Riverfest Elora 2018: Day 3: Carole Pope (Rough Trade) - Concert Photos

Several of my most formative musical memories of my childhood and early youth were of albums I checked out of the library. I have always been a little compulsive about seeking out new music, sparked by band names, album covers, things I think I might have heard of and on and on. That's how I discovered such musical touchstones as David Bowie's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Quite an album for such a young boy. And then there was Rough Trade's Avoid Freud. It captivated me, from the art work to the music; yes, the songs. Such adventure...

But it's only now that I have been able to experience the power of Carole Pope's presence from the live stage. I was in awe as she and her band took to the Koop Stage at Riverfest Elora 2018.

Carole Pope is a badass. I was so stoked to see her and hear some great tunes new and old. She played Rough Trade tunes that I've loved for pretty much all of my life like "All Touch", "High School Confidential", "Crimes of Passion" and they even came back for an encore of "Weapons". Carole mentioned that they’d have to do more Rough Trade reunion shows. I certainly hope they do and that they'll allow me to capture it. The other songs in the set were new to me, but sounded awesome.

Just think back to the cultural environment in the late 60s and through the 70s and early 80s and you'll realize the risks that Carole Pope took, the bravery she possessed and the change she made possible by her songs, words and actions. The freedoms of expression and freedoms to live the life you choose that we have today are due in large part to the courageous battles of people like Carole Pope. Total badass. Thank you, Carole.

Check out some tunes from the set:

"This is Not a Test"

"Transcend"

"Shakedown"

"All Touch"

"High School Confidential"

"Crimes of Passion"

"Weapons"

Happy Canada Day: Classic Canadian Alternative compendium

I've been enjoying going back in time and reminding myself of the great Canadian bands that changed the course of independent and alternative music back from the late 80s to early 90s. Why not enjoy some Classic Canadian Alternative while celebrating Canada's birthday on Canada Day?

Click through to music from the following great bands:

Grapes of Wrath

Universal Honey

National Velvet

Wild Strawberries

Pure

Doughboys

The Killjoys

Rusty

Sandbox

Rhymes with Orange

Rough Trade

Lava Hay

hHead

Collider

Classic Canadian Alternative: Rough Trade

As I mentioned in a previous post where I wrote a sentence about Rough Trade, they were breaking down walls of prejudice 30 years ago. Quite cutting edge for the time, and even a little risqué now.

Wikipedia states, "Rough Trade was a Canadian new wave rock band in the 1970s and 1980s, centred on singer Carole Pope and multi-instrumentalist Kevan Staples. The band was noted for their provocative lyrics and stage antics; singer Pope often performed in bondage attire, and their 1981 hit 'High School Confidential' was one of the first explicitly lesbian-themed Top 40 hits in the world."

Take a listen to some songs:

"High School Confidential" from 1980's Avoid Freud

"All Touch" from 1981's For Those Who Think Young

"Crimes of Passion" from 1982's Shaking the Foundations

The title track from 1983's Weapons

And local rock gods Goddo wrote a song for Rough Trade's singer called "Oh Carole (Kiss My Whip)"

Pic from last.fm.

Five-by-Five: Canadians of the 80s

I'm a Canadian, living in Canada and I grew up on Canadian radio and video stations that had to play 30% "Canadian content". So that, combined with the fact that we have some amazingly talented musicians here in the great white north, means that I like a lot of Canadian music. Here are some of my favourites from back in the 1980s.

This has got to be one of my all-time favourite tunes. It's from Markham Ontario band Blue Peter. It's called "Don't Walk Past".

Stream "Don't Walk Past"

Here's an intense tune from Dalbello called "Gonna Get Close to You". I'm not even gonna mention the cover version by metallers Queensryche.

Rough Trade were a provocative band that were breaking down the walls of prejudice 30 years ago. Here's one of my favourites, "All Touch".

Images In Vogue had Robert Smith-influenced haircuts but produced their own magnificent brand of pop music, as evidenced by the amazingly catchy "Call It Love". I wish I could find the backwards version "Evol Ti Llac" on-line.

Teenage Head with two versions of "Picture My Face". The first from their self titled début (which technically came out in 1979, but whatever) and the second from their 2008 album with Marky Ramone on drums.