadians. This threat to Canada has been described as a nice, shy 21 year-old, also from Dallas, who performs in another rap group called U KNOW WHO. at may be intersting to note that MC 900 FT JESUS, a white man, had no problem crossing the border, but DJ ZERO, a black man, did even though both were working on the same project). So, DJ ZERO's visit to Canada was restricted to the Vancouver International Airport before he was made to board the next plane back to Dallas. Luckily this has only caused a slight setback. MC 900 FT JESUS now has to take the masters down to Dallas for DJ ZERO to add his scratches and samples. This delay means the album probably won't come out until October. And about the new album,"The first thing they will notice is the groove, for a song that's the first thing that has to be there. If the groove is not there I won't fool with it. And then they Tl notice that vocally it's very different to what they've heard before; then they'll notice that it was put together by some people with mental problems. I really want to create something that will scare people. This particular album is about a trip through Hell inside your own mind. I'm trying a lot of different ways to convey different aspects and possibilities of that idea." 20 DISCORDER Commodore Ballroom k tickets on Saturday September 16 SALE NOW ~-S~~s* locations, Highlife, Black Swan, Zulu, Barrett Electronics, Caribbean Spice Mart, the Patty Shop REGIMAID L1SSEL •BOOKSELLER Q4>434 Xti/aer <S£ree£—>^Px ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOC ALB ANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION SsLLLOCALBANDSYOOHOOATTENTIONALLLOCALBANDSYOOHf^ *~_ n . ^^ — >on ATTENTION ALL LOC ALB ANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL SANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO H<— U 3- 1 K " * rXTAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS 10L.9 fMONCE AGAIN IS REALLY HAPPY TO PRESENT [DO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HO^ ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO AT" \LL LOC AL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION SANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL UY r-OO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL B ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOf UX LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTE1 SANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL L r-OO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL B A VTTENTIONALLLOCALBANDSYOOHO. 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VLLLOCALBANDS YOOHOOAl ii^.. sANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTEN iDO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL VTTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOC AL B ANL VLL LOC ALB ANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOC AL BANDS YOO HOO Al i SANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDSV YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL fOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS i . ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOC AL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTIOj \LL LOC AL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO now PHONE LANE "BOOM-BOOM" DUNLOP OR LINDA "CHA-CHA" SCHOLTEN AT 228-3017 OR WRITE CiTR SHINDIG! 6138 SUB BOULEVARD, VANCOUVER, BC V6T 2A5 HURRY UP!! THIS OFFER DOESNT LAST FOREVER! ON AL ,DS HOO ,NTION .uL LOCAL .aXJCAL BANDS _aL BANDS YOO HOO a ANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ac BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL SANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS YOO HOO ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS SEPTEMBER 1989 21 THE RAiDRE OF CHAOS by Mike Grigg and Dave Hauck HEY YOU! YES, YOU! Are you troubled by the late twentieth century? Are you sick of asbestos pollution, genetic warfare, Muslim fanaticism, the dead Ayatollah? Is the world spiralling obliviously and uncontrollably around you? Then I think it's time you opened your mind to Chaos Theory - sounds somewhat apocalyptic doesn't it. This isn't a story about "chaos" - confusion, anarchy - but of the theory of Chaos with a capital C. It seems rather appropriate that a new abstract, theoretical treatise about our natural and physical world bears the title of "Chaos" in these socially and technologically turbulent times. Chaos theory, what with its powerfully abstract nonlinear mathematical functions and fractional dimensions, is opening the door to discovering many of Nature's complexities. Most simply put, chaos theory claims there is an inherent deterministic disorder within our natural world. Through the use of super computers, something called fractal law, the second law of thermodynamics, the Butterfly Effect, and aperi odic non-linear mathematics, new insight into the functioning and cycling of our natural world has been uncovered. Our world is not what it appears to be... In our natural universe, everything in the cosmos from the smallest quarks, to stars, to galaxies, is governed by the second law of thermodynamics. Everything tends towards disorder; perfect efficiency is impossible. In short, the universe is a one-way street. Increasing entropy is the natural law of the universe. Entropy breeds complex patterns, randomness and disorder yet even as our universe ebbs towards maximum entropy it still manages to create systems resisting the flux towards chaos. Our planet is one such place where order and disorder have mingled together to create an energy consuming, intricate, unpredictable and fluctuating natural world. And it is Chaos theory that enables mankind to envision how there can be small pockets of apparently ordered systems - glitches of deterministic disorder - within the entropically expanding universe thus, allowing for non-stochastic planes of reality like our planet. To better understand Chaos theory we must delve into the abstract reality of theoretical mathematics. Most of us regard our universe as a three-dimensional construct of smooth and simple shapes of classical Euclidean geometry. But is that an accurate representation of reality? Apart from man-made constructs, are cones, spheres and cubes the predominant structural forms in Nature? Clouds are not spheres. Lightning does not travel in a straight line. The universe is comprised of rough, wrinkled and scabrous shapes, not smooth rounded ones. Not everything in the natural world is constructed in such idealistic shapes - they are inhuman, unNatural. The odd configurations found in Nature convey meaning, they are not abstract forms distorting the classical shapes of Euclidean geometry, but are rather irregular forms that convey anew insight into the essence of our chaotic twentieth century. We must open our minds to this new beauty and forget the engrained idealism of the Greeks, the Platonic harmony, the uto- pian-like and non-realistic sensibility of the past 2000 years. We must focus on the harmonious arrangement of order and disorder in ournatural and imperfect world. Nature did not develop complicated shapes or systems to defy analysis and plague our conscience. The complications have arisen because in the past mankind analyzed Nature with ideal- istically perfect and unnatural shapes using linear mathematics. We must re-evaluate our analysis of shape and structure in our universe and adopt tools such as Chaos theory, non-linear mathe matics and fractal geometry to better comprehend the natural law of the universe. Non-linear mathematics attempts to quantify things like friction, air resistance, and fluid dynamics, each of which is unpredictable. They are governed by what is termed the Butterfly Effect - a sensitive dependence on initial conditions only. The equations that map these properties are very complex and hard to analyze - mapping their behaviour is like "walking through a maze whose walls iearrange themselves with each step you take." They do not represent reality as a continuum changing smoothly from place to place and time to time but, rather, they have an initial starting point (Butterfly Effect) that soon cycles freely and interacts with the natural forces in our universe to produce an apparently chaotic, random non-deterministic path of "static" as time passes and the effect materializes. In the long term, 22 DISCORDER there is a determinism to the process - friction will stop a ball from rolling although the path or the mariner in which it stops the ball will never be the same twice. Nature - its essence, its soul - is non-linear. The path by which it effects change is chaotic and unpredictable but nonetheless there is a determinism to the chaotic path - the ball stops rolling; randomly moving molecules somehow organize into tissues, organs, organisms. Chaos is ubiquitous, it is stable, it is structured. On the surface it defies explanation but nonetheless a gap is bridged such that in the apparent disorder of the system order appears - a predictable result is produced. The red spot seen in the atmosphere of Jupiter complies with these laws of chaos. The spot is a self-organizing system created and regulated by the same non-linear twists that create the unpredictable turmoil and shuffling of the atmosphere around it. It is stable chaos. It is a complex system where the ordered spot materializes from the chaos and turbulence that surrounds and inevitably generates it. Linear mathematics misleads us because it cannot even attempt to quantify or explain the deterministic results that arise by the path of chaos. No matter how elaborate linear mathematics gets, what with its Fourier transforms, orthogonal functions and regression techniques to minimize chaos, it inevitably misleads us about our overwhelmingly non-linear world. A branch of non-linear mathematics using fractional dimensions is uncannily able to analyze and explain many natural phenomenon that are irregularly shaped and have no apparently ordered or quantifiable structure. This branch is a new geometry - Fractal Geometry. This geometry is characterized by a type of shape called a fractal. Fractals are computer-generated images based on non-linear equations with a "chance" element or randomizing factorprogrammed into their function. Interestingly, these fractal shapes bear uncanny resemblances to natural shapes like clouds, mountains and coastlines. Where traditional geometry breaks down in measuring the irregularities of the real world, fractals have become the new technique for measuring these shapes. These images have shone new light on protein structure, corrosion, prediction of earthquakes, the distribution of galaxies and almost every other aspect of nature that involves some roughness and irregularity. Fractals have some mind-bending properties, though. They are curves of potentially infinite length; they are shapes that look more or less the same on all, or many, scales of magnification; and they have a tendency to lie in between the "normal" one-and- three-dimensional spaces of Euclidean geometry. Given these properties, mankind is now better able to depict and understand the shapes that exist in our natural and irregular real world. Since fractals appear to look the same on many different scales they are considered "self- similar". A coastline, the most obvious fractal in nature, exhibits this notion of self-similarity. Maps of coastlines drawn on different scales all show a similar distribution of bays and inlets. Each bay also has its own smaller bays and inlets ad infinitum. Fractals mimic this natural phenomenon. They are composed of curves of almost infinite length based upon arepetitive shape such that the closer you look at the image the more detail of the same type you observe. This notion of self-similarity lets the observer see a sort of order in the apparent chaos of the fractal shape. It also lets the observer quantify the roughness and irregularity of the shape and give it anumerical value tion stopping a ball from rolling, heat convection) while very complex systems for traditional Euclidean analysis may yet obey simple laws (the self-similarity of coastlines and clouds observed on different scales of magnification). We must re-work our in- We must open our minds...and forget ...the utopian-like and non-realistic sensibility of the past 2000 years. - its fractal dimension. Fractal dimensions map the irregularity of the shape by quantifying the efficiency of the object to fill space. For instance, a map of the coastline of British Columbia has about 1.2 dimensions. Remember that a point has zero dimensions, a line one dimension, a surface two dimensions and a cube three dimensions. Something with more than two but less than three fractal dimensions is better at filling space than an ordinary two- dimensional object (such as a piece of paper) but is not as good as a three-dimensional one (like a box). For instance, a crumpled piece of paper no longer lies in a two-dimensional plane, it occupies some three-dimensional space so that is better at filling space than a flat piece of paper. The crumpled object then has a fractal dimension of about 2.5. The more crumpled the paper becomes, the less air space there is to be trapped by the packed down paper and thus the closer it approximates a solid shape of three dimensions. Chaos theory has shown that simple, deterministic systems can breed immense complexity upon analysis (fric- herent misconception of a complex natural world; open our minds to new ways of thinking outside of the traditional scientific laws that have shackled and locked our understanding into mistrusting the reality of fractional dimensions from providing mankind with new insightinto the way our real world functions and sustains us. Blood vessels appear to branch in a fractal way. Our own urinary collecting system, the bilary duct in our livers and the timing of our heartbeats all follow the fractal laws of Chaos theory. Chaos theory allows simple systems to interact over and over again to produce complex, branching structures that underlyingly appear disordered but have deterministic functions. For instance, DNA is the blueprint of all living organisms on this planet. It provides the simple sequences that get transcribed and translated over and over again so that its products then combine in apparendy random, non-linear and complex ways (of a natural organization governed by the laws of nature) to develop into the ordered, organic life of our planet. Such a process suits nature's purpose. It allows for great diversity, great complexity and a min gling of order and disorder in our universe that is guarded by the absolute law of maximizing entropy. At this point, some may be saying (if you get this far in the article!) - "So what!! Euclidean geometry and its perfect, idealistic shapes and dimensions suit me just fine. Why should I need to know that the coasdine of B.C. has a fractional dimension of 1.2." Most of us will probably never need to know. But is that the attitude that has brought humanity so far in its quest for understanding and enlightenment? We are conscious beings, capable of imagining ourselves in a future; we have a free will, a natural curiousity and inquisitiveness that continually makes us grapple with the unknown. We ask BIG QUESTIONS, imagine what death is like and how to better understand our world. Chaos theory opens up a new avenue to understanding some of the complexities of our natural world that Euclid could never imagine. We have always known that our world has contained unknowns. We now have been rudely awakened to discover that our world is not the place we have believed it to be. Chaos and disorder lurks everywhere. We have been living in an artificial reality that does not comply with the natural order and disorder of things in the universe. We are but a glitch of deterministic disorder in our universe. It has been shown that the electrical impulses and waves of energy in our brains follow fractal laws. Even our conscience is composed of an underlying disorder mingled with ordered, rational thoughts and observations. Does Chaos theory then provide apossible explanation for the spontaneity and irrationality of our thoughts and behaviour? Could this be where emotions and passions stem from? Apart from our logical conscience, could it be the erratic, non-deterministic essence of our unpredictable subconscious that perverts our structured, ordered sensibilities? Remember, we are governed by the natural laws of the universe. We human beings often behave in stochastic, chaotic ways as we deal with the inter-mingling of disorder and irrationality with order and rationality. We are governed by the same flux of laws within the universe just like every other molecule, object and subatomic particle. Will Chaos theory unravel the mysteries of the universe? Perhaps. But if not, there will be other theories that will plague the human conscience as humanity continually attempts to extract order from a universe tending towards disorder. rSTUDENT] SALE DREAM FUTON A Student Budget Need Not Separate You From A Good Night's Sleep Futons Bedframes Sofa Beds Shelving F.UQS 100% COTTON: •Fabrics •Sheets •Pillow Cases •Nightwear •T Shirts Affordable Luxury: You Deserve It!! 1420 Comme 254-5012 SEPTEMBER 1989 23 TOILET PAPER CELLULOID: Comics as Alternative Media One of the wonderful things about the collapse of our western industrial economy is that we can finally appreciate the depression era as the true golden age of our popular culture. During the Thirties everyone was engaged in a truly heroic struggle - the struggle to survive. The popular culture of that era defined a fundamental optimism of a society in decline. Yet, while the authentic folk culture of the time did celebrate the struggle and hardship of the people, it was overshadowed by the racist class entrenching dogma of the popular cinema. This double-sided relationship of popular and folk culture also manifested itself in the paradoxical views of self-righteousness and self- indulgence of the Sixties so fondly recalled by the middle agers of the first media fed generation. Small press in general relates more direcdy to the comic strips and ethnic recordings of the Thirties than to any of the counterculture gestures and artifacts of the Sixties. The peculiar pop/folk sensibility of that generation and their economic security make their culture completely alien to our current sensibility and awareness. From the viewpoint of our current sobriety, the vastly exaggerated demographic proportions and purchase power of the notorious post war boom gerneration now seems like the distasteful indulgence of a privileged class. Thus, as young artists defining a new culture and our own means of survival, we are better served by the example of the pre-war generation than that of the post-war generation. Comics were the first authentic youth culture of the western industrial society. They reflect the ability of the youth culture to assimilate and imitate the popular culture their parents passively consume. They have always maintained, through their relatively shorthistory, a key role in the development of a youth culture; generally being produced by people only a few years older then their target audience, often producing for an audience of peers. Comics are extremely interesting as an aspect of small press because of the unique support system of distribution they have developed. Yet, to fully utilize the potential of this system we must also be sensitive to its limitations, though not necessarily confined by them. So as any publishing enterprise requires a long term perspective, a brief history of the development of comics may put the current situation into context. The earliest comic books went into mass distribtion in the mid-thirties simply reprinting selections of the hugely popular newspaper comic strips. The newspaper strips played a major role in the rapid growth of the mass media newspaper empire of Randolf Hearst The newspaper syndicates which distributed the comic stips to the major newspapers represented a very slick and fiercely competitive adult market of a very wealthy business. The comic book diverged into a new independent youth culture market when two teen-agers, saturated in the new science fiction pulp literature of the era, created the first authentic youth culture icon of the twentieth century - the man of tomorrow, theSuperman. The original Superman comic strip is of special interest from our contemporary viewpoint because it had been considered both too crudely drawn and too "far out" a concept to be bought by the newspaper syndicates. Segal and Shuster had tried to sell Superman to every news syndicate and had been repeatedly turned down. Even when they found their way to the offices of the newly formed comic book publishing house run by M.C. Gaines (who would become the first mogul of comics) they were met by the same puzzled indifference. However, becuase it was a small and as yet undefined organization, Gaines took notice when a young office boy named Sheldon Mayer (later an important cartoonist and editor) saw the strip and practically wet his pants with excitement. Gaines recognized that there was something profoundly stimulating in the concept of Superman, visible only to the sensibility of the youth that prodced it. So he bought it, and thus was born an empire. 24 DISCORDER Superman began a cultural dialogue that is still underway. Excited by the outbreak of war, the super-hero comic books of the Forties created a powerful child's view of the greatest political upheaval of 20th century; at the same time reflecting an unshakable optimism and acompel- ling humanism that is uniquely The development of television and rock and roll in the 1950's diverted the interest of that generation from seriously exploring comic books as a means of expression. Thus, the comic book industry at that time was dominated by a large corporate enterprise that adapted motion pictures, Disney characters and Tarzan into comics. All of these comics were hugely sucessful, with Carl Barks's fabled Walt Disney's Comics and Stories eventually breaking the 1940's one million plus record of Superman and Captain Marvel. But it was a group of middle aged Jewish radicals - under the publishing leadership of the son of M.C. Gaines - that created the first youth culture critique of American popular culture, Mad Magazine. It is difficult for us to realize, without first hand experience of theprofoundly repressive culture of the Fifties, how revolutionary and influential a force Mad comics really were. Initially, as a comic book. Mad systematically and brilliantly parodied every major comic strip, hilariously illuminating their prewar and pre-adolescent sensib- lilities. Expanding to a magazine format and broadening their satire to the full scope of the media culture, Mad played an important role as a forum for the new aware- Both New Realtf an! Sptttef Am Mm&li faftti.sh mantage ts gaiii me Crery media !itaf8tfi> attBnt!oii of Uie tourh cututa sue tteogl),Spsttar prorJucsd four Issyes.anrJ Ute quftB sficfc tne-det spta off On Pa And New Rnlty Moagn oi» mask issuss. jsncautd eot ipdts leaiize pin fount project. Tin real .access t tte m M m *Mb camic M nwtet tf dv pet few i lias 9ei Hi gapjntw win «f Japsresa "mange", trafrsbtad and (ipactqe. fo to Na" market. Tan ipnese ara feyfar 8MI Mrif ti» una praNf lentf sasglsticBinl sjaJti ' btrtewrrld.AaddByan-tsrjie?ssf-a'' ttat is InSmj iHrattcvJ !s pfeoWiMitffii ness of the post-war America. As satire was the only safe form of social protest during the political inquisitions of the Fifties, many established comedians rallied around Mad magazine, including the legendary innovator Ernie Kovacs and the comedy team of Bob and Ray. With contributors of this stature, and a group of the most sophisticated illustrators in the magazine market. Mad Magazine was - in its prime - an aston- ishingly vital and intelligent "children's magazine." The early Sixties marked the explosive return of the super-hero to American comics, this time strongly influenced by the science fiction and horror comics of the Fifties. The heart and soul of the super-hero revival was the chaotic genius of Jack Kirby, a central figure in American comics from the beginning . A supreme innovator, Kirby had introduced Captain America and a host of other costumed characters during the Forties, and produced some of the first war com- and black magic comics, as well as the first of the hugely successful love and romance comics. In the Sixties he virtually created Marvel Comics and the most elaborate pantheon of para-normal beings seen since ancient Athens. Himself a veteran, Kirby created a vision of a promethean and malevolent technology that always cataclysmically revealed survival as paramount over morality. The sheer scale and conceptual density of Kirby's cosmic mythologies evolved our sensibilities from Buck Rogers to Star Wars in a few short years. A quick reading of Kirby's unfinished four comic series masterpiece, "Fourth World", reveals him as the primary 'source' of inspiration for Lucas' stellar epic. Star Wars (along with Akira Kuro- sowa and Howie Chaykin.) While back in the youth culture, the rise of the alternative or underground press in the Sixties also saw the rise of the underground comic strip. In an echo of the original developments of comics, the underground press comic strips led to underground comic books. Yet, as these cartoonists were working alongside the older cartoonists involved in the superhero re viv al, the underground car- toonist's them selves beenin- f 1 u - enced more by the Fifties ' funny ani-' mal and drug culture paraphernalia. Therefore, they enjoyed a very effective form of distribution for the very short time until the "dope craze" ran its course and head shops went the way of thehulahoop. This is a very strange culture we live in. With the demise of an ef- % boy/philosopher. That is: with the acceptance of comics into the the new art and culture community of the major metropolitan centers, Raw promotes a style > that is nearly impossible to successfully emmulate. The Raw alumni rode the wave of new figurative image making of the Eighties, spreading the contemporary New Yorkstyle to the urban centers around the world. And whereas the major urban centers have a large enough arts community to support a whide range of underground style publications, Vancouver doesn't Even an excellent magazine from New York - that draws on the same artists as Raw itself - called Picture Story cannot develop any significant distribution. Yet, we must start somewhere; which is what a loosely associated group of local cartoonists did with a magazine called New Reality.Small press for comics means xerox printed, digest format 8 1/2 x 11 paper folded in half and stapled with a card stock cover (optional). There is a mail order distribution system for small press comics, but it is largely a practice of fans Robert Chat* naturalist epic of the sexual revolution, Fritzthe Cat, directly addressed the monumental synchronous pubescence of the post-war media generation in the most appropriate and accessible means imaginable. Crumbled an explosion of whimsical and irreverent discourse on the relative merits of sex and/ or drugs that found its way to an unprecedentedly vast audience homy for media to call its own. The flaw that was to undermine the long term success of the underground comics movement was its dependance on the development of what we nostalgically recall as the drug culture. The "adult" nature of the underground comics made them unsuitable for any conventional network of magazine distribution, thus they became included in the ranks of r\« o f police harrass- ment (obscenity and all), by the end of the Seventies the underground had declined to little more then a mail order business dealing almost entirely in reprints. But in the end, the more realistic among them simply learned to survive. Crumb's Weirdo and Art Spiegleman's Raw continued their own personal artistic and editorial development. Only the strong and the brave learn to survive-and it takes a few years. For enjoyedaprint runofafewthou- amongst themselves. Locally, it is possible to distribute a couple hundred comics but it's a lot of leg work and in the end it doesn't quite pay printing and mailing costs. The break through for New Re- lity and Spatter, a slicker magazine produced at the same time, was connecting up with distributors who sell comics exclusively to comic book specialty shops. This brought New Reality's print run to a staggering 5-6 hundred copies, (kinda makes you feel light headed, doesn'tit?) while Spatte those of us who don't have twenty years of experience under our belts, there are some other avenues of exploitation. Raw represents the challeging dilemma facing the postmodern/altenative/un- derground/artist/cartoonist/play- sand copies. The real beauty of this system is that, unlike a conventional news stand, a comic book specialty store buys their comics outright and does not have the option of returning any unsold merchandise to the distribu tor. Thus, when you send your information and/or xerox copy of your comic to the couple dozen distributors, they in turn include your information in their order form packages they send their retailers. The retailers speculate how many they want and order accordingly, then the distributor compiles these orders and sends you a purchase order based on these and their own speculations. So with purchase order in hand you take your comic to your printer and either use your purchase order to defer payment for three months until the distributor pays you, or get a short term loan -and away you go. Both New Reality and Spatter rode a trend in new anthology comics that developed around the world, growing from small press digests to widely distributed magazines; Casual Casual from Toronto, Fox from Australia, Escape from England and Prime Cuts and Centrifugal Bubble Puppy form the States are the major examples. Yet, all of these, like the internationally successful and very well distributed Heavy Metal before them, did not do well in the specialty shop market. The fact is, comic book stores sell comic books, not magazines, and not digests. With the tremendous success of the b&w independent comic parody Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, distributors were willing to speculate on new projects, but in the end none of the anthologies - or Turde, Mutant or Ninja imitations - developed enough of an audience to survive. The most successful series to evolve out of the b&w market in the past few years is, not surprisingly, a comicbook adaptionof the movie Alien. The moral of this story is: the more things change, the more they stay the same. The youth market enjoys the most outrageous science fiction adventure material available; why comic book publishers fail to realize this is the traditional bewilderment of the middle age businessman. With the current system, any cartoonist can develop, produce, distribute and own their material. This has never before been possible, and as yet has not been fully explored. The most interesting aspect of the role of a comic book series as a youth culture medium is the rapid development of the audience's sophistication. An adolescent audience very shortly matures to an adult audience; the most exciting comics have always developed with their audience from imag- initive diversions to artful discussions of social technology. So hang ten boy wonder.because it's a brave new world... SEPTEMBER 1989 25 THE FUNKY THE HEAVY THE FRESH THE GROOVE THE ONLY LaHl pi hi! EO CTI PI DANCE! FRIDAYS 9 PM -12:30 CiTR fM 101.9 BDP at the PNE - Vancouver's first real rap/hip-hop show in years. August 22nd, Boogie Down Productions - KRS-ONE(the head guy, the rapper whose name stands for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone or Chris One) and DJ D-IMice, joined on three songs by rapper Miss Melody on three songs from the South South Bronx in New York City. The PNE Aquastage was absolutely jammed with people well over half an hour before the show was supposed to start in anticipation of a show that would not let them down. Although I am not particularly fond of these guys on record I found KRS-ONE's sparse.direct and highly unpretentious style came across very powerfully in the live setting. A lot more so than I thought it would. Though the sound was not the best he purposefully kept the mix so one could fully understand the lyrics and with KRS-ONE the lyrics are not the usual "I'm the best, with the biggest" type stuff. The highlight for me was a song from his new album "You Must Learn" which he dedicated to the Board of Education '"cause they aren't teaching us anything anyways." The song was about learninohistorythat isn't taught to you in regular schools; learning about black people who have contributed to culture and science but aren't taught about because of racism. A great show which hopefully the success of which, and the assured success of the Ice-T show, will convince promoters in town to bring in more hip-hop and rap shows. *^m CiTR's own Pat Mullan tall 5-ONE after file show and hopefully you'll be reading abqi|that#onverstion in this fine paper next month. IN YOUR FACE: My favorite hir>l the bass and drum patterns from' Jjljed Monsoon by the Black some great scratcing effects. I haven't s e here. I got it in Toro " ig ep. Making liberal use of tl It's produced by COLDCUTand uses ery political and very danceable with for. Can't Stop The Airplay is a re- ie' sample, it's another indictment of i' on The Mixdown - Part 1 Com- •side is the main cut I originally bought i someone else pointed out, the only rap song him and could very well be the next "big thing". Noise LP. oronto, but it's ally low-down gritty cut off the Dynamic Guvner's of the Chu< black radio for not playing any real hardcore rap. There is a super funky new remix by Simon| pilation on Sleeping Bag Records. In the Domestic Release Department the new Young MC 1fwBust A Move is out this for the B-side Got More Rhymes which has a slow, slinky, sensual groove unlike a lot o he's ever heard to use Canada in the lyrics. Young MC is no doubt a very good rapper with g< Also sure to be a big thing is the new Beastie Boys LP finally out on Capitol. The reason for the long delay was the supposedly hasty split between the boys and the Rick Rubin/Def Jam crew. Though I haven't heard the album yet I can highly recommend the first releaase, the Love American Style EP. Forget the A-side though and go straight to the B-side which has instrumental versions of the two A-side songs only titled differently. The Beasties are hooked up with some guys named the Dust Brothers who apparently are responsible for Tone-Loc though I don't see any resemblance here to his work. At any rate, these two instrumentals are absolute killer psychedelic hip-hop/funk groove things with so many scratches, samples, noises and just general weirdness constantly flying in and out of the mix that it'll make your head, and feet, spin ! The new Public Enemy single from the Spike Lee movie, Do The Right Thing is out domestic and it's totally amazing. It's impossible to say enough about how great this record is. The completely inventive use of sound and samples combined with the most original and fiercest rapping styles ever make this record a classic. These guys never cease to amaze! Do The Right Thing is also the title of a new single by Redhead Kingpin and the FBI. This song was supposed to be the movie's title song but for some reason couldn't be. One of the better rap things I've heard in awhile. There is also a re-mix by Jazzie B and Nellee Hooper from Soul II Soul. I like the U.S. Street Mix the best. Well, that's it for now, more next month. Don't forget your favorite radio staion, CiTR, presents George Clinton at 86 Street on the 3rd of September. Micky Hard ■ BOPPATRON DJ , SUPERLATIVE NOISE! j YOUR 12^ FAVOURITE SONGS / OF ALL TIME., CHOSEN BY SEPTEMBER 4TH LABOUR DAY MONDAY 11AM-MIDNIGHT ON CiTR FM 102 v,*- to y°u by: brought to y 26 DISCORDER Plangent, Plank, Plant... A Story by Brian Hohm Heidi' s kid sleeps on the cushions behind the two dwarf orange trees in front of the south-facing balcony window. It is a temporary arrangement. When Heidi and her kid were evicted it only seemed fair that he should offer the two of them a place to stay. He, after all, had spent more than a few nights at their apartment. So Heidi and her kid have moved into his one bedroom flat in Inglewood, the kid sleeping on cushions in the living room and Heidi sharing his bed. Waking in the morning he and Heidi embrace— that' s when he smells the angel food cake—and then she goes to the bathroom to shower. He puts on his Canada Post uniform and tends to his plants in the living room. He sprays them from a distilled water bottle and then measures and dumps capfuls of plant food into the various pots and planters. He works quickly and silently, not because Heidi's kid lays sleeping at his feet, but because he has always worked on his plants that way. Heidi emerges from the bathroom perfumed and dressed like a librarian, which she is. She goes to her kid to wake it and get it ready for school. Meanwhile he cleans the small table by the kitchenette and puts out some cereal bowls. He makes some toast and cuts some oranges into quarters, then he sits at the table and starts eating. After a few minutes Heidi and her kid, now dressed for kindergarten, join him. She seats the kid between herself and him and then he smells the kid. Heidi's kid smells like a waxy fart. It does not bother him that much. Everyone smells of something. Heidi herself smells like angel food cake. It's not the Hudson's Bay bought perfume that she puts on after she showers. In the morning when they embrace the perfume is gone and he can smell her actual essence. She smells like the angel food cake he ate at a small wedding reception for one of his fellow letter carriers: like egg whites and vanilla and icing sugar. But Heidi's kid smells like a waxy fart, actually candle wax and a cat's fart. He wouldn't call it a bad smell, just as he wouldn't describe Heidi's slightly cloying smell as a good one. "Oreo," says the kid over breakfast. "Oreo, oregano, Oregon, organ." When Heidi first introduced him to her kid she explained that she liked to read to the kid before it fell asleep. "Let me guess," he said. "All you had handy to read it was a dictionary." "Correct," she said. "And for the last time Kyle is a he and not an it. " "Organic, organism, orgasm, organization," says the kid. He sighs and remembers the previous morning when she mentioned that it would be nice if they were in a house. He could keep all his plants in the basement, she said. He replied there wouldn't be any natural light in the basement. "Orgy, orient, orifice, origin," says the kid. A minute passes then he says, "Your kid smells." "What?" she says. "I don't mean he stinks or anything. He just — smells." "Smells? How do you mean?" "It's not really a bad smell. Kind of like candle wax and " "And?" "And a cat's fart." "A cat's fart?" "It's not a bad smell, really." "And what about me. Do I smell too." "Well, yes." "Like what?" "Angel Food wedding cake." "Perhaps I should mention that you smell." "Smell — me? Really? Like what?" 'Kind of musky.'' "Musk? Really? What kind of musk? Could you describe it more?" Heidi looks over at the clock above the stove. "We're going to be late." she says. "Musk," he says. "Oriole," says the kid. "Oriole, Orion, ornament." She cleans off the breakfast table and rinses the dishes. He goes to his plants, adjusting their position in front of the window to take full advantage of the rising sun. At half past seven the three of them leave the apartment. "Mamba," says the kid. "Mamba, mambo, mamma." Before they separate on the walk in front of the building Heidi reaches andpulls his arm. It's a clear day and she squints into the light from the southeast as she tries to look him; in the^face. "Eric, I know what you're thinking," she says. "You think that I'm thinking that we'd make a nice family." "How do you mean?" he says. "I mean the three of us," she says. "Somebody looking at us would think we were a family. You in your uniform off to the post office, and me off to the library, and my son off to school, the three of us. What a family we'd make. Well, I want you to know I'm not thinking that. I'm not thinking that at all." "Mammal, mammary, mammoth," says the kid. "I never said I thought you were thinking that." he says. He walks off toward his route. "Man," the voice of the kid trails off behind him, "Man, manacle, manage, mangle." The morning after they move out he tends to his plants. He works quickly and silently, spraying and wiping the leaves of a large rubber plant and then rearranging the various pots and planters, placing several smaller plants in the space in between the two dwarf orange trees. Over breakfast he says, "Soliloquy." "Soliloquy, solitaire, solo." He sniffs the air and smells nothing. He puts his hands up to his face and sniffs. Nothing. "Sore," he says. "Sore, sorrow, sorry, sort." He puts his nose to his wrist, then his elbow, then bends to get his nose to his armpit. He smells nothing. SEPTEMBER 1989 27 TAPE-A-MANIA 11:00 PM THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21 1989 FAB MAVERICKS INDEED, TAPE-A-MANIA RETURNS THIS MONTH WITH AN EIGHT SONG BARRAGE OF MUSICAL INTENSITY TRANSMITTED TO YOU BY VANCOUVER'S FEARLESS FAB MAVERICKS. YALETOWN'S FAVOURITE FOURSOME WILL HIT THE AIRWAVES IN PERSON AT 11:00 PM ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 ST ON THAT WACKY PROGRAM LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD RADIO HELL. SO IN THE TRUE TAPE-A-MANIA TRADITION, DON'T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR 60 MINUTE CASSETTE, CUT OUT THE TAPE COVER INCLUDED HERE, AND RECORD THE FAB MAVERICKS' GUTWRENCHING PERFORMANCE. GAWD, WHAT A WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING, EH SPARKY! NEXT MONTH: THE SMUGGLERS THE PIT PUB IS BEING INVADED FOR FOUR UNBELIEVABLE NIGHTS OF FUN! STARTING IN SEPTEMBER, YOUR FRIENDS AT CiTR WILL BRING DOWN THE HOUSE WITH A CRAZY ARRAY OF MUSIC!! MONDAYS LIVE SIMULCAST OF CiTR'S REGULAR PROGRAMMING FROM 9:30PM TO MIDNIGHT:30. TUNE IN OR DROP BY FOR REAL LIVE RADIO! WEDNESDAYS D-D-D-D-D-DANCE MUSIC! THE HOT TUNES OF TODAY AND THE HITS OF YESTERDAY MAKE THIS THE UBC FAVOURITE! THURSDAYS THE COOLEST, HIPPEST NIGHT OF TUNES IMAGINABLE! IMAGINE THREE HOURS OF THAT CiTR SOUND] SUNDAYS YET ANOTHER EVENING OF THE BEST DANCE SONGS AROUND! A GREAT WAY TO WRAP UP THE WEEKEND! 28 DISCORDER As far as I'm concerned, the mostsignificant event in local music this summer' s been the long-awaited reappearance of ©, opening for Tankhog (vehicle for another former Slow member, Stephen Hamm) at the Arts Club August 4th and 5th. Both the audience and © were subdued the night I saw them—one anonymous person in the crowd said it was like watching his grandfather trying to play basketball, while according to Tom it was the deadest audience he'd ever seen. (Not that the Arts Club tends to bring out a lot of action—for one thing, there' s not a lot of room for anyone to move.) This humble columnist, however, is as overwhelmed by the combined talents of Tom Anselmi and Christian Christian as ever: their songwriting is powerful and like no- one else's, Chris can sure play guitar (the same one too, with the lucky rabbit's foot), and Tom (even if you don't take the major label deal into consideration) is obviously getting closer by the minute to rock star(god?)dom. While Slow used to make me feel likel was in the presence of greatness, © gives the impression it may even make money at it.... © has been practicing, and writing, with their current lineup (Eric Marxson on bass and Pete Bourne on drums) almost since Slow broke up back in '87 or so, and maybe this was part of Tankhog's disadvantage that Friday at the Arts Club)—in spite of having a lot of energy and loudness and a singer that climbs all over stuff, they don't seem to have developed a unique sound yet. Local Motion's still waiting for a tape from them, though, so stay tuned. Far from the world of Vancouver super groups...my own band, the Touch & Gos, got the chance to open at 64 Funny Cars' record release party/bake sale at Victoria's wonderful Harpo's August 17th. Unfortunately a setback with the pressing plant meant the LP (produced by Popllama guru Conrad Uno) wasn'tready in time, but the baked goods themselves and music supplied by the Funny Cars and recently-turned-Vancouverites Wardells were big hits with the Victoria locals and National Campus/Community Radio Conference delegates. And on the way out to the ferry in guitarist Dave's turquoise '62 Falcon station wagon, mostoftheT&Gs listened to the following demos: Love Weasels-"Mary's Boat." Cara the Rhythm Queen was reminded of Spirit of the West, while Dave thought this would make nice background music for a dinner at a Greek restaurant. "Mary's Boat" is neither offensive or very exciting, and probably not the best song on the tape. Last Corvairs-"Girl Next Door." Cara said the vocals are Elvish Costello-ish—in a way this fits in with my impression that the Last Corvairs are still fishing for a sound. Although I have no doubt that they're sincere, I can't help feeling as if this is a basically Top 40 band trying to play " alter - native"pop without aclear vision of what that may be. High Lonesome-"One Tree Island." From Toronto, of all places, this is true Americanroots music, complete with primitive and cheesy reverb on the vocals and a fiddle riff that makes the whole song. Not the usual CiTR fare. Really nice. The Purple Gang-"A11 My Love." The first I've heard of these guys, who I'm assuming are from Vancouver. For once I think the vocals should be lower in the mix; general concensus in the car was that there's no hook here, or, for that matter, much originality. Com promise-"Sky wired." Maybe there's a hip crowd in TO so far ahead of us in the West that this is completely beyond my understanding. This combination of trombone and sax isn't unlike those whales-and-passing-ships records of the s Ultramarine-"We Are." While Ultramarine's never been the sort of band I've gone crazy over, they've usually given CITR nice sounding demos. Buttheproduc- tion here is odd and bassless, and the vocals could be emerging from a culvert somewhere. Not the best we've heard from Blair Pet- rie and co. Small Man Syndrome-"Si- lence." The Smiths-y (read monotonous) style dates the sound. Repetitive. Soreheads-"Rock and Roll Sex Machine." After a long break, the Soreheads have recently starting playing around town again, and this is their first demo for quite some time. Dave and Cara said the previous song on this tape was a lot like Andrew Cash; as for this one, the Rhythm Queen thought it would benefit from the use of a metronome. As for me, I'd rather listen to the Soreheads' alter-ego of some years back. Skinny Yuppie. But maybe that's just the eternal curse of anyone who's ever played in a fuck band.... THE T 0=0 D B T L L ^M^ e 1829 W. 4th Avenue 738-0484 [^ MAGAZINES, POSTCARDS, BUTTONS and the V best T-SHIRTS in the known universe SEE US AT AMS BARGAIN DAYS SEP 5-8 IN THE SUB SEPTEMBER 1989 29 THROW IT TO THE DOGS Troublemaking with Stan Ridgway by Kevin Smith It's been awhile. Stan Ridgway, the Rod Serling of rock 'n' roll, has been absent from the scene for a couple years. The man whose distinctive rasp and cinematic songs first came to our attention through his time spent as vocalist for Wall of Voodoo has finally emerged after a lengthy legal limbo. After a self-titled ep (1980), and the Dark Continent (1981) and CaU of the West (1982) lps, aU on I.R.S., Ridgway left the Voodoos in 1983. He then collaborated with Stewart Copeland on the Rumblefish soundtrack signature tune, Don't Box Me In. It was not until 1986 when the first solo lp would appear. This release, The Big Heat, signified the further development of a unique artist. Camouflage, the album's lengthy and bizarre single, went Top 5 in England. Stan's popularity was on the rise around the world. Success, success, success. But then problems with I.R.S. which meant nothing doing for nearly three years. EventuaUy reborn on Geffen Records, Ridgway now has his second lp, Mosqui- tos, out, picking up right where he left off. More wonderful strangeness. Recently, performing in front of a packed Town Pump, Stan put on one of this year's better shows. Discorder spoke to the man himself prior to the concert. CAMOUFLAGE I almost didn't put it on the album because it was just so 'out there.' I like the song but I thought maybe I'd save it for some other recording. I thought it was going to be too long. I tried to cut it down but there was no way. I was really in love with the song and I couldn't cut it down in any way. I put it on, and that was the one that happened. One always hopes; you make what you have and throw it to the dogs. TIME OFF I certainly didn't plan it that way. Sometimes my life seems like lots of fits and starts, especially my professional musical 'career'. I found myself between a rock and a hard place when I got back from Europe with the Big Heat record. I.R.S. records was going through a period of, I would say, 'aesthetic reorganization', - I'm trying to be diplomatic. I just didn't feel very welcome there. So I wanted to leave and they said go ahead and leave. But then they kind of made it hard for me to leave and I had to sit around in legal limbo for awhile. It wasn't fun. It was horrible. SONGWRITING My writing style comes from a lot of things I've listened to. I equate good songwriting with good storytelling. There's all kinds of ways to do iL The thing that probably motivates me the most is anger or irrita tion. Or revenge or violence. My biggest motivation is that mostof whatl see musically is kind of irritating for me - in the popular music media. I'm a bit of a reactionary that way. I feel I've got to make something of my own; that I'm inventing something of my own to pass the time. Something I can throw back so I don't feel like I'm victimized by it all. In an odd way, in a reverse inspiration, Madonna is probably a real inspiration for me. If I don't do that then I lose my equilibrium completely and I feel like a pair of good for nothing arms and legs. INTERVIEWS Articles, even you and I talking now,...I'm sure this is 30 DISCORDER going to be with any perceived skill that you might have in putting together words and interviews - things get losL So I don't know. I always figure it's a toss up whether anything I say is actually going to be interpreted in a way that is really me; my friends know me, and people close to me know me. But you're never going to get to know someone by reading some rock V roll rag. A lot of times these exchanges are really absurd. I really wonder who wants to be interviewed. If you really want to be interviewed then you've got to be some kind of egomaniac. Sometimes it's like going to the dentist's office and getting your teeth pulled when you really don't need any bridge work. HEMMING Music to me is troublemak- ing. I don't have any fun unless I make some trouble. I don't mean it's not entertainment. I seem to have a split in myself. One side of me is an entertainer, the other side of me doesn' t want to only entertain. I'm also a little wary of saying I want to enlighten. It seems to me like, enlighten, is it really worthwhile? Enlighten who? Music and songwriting is something I do, primarily, first for me. If someone else likes it I think that's a real plus because the wftble act of communication is an exchange which is an important thing human beings do. But there's a part of me that wants to make the exchange a bit more...compelling. So I try to make things that are interesting for me to hang my lungs THE MESSAGE AND NATALE MERCHANT People say, "Well, what's the "Music to me is troublemak- ing. I don't have fun unless I make some trouble." message, man?" In this day and age I'm so damned tired of messages. The trend now is to write songs about subjects no one can really argue with. I think of 10,000 Maniacs. Poor Natalie Merchant, lives out in some small town someplace and she looks around and sees a very cruel world. Well, wake up junior. That kind of songwriting, to me, is very dull. It's not about the real world. It's like she's spent her whole life writing Hallmark cards. I don't think she's really that well, either. She reminds me of some nun or something. ROCK 'N' ROLL What you see more nowadays is that multi-national corporations take the word rock V roll and sell it as something thatmeans.basically: I WANT MINE. AND LIFE IS GOOD. LIFE IS GOOD AND I WANT MINE SO LET'S ALL HAVE A PARTY, MAN. What does it mean to v party'? I don't know what any of this means. Sometimes I feel like I'm from another planet or something. Like 'party down'. The Spuds McKenzie kind of mentality. I'm not sure if it's just from eight years of the actor or it's really that somewhere along the line people just got greedy; with themselves, with their possessions and with everything else. American radio is so busy adding The Doobie Brothers to their playlist it's sick. It'soutof control. There's no more confusion. Record companies pretty much know exactly what they want to sign; what can make money and what they won't make money on. I really applaud something like Tone-Loc. I think that's greaL A guy making a four track recording in Mad Dyke's bedroom. There are still radio stations out there, like KROQ in L.A., that will play new things. So that record goes on and sells how many million records. It shakes it up a little bit for the record company people. HBHHB I got through the record and I thought most of the people on this record seemed to be kind of squashed up against the windshield. And I liked the sound of it. I also liked what it did when I told the record company that was the title. They seemed to shutter a little bit and stare blankly out the window. I thought that was kind of a good response. I think someone at the record company wanted to call the record Love Is All There Is but that sounded pretty spooky to me. WALL OF VD0D00 AND LOGICAL PROGRESSION The whole word 'logical progression'...I'm not really sure if that's not a critical term. And I'm not a critic so I don't really know if it (my work) is or not, or if I really care if it is. Whenever I start something I' m try ing to think from a space of beginning anew. Anything you do - a song - is never really finished. You just abandon it. That anxiety of never really finishing anything is what most songwriters, or people who create things, work from. A kind of anxiety that keeps you writing because you're never really done. I'm never really done with what I'm trying to achieve. There's a certain kind of drive in me that feels that I've never really gotten what I wanted. So I keep doing it, hoping that I'll get there. If I was completely satisfied and I thought I was on a level of 'logical progression* I'd probably be so damned bored I'd just give it up. To me it's a far more chaotic affair. And the chaos around me is really what I throw myself into. It may sound trite but you've got to make a friend with chaos. Then you work from that. That's where ideas come from. I'm not the type of songwriter who get's up at 8:30 in the morning and sharpens my pencils, goes to my desk, and says, " I'm a songwriter no w and I' m going to make some songs." I don't really do it that way. When it comes, I do it and when it doesn't, I do something else. 1 City 2 Nights 1 Club Infinite Possibilities. SDMM «" A*: 1108 Hamilton Street Vancouver, B.C. Fri. 12am-5am Sat. 12am-5am GRANVILLE ARDS STREET SHUFFLE DEMONS/JAZZ- MANIAN DEVILS The Commodore, July 29 From the Hockey Night in Canada theme to their own hit Get Outta My House Roach!, Toronto's Shuffle Demons have successfully made jazz accessable to the masses without denying their skill. Weaving their way through the already clapping crowd, they heaved on their horns and chanted an introduction: "We are the Shuffle Demons, we intend to do some screamin'". They did their people-pleasin' screamin', but they also played non-lyrical jazz sax-combo pieces that even the most serious jazz aficionado could appreciate. Vancouver's own Jazzmanian Devils, the self-proclaimed 'Gangsters of Swing', were a perfect opening act as they too wrap quality jazz into an 'impossible-not-to-dance-to' package. The Devils have a more complex jazz sound than the Demons though, as the JDs use more percussion, guitar and feature ex-Moe v/Family Plot singer Madeleine Morris. It was Uve perfect combination of jaYz-pop held in the perfect venue for non-stop dancing. Warren Whyte TOXIC REASONS/JOT Club Soda, July 30 The two hardcore prides of Indianapolis blew through town and left their mark on those lucky enough to have caught this Sunday night event. Obviously influenced by the headline act, Jot performed energetic, straight ahead hardcore that was good but lacking in experience. They will become tighter and their sound will develop as time goes on, though. Toxic Rea sons, however, were incredible. A tight, quality sound performed fast and hard combined with a uniform intensity by all four members gave them the on stage appearance of the veteran punk rockers that they are. Their songs are filled with themes of war, racism and fascism, but even without knowing this aTR show gives one reason to live. Warren Whyte NOMEANSNOMEANSNO Youth Art Works, August 12 Rock Against Prisons, Crab Park, August 13 NoMeansNo deserves to be thanked and commended foT crossing the strait for this politically and socially double bill. At their first-ever North Shore visit, they performed first-ever songs that will be released on an album in the near future. It's Catching Up and End of All Things are examples. For the latter song bassist Rob Wright and Guitarist Andy Kerr switched instruments.ltjustmightbe Rob's bass that's possessed and not Rob himself. Mmmmmmm....nah. The North Shore's Smugglers' new claim to fame must now surely be the only band in years ever to have had NoMeansNo open for THEM. Yes, it's true, after NoMeansNo had finished, the Smugglers kept theremainingcrowddancingwith their garage-influenced. Gruesome-like good time rock 'n' roll. The next evening NoMeansNo volunteered their services in the name of prison injustice. They headlined a list of concerned performers and speakers including Krazy Katz, the Tools, A YA and Salso Muchado. NoMeansNo performed many of the same songs as the night before but made topical such as Dad and Big Dick, both about child and wife abuse. Warren Whyte SYNDROME/JETHRO GUN FREUD/KRAZY KATZ The Waterfront, August 15 Jethro Gun Freud is a completely unconventional band that is impossible to pigeonhole. Except they're almostexactly like the Dead Milkmen, but where do they fit in? JGF's songs range from jazz/blues bass lines with erratic, poetic shouted lyrics to a thrashy, punk song called Bucky Fuller's Hexapent. They even have a Dead Milkmen-ish sense of humour: "I stayed at a youth hostel on accounta I'm a hostile youth". After seeing Jethro Gun Freud one walks away humming their choruses and appreciating being entertained via their crea- Syndrome is a guitar oriented band from which might expect to work, yet they surprise by being much pluckier and twangier on their electric instruments: it was concluded by one person that they sound exactly like Mission of Burma. Syndrome currently has a demo doing well at CiTR called One Eye Open, One Eye Closed. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their control Krazy Katz couldn't make this gig. Once again, though the Waterfront delivers a cheap ($2) evening of entertainment. Warren Whyte SILENT GATHERING/GRACIOUS 4/MARY •» Commodore, August 9 An inauspicious night for Silent Gathering, a band which have proven themselves inspiring and potent on many an occasion. Tonight, I dunno...could've had something to do with the fact that the vocals weren't getting through to me where I was standing but this problem wasn't encountered by others further back, so who knows. Lead singer Stuart of the unpronounceable last name didn't seem as cohesive, as INTO IT as usual, although Keith Parry (guitar) truly looked divinely inspired. And once again the drumming scaled heights of Bauhaus-ian intensity at times. Fucking-A.The band soldiered on through a set of all their standards, including a gratifying rendition of that song that always goes through my head, but heedless of Grant's alcohol- laden exhortations to "Do a cover!...Louie Louie!" By the time they ended with the signature Lost My Mind (a Cramps/ Doors-fest if ever there was one), there weTe about ten people left in the place. Buthey, society's loss. Even at only half-capacity. Silent Gathering are worth catching. The two opening bands—well, the less said the better. Particularly of Gracious 4 (3 guitars, 1 drums, 3 too many vocalists), who seemed to have shipped a legion of loyal fans down from Castlegar for their Idle Eyes poppy/boppy shit. The monotony of which was interspersed only with supremely dreadful vocals on a saccharine slow-dance number and one bass line ripped straight outta Bruce A.'s Love Garage. Like, these jokers played a longer set than I would've thought it possible to live through. And plus, if I hear one more cover of I Fought the Law I shall shoot the perpetrators. I expected Mary, going by their name, to be some black- clad death-rock dirgey band, but no. Straight-ahead rock 'n' roll with drums/guitar/bass and a healthy, if sometimes forced, sprinkling of socially/politically- conscious tunes. One of which, Him, rocked out more than the rest. Kinda Echo & the Bunnymen meet the DK's or some local hardcore band I can't quite put my finger on. All in all, an evening worth the free ticket. Viola Funk 10,000 MANIACS Commodore.August 8 BOB'S YOUR UNCLE/ NATIONAL PEOPLES GANG Town Pump, August 12 Charisma and competence..., charisma and competence..., charisma and..., I muttered these two words all the way home on the bus ride to my cozy bed. I had been to two shows in less than a week, after having been out of town for 3 months and as far as spectacular impressions go, this is all I could come up with. 10,000 Maniacs are a wonderful band. Taken loosely, they are four competent musicians fronted by one truly charismatic singer. Perhaps I have a fetish for hair or some equally embarassing psycho-sexual disorder, for when Natalie Merchant let her hair down and became a hyperactive music box dancer for a couple rockier songs, I could feel my temperature rise a few degrees. Although maybe it was because she reminded me of my mother. It was fairly obvious that the band would have preferred to play in a different venue. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre would perhaps have been a more enjoyable place to see the Maniacs as many of Merchant's quieter songs were drowned out by the clinking of beer bottles and the drunken shouts of the revelers. Strangely enough, it was the first time I had ever seen people slam to songs about teenage pregnancy and the sadness of child abuse. "Play Scorpio Rising!" shouted one hunky surfer type about two songs into the set, obviously looking forward to smashing a few bodies around About 15 songs in he got his wish; the 10,000 Maniacs proving that when they want to, they can actually rock out. Robert Buck is a peerless guitarist, his swirling rythm guitar and spacey solos an effective foil for the superb keyboards and rhythm section. Natalie Merchant's vocals were excellent, although it was often difficult to tell ho w excellent over the crowd noise. Although it was definitely in the wrong place and the audience was for the most part at the wrong concert, 10,000 Maniacs put on what someone would call an engaging evening of enchantment. But in keeping with my theme... it was both a charismatic and competent perform- National People's Gang were unfortunately neither of these. They attempted to be a punk/funk/ metal unit in the vein of the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Jane's Addiction (to use a disparate comparison) but came off looking and sounding like a Rush/ U2/Unnamed Hardcore Band cold porridge. The lead singer started off on a bad note by blathering a smarmy monologue about how "The women,...they know something that the men CANNOT know. I was at a festival... there was a witch doctor. You could sense the evil coming outof every pore in his body. Then I saw this woman... AND SHE SAT THAT EVILMANDOWN!" The singer then pulled off his shirt, and, sadly, things justdidn't get any belter. It was blatantly obvious the guitarist had only read up to page four in his "GUITAR HERO'S HANDBOOK". His two best moves were to stare blankly into the audience (an ambivalent audience I might add) and to leap into the air and land spread-kneed next to a stage monitor. They did have nice stickers and T-shirts, though. Bob's Your Uncle, however, is a different story. I'm almost embarassed to admit that this was the first time I had seen them in the two years I've been in Vancouver. Sook Yin Lee is a charismatic frontperson backed 32 DISCORDER up by four (again) competent musicians. Like 10,000 Maniacs, Bob's Your Uncle is a difficult band to pigeonhole. I suppose they could be described as quirky art-folk-rock. Sook Yin, with and without her trademark monkey mask, played a variety of type instruments and found objects and proved to be quite the vocal gymnast. She, like Natalie Merchant, has the ability to draw people into her own space, primarily because she comes across as straight forward and well in- tentioned. This is not to say that good intentions make a great concert experience, but this and some dynamic ukelele playing made me understand why they have such a fervent local following. I could still here them playing to a leftover crowd of about 150 at 2:15 AM as I left the Town Pump. Yep. "Charisma and Competence," I yawned, and stumbled for the bus stop. Michael Leduc. FAMILY PLOT/NATIONAL PEOPLE'S GANG Club Soda, August 13 I've never felt quite right about going out to see live bands on a Sunday night. My Sundays are normally spent summoning the courage to face Monday. Yet on Sunday the 13th I found myslef at Club Soda listening to two bands that I had not seen before and will probably Family Plot started with an intrumental of sort, "sans" singer. I've always thought this was done to give the singer a break, not to get a break from the singer. This was not a good move on their part as the singer was the only energetic element of the band. Her voice was strong and added a rough edge to the polished but lifeless music of her cohorts. She did a fine job on some old material of Family Plot' s previous singer, Madeleine Morris. The songs melded together into a pop-ish noise, poignant silences the only indication that one song had ended and the next one was to begin. The ryhthm section kept a great beat but the guitar and keyboard were a Cure nightmare. All in all, Family Plot plays a decent song but with little individuality. National People's Gang started with a bang and slowly sank to mediocrity. This foursome is visually mismatched and their sound follows accordingly. The lead vocals v aried from seductive to hysteric, losing their novelty after two" songs. NPG started with some really dancable/ jumpable material, then dappled with something avant garde/annoying and folio wed up with boring/dreary middle of the road "lis- tenable" music. National People's Gang can grab your attention but can't hold it for long. Too bad, they could have been the answer to Mondays. Stacey Hooper GWAR Club Soda, August 20/21 Draped in futuristic, road warrior, caveman type costumes, Virginia's Gwar stormed into town to finally show humanity how to destroy themselves properly. Gwar is solely a concept band and the concept is solely gore. Live and up close, the special effects made it the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. Follow the bouncing testicle as we summarize the violence: 2 decapitations, the birth of a monster, a face ripped off, an ejaculation, an opened human stomach (out of which was pulled an Extra Old Stock), multiple killings and a too numerous to mention amount of severed bodily protrusions. Needless to say, each operation was overlooked by extras in chains being tortured, pulling on entrails or hoping to be thrown a scrap of flesh. Most went hungry, though as anything slimey, wet or gooey that wasn't tied down went to the crowd. This appalling dispaly of perversity by these sick minded individuals can only have a detrimental effect on society. Be sure and buy your tickets early next time. Martin Chester RADIO TYPE RAVE UP Railway Club, August 20 On Sunday, August 20th, The Railway Club played host to a rather seedy looking bunch of Campus and Community radio types who had just arrived from their conference in Victoria with a hot show featuring three great local bands. The first band up was the Picasso Set who were preceded in by a tape of the theme to Dr. Who. Anyway, Picasso Set played a smooth, stylish set of their fairly insignificant songs, including a Bay City Rollers cover and songs dedicated to Nancy Sinatra and various comic strip characters. In away this band is too good and too tight. They are good to listen to, fun and danceable, but I would like to see them take some of the nice, neady sewn seams thathold the music together and rip them apart a little to leave a few frayed edges here and there. Curious George, who closed the show, on the other hand, have frayed edges to spare. The band's temporary replacement drummer seems to have renewed the energy that was so evident at their early shows. The Curious George album Children of a Common Mother is now out. Sandwiched in between was Bruce A. and the Secular Atavists, a totally indescribable band; this is meant in the most complimentary way. They are perhaps the best local band I have seen in the past six months, but they are a bit like surreal art - you know it's good, you know you like it, you just don't know what the hell it is! Perhaps this is what Vanilla Fudge would be doing if they were around today and the psy- chadelic thing had already happened. Martin Chester SEPTEMBER September 1/2 from San Francisco 1989 HARM FARM with guests September 6 WAGES OF SIN with MARY September 8 /9 CURIOUS GEORGE September 13 CHRIS HOUSTON AND HIS EVIL TWANG September 15/16 TIN GOD September 17 A Groupquake! All ages show with DEJA VOODOO, THE SMUGGLERS, and more September 20 PICASSO SET with TOUCH 'N GO'S September 22/23 SILENT GATHERING and 29 CRASH September 27 FYF September 29/30 from Hollywood, California THE MOVIE STARS and from T.O. UIC UB LOUNGE 1181 SEYMOI 683-0151 S OPEN 9:30 FRI., 10:3C SORRY NO MINORS MOUR )SAT SEPTEMBER 1989 33 want one? $15...come on in or write us a letter avec cheque or m.o. 1ST FRIDA Y San Francisco's Harm Farm at the Arts Club. 10pm. ...The Scramblers with guests Big House and Sissy Boy at the Town Pump Gene Garcia and the Mrdnightere at the Fairview Pub Kathi McDonald at The Yale 29 Crash at RJ Christie's. 10pm Johnny Winter with Wailin' Walker's Rock Party at the Commodore Ballroom Alphaville at 7:30 and Trouble in Mnd at 9:30 at Pacific Cinematheque. 2ND SA TURD A Y San Francisco's Harm Farm at the Arts Club. 11pm Al Green at the PNE Aquastage. 8:30pm....The Scramblers with guests Big House and Sissy Boy at the Town Pump Gene Garcia and the Midnig hters at the Fairview Pub Kathi McDonald at The Yale 29 Crash at RJ Christie's. 10pm Johnny Winter with Wailin' Walker's Rock Party at the Commodore Ballroom The Grest Canadian Cartoon, a retrospective ol twenty years ol Canadian Independent animation. Pacific Cinematheque. 7:30pm Paintings by LettyShea Asian Centre Auditorium. 11am- 5pm. Free admission. Until September 10th. 3RD SUNDAY CiTR presents George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars! Four straight hours of Funkadelicl 86 Street Music Hall. 730pm Total Experience Gospel Choir from Seattle at the Lonsdale Quay Public Market. 2:00pm. Free admissbn... ..The Pursuit of Happiness on the PNE Aquastage. 8:30pm Sound Revolution and Tropical Breeze at the Commodore Ballroom Groovaholics and Daddy Hate- box at Club Soda Virgin/ASM recording artists NRBQ at the Town Pump End the Arms Race benefit with DOA, No Fun. and the Raging Grannies at the Arlington Cabaret. $7 at the door Tunes in the Pit Pub provided by CiTR from 830pm. 4TH MONDA Y CiTR presents, from New York, Bad Brains with special guets Leeway at 86 Street Music Hall Bobbie "Blue'' Bland at 7:30 and Joe Louis Walker at 9:00 at the PNE Aquastage Jamai Sugar Minott and the Abbasharrti B 2:00, k at 330, C ), and WEA recording artists Bruno Gerussi's Medallion at 630. Everyonewel- come. No charge with ID. No minors permitted in the barbecue site unfortunately but there should be ample space for minors to sit infront of the stage Curious George at the Arts Club. 10pm Paul DeLay at The Yale The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe over600showsin12differentvenues. Check the September 1 issue of theGeorgia Straight for the complete Fringe program Drum Heat! at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre....New German Cinema Festival starts at the Vancouver East Cinema with Sierra Leone at 730 and The Virgin Machine at 930 La Dolce Vita at Pacific Cinematheque. 7:30pm 9THSATURDAY Curious George at the Arts Club. 11pm Free Water Knockout at RJ Christie's. 10pm Paul DeLay at The Yale Drum Heatl at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre Chilean Night at La Quena Coffee House The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant New German Cinema Festival at the Vancouver East Cinema: Anita: Dances of Vice at 7:30 and Sierra Leone at 930 The Unknown Norman McLaren at Pacific Cinematheque. 7:30pm 10THSUNDAY CITR spins the tunes in the Pit Pub from 830pm All Might Senators at Club Soda....HugoTorres at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. 8pm. $10... ..The First Annual Vancouver Backward Run. Starting from the Fringe Festival Outdoor Venue. 10am The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant The Vancouver Record Collectors Association presents its 19th Record Swap Meet 11am-5pm. Kitsllano Community Centre New German Cinema Festival Machine at 730 and Anita: Dances of Vice at 930 The Unknown Norman McLaren at Pacific Cinematheque. 730pm. 11 TH MONDAY If My Mother Could See Me Now, a story by and about Philipino domestic workers in Canada, at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. 8pm $10 employed. $5 unemployed The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant New German Cinema Festival at the Vancouver East Cinema: Sierra Leone at 730 and The Virgin Machine at 9:30 La Dolce Vita atPacificCinematheque. 730pm. 12TH TUESDAY Faculty and Guest Artist Series in the Recital Hall of the UBC School ol M us ic starts oft wit h a flute recital by CamilleChurchfreldonflute If My Mother Christie's. 10pm . Yah-Ah: Chilcotin Sky at the Firehall. Spm Hot Wednesdays in the Pit Pub. Music provided by CITR Francois Trutfaurt double bill with Small Change at 730 and Day for Mght at 925 at the Vancouver East Cinema....Jean Cocteau Centenary: Films of a Poet Series at Pacific Cinematheque. Orpheus at 730 and Le Baron Fantome at 935. 21ST THURSDA Y The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Jim Byrnes at The Yale Sirvertone recording artists The Men They Couldn't Hang at 86 Street Music Hall Yah-Ah: Cbilcotin Sky at the Fire- hall. Spm Black Earth at RJ Christie's. 10pm.....CoolThursdaysinthePitPub. Music provided by CiTR ...Small Change at 730 and Day for Mght at 925 at the Vancouver East Cinema.....Jean Cocteau Centenary: Films of a Poet Series at Pacific Cinematheque. Orpheus at 730 and Le Baron Fantome at 935. 22ND FRIDA Y CiTR presents King Sumy Ade with special guests Ras Cloud at "ie Commodore Ballroom....Tne 8 FreddyW d Theatre Jim Byrnes at The CITR spins the tunes 13TH WEDNESDAY UBC Theatre Department's presentation of The Sequel at -*■ Freddy Wood Theatre. 228-2678 lor ■ East Cultural Centre. Spm. 12 dollars general Johnny V at The Yale The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant Hot Wednesdays in the Pit Publ Music provided by CiTR New German Cinema Festival at the Vancouver East Cinema:The Virgin Machine at 730 and Anita: Dances of Vice at 930 Jean Cocteau Centenary: Films of a Poet Series at Pacific Cinematheque. Les Enfant* Terribles at 7:30 and L'Eternal Retour at 9:30. 14TH THURSDA Y The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Alameta Speaks. singer-songwriter, at the Vancouver East Cul- YaJe Yah-Ah: ChicotJn Sky at tl hall. Spm Silent Gathering at the Arts Club. 10pm Tombstone Etiquette at RJ Christie's. 10pm.....Winner"BestFilm"atthe Montreal Film Festival, Padre Nuestro a " Vancouver East Cinema at 7:39 and 935 Black Cat White Cat Ha a Good Cat il it Catches a Mouse and Divine Manns- Yale Forgotten Rebels at the Town Pump The Four Ones at RJ Christie's. 10pm Kesho (Make-Up) performed at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. 8pm. $15 general admission Showing Size and Six Palm TreeaattheFirehall Arts Centre From Toronto. UIC with special guests The Movie StarsfromHollywoodattheArtsClub. 10pm. 30TH SATURDAY 3rd Annual Benefit for SACTU. Ghana Dance Troup at 730, Total Experience Gospel Choir at 8:00. SACTU Canadian Rep Bafo Nyanga at 9:00, and Tropical Breeze at 930. $12 employed. $8otherwise. Maritime Labour Centre...John Hammond with Charlie Musslewhite at The Yale Forgotten Rebels at the Town Pump The Four Ones at RJ Christie's. 10pm Kesho (Make-Up) atthe Vancouver East Cultural Centre Showing Size and Six Palm Treea at the Firehall Arts Centre UIC and The Movie Stars at the Arts Club. 11pm. SUNDAY THE 1ST Showing Size and Six Palm Trees at the Firehall Arts Centre Hot Wednesdays on Sunday nightl CITR spins the tunes from 830....Butthole Surfers at Club Soda. 2ND MONDAY Shindig'89 blasts ort at the Railway Club and until the first week of December, catch three bands each Monday night vying for that grand prize: recording time and fame, rf not fortune Ian Tamblyn with Rachel Page at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Spm. S ARTS CLUB 1181 Seymour Street 683- 0151 ASIAN CENTRE AUDITORIUM 1871 West Mall, UBC 2282746 CLASSICAL JOINT 231 Carrall Street. Gastown 6894667 CLUB SODA 1055 Homer Street 6814202 COMMODORE BALLROOM 870 Granville MaH 681-7838 86 STREET MUSIC HALL in the god forsaken Socred Centre. Expo Site 683-8687 FAIRVIEW PUB 898 West Broadway 872- 1262 FREDDY WOOD THEATRE 6454 Crescent Road, U.B.C. 228-2678 FRINGE FESTIVAL OUTDOOR VENUE Comer of Main Street and 15th Avenue GALLERY LOUNGE Main Floor, Student Union Building, 6138 SUB Boulevard, UBC GRACELAND back alley 1250 Richards Street 688-26*8 GRUNT GALLERY 209 East 6th HERITAGE HALL 3102 Main Street 879- 4816 KITSILANO COMMUNITY CENTRE 2690 Larch Street LA QUENA COFFEE HOUSE 1111 Commercial Drive 251-6626 LONSDALE QUAY PUBLIC MARKET 123 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver MARITIME LABOUR CENTRE 111 Victoria MCINNES HELD southwest comer of Wes brook Mall and SUB Boulevard, UBC NEWCOMBE THEATRE Royal British Co lumbia Museum, Victoria PACIFIC CINEMATHEQUE 1131 Howe Street 688-3456 PIT PUB Basement of the Student Union Building, 6138 SUB Boulevard, UBC PNE AQUASTAGE Pacific National Exhibi 6777 TOWN PUMP 66 Water Street, Gastown 683-6695 VANCOUVER EAST CINEMA 2290 Commercial at 7th 253-5455 VANCOUVER EAST CULTURAL CENTRE 1895 Variables Street 254-9578 W.LS.E. CLUB HALL 1882 Adanac 736 3022 THE YALE 1300 GranvHIe at Drake 681- 5TH TUESDAY Paul DeLay at The Yale. 6TH WEDNESDAY Noon Hour Concert in the Recital Hall of the UBC School of Music Building The Moving Co.. Silent Gathering. Free Water Knock out at 86 Street Music Hall....Wages of Sin at the Arts Club Paul DeLay at The Yale Hot tunes in the Pit Pub spun by CiTR from 830pm. No cover for UBC students, $1 for everyone else Jean Cocteau Centenary: Films of a Poet Series at Pacific Cinematheque. The Blood of a Poet at 730 and L'Age DO at 8:45. 7TH THURSDAY Paul DeLay at The Yale Drum Heatl at Vancouver East Cultural Centre. $10 general, $8.50 students Groove to the cool beat in the Pit Pub as "That CiTR Sound" brings down the house. No cover for UBC students, $1 for everyone else Jean Cocteau Centenary: Films of a Poet Series at Pacific Cinematheque. The Blood of a Poet at 7:30 and L'Age D'Or at 8:45. 8TH FRIDAY CITR presents the return of Capitol recording artists The Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Commodore Ballroom with special guests Mary's Danish Alma Mater Society of UBC Barbecue at Mclnnes Field. The Pursuaders ' '" Thursdays at the Pit Pub. The Beat provided by CiTR The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89in Mount Pleasant New 23RD SA TURDA Y CiTR presents King Sunny Ade with special guests Ras Cloud at the Commodore Ballroom The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Dr. Robert Anton Wilson live at the Newcombe Theatre in the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. Admissbn $10 at the door. Presented by the Friends of Bob Tempest with guests at The WISE Club Hall The Enigmas at the Town Pump.... Jim Byrnes at The Yale Tombstone Etiquette at RJ Christie's. 10pm...Yah-Ah: Chilcotin Sky at the Firehall. 8pm Silent Gathering at the Arts Club. 11pm....Padre Nueatro at the Virgin Machine at 930 Jean Cocteau Debbie McGeei Centenary: Films of a Poet at matheque. Les Enfants Temotes at /3U and L'Eternal Retour at 930. 1STHFRIDAY The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Johnny V at The Yale The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant Tin God at the Arts Club. 10pm Kenneth Anger's The Maaick Lantern Cycle at Pacific Cine- Part One at7:30andPartTwoat __ Multiple Choice at Pacific Cinematheque. Peg Campbell and 730pm. 9:15. 16TH SA TURDA Y CiTR presents Slash/WEA recording artists Burning Spear plus special guests from L.A., The Bonedad- dys at the Commodore Ballroom The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Walk for the Environment Begins at Kitsilano Beach and ends at Queen Elizabeth Park. 12 Noon....Johnny V at The Yale Excited First Daughter at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Spm. Minors welcome. 10dol- lars general, 8 dollars for students Last Corvairs at R J Christie's. 10pm TheFifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant Tin God at the Arts Club. 11pm Kenneth Anger's The Magick Lantern Cycle at Pacific Cinematheque. Part One at 730 and Part Two at 9:15. 17THSUNDAY The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Nardwuar the Human Ser- viette Presents AGroupquakewith Deja Voodoo from Montreal, The Nightstalkers, Stagnant Water, The Smugglers, and The Evaporators at the Arts Club. An all ages extravaganza. 727pm. Tickets:$4 Gloom Cookies and Hungry Crocodiles at Club Soda....The Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival '89 in Mount Pleasant Sunday Umbrella Band Open Stage at the Railway Club Tunes In the Pit Pub provided by CiTR from 830 Quebec Cinema in the 1980s Serbs at Pacific Cinematheque. Le Choix dun Peupie at 7:30 and Le Dedin de L'Empire Americain at 9:30. 18THMONDAY The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre SPCA Benefit at the Vancouver East Cinema with a new print of Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast at 7:30 and Wim Wanders' Wings of Desire. Proceeds go to the SPCA.....Quebec Cinema in the 1980s Serbs at Pacific Cinematheque. Le t730andLeDeclinde 1930. 19TH TUESDAY The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre Ron Thompson and the Resistors at The Yale Beyond the Fringe at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, featuring the best of Fringe '89. Spm. $10 general, $8 students Yah-Ah: Chilcotin Sky by Alison McAlpine at the Firehall Arts Centre. An ensembte of Indigenous and European down figures, an old storytelling couple, and several musicians take a journey throughCanada'spasttumingKupsidedown. Spm Beauty and the Beast and Wings of Desire at the Vancouver East Cinema. 20TH WEDNESDAY The Sequel at Freddy Wood Theatre The Picasso Set and Touch N' Go's at the Arts Club.... Jim 24TH SUNDA Y Chirashi. a mixed menu of Asian-Canadian music with Uzume Taiko.JingYanYu.andTakeoYamashiro. At the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. 8pm. $10 general, $8 students Evil Twang with Chria Houston at Club Soda....Tunes in the Pit Pub provbed by CiTR Padre Nuestro at the Vancouver East Cinema Quebec Cinema in the 1980s Serbs at Pacific Cinematheque. Mario at 730 and La Dame 2STHMONDAY CiTR Week starts on the UBC campus with funsies galore! All week, catch CiTR live on-location on the main floor of the Student Unbn Building. Stay tuned to CiTR for extra special events and happenlngsl....Big X, Utile Y and One on One, two plays by Theatre Terrific at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Spm $9 general, $7 students and seniors Padre Nueatro at the Vancouver East Cinema.....Quebec Cinema in the 1980s Series at Pacific Cinematheque. Mario at 7:30 and La Dame en CoUeurs at 925. 26TH TUESDAY Robyn Hitchcock gives a sob performance at the Town Pump Charlie Musslewhite at The Yab Big X, Little Y and One on One, two plays by Theatre Terrific at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Spm. $9 general, $7 students and senbrs Preview of Showing Size by Gordon Halloran and Six Palm Treea by Caitlin Hicks at the Firehall Arts Centre. 8pm....PadreNuestroattheVancouverEast 27THWEDNESDAY vkfeoBar-B- Oue atthe GruntGallery. Spm. $3 Charlie Musslewhite at The Yale The Seventh at RJ Christie's. 10pm As part of the second al CITR V\ <., CiTR pi ages gig in Room 207/21 SUB here at UBC with a named later. Stay tuned to CiTR for more details!... .Showing Size and Six Palm Trees at the Firehall Arts Centre Hot Wednesdays in the Pit Pub. Musb provided by your friends at CiTR F.Y.F. at the Arts Club Jean Cocteau Cehtenary: Films of a Poet Serbs at Pactfb Cinematheque. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne at 730 and The Moon in the Gutter at 9:15 28THTHURSDAY Mango Duband Sensation Labna at the Commodore Ballroom. Presented by the El Salvador Refugee Association Charlie Musslewhite at The Yale Lonnie Mack at the Town Pump Kesho (Make-Up), a play from Japan, atthe Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Spm. $15 general admis-sbn Showing Size and Six Palm Trees at the Firehall Arts Centre Cool Thursdays in the Pit Pub. Music provbed by CiTR Jean Cocteau Centenary: FHms of a Poet Series at Pacific Cinematheque. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne at 7:30 and The Moon in the 29TH FRIDAY TrionaNi and Skip Parente with special $ Moss at The V Cabbages & Kinx 306 W, Cordova St. Vancouver, B.C. 669-4238 VANCOUVER'S HOTTEST BLUES NIGHTCLUB THE BEST IN LIVE R&B EACH NIGHT FROM 9:30 pm-1:30 am OPEN WEEKDAYS FROM 11:30am SEPTEMBER 1989 35 jo jo ka -mm* '^SPfis "' Ninety percent of all media is controlled by thirty corporations - a rumour found floating around the late twentieth century. Searching For The Subtones Arcadian Hall 2214 Main Street September 13,14 -11:00 pm September 15,16,17 - 5:00 pm Tickets $5.00 PRESENTED BY ODVttEV im?Om To be informed is to be aware. Sounds simple, but when the plexus has a major interest in who informs you, when you're informed, how, why and in what media, the game may seem beyond the control of the average ill-age vidiot. To restate the obvious, television is the big lie machine, and, as such, cannot be referred to as a legitimate source of pertinent information by anyone who practices creative thought. Print media, in the form of daily newspapers, is owned and operated by a handful of families who protect their own interests while record companies and book publishers are, for the most part, owned by multi-national corporations who rarely attempt to subvert the system. Where does this leave the lone stranger, desperate for an answer in a world filled with meaningless questions? One option lies in the search for personal truth. Differing from self-knowledge, personal truth can mean inventing the world as you perceive it. Duck the system, sidestep someone else's issues, and determine what is important to your own heart and head. Personal truth can be found in the most familiar places; thus writers and singers write and sing. The key is to become involved in the process of information as opposed to being a spectator. Doing, instead of having it done to you. The two most important rules in bringing into focus your own 'personal picture' are: 1) that all' truths' are rumour until personally experienced, 2) that everyone is telling the truth until they have proved they are lying. As an example, the following, divergent, information heads both live in a world filled with love and hate. Now try to guess which one has the most fun and which one had hemorrhoids. Sirius news hounds access: Imagination, informed friends, liner notes, privately published pamphlets, anarchist comix (LastGasp, Kitchen Sink), fanzines, telephone poles, Aka- shic dada banks, gravestones (for the historical perspective), spoken word cassettes, song lyrics (usually those that are, initially, uncomprehensible), performance poetry and performance art, al- ternativefilm.selectedmedia (i.e. Semiotext(e), Maximum R&R, Sound Choice, Shred, The Nation, Adbusters, Kinesis, Reality Hacker, Pop Tart, International Spectator, CBC's Nightlines (after 2 am the best show in radio), 2.3% of music videos shown onMM.CiTR.CFRO,} neo-follc music, all sculpture, all painting, meditation, music, and rumour. Armchair dictators believe in: Ted Koppell's Night- line (the worst of a bad lot), ABC Evening Nukes, Sixty Missiles, The Son, The Guilded Mace, Macleans, Time-Warner (apoca- lypsoligists will have a good time with that one). The Economist, Forbes, Business Week, Barrons, Wall Street Journal, Financial Post, Reader's Indigestion, TV Weak, People (not any that I want to know), Cosmopolitics, all politicians, all hotline radio, all cor porate newsletters, investment sheets, blah blah blah blah, and, of course, media gossip. (As for this list, if and when 'truth' is being expressed through these control devices it can be assumed to be either meaningless or too big to be contained and, thus, is known by those who do not subscribe, watch, spindle, fold, or manipulate.) Thus, the information warrior is equipped with wisdom, common sense, and a distaste for lies, while the shickso society is armed with the voice of big brother, a firm grip on whatpasses for reality, and a taste for suicidal car crashes. It seems that the older the century becomes the more horror the corporate media barons are willing to dish out to a drooling public. The trick here is that although we can, if we choose, access the mainstream; the mainstream, right now, is unable to hear the sound of this noise generation. If our parents taught anything it was that the collective voice of every generation heralds social change. In a time when our very existence is being threatened by greedhead ignorance and social change is humming along like a Julio Ignatius love ballad, it seems rather urgent that the members of the current generation find their personal truth and vocalize it sooner than later. The only answer lies in the pursuit of seemingly innocuous information that can be found on a local level. Check out your community, your clubs, bands, noisepapers, galleries, radio stations, protests, marches. Meet, greet, mingle, talk, laugh, play, live, with your feet on the earth and your head in the clouds; then, I say, you will live well. 36 DISCORDER WONDERLAND AVENUE: Tales of glamour and excess Danny Sugerman (William Morrow & Co.) Not so much Danny Sugerman's autobiography as a careful dissection of the hell he lived for a few years in the early '70's. Post-Morrison. I picked up the book with the cynical aim of gleaning titbits about the big JM, not really giving ten shits about Sugerman's "tales of glamour and excess". However, by the end of the book I had been given a better run for my money by the latter. The first half of the book, chronicling Sugerman's years with Morrison, is awfully tough slogging. Sugerman describes in excruciating detail every injustice of life with his mother and evil stepfather in the posh suburbs of Los Angeles, and records each adolescent step further into the world of regulated substances. "Ya, so, like, this teacher was such a fucking twat, I figured I'd show her I'd go and get stoned outta my mind! That'd teach them!" is the prevailing attitude. This doesn't work wonders at eliciting sympathy. The interest in these pages lies in overhearing Jim Morrison say things like "Shit, I wish I knew how to type." (That in the course of one of his pep talks with ypung Danny.) And in eavesdropping on Pamela, Morrison's primary sex partner, stoned out of her gourd, screaming after him and Danny, "God damn you, I stay home and fix you a home-cooked meal...and you'd rather go out and pervert some little kid who's so fucked up he'd rather be with you than at his own home!...And you're as bad as he is! Worse! Fuck you, Jim Morrison..." The man thusly addressed dies halfway through the book, and then the real fun begins. Four years later, Sugerman has amassed a palatial spread in Beverly Hills, a revolving-door supply of expensive sportscars, a 15- year-old alcoholic/drug addict girlfriend, and one massive dope habit. The former two with the profit from managing Ray Manzarek's solo career, the third seemingly through dumb luck, and the latter, it is assumed, as a natural continuation of those rebellious fuck- 'em-all high school days. We are escorted into the sordid, piss-soaked, bloodstained world of heroin addiction, front-row-centre seats. We see Iggy Pop swallow ten Quaa- ludes in a row and proceed to piss in the potted palms (and eventually the manager's face) at the Rainbow. We see the inside of the upstairs men's toilet at the Whisky- A-Go-Go a lot. We see Tiffany, Sugerman's sex partner, overcome by alcohol and ludes, fall face- first into her pasta, whereupon Danny revives her to great effect by blowing coke up her nostrils through a straw. We end up with Danny lying on the sidewalk in downtown Hollywood, so desperate to fix he hasn't the strength to stand up waiting for his connection. We, in short, have fun. Morbid, vicarious thrills that had me writhing with repulsion and exclaiming "Eeeuuugggh" on average three times a page. But then, the funniest thing happens. Our hero hits bottom, is told by doctors he has one week to live unless he stops doing dope, and ends up forcibly restrained in an insane asylum, where he finally kicks via intense substitution of Valium and Darvon for heroin. He begins a course of psychotherapy, deep introspection, soul-searching, delving back into the murky depths of childhood and family life to figure out j ust why he screwed himself around so harshly. And somehow you find yourself actually caring. Giving ten shits about his plight. (I went so far as to even get weepy about it all, but that may have been due to PMS more than Sugerman's evocative powers.) The man is no master of the English language, let's face it I'm all for colloquial writing, but it gets scary when Sugerman starts to read like Bill Van der Zalm gone Hollywood: "So what I had then was, basically, a very nice house full of a lot of very nice but very stoned, very sloppy, and often very sick junkies." He even has trouble keeping his figures of speech straight; witness, "I took it as a high sign it must be time to go another round with LSD." Drugs can do this sort of thing to you, I know, and in the final analysis the illiteracies and banalities fit right in with the topic matter anyway. Sugerman ends off with some interesting speculation on Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Artaud, Byron, Morrison et al. "Would any of them say, vLook atm, hold me up as an example to the young and impressionable of the world because I led a good and courageous life. I drank and drugged myself to death and I'm glad I did it and I'm glad my life is over'? Not real fucking likely." Ya. For all that, the book leaves one with a strangely sterile view of Jim Morrison and the Doors. None of the throwaway lines of No One Here Gets Out Ali ve.. ."he fucked the groupie chick up the ass and then went over and grabbed a beer from the fridge..." Nevertheless, a riveting read, and it will surely sell by the droves in paperback. It's one of those books. Il00% COTTON] T-SHIRTS •Textile Paints and Dyes •Tanks, Shorts & Sweats •Wearable Art • 1 Day "Learn to Print" Workshops •Fabric Paints Mon-Fri 9:30 - 5:00 Sat 11:00 - 3:00 clothworks 669 0127 textile dyers and printers 688-1752 132 Powell Street, Vancouver Hobife Sound pental HIP! ^ *?\T? DIPT -API PHONE: 228-3017 SEPTEMBER 1989 37 mmn SOUND OF REALITY 3:00-6:OOPM Experimental Radio, with Vision! Featuring environmental sounds, found noises, information/propoganda and the world's primitive and experimental musics from the auditory fringe. Uve. too. Contribu- SPORTS DIGEST 5:30-6:00PM Join the CiTR Sports Departmentforallthe latest in Thunderbird varsity sports and sports everywhere else for that marter. A new season cometh. are you ready? THE AFRICAN SHOW 8:00-9:30PM The latest in dance musicfrom the African sub-continent plus/minus a few oldie but Onukwulu. THE JAZZ SHOW 9:30PM- 12:30AM Vancouver's longest running prime time jazz program, with a twist! :00. Hosted by the ever-suave Gavin rt Jazz takes a holiday. See you next CarterandTonyWiHtams(1966). Miles has best recording dates. 1 tth One of the best oral histories of Jazz narrated by the great atto saxophonist Julian 'Cannonball' Adderiey. Educa- tionalandentertaining. Recorded in 1960. 25th 'Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section': a first time meeting that produced a classic album. One of arto saxophonist Art Pepper's greatest elements. vMmn GARNET TIMOTHY HARRY 8:10-10:00AM Garnet doesn't give a shit and neither should you. ITS AU UES/PEST CONTROL 10:00AM- 1:00PM Bill Mullan and Jerome Broadway alternate weeks and thoughts. BLOOD ON THE SADDLE 1:1 S-3:30PM Country music to scrape the cowshit off your boots to. Witl CONVER-RADIO S:J0-6:00PM One-way conversation and radio: get it? A series of pilot episodes for you to evaluate. TopicsforSeptemberinclude underground comics. Carmanah Valley, and a look at those currently poisoning Howe Sound. Hosted by Chris Brayshaw. Audience participation welcome. THE BETTY&VERONICA SHOW i:00-7:0OPM Join the Riverdale Gang eoch week for fun and frivolity! Pep up! Tune in! NEON MEATE DREAM 7:OO-9:0OPM Like your worst nightmare and most erotic dream combined. God what a mess. With Pete Lutwych. AURAL TENTACLES MIDNITE- Host: Pierre Huish. W.WO.D. at 2:00AM without fail. mmmn VENUS FLYTRAP SHOW S:10-10:O0AM What used to be called 'Way Too Early'. I'm Greg Elsie, and I'll play anything. all love you. Ya guy. all have been known to complain about this show, ya guy Marc Coulevin brings Rock n'RoPto its roots. Note the really new time slot. THIRTY THREE AND A THIRD 3:00-5 00PM The latest info on local bands and strictly Canadian tunes, along with the hottest playlist stuff and interviews! With Spike mmun IT'S JUSTTALK WITH RJ. MOORHOUSE 5:30- 6:00PM The big mouth is back, biggerand mouth- — THE SATURDAY EDGE 8:00 THE CITR MORNING SHOW AT 7:30. BBC WORLD SERVICE AT 8:00 SERIOUS! 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 BREAKFAST WITH THE GARNET TIMOTHY FLYTRAP PEST CONTROL/ ITS ALL LIES TOP OF THE BOPS HANFORD NUCLEAR... MOVING IMAG S DE THE 12 O'CLOCK NEWS CHORD SHOW THE AFT !RNOON NEV B REPORT BLOOD SADDLE ABSOLUTE N*RDWU»R) VALUE OF NOISE 4:00 5:00 SOUND Of REALITY ." — FLEX HEAD IN EFFECT AND SOUL THE NEWS MAGAZINE SPORTS DIGEST CONVER-RADIO JUST TALK ARTS CAFE TIED DOWN AND MADE TO TALK IN REVIEW NEWS 7:00 £ BETTY* BCFOLK THE VINYL FRONTIER JUST UKE WOMEN/ ELECTRONIC SIGNALS HOME TAPING I.N.T.E.R.- NEON MEATE DREAM THE SPINSTERS 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 1 3:00 4:00 AFRICAN HOOTENANNY SATURDAY PLAYLOUD THE NEW JENNIFER CHAN SHOW STOMPON THAT TRON THE JAZZ NENT CULTURE SHOCK UVE FROM THUNDERBIRD RADIO HELL FREE BEYOND/ RADIO FREE AMERICA AURAL TENTACLES EAT- VOMIT ENV1RON- SCATOLOCY THE BONES OF ELEPHANT IN THE INCOHER- r^; SIN-E-PLEX NICE- B.C. FOLK 6:00-7:00PM Listen to the thoughts and music of B.C. folk' artists with Barb Waldern. THE SPINSTERS 7:00-9:30PM Paula and Denise. two wild, wicked women will have their way with your eardrums and any other available ori- wmmy* NOVA EXPRESS 5:45-7:30AM 21 «t 11/2 hours uninterrupted h< 1969-1976 Genesis including rare HANFORD NUCLEAR PIZZA PIE 11:00AM Textbooks beckon. Whichiswhyri I am. Still dedicated to (you define). Note new lany of commentary on the local a HOOTENANNY SATURDAY NIGHT! 8:00- 10:00PM Hootenanny Saturday Night on Thursday night. Get it? If not. wewouldna want ye listenin'anyhoo. ListenforBackwardsSong to win prizes, and The 50e Record Hour at 9:00 to win nuttin'. Note new time. UVE FROM THUNDERBIRD RADIO HELL 10:00PM-MIDNIGHT Join Ed, Peter, and John for a real live band in your IK/ingroom. automobile or WalkPerson. 7th Surprise!! 14th The Evaporators 21«t TAPE-A-MANIA with Fab Mavericks Check out page 28 for the clip-out-and- save cassette cover! 28th Stay tuned for a special CiTR Week concert extravaganza featuring a realty big mess o' performers. tmn MOVING IMAGES 10:30-11:00AM Join host Ken Macintyre as he take on a tour through the silver screen's I and international artists. Facilitated by Chris Buchanan. l«t Ice-T and Boogie Down Productions 8th Bad Brains and George Clinton 15th MC900FT Jesus HOME TAPING INTERNATIONAL THE SATURDAY EDGE 8:00AM-NOON Steve Edge hosts Vancouver's biggest and best acoustic/roots/rogue folk music radio show. Now in its fifth year on CiTR! UK Soccer Report at 11:30 2nd Labour Day Special 9th Vancouver's best roots bands 16th Vancouver Folk Song Society s 30th 23rd San Francisco s Celtic Rockers Tempest in the CiTR studios 30th Roots Top 20! POWERCHORD 12:15-3:00PM Vancouver's only true metal show with the underground speed to mainstream metal: local demo tapes, imports and other rarities. Gerald Rattleheod and Metal Ron do the domoge IN EFFECT 3:00-S:O0PM The Hip Hop Beat brought to you by Niel Scobie-straight from the Island. Note IN REVIEW 5:30-6:00PM A look at whaf s happened over the tost week. A grab bag of sorts. RADIO FREE PARKING 10:0OPM-l:0OAM Host: PaulC. 2nd Funkadelic!! A George Clinton P- Funk Blowout. Check if out! MEGABLAST! MIDNIGHT-3:00 AM Improvisation in many forms. Mixes that don't work but had to be tried. Reauests that never get played. Welcome to tote night radio. With Adam Sloan. Note new From on-location broadcasts to gigs, stay tuned to CITR for more info. mmgzr sur times eoch day, hear the rundown n the latest events, lectures, gigs, and in things occuring here on that campus ersrle. is slot. mmn ammry i&sm CiTR provides free olrfime for Community Access by community groups and individuals. If you or your group would like to say something to someone somewhere, pleasegive the Program Director a phone call at 228-3017 Thankyou tmmmmm\f From the famous siren to the not-so-famous BBC World Service, wake up with The CiTR Morning Show. It's information you shouldn't do without: news, sports, weather, entertainment reports, and Alberta hog prices. mmrnwm mmr ARE YOU SERIOUS? MUSIC 8:00AM-NOON Wake up to Schoenberg, varese. Berio. Carter. Scelsi, Xenakis, Schafer. Cage, Webern - Artistic Evel Knievels all. Nou- veau post-modern instrumental compositions in a classical vein. THE ROCKERS SHOW 12:15-3:00PM Reggae, Rock Steady and Ska witt George Barrett. Dance Hall Music! BLUES AND SOUL SHOW 3:00-S:30PM Every Sunday, join Lochlan Murray anc Kevin Rea for the best of blues, rhythrr martrnm CiTR'sh-depthcurrerrtaffaiis/news magazine show. Coverage and analysis of the day's news and sports, a complete weather report, movie reviews, and reports on events here at UBC. And we promise, no traffic reports. ABSOLUTE VALUE OF NOISE 2:3O-5:00PM Found sounds, tape loops, compositions of organized and unorganized aurality, power electricians and sound collage. Liveexperimentalmusic. 100% Canadian Industrialism. Sometime during the show, expect an intrusion by thje one and only NARDWUAR THE HUMAN SERVIETTE....for Manhattan flavoured Clam Chowder! Cleo loves you. TIED DOWN AND MADE TO TALK 5:30- 6:30PM The lowest in band interviews, profiles and JUST UKE WOMEN 6:00-8:OOPM Feminist news and analysis and music made by women for everybody. Alternates Sundays with Electronic Smoke ELECTRONICSMOKESIGNALS 6:00-B:00PM Information, news, interviews, political anafyis from the global cultures of resistance. Alternates Sundays with Just Uke PLAYLOUD (THIS IS NOT A TEST) 8:00- 10:00PM Now, eariier than ever Larry Thiessen. ONE STEP BEYOND/RADIO FREE AMERICA 10:00PM-MIDNIGHT Join host Dave Emory for some extraordinary political research guaranteed to make you think twice. Bring your tape deck and two C-90's. Originally broadcast on KFJC (Los Attos.CA). Th« month: Hidden History of the CoW War. STOMP ON THAT BOPPA-TRON 9:00-MID- NIGHT The latest & greatest in dance floor grooves. DJ Mikey Harding brings you the big beat. SOUPSTOCK FROM THE BONES OF THE ELEPHANT MAN 12:30-3:30AM Independent musicfrom around the world ranging from the latest in club tunes to hardcore and industrial grunge. Live and pre-recorded interviews plus experimen- ons. WtthUoydUliana. CSTM mtwas Find out how very cool you are. A stellar collecttonof your ESSENTIAL alltime great anthems, ballads, dirges, cut-ups, raps, jams, blow-outs, mindfucks, fuck-ups. experiments, dedications, poems, dances, and love »ongs....as chosen by the combined forces of Eating Vomit. It's AH Lies. The Knight After, and Pest Control (average age: 29). Labour Day Monday September 4th from 11AM to 12 Midnite. During the entire run of the Fifth Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival from Septembers to 17. listen to CiTRat6:00eoch night for Fringe highttights. reviews, and Inter- From September 25 to 29, that radio st tion on the campus of UBC wHI force it» upon you with tons of special evert Returning thisfalL join the crackCiTR Sports Unit for play-by-play coverage of a mess o' varsity sports both on the campus and off. Overfortyto be exact, from soccerto football to ice hockey to basketball. Find out the reason why the'TR-is in CiTR. Upcoming games carried by CITR which will pre-empt regular CiTR programming: MENS FOOTBALL SEPTEMBER 3rd 7:30 Sunday AT University of Calgary 9th 7:30 Saturday versus SFU at Swangard Stadium 16th 2:00 Saturday AT University of Manitoba 23rd 7:30 Saturday versus University of Saskatchewan 30th 1:00 Saturday versus University ot Manitoba OCTOBER 8th 1:00 Sunday AT University of Saskatchewan 21 »t 1:00 Saturday AT University of Alberta 28th 1:00 Saturday versus University of Calgary MENS ICE HOCKEY OCTOBER 27th 7:30 Friday versus University of Alberta WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OCTOBER 31st 7:30Tuesday BuchananClas- sicatSFU 38 DISCORDER ARTIST TITLE LABEL KEITH LEBLANC STRANGER THAN FICTION NETTWERK # RAY CONDO AND HIS HARDROCK GONERS HOT 'N' COLD CARGO PUBLIC ENEMY FIGHT THE POWER 12" MOTOWN # STURM GROUP GRIND AMOK PETER GABRIEL MUSIC FROM THE LAST TEMPTATION VIRGIN BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS GHETTO MUSIC ZOMBA POGUES PEACE AND LOVE ISLAND THE THE MIND BOMB EPIC SKID ROPER AND THE WHIRLIN SPURS TRAILS PLOWED UNDER TRIPLE X POP WILL EAT ITSELF THIS IS THE DAY, THIS IS THE HOUR,... BMG N.W.A. EXPRESS YOURSELF 12" PRIORITY NIRVANA BLEACH SUB POP L.L. COOL J WALKING WITH THE PANTHER DEFJAM EPMD UNFINISHED BUSINESS FRESH B-52S COSMIC THING REPRISE # VARIOUS ARTISTS THE BRIDGE: TRIBUTE TO NEIL YOUNG CAROLINE WEST INDIA COMPANY«« MUSIC FROM THE NEW DEMONS EG MONKS OF DOOM THE COSMODEMONIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY ROUGH TRADE MC900FT JESUS TOO BAD 12" NETTWERK # FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY f GA^gD SENSES AND CROSSFIRE # SARAH MCLACHLAN STEAMING 12" THIRD MIND NETTWERK VARIOUS ARTISTS GREAT MARCH ON WASHINGTON NURSE WITH WOUND AUTOMATING VOLUME 2 WEDDINGS, PARTIES, ANYTHING NO SHOW WITHOUT PUNCH GORDY/MOTOWN UNITED DAIRIES UTILITIES # STOMPIN' TOM CONNORS FIDDLE AND TOM CAPITOL VARIOUS ARTISTS NEW BEAT TAKE 3 A.S. SOUNDS # MONTY CANTSIN AHORA NEOISMUS MALDOROR #54-40 FIGHT FOR LOVE REPRISE YOUSSOU N'DOUR THE LION VIRGIN MATERIAL SEVEN SOULS VIRGIN COFFIN BREAK PSYCHOSIS C/Z RECORDS HOODOO GURUS MAGNUM CUM LOUDER RCA KAREN FINLEY THE TRUTH IS HARD TO SWALLOW POWWOW ART MARY MY HOPE MUSEUM SILVERTONE YOUNG MC BUST A MOVE ISLAND THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG SILVERTOWN SILVERTONE THE GLAZZ BOY WAYKIWAYKI SUB ROSA VARIOUS ARTISTS RADIO BOND-AGE CARGO # INDICATES CANADIAN ARTIST EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO DEMO/CASSETTE LISTING FOR THIS MONTH, DON'T FORGET THAT CiTR WELCOMES MUSICAL AND NON-MUSICAL ENDEAVOURS WITH OPEN EARS. PLEASE ADDRESS ANY SUBMISSIONS TO THE ATTENTION OF EITHER THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT OR THE DEMO CASSETTE DIRECTOR, CiTR 101.9 fM, 6138 SUB BOULEVARD, VANCOUVER, BC CANADA V6T 2A5. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COLLECTOR'S R.P.M. RECORDS TAPES CD's POSTERS MAGAZINES MEMORABILIA HOME OF THE BEATLES ANDUfMUSEUM 15% OFF ALL IMPORTS WITH STUDENT CARD LARGEST COLLECTION OF TOUR PROGRAMS IN CANADA WE PAY TOP PRICES FOR RARE CLEAN RECORDS 456 SEYMOUR @ PENDER • 685-8841 CLASSIC ROCK CLASSIC FUN THE ROXY IN '89 Wednesday - Student Night - No Cover with Student I.D. SEPTEMBER 1989 39 ... clench their teeth when they are mad at you? Lies your mother told you: ... "it's okay that you forgot my birthday." #86b ... "all I want for Christmas is a pair of gloves." SUB iBflP-' UBC Student Union Building Main & Lower Concourse Ali Ages Welcome r~ THE LONG-OVERDUE-BUT-BETTER-REALLY-LATE-THAN-N&VER GREAT CiTR LISTENERS' SURVEY!! Okay, so it's been too long since we last asked you for your valued opinion on things CiTR-y and why you believe it should or should not exist But really you should not be complaining that you have not had the opportunity to respond to what we do 'cause we do have an address and we do have a phone number you know. Nonetheless, please use the next several minutes of your valuable time to fill this thing out and tell us how we're doing and all that stuff. You might even be in store for some prizes. Okay? Gender: Q Male G Female Age: Are you a student? □ UBC □ Other Posl-Secortdary □ Secondary Q Elementary □ Other Have you listened to CiTR? □ Yes □ No Then why are you filling this thing out? What other radio si Why? Do you ever record anything from CiTR? □ Yes □ No Q Ain't tellin' Please list the programs you listen to the most and indicate why you listen. When and how did you first find out about CiTR? How do you usually listen to CiTRl Q FM Q Cable Q Other How often do you listen to CtTR? □ never Q once a year Q a few times a year □ once a month □ a week Q a few times a week Q daily □ I never turn it off When do you usually listen to CiTR? (circle more than one if you like) Q 7-8am Q 7-9am □ 9am-noon Q noon-3pm Q3-6pm Q6-9pm O 9pm-midnight □ midnight-4am Q 4am-sign-off Q I never turn the bloody thing off Where do you usually listen to CtTR? Q in the car □ at work □ on the bus Q in my bedroom □ in my living room □ at parties □ on my WalkHuman Please list the programs you avoid like the plague and indicate why you don't listen to them. Do you have problems picking up CiTR? Q Yes Q No Please explai Has reception improved since CtTR boosted its power? O Yes Q No Please explain. To the best of your ability, please define "obscenity". --§*£-- WEDNESDAY SEPT 6 ARTS CLUB 1181 SEYMOUR SEE THEM LIVE AT: The Town Pump? The Commodore? Dick's on Dick's? -NOPE- Nothin' Doin' 1545 Richards (*pt*rfkor) Doors & PM Benefit for the Vancouver Conservatory of J Theatrical Arts Society For Info call 685-44! n. Please indicate below whether you would Uke more, the same, or less of the following types of programming. Demo Tapes/Cassettes Q more Major label artists □ more Jazz Q more Experimental □ more Classical □ more Public Service Announcements Q more News Q more Sports □ more Roots Q more Drama Q more Free-form □ more Interviews Q more Talking DJ's □ more Music □ more What do you like the most about CtTR? -»*-, □ the same □ less Current Affairs □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Visual and Performing Arts □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Blues □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Three chord rock □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less CiTR Concert Presentations □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Individual Program Promos □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Cityscape Listings □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Concentration on CanCon □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less The literary arts □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less No Commercial Messages □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less The Weather □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Noise □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less Spoken Word □ more □ the same □ less □ the same □ less UBC Digest □ more □ the same □ less What do you hate the most about CiTR? Do you enjoy listening to CiTR more or less that you did 6 months ago? Qmore Qless Qsame 3 years ago? 1 year ago? □ more □ less □ same 4 years ago? 2 years ago? Qmore Qless □same 5 years ago? Why? l_ What changes would you make to CiTR's programming? □ more □ less □ same □ more □ less □ same □ more □ less □ same Now, if you're a smart one, you should fill out the spaces below not so a disgruntled CiTR member can track your evil self down because of the nasty words you wrote down above, but because there just might be a prize draw at the end of October for one of CiTR's new t-shirts. So, chop out this little ballot thingie and then do one of the following: (1) send it in to CiTR (6138 SUB Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A5), (2) come by the station and drop it off in person, or (3) drop it off in one of the survey boxes at Zulu Records (1869 W 4th), Odyssey Imports (534 Seymour) or Scratch Records (317A Cambie). Deadline: Friday October 20th. Thank you very much. Name and Phone Number: U R §51iVALN.R.B.Q. SATURDAY OCTOBER 14, 7:30 PM P.N.E. COLISEUM TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE COLISEUM BOX OFFICE, ALL TICKETMASTER OUTLETS OR CHARGE BY PHONE 28M444 ON SALE NOW FALL 42 DISCORDER cysEPrm THE BOOK $ COMIC EMPORIUM Vancouver's Largest Selection of Almost New and Used Paperbacks and Magazine Back Issues Large Range of Hard Cover Books Thousands of New and Collector's Comics We Buy, Sell or Trade 1247 Granville near Davie 682-3019 Open 7 Days a Week 2nd Location 3347 Kingsway 430-3003 ®JL ON ALL ^® STOCK WITH THIS (Q)pp COUPON SEPTEMBER 1989 43 CURE Disintegration (Elektra) The Cure could still be a really great band if only they could control the tendency to lapse into those fucking Safeway-mu- sic keyboard riffs. That said, this album is still worth buying and surprisingly, Robert Smith's comparison of it to "Seventeen Seconds" is borne out, by the first side at least. However, the band really seem to be outdoing themselves in the way of hideous album covers. Then again you do get a shitload of value for your money, both sides are chock fulla tunes (and if you buy the CASSETTE or COMPACT DISC, you get an extra...what is it?...17 tracks?...). Evidently, I'm rather ambivalent about the whole deal. To dissect the pieces individually...Theopener, "Plain- song", shows brilliant promise— a truly magnificent depression ode in traditional Cure form. Of course, this being 1989, there's noway therestof the album could live up to this billing. "Pictures of You" bums itself into one's mem - ory with some ethereal imagery and offhand delivery (Smith yet manages to transcend his whine) but the music's nothing to write home about. After the first few noncommittal listens, "Closedown" has completely won me over. Anyone who can sing with such gut-searing intensity "...the need to feel again the real belief of something more than mockery/if onlyl could fill my heart with love", has got to be taken seriously, keyboards notwithstanding. "Lovesong"proves the Cure have not lost the ability to churn out—I mean, CRAFT— unequalled, unforgettable pop songs. "Fascination Street", closing Side One is Disco City. I'm totally reminded of some Top 40 hit from the early '80's—-can't quite place which one, but hey, somehow I still dig this tune. S ide Two harkens back to Kiss Me 3, what with long- winded, egotistical Smith-isms like "Prayers for Rain" and "Same Deep Water as You". I guess one can get into these if one happens to be in a sufficiently masturba- tory, artistic mood. The title track has the potential to get tiresome but doesn't quite fulfill it. Things look up with the last song "Untitled", which ends in a Gregorian-stark instrumental bit that's almost enough to restore my faith in the band. So hey, it, along with Kiss Me 3, will be heard in Safeways 25 years from now (that makes the Cure the Beatles of the '80's, I guess), but what the heck. Great background music. Viola Funk 44 DISCORDER VARIOUS ARTISTS Passion Sources (Realworld/Virgin) This album is the first release on the new "Realworld" record label set up by the organisers of WOMAD (World of Music, Arts, and Dance) with aid from Peter Gabriel. The idea behind the label is to help ethnic musicians, many from the Third World, gain access to the latest recording technology. The end result is beneficial for the musicians as it widens their audience to encompass digital-sensitive Westerners—and beneficial to their listeners, providing them with ethnic music minus the technical glitches and wear-and-tear of existing recordings. Despite the tremendous surge in popularity that ethnic music has undergone in recent years, Peter Gabriel can hardly be accused of "jumping on the bandwagon" by producing and releasing Passion Sources. Gabriel has long had a sincere interest in folk music of other cultures, demonstrated by his fourth album and, more impressively, by his organisation of the early WOMAD festivals in England, which often didn't break even and were subsidised by him personally. This album was released as a companion to Gabriel's "Passion", the soundtrack to Scorsese's "Last Temptation of Christ". Hopefully, Passion Sources will not be overlooked in favour of themore familiar Westernised music on the Gabriel album which, although beautiful in its own way, seems at times a dilution of the source. Passion Sources is a compilation of some of the most influential musicians in world music today. Side one opens with a track by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the leading exponent of Qawaali music, a style dedicated to the praise of Allah. This song is a joyous celebration worlds apart from the sombre hymns of West- em religion. Many of the pieces are dominated by complex, driving rhythms, such as Fatala's frantic West African drumming, but a large proportion of the album is dedicated to slow, soulful solos or duets like Antranik As- karian and Khatchadour Khatchaturian's "Song of Complaint", which closes the album on a mournful note. For me, the two tracks that really stand out are the two location recordings. The first, recorded in a bar in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by unknown musicians, features a fast compulsive rhythm, a minimalist tin whistle and the chants, screams, and shouts of a well- pissed clientele—why doesn't this sort of thing go on down at Kits Pub? The other is a wedding song recorded on the set of "Last Temptation", which begins with a chant by young girls and again builds into an exciting drum rhythm. The only song that really doesn't seem to fit the concept of Passion Sources is the track by Shankar and the Epidemics. Sh- ankar's been around for a long time now and his recordings are readily available in high quality versions. He is a close friend of Peter Gabriel's and I get the feeling that this rather tedious five- minute-plus improvisationmight have been included as a favour. This however is my only criti- Passion Sources is an excellent world music sampler. Don'tbeputoff by its unfamiliar - ity; the album is a celebration of rhythm and spirit no w lost in much of Western music and life. Peter Lutwyche BOB MOULD Workbook (Virgin) Ultimately, after the destruction of any building, there is wreckage and debris that must be cleared away before it is possible to rebuild. It may be presumptuous to compare the break-up of Husker Du in 1988 with the felling of a skyscraper, but in a sense, when one considers the importance of Husker Du to the growth of the underground music scene of the early '80's, when along with REM and the Replacements they represented a beacon of hope for any adolescent who had ever dared to dream of playing in a rock and roll band, the breakup had all the repercussions of the crushing of a landmark. Workbook could neatly fall into the category of uncleared debris. Although not quite as personal as the EP released by Grant Hart, 2541 (named after the address of a Minneapolis studio where the band had done a lot of recording). Mould's album is clearly a soul-purging effort. Fans of the Husker Du wall of fuzz and hyperactive staccato sound may be somewhat disappointed by the fact that this has nearly disappeared. Acoustic picking fills the space in which thunder once reigned supreme. The lyric sensibilities seem to have changed as well. When the Huskers sang their special brand of thrash-pop it was often difficult to pick out the fact that their songs were actually heartfelt and sometimes even funny observations on the human condition. At a time when most hardcore punks were making blase comments on the ills of society and propagating negative attitudes toward anything they could think of (which, often, wasn't much), this was a coup. It seems now that Bob Mould has taken more of the stance of the introspective troubadour on this album. Where once he screamed about "59 Times the Pain" and "These Important Years", he now actually sings about topics that seem almost pastoral. "I walk through the fields to Brasilia" and "Jackrabbit done run cross that road, Goin' to Hotel in the sky" are something one might expect from John Cougar or Tom Petty, but none would have thought Mould could cut so close to his Workbook is a piece of background music to put on while cleaning your room or reading, because, unfortunately, for the most part it certainly does not have the gripping effect of Mould's earlier work. However, if one considers that this is a transitional album, one that essentially clears away built-up emotional debris via the sentiments of a once-notorious punk guitarist poised on the brink of thirty with nowhere to go. Workbook is an intense look at the mind inside the man. If all else fails, file it under "total loss" and thank God you still have your copy of "New Day Rising". Michael Leduc THE POGUES Peace and Love (Island/MCA) Rumour has it that Shane MacGowan is on the Keith Richards route to life in death and truth is that his record company does not set up interviews for him anymore due to "incoherence". [It's good to know there's still someone who hasn't sold out.— Ed.] This may be the reason that The Pogues' new album "Peace and Love" has so many songs NOT written by the man whose teeth are almost as infamous as Samantha Fox's breasts. However, a more likely explanation would be that the indi v idual band- members are coming into their own as musicians and songwriters. After six years and four albums, this motley crew (none of whom could play the instruments they were assigned as Pogues) proves that they are unwilling to remain stagnant as the best Irish folk/punk/rogue/fusion band around. The first single, "Misty Morning Albert Bridge", is a rather misleading introduction to the album. Its traditional sound and classic Shane MacGowan sandpaper vocals are more akin to previous efforts than the rest of Peace and Love. Five of the eight band members contribute songs to make this the most rounded Pogues effort to date, if not the most "Pogue-ish". Purist fans of the band may be disappointed at the first listen, but openminded- ness is the key to getting to like this album. There are some schlocky duds, admittedly, but these are more than made up for by the brilliance of tunes like "Cotton Fields", fiercely dark and dense, and "London is a Lady", a to-the-bone musical portrait of London like only Shane could write. With Peace and Love, the Pogues have proved that at least onebandcanretainashit-kicking attitude and a sharp-as-a-razor edge that for most is eaten away by the big bucks and glamour of the recording industry. Let's just pray Shane can make it through alive. If he should fall from grace with God... Tania Alekson from ASEXUALS Dish (Cargo) Asexuals Montreal and we all want to support home-grown talent, right? Unfortunately, these guys make it extremely difficult by churning out this unimaginative dribble. The album leads off with the title track, a bit of power pop fleshed out by a horn section that adds a little punch to the tune. But everything is downhill from here. Asexuals use a tired-sounding guitars/drums lineup throughout; the horns (the only redeeming feature) are disregarded except for two more tracks. There is little to distinguish the songs from one another, repetition being prevalent bothmusically andlyri- cally. The lyrics concentrate on celebrating lust and liquor, perfect material for any Top 40 cover band. Each track is explained on the album sleeve with obscure phrases like, "an uplifting anthem about microwave cooking in the golden palace of the Himalayas" or "this little ditty was inspired by Anton Chekhov' s overtime goal in Game 5 of the Canada Cup". WHAT?! Perhaps these pearls of wisdom are supposed to symbolically introduce us to each song, or even impress us with their learned insights. (What Anton Chekhov has to do with the Canada Cup is beyond me, although reincarnated playwrights on ice may be anew Soviet innovation.) If the effort put into these gems had gone into the lyrics then there might be something worth listening to here. But the words are as dull as the music and the obscure references only highlight their inadequacies. Asexuals come off as pretentious, flaunting style without substance. This album deserves a similar dismissal. G. Simms THE RAZORBACKS Live A Little (WEA) The Razorbacks'. brand of rockabilly experienced a revival a few years back, at least on commercial radio, with the likes of the Stray Cats and Ry Cooder. With "Live A Little" the Razor- backs continue in this commercialised style; driving stand-up bass, vocals with a nasal twang, and jangly guitars. The band is smooth and they play short, snappy tunes covering the standard subjects: laments of no girls, no money, or love on the rocks. Yet here the upbeat tracks don't have quite enough spark and the occasional ballad drags along, leaving an overall impression of a lack of energy. All the proper ingredients are here but they ain't been cooked long enough. (I've never seen the Razorbacks live but I would hope they have more jump than this album does.) The songs are subdued throughout with a few exceptions—' TJidn' t Your M am m a Tell You" and an interesting cover of Townsend's "My Generation". While there is lots of whoopin' and hollerin' here, it all seems a bit forced. Live A Little tantalises with a promise of some high- energy rockabilly but fails to deliver. Give these guys full marks for effort but the end product is disappointing. G. Simms THE GODFATHERS More Songs of Love and Hate (Epic) Hey man! It's 1965 and these are the R+B sounds of swinging London. From The quadra-zillion (or two) grunging guitars, to the simplistic beats, to the charming "I can't sing, so I'll sort of talk melodically" vocals of lead God(f ather) Peter Coyne, it is apparent that this is a group with its collective head firmly jammed into the sand, in the vain hope that it will gain a revelatory glimpse of the past. The result of this peculiar activity, of a band that was once The Sid Presley Experience, includes a gem, "She Gives Me Love", an industrial diamond, "I Don't Believe in You", replete with "groovy" organ (not Vox, more like Hammond), and numerous lumps of carbon. In the latter category we have "These Days are Over" (but not really because people are still making this kind of music) and a song whose title I can't read because my handwriting is so awful. No matter, because these latter tunes all sound like Gang of Four/The Jam outtakes, all made while Paul Weller and Andy King were off at the Labour Party Convention. Supposition: Thatcher- nomics has driven England so far back into the past that people really do think it's the 1960's again. It's just a thought. Look for the Godfathers to don platform soles and glitter-covered waistcoats as the British economy progresses forward to 1973. J.W. ZVUKI MU Produced by BRIAN ENO Modern Songs from Russia (Land) The lyrics, sung in Russian and translated on the inner sleeve, give brooding, Dos- toyevskian portraits of psychological torment. In Russian, for example, one can say "leave me alone" in one word: otvyazhis. Other thoughts do not translate: "From bison's eyes/the darkness has lit up/and in my house/there's such/such.../Gadopiatikna!" Just what this ominous Godopiatikna is, is not clear. It may have something to do with "women lacquered women/women lacquered women." You've got to expect a certain amount of frivolity with this record. That balding fellow from Middlesborough, Eno, is behind it and despite his articulate, intellectual ramblings he is basically out for yuks of the driest vintage: what Shklovski would call ostranenie. There are bits of Fripp/Belewesque guitar on this record and quirky little numbers followed by long, hungry pieces. "Traffic Policeman" sounds like theold Animal Slaves doing "Man from Glad". "Forgotten Sex" starts off moodily enough, but then the keyboards worm their way into the sparse mix and the vocalist throatily intones in self- satisfied fulfillment "sex/sex/ seex/seeex". In writing about the Scramblers/54-40 Russian tour Ken Eisner (Georgia Straight, Music Express) left the impression that Soviet popular music is dominated by second-rate De- pecheMode imitators. Obviously he didn't catch Zvuki Mu. Somewhere between the Talking Heads' "More Songs aboutBuild- ings and Food" and Devo's first album, this record, "Modem Songs from Russia", presents another discovery from Brian Eno. Are we not men? We are Zvuki Mu. Brian Hohm LL COOL J Walking with a Panther (Def Jam/CBS) LLCool Jhasn' tgrown up yet, which is good. His rhymes are still hard, his rhythms are still infectious, and he's still got a massive ego. If it weren't for his bragging, giving him a bad name in rap circles, this would be one of the best records of the year. With help from Public Enemy on two hyped tracks, most of this hour- plus record rocks, but he covers all the bases with three "ballads" of varying intensity. This record lives up to his reputation as a good rapper and an egotist. Not many political messages here. A. Pi S. NURSE WITH WOUND Automating Volume Two (United Dairies) While by yourself in large rooms with unconventional surfaces and darkness infliltrating those areas not subjected to direct light, and with a total loss of sound from your environment due to headphones directing the electromagnetic radiation composed by Nurse With Wound internal to your cranium, at every turn ahi de- ous monster of your imagination' s creation rears its head. You find yourself retreating from your own body as the primary priority is to interpret the data being inputted into your temporal lobes. You hope that the old rechargeable batteries in the Walkperson die as they always do, but no such luck. The processed lyrics of unknown language swoop down on your cerebrum as you grasp at the shards of concept flying by. Drum machines manufacture certainty and then stop. Familiar songs/ sounds pass in unfamiliar forms. Repetition occurs where un- necssary. Feedback, shouts, violent bursts of sonic pain reinforce the mix. Questions arise. How could this be created by humans? Am I being bombarded by subliminal messages? Why do I want to listen to this? What key are they playing in? Why can't I just stop the tape player? Why is it only 2:42 AM? How could I have written so much without saying anything? A. Pi S. WE'VE GOT A FUZZBOX AND WE'RE GOING TO USE IT! International Rescue (WEA) If anyone ever required the services of International Rescue (the organisation featured in "Thunderbirds", abeyond-hipTV show with an anthemic title track popularised by the Rezillos, and featuring life-sized puppets manning unlikely rocket-ships on ridiculous missions), it's these Fuzzbox characters. This particular offering is a three-song EP containing the title track, "International Rescue"; "Raising Champagne"; and "Barbarella". As one might gather from the last title, or perhaps from the back coverof the record, this EP is supposed to be some sort of abbreviated pop opera based loosely on the Jean-Claude Forest comic (and Roger Vadim movie) featuring the members of We've Got A Etc. as (new) members of International Rescue who go to the aid of Barbarella in order to save her from the evil Duran Duran. (Who are themselves beyond saving, but that's beside the point.) The muscial low points on this dubious effort include all the mindless dance/electro titles mentioned above, with the possible exception of the lastsong, which would make ideal extro music for anyone involved in attempting to expel uninvited guests from a big house party. (I suppose it has its uses.) The whole thing is a dim notion, dimly executed. Buy a Bobby Brown record instead. COLD SWEAT Plays J.B. (JMT) Now that the godfather of soul is doing time and every other rapper is ripping him off left, right and centre it's great to see some real musicians paying tribute to James Brown and not embarrassing themselves in the process. "Cold Sweat" includes some of New York's finest laying down the J.B. patented funk and blowing hot over top. Led by ex- Sun Ra trombone player Craig Harris (whose Tailgator Tales concert was a sadly underrated performance in this year's Jazz Festival), this collective blows through an interesting assortment of J.B. originals. Everything from 'Try Me", "I Got the Feelin'", "Please, Please, Please" to "It's a Man's World" arguably does justice to the originals while still delivering cookin' new interpretations. Harris throws in a couple of short original tracks carved in classic J.B. grooves for good measure. Guest jazz heavies David Murray, Arthur Bly the and Olu Dara make cameo appearances for some inspired fun. Thankfully, the vocals are kept to a minimum so as to avoid too much comparison with the one, the only...Yet they still are there to bring what's going on back into focus instead of being lost in endless blowing. James Brown may not be enjoying one of the best periods of his career but at least some people still know who deserves the respect and how to give it back. Here's hoping this one gets to his ears and heart. As the liner notes conclude "...and we ask please, please, please that everybody drop to their knees and thank God for James Brown." Paul Clarke STEVE JONES Rre and Gasoline (MCA) Listening to the new Steve Jones LP was very disappointing. I shouldn't have been surprised; he was partly responsible for Iggy Pop's immensely boring "Instinct" album. At times "Fire and Gasoline" has the spark of mid-'70's Kiss, but Steve's raspy Jack Daniels tough-guy vocals and predictable guitar quickly become tiresome. The songs run the gamut of dull to moronic, despite enlisting the help of Ian Astbury and Bill Duffy, which only results in a couple of third-rate Cult In the albeit chequered past, Steve at least had a half- decent singer, a vicious rhythm section and bad songs. Solo, he's left with only the bad songs. Jeff Molsen TIN GOD Tin God (cassette) Rarely does a new band's first demo come across as intelligent, pwerful and professional as Tin God's first release. The band'srhythm section, Jaime Nicholson on bass and Scott Beadle, drums, plays tight and confident. As usual Mike Graham's highly underrated lead work is tasteful and complementary to Doug Andrews' rhythm guitar and vocals. Congratulations to producer/engineer Mike Landolt for capturing a vivid and confidently aggressive Tin God. There are a lot of nice touches; the mandolinlike rhythm guitar on "Gaso- holic", the doubled choruses during "Lives of the Saints", and a unique rolling almost fretless bass sound throughout the six- song cassette. The songs themselves for the most part are strong. "Gasoholic" suffers from an uninspired guitar melody, and the vocal bridge on "When I Was a Boy" should have been used only as a prelude to the dynamics of the guitar solo, as opposed to being tagged after every chorus. Both songs could use some condensing. "I pity all the babies who cry in their sleep/They'll be marching to the front by the end of the week." The impact of this first verse touches an emotional chord and sets the tone for "The End is the End". Through well-written lyrics and catchy melodies, the desperation of the song manages to erne across soft and subtle, without losing any urgency. The power of this song is not from relentless pounding and vocal histrionics, but rather a tactful manipulation of the senses. My favourite cut, "Lay Me Down", is an action-packed, tight-paced, thriller of a pop song, on the edge. And the rawk-an- them chorus kicks in like a runaway train. This dayglo-covered cassette is available at all the cool record stores, or better yet, check out the band live and give 'em a five for the tape. Jeff Molsen LES NEGRESSES VERTES Les Negresses Vertes (Rhythm King Records) The hit of the French NightClub Scene, Les Negresses Vertes have exploded onto the European roots music arena with the biggest impact since The Pogues arrived in '84. They hail from France: mainly from Paris, with some from the Cargue in the south. Their name is a somewhat derogatory term (not unlike The Pogues') that was hurled at them as an insult which, true to their defiantly punk stance, they decided they liked. They use the imagery to attack the racism which lurks in the psyche of deranged mbsters like Le Pen and his ob- horrent Front National. Les Negresses Vertes play global folk punk, mixing flamenco, ska, punk, and accordion- driven waltzes. The accordian grabs yo firts, as teh mislead- lingly gentle "La Valse" opens the album. The deception doesn't last, as "Zobie La Mouche" drives along, complete with flamenco rhythms,hot congs, and a powerful, dancefloor beat. It's a big hit in the U.K., although the BBC wouldn't play it if somebody translated the lyrics for them! Other outstanding cuts include the manic "Les Yeux De Ton Pere", "Marcelle Ratafia", and "Danse Des NEgresses", and the infectiously tuneful "C'Est Pas La Mer A Boire", and "Voila L'Ete." What separates Les Negresses Vertes from the ranks of their post-punk counterpartrs is their instrumentation: two Spanish guitars, piano, bass, drums, congas, and a three-piece horn section. The trombone recalls the sound of The Specials, the accordian reminds me of Vancouver's wonderful Nyetz, the vocals are a cross between a football crowd and Shane MacGowan (in French), and the flamenco guitars and handlclaps capitalize on the interest generated by the Gypsy Kings. In short, a fine album with plenty of acoustic roots, caustic social comment, an irreverent sense of fun, and some of the most melodic dance music around. Calling all record labels: release this LP in Canada, right Steve Edge SEPTEMBER 1989 45 Picadilly and Cigarettes Christopher Kovacs' Notes From the EnglisljXiimjs Here I am again, approaching the statue of Eros in London's Picadilly Circus. Assuming my best Chief Dan George voice I whisper "Dish looks like a good place to smoke", and sit. Immediately, or almost so, outrageously-tattoed-Dole-Queue Punk #1 presents himself and asks for a cigarette. The sun's out. I feelgood. I oblige. He retreats. After a polite interlude of 20 seconds or so, outrageously-coiffured-squatters' rights Punk #2 plants himself beside me. He has a large Black Labrador with him, and seeing that the dog has not been cosmetically altered in any way, my heart is warmed a bit. I offer the dog a cigarette, am doggily ignored, then offer one to the punk. Registering surprise and a little dismay that I've pre-empted him, he accepts and asks me the obligatory where-ya-from questions. He's intense in a nonthreatening way, softspoken. We start talking about music. I tell him about seeing the Pursuit of Happiness at the Marquee last Friday. Despite the dead- on harmonies, the intriguing bare-midriff writings of Leslie Stanwyck and the self-effacing patter of Moe Berg, the incessant power chord rehash left me cold. Maybe the vocals were too low in the mix. I don't know, it just felt like I was in a stadium. The punk nods at this and tells me about the semi-private parties out around Portobello Road where bands get together to play open-stage. I feel a bit left out. Apparently the parties and some suburban gigs are an 'in the know' sort of thing organized by the "squatters' coalition" of which he's a member. I mention the bigfun Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper gig at the Mean Fiddler last night and he grunts approval, but at the mention of the Pixies' Wednesday show at Kilbum National he launches into a vitriolic diatribe: 'Talentless hacks! Can't play a fuckin' note..." and so on. As he begins to foam ever so slighdy at the mouth and his dog eyes me to assess my nutritional content, I hastily change the subject. The pubs close at 11 PM, I bitch. What do you do if you hate disco, and you can't £ 12 to get into the Hippodrome anyway? After 5 months in booze-and-bodily-fluid spattered Mykonos, where things get under way at midnight or so, I'm a litde bit down by old London town. His eyes glaze over a litde and his Mohawk begins to quiver. "Have you been to an Acid House party yet?" Oh no. Not this again. "I can't stand the music," I begin, to which hecounters/'It'snot the music... "But whenl swiftly parry with "I guess with enough chemicals in your system...", he looks at me with reproach. "It's not that either. It's the atmosphere, the energy, the SEX." His eyes are fairly glowing now and I swear the people around us edge back a bit. Fortunately, his attention is diverted by a pair of bobbies ambling by. "Fucking fascist," he mumbles. "In this country, they don't care about your politics, about your hair, about fuckall except how you dress." He plucks at my lamentably Gordon Gecko suspenders, not aggressively, but merely to emphasize his point. "You'resafe. You can do whatever you want." He looks at his own leather and studs as I insipidly venture, "Isn't it the music that's important, not how you dress?" "Yah," he sighs, and fingers the roadscabs on his nose, "I like the music, you like the music, but guess who gets the shit kicked out of them at the end of the day?" That might be a good place to end, except for this. A few cigarettes later, arather clean cut young lady, hair demurely tied back, makeup lightly applied, with what might have been polyfilla inexpertly applied to conceal the hole where her nose ring world normally dangle, appears before us. My mohawked friend looks sheepishly at me and mutters with a curious note of rebellious pride - "Job interview". The young lady looks triumphant. She says "Come on, we'll be late for the babysitter." So with a "See ya 'round, man", he shambles off with his dog, hand in hand with his girl, into a bright day, leaving me chuckling and wondering. 46 DISCORDER 432 HOMER SI VANCOUVER CUSTOM MADE CLOTHES IN LEATHER Leather Repairs Retail & Wholesale PARTYCENTRALSCHEDULE WILD iNESDA ■'- -k.i- m KS-- CID FUNKY FRIDAYS Starring H.B.D. Come Feel The Bass! FREE ADMISSION FOR FOUR WITH THIS AD BEFORE 10PM DISCO THURSDAYS Come Hear the High Energy Oldies from the 70's D.J. Robyn Durlin Dance! Dance! JM Dance! CLIP FOR FREE ADMISSION TOP 40 SATURDAYS Featuring The Spin & Win Dance Contest with Sam the DJ. CLIP FOR YOU AND A GUEST 350 RICHARDS STREET, VANCOUVER, B.C. PHONE 687-5007
Periodicals
English
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Vancouver : Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia
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Original Format: Student Radio Society of University of British Columbia
Rock music--Periodicals
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