FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Are you a Maud or are you a rocker?
Three women, one cat bite and a bag of laxative tea
prove that Maud aren't your typical band.Maud with Anne Loree, Tinderbox and Luann Kowalek
At the Bridgeland Riverside Community Hall
Friday, February 21Remember that kid at your school who didn't quite fit in? He wasn't geeky enough for the nerds, or athletic enough for the jocks. He was an amalgamation of almost every possible stereotype ascribed to children of his age. Of course, rather than actually hail this perfectly socialized person, we usually beat the hell out of him.
Maud are a lot like that kid. No one is quite sure how to classify their genre-bending rock / folk / jazz music, and their peers often have difficulty figuring out where they are coming from. With members who have spent almost 10 years in the Calgary music scene, many can't understand what drives them. And, like the kid in the school yard, they get beaten up fairly regularly.
"A cat bit me," says drummer Lori Kennedy, referring to her heavily bandaged right arm. "I've been on IV because it went through the tendon."
It was also Lori that caused the prolonged absence of the trio from Calgary's local brew houses and community halls. Her hand problems, along with each member's personal issues and pursuits outside the band, led to the noticeable hiatus.
"We had to find the right haircut for Lori, as well. It takes a while," laughs singer / guitarist Chantal Vitalis, obviously proud of the well-hairsprayed coif Lori settled on.
Not that the band is heavy on image; to most it's indiscernible, making them a promoter's nightmare. "I don't know if Maud really fits in; maybe what make us different is that there is some cross-over."
The lack of an easy-to-categorize sound hasn't stopped them from getting together a two-week tour that will take them across the Prairies and to Toronto.
"I don't know if we handle business very well. Trying to book shows is definitely the most annoying thing," reflects bassist Diane Kooch. "I'm sort of the nice, sweet, Miss Congeniality type, then I'll shove tickets in your face (yelling) 'Buy these!'"
Business savvy it isn't, but between the various scatological references spurred on by the presence of a laxative herbal tea and the description of life on the road (which, come to think of it also involved bodily functions), it's obvious to ascertain that the band simply enjoys what they're doing.
"I keep them in line," clarifies Chantal with rapid agreement from the other two. "The squeakiest wheel gets the grease," she sighs, leaving the rest of the table pausing to try to figure out exactly what she means.
One thing is for certain - Maud, like that kid on the schoolground, come back for more day after day. No matter how many times Lori gets injured or Chantal has to crack the whip or Diane has to shove tickets in your face, Maud will go on.
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