| Wagbeard, Ded Souls, Earthquake Pills, The Puritans, The Innocent Three. What do these names all have in common? The letter "E." And there are still more bands whose names would be very awkward without our vowel-y little friend.
But we don’t need to talk about that this week, let’s instead review the musical career of returning local hero Chris Temple. The distinctive voice of many of our favourite Calgary groups, he has recently moved back to our city after spending a few years in Toronto.
"I was having a kid, so I took my chances and applied for some jobs out here. I got one working on cars… I just worked at bars and shit out there, so here I am," explains Temple.
I felt compelled to ask him to compare his old Calgary bands and share which of them he would consider to be the most successful.
"Wagbeard was pretty good for its time, and I was at the right age for it all. Not "successful," but maybe the peak of fun. I was 23 and everything was pretty new and exciting. But it’s always been kind of the same (with each band)…it’s always been rewarding on some level."
He also confirmed rumours that Earthquake Pills were indeed approached by a local promotor about doing a reunion show. "I had a kid in November, so that was the impetus to bow out of that show, I kind of got in over my head… but it could definitely happen still."
But there is a new band. The Sleepers (which also features Field Day’s Jay Kreway) will be performing on February 4th at The Hifi.
Any stylistic left turns for Chris Temple’s writing in the Sleepers?
"Not at all. It’s just something I enjoy and it’s always going to be that approach. I never conceptualized it or tried to follow a trend; just what comes to mind."
The Castle Pub is throwing a birthday party February 3 for Will Schatz. Schatz is known to some as Calgary’s busiest "sound guy" (having toured with bands like The Horror Pops, and locals The Rocky Fortune), to others as the drummer of Mad Cowboys and Hip City Blues Combo, and to me as "Will with two Ls."
"The show starts as soon as Calgary finishes kicking Vancouver’s ass. I’m coming to the show from the hockey game," shares Schatz . "I might be too drunk to play."
What does your mom think about that?
"My mom’s going to be there – she might even play. She’s been a bluegrass musician the whole time that I was growing up. Leslie Schatz. She’s been sort of retired for the last 10 years since she had (another) kid. We’ll see how she feels about playing at a punk rock bar!"
By the way, in case you missed it, The Castle Pub officially reopened almost a year ago under new management. It may not look different, but according to my sources, they have redone the whole thing. New floors, new beer lines, new bathrooms (ohthankmaryjosephandthemanger), a new P.A. system, new fridges, and they even repainted the walls. Go see the "new them."
This column was brought to you by the letters "E" and "L"(both of them). |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.