HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1994-06-15, Page 17THE HURON EXPOSITOR, June 15, 1994-17
Bentall brings
blue collar
rock to
Seaforth
BY DAVID SCOTT
Expositor Staff
Vancouver seems to have a few
hot commodities these days. One is
Stanley Cup finalists the Canucks,
the other is rock and roller Barney
Bentall.
Barney Bentall and the Legendary
Hearts are coming to the Seaforth
arena and playing a licensed show
on June 17 as part of an eight -stop
Ontario tour this month. The band
has three albums to date: their self -
titled premiere album, Lonely
Avenue and Ain't Life Strange.
They have also produced nine
videos.
Bentall has been described as a
Canadian version of John
Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen
in style and song -writing.
The Huron Expositor recently
spoke to Barney Bentall from
Vancouver.
Q. You are sometimes labelled as
a `voice of the blue collar' singer.
Is this label restricting?
A. There was a time when we paid
attention to that. I don't find the
label restricting. We try to write
songs the average person can ident-
ify with. The blue collar label just
means we're not being snooty.
Q. 'Grunge' is big in the music
scene now while straight -ahead
rock was bigger a few years ago
like Bruce Springsteen and John
Mellencamp. Where do you fit in
the current music scene or is
fitting in even a concern for you?
A. It's always a concern to try to fit
in and be accepted. You keep doing
what you do well. Sometimes you
get an influx of people following
trends and your audience is bigger.
Other times you just have your core
fans. Even the last Mellancamp
record was influenced by grunge.
Q. Who do you consider your
audience? (the young, Generation
X, male, female?)
A. I think it's split evenly between
male and female. 1 don't think it's
Generation X. Mostly people in
their 20's and 30's like this type of
music. It's hard to put a demo-
graphic on. We have a variety at
our shows._
Q. What's it like working with
Bruce Cockburn and Blue
Rodeo's Jim Cuddy?
A. It was a great experience to
work with Bruce Cockbum...getting
to know him. Jim sang so well.
Q. You have co -written songs
with Bruce Cockburn and
Murray McLachlan. Do you con-
sider yourrlf a songwriter first
or a singer?
A. That's a good question. I've
never been asked that. I think a
songwriter first. That's my gut
reaction. I never considered myself
a natural singer. It's something I've
worked on. Not like k.d. lang -
she's got a God-given gift.
Q. Your songs sometimes refer to
American themes. Do you spend
a lot of time in the U.S.? What
about glorifying Canada in your
music like Stompin' Tom?
A. I spend some time in the U.S.
...`Belly in the Sun' was just a
southern U.S. type of song. (Bentall
was a little defensive about the
second part of the question). I love
this country and playing across
Canada...Glorifying the country (in
music) is not my way.
Barney Bentall and the Legendary
Hearts decided to depart from the
traditional record -recording format
for their third album, Ain't Life
Strange. Bentall and his bared trans-
formed the Bentall family cottage
on Keats Island (30 km north of
Vancouver) into a 24 -track record-
ing studio. This isolated environ-
ment allowed the band to be more
creative. But the band couldn't get
down to business until the logistic
nightmare of moving tons of state -
of -the art equipment over water and
up hills was finally complete.
Q. The making of the album Ain't
L(fe Strange seemed to be quite
an adventure. How did that affect
the album in the end?
A. It was like being in the sandbox.
We got to experiment and play. I
Entertainment
don't know if I'd be willing to do it
again. It was a lot of work and a lot
of headaches, just the logistics of
moving all the recording equipment.
But we had fantastic meals and
were really relaxed. It was like the
way Blue Rodeo did 'Five Days in
July.'
Q. There is lot of talk today
about the family, the family being
in danger and what constitutes a
family...What does Llvin' in the
'90's have to say about that?
A. In the 1950's and '60s before
social changes there was one view
of the family like Leave it to Bea-
ver. Living in the '90's is a snap-
shot of life. Look at this Ontario
same-sex couple thing. I think
same-sex couples should be allowed
to adopt children. There's almost as
many types of families out there as
there are families. We're not finger -
pointing or judging, we're just
painting the picture.
Q. Ain't Life Strange is your third
album. What are the changes you
and your band have gone through
over the course of three albums?
A. Hopefully we've improved our
musicianship. Our bass player left
and joined the Blue Shadows. We
added another guitar player (like the
Rolling Stones).
The Huron Expositor spoke to
Bentall again the following day
when he was in Toronto on busi-
ness.
Q. How is Vancouver reacting to
having the O' nneks in-tthe-Stan•
ley Cup final?
A. I wish I was in Vancouver last
night (Game 5). My friend said
every time the Canucks scored you
could hear people cheering on the
streets and from apartment build-
ings. I'll be there for tomorrow
night's game (which Vancouver
won).
Q. Vancouver has always seemed
to be the capital of Canadian
rock 'n' roll. What's happening
in the Vancouver scene and does
it influence your music?
A. Sports and music kind of do the
same thing. Music can motivate a
town, pick up spirits and rally
support.
The music scene is always active.
It's really vital. When I first came
there in 1979, Art Bergman, 54-40,
the Payolas were all starting. It was
bursting at the seams. Now it's
creating itself over and over.
Q. The song Doln' Fine seems to
say a lot about relationships and
breaking up. Does this song come
from personal experience?
A. No. But I can imagine that stuff.
Sometimes it's inspired by friends.
But it's an imaginary person with
false bravado. These topics are
often dealt with in songs but they're
depressing. I touch on it with a
sense of humour.
Q. You're on tour throughout
southwestern Ontario in June,
what songs do you find audiences
react to?
A. Something to Live For, Come
Back to Me, Livin' in the '90's...it's
spread out over the three records.
We'll be doing three or four new
songs which will hopefully appear
on the new album.
Currently Barney Bentall and the
Legendary Hearts are working on a
new album. More than half the
songs are already written and the
band hopes to be recording the
album in its Vancouver studio next
spring.
SEAFORTH MANOR
STRAWBERRY
SOCIAL
SATURDAY JUNE 25, 1994
2:00 to 4:00 PM
'2.50 per person
CHl1MS I('rntral Huron Mobility Se,vicel
will be on display & providing transporta-
tion to to from the strawberry social. For a
ride call Bev at 482.5668 or Seaforth
Manor al 527.0030. Bus courtesy of
Overland Custom Coach.
BARNEY BENTALL AND THE
LEGENDARY HEARTS - Mem-
bers of the Vancouver -based
rock band Barney Bentall and
the Legendary Hearts include
from left: Cam Bowman, Jack
Guppy, Bamey Bentall and Colin
Naire. Bamey Bentall brings his
band to the Seaforth arena on
Friday, June 17. Tickets are still
available.
•
•
BACK TO BLYTH
THIS YEAR!
Order your tickets now
for the Blyth Festival's
World Premiere of
BOUNCING BACK
by Suzanne Finlay
(519) 523-9300
Seaforth
Legion Ladies
Father's Day
ROAST
BEEF
BUFFETT
Homemade Pies
and Desserts
SUNDAY, JUNE 19
4:30 to ?
ADULTS $9.0"
CHILDREN $4.50
Take Outs Available
4-H Fun Fest
Ten 4-H members from Huron
County attended an activity day
called 'Fun Fest' at Walkerton
High School on June 4, spon-
sored by the Huron -Bruce -Grey
4-H leaders' association.
The Huron young people met
90 other 4 -Hers from Bruce and
Grey for relays and games.
MIKE
FAGAN
FRI. NIGHT
BARNEY BENTALL
AND THE LEGENDARY
HEARTS
ADVANCE TICKETS
�6.X�S,x:aWl
COMMERCIAL
HOTEL
527-0980 Seaforth
GRADUATION
Greg Frazer. son of Jim and Marg
Frazer of Fort Erie and grandson
of Helen Chesney and late Alex
Chesney. recently graduated with
his Honours of Business
Administration degree from The
University of Western Ontario. He
has accepted an Information
Systems position with Canada Life
Assurance Co.. Toronto.
McLaughlin
Chev-Olds Ltd.
13 Main St. Seaforth. 527-1140
•Service •Selection 'Savings
'Satisfaction *Leasing
'Complete BODY SHOP Service
SPARKYS PACE
crif4fige, FAMILY
►---ifi DINING
ROAST TURKEY
DINNER
$6 95
■
Includes Mashed Potatoes or Fries,
Vegetables, Coleslaw, Dinner Roll,
Coffee or Tea & Dessert
SUNDAY, JUNE 19 5 - 7 pm
90 Main St., Seaforth 527-1964
ENGAGEMENT
1c.' and Gayle Campbell of
5caforth arc pleased to announce
the forlhcomm` marriage oI their
daughter Ik ve rlv (axle to Pandy
Richard tlarnat e. on of ISnvan and
Valerie Marriage oI ('linlon. The
wedding will take place chaturday.
June 25. 1994 at 3:00 p.m, at
North,.ide United Church.
(.4
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