Preview
THE WATCHMEN
Tuesday, December 16
The Palace
When I think of The Watchmen, I think of my sister.
I think of the grin that instantly appears on her face when she hears Danny Greaves’s voice and the self-conscious giggle that escapes her mouth every time she sees the band perform. It’s amazing how one band can turn an otherwise mature and intelligent woman into a silly schoolgirl.
But alas, she’s not the only one.
For more than a decade The Watchmen have played to awestruck audiences across the country. Whether it was during its early years at Winnipeg’s The Pyramid, or more recently, to screaming fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, they’ve become one of Canada’s most favoured and revered bands.
But all that is coming to an end this month when the Winnipeg band bids its fans a fond farewell and its members go their separate ways.
"You make the decisions for yourself. I wasn’t thinking about the fans when I thought about my next move and (then) realized that people were saddened by it," says Greaves, the band’s lead singer. "We, as a band – as individuals – have changed over the years and seen each other change… It’s really taught me that music’s such a huge part of my life and I can’t really remember when that started.
"We’ve been a machine for a long time, a constant in Canada’s music landscape… and it’s really cool that it’s lasted so long."
Coming together in 1988, The Watchmen have seen the ups and downs of the music industry with an insider’s eye. Debuting in 1992 with McLaren Furnace Room, they garnered the attention of fans with their thought-provoking lyrics and distinct sound. What followed was a series of successful albums between 1994 and 2001.
"Thinking about it, I’ve been a Watchmen for as long as I haven’t been one – which is amazing to say because I’m still young," says Greaves.
Taking a three-year hiatus between Silent Radar (1998) and Slomotion (2001), Greaves has been focusing his efforts on the next chapter of his musical career. Most recently he wrote the score to The Pedestrian, a Canadian film that debuted at the Montreal Film Festival earlier this year.
Joey Serlin, Watchmen guitarist, also turned his sights to writing movie scores, while bassist Ken Tizzard is spinning techno and electronic music as a DJ.
"As artists we’re just getting started," says Greaves. "I just see that it’s the beginning and nobody else has the opportunity to see what comes next.
"Something happened with this bunch of guys that’s shown me that the only thing I’m going to be doing is creating music. Even when I’m not doing it, it’s all I can think about… All of us as musicians – and me as a singer – I’ve just gotten better. And not because I sing better, but because we’re all realizing what our parameters are."
It’s been 15 years since The Watchmen walked on stage for the first time and now the guys are returning to their roots when they travel the Canadian circuit one last time as a group.
Kicking things off in Calgary, The Watchmen are playing eight shows in less than three weeks, stopping off in Winnipeg for two shows at the bar that gave them their start, The Pyramid.
"It does feel very full circle and that’s kind of a big deal. Winnipeg and The Watchmen have been around for a while," says Greaves. "I’m glad that we’re doing (the tour). The thought of doing this last tour was sort of an afterthought and I’m glad we have this opportunity," |
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