VIDEO BARBEQUE’S second recording, Maximalism, is a goofy fusion of Led Zeppelin cevers, B-

movie soundtracks and jazz.

Take the A tra

Photo Lincoln Clarkes

in

Video Barbeque’s good-time Alternative sounds

* HEN DOES indi-
viduality not pay
@. off?
"When you're a hard-to-
“categorize band like Vancouver's
1 Video Barbeque looking to be
picked up by a major record label.
* “We've sent stuff to major
labels before and they say, ‘Great
. stuff, but | don’t have a clue where
:te put it,” laments keyboardist
Scott Harker.
Maybe it would help if there was
_ ‘an off-the-wall-fake-jazz-campy-
“ horr-laden-beatnik-party music
category in which to slot the Qs.
“4's ironic, because these guys
_are always asking for something
: original, and when we give it to
them, they don’t know what to do
> with it.”
It’s one of the rare moments

Harker finds something to gripe

- about. Most of the time the 37-

year-old vocalist is refreshingly op-
timistic about the progress of
Video Barbeque, which got
thrown on the griddle five years
ago.
It started with just a few people
getting together to explore original
music, and the rest of the band
“just kind of clumped on,” says
bassist Greg Boothroyd, who at 25
is the group’s youngest member.
At last count there were seven
permanent “barbequeites,” but
there have been instances when as
many as 26 musicians, give or take
a few, have crammed onto a stage.
It says a lot about the group's
openness and spontaneity.
“Sometimes we'll be playing
and a guy will just walk out of
nowhere with a horn,” says
Boothroyd, a North Shore native.
“Yeah,” adds Harker, “t ended
up giving that guy a ride home,
and | didn’t even know his name,’’
he turns to Boothroyd and laughs.
Regular appearances at the

’ Railway Club and the Vancouver

Du Maurier Jazz Festival have
armered the ensemble a core fol-
owing. Their fans are a diverse lot

— everything from “black leather

jackets to suits.”

In june they released their se-

cond recording, Maximalism, a

goofy fusion of Led Zeppelin
covers, B-movie soundtracks and
jazz, which is already receiving
decent airplay and better reviews.

The sound is hard to pigeon-
hole because it’s really a blend of
many musical styles: you'll find
traces of jazz, folk, tango, reggae
— even swing.

Ali of the members (including
trumpet player Aron Doyle, sax-
ophonist Rob Armus, trombonist

See Talent page 34

WALK TO THE SUNSHINE COAST!
SAVE $$$ and TIME!

Leaves Park Royal at 10:06 am

Langdale Ferry
leaves Horseshoe Bay 11:30 am

Will meet ferry
and take you to:

ROYAL REACH MOTEL

Waterfront Roems
Sechelt

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS
1-835-7844

DECK IS OPEN.
JOIN US!

For Dinner or for Snacks in the Sun -
on cooler days or evenings, our

“heat lamps” will take the chill out .
of those waterfront breezes. oe

DINNERS FROM $7.95

Chill out and git with itt
Deliver the News and ear

Hey kids!

You can earn between
$50-$100 per month
delivering the North Shore
News either Sundays,
Wednesdays or
Fridays. There are no
collections so it

leaves you pleniy

of time to do .
ihe things {

you want.

extra money

3 74 - HO COLLECTIONS
Uh ‘ “y DELIVER AFTERHOONS _
WEDNESDAY AND
f FRIDAY, AND UP TO -
iC 11:00 A.M. ON SUNDAYS
/ MONTHLY CARRIER
. NEWSLETTER
v MONTHLY PRIZES

~ CARRIER SPECIAL
EVENTS

» ONE, TWO OR THREE |
DAYS PER WEEK

OS

Um ©» Ge

CALL 986-1337

Tak vores OF mONTH £208 war Vw DEAE

‘north shore’

 WREWESOAY + FMDAY