FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| MUSIC SHARKSKIN The message left on my answering machine by Sharkskin's tour manager says it all: "They wear sharkskin suits and their stage banter is humorous and, you know, it's a good schtick." Composed of Craig Northey, Doug Elliott and Pat Steward (of the Odds - don't worry they're still together) and Simon Kendall (formerly of Doug & The Slugs), Sharkskin is a '60s instrumental band whose claim to fame is delivering funky grooves while getting sweaty in custom-made sharkskin suits. "We were on to a good thing," says Simon, Sharkskin's organ player. "Before we played a note we bought the material for our suits. We went to Indiatown - we (were) all over Vancouver to find sharkskin. It's a shiny type of material, but it's hard to find these days." The idea came before the suits, even though the suits preceded the band. The quartet, who were good friends previously, had tossed around the idea of forming an old-style rhythm and blues instrumental band. They wanted to capture a sound reminiscent of the legendary players on the Stax/Volt label. Craig, a huge hockey and Stax/Volt fan, pushed the idea through by connecting with the Orca Bay management firm (serving the Vancouver Canucks and Grizzlies). As soon as they received confirmation that they could play gigs at hockey and basketball games, they scurried through Vancouver streets comparing bolts of fabric for their new, suave ensemble. Officially forming last August, Sharkskin kicked off the Canucks' season and played at period breaks while dodging the Zamboni in their iridescent suits. "(We) had talked about this for fun - getting together and jamming. The material is fun to play, it's great stuff. Craig has done a lot of research, he's got a book on Stax/Volt which is the record company that Booker T. & the MG's were on." Simon is able to give an extensive biography on Booker T. and the MG's who, along with The Meters and The Marquees, heavily influenced Sharkskin. Between their folks' vinyl collections and an accessibility to record libraries housing the beloved 78s, the boys nurtured the sound that's coming out today. While 95 per cent of their material is cover songs, Simon professes that the band is merely an outrageous outlet in which to visit the past between their contemporary music projects. "What's good about this is it's just an avenue; it's a side-street and it's something that we're very sincere about - it's the music that we grew up loving. It's a gas, it's fun, it's in our bones. There is a danger in the moldy-oldie world where people get stuck in nostalgia - things will never be as good as they were then. That's just a terrible attitude, I think it's important to remember and reacquaint ourselves. "If you ignore the past then you're misled. I think there's plenty of wonderful music being created today," he remarks. "And as long as we keep creating, it's fine to visit the past." |