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Oct 27 - Nov 3,2002 |
On The Beat
Pere Ubu Returns
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2002-10-06
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David Thomas of Pere Ubu
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PERE UBU: They may hail from Cleveland, but it is a little unlikely this band will be inducted into that city's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not that they don't deserve to be. Founded in the mid '70s, they had a real impact on the punk era with a sound that included avant-garde, blues and industrial elements. They've continued to release commercially unsuccessful but always interesting albums made for a loyal fan base. Visits to Toronto have been rare, but a good size crowd showed at Lee's Palace recently to pay homage. Pere Ubu didn't disappoint, as main man DAVID THOMAS was in fine form. A veritable mountain of a man, he commanded the stage with ease, and entertained the audience with typically bizarre anecdotes (one was about writing a song for KYLIE MINOGUE). The newer band members are fine players, while long-time keyboardist ALLEN RAVENSTINE excelled on his ancient synthesizer and theremin. They concentrated on material from their new disc, St. Arkansas! but drew loud cheers of recognition for their final encore song, the classic Non-Alignment Pact. A good choice for opening act was MERCURY MEN, as they share a sense of aggression and musical adventurousness. In his first-ever gig with the band, bassist ROB HIGGINS (CHANGE OF HEART) fit like a well-worn glove.
HONEYMOON SUITE: No, the honeymoon ain't over. Back in the '80s, Honeymoon Suite were one of the few Canadian rock bands to grab success in the U.S. as well. Their sound was not really to my liking (though their hit New Girl Now is a catchy rock classic), but they deserve credit for that success. Now they're back, or at least leading lights JOHNNY DEE (vocals) and DERRY GREHAN (guitar) are. They've just delivered a comeback CD, Lemon Tongue on local label Bullseye, recently launched, fittingly, at The Hard Rock Cafe. They're a long shot to replicate earlier fame, but fans will dig it.
SONGWRITERS' CIRCLE: You have one last chance to catch this fine TV music series, as the final program airs on Oct. 4, featuring JIM CUDDY, COLIN JAMES and BRUCE GUTHRO. Host Bruce teams with other top Canadian songwriters who perform and talk about their songs in an intimate setting. Featured earlier were the likes of RON SEXSMITH, JANE SIBERRY and JIMMY RANKIN. It's a shame CBC-TV relegated it to such an unfriendly timeslot (11:30 p.m.). Hopefully, it'll be repeated.
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