Who the frig are those weirdos?
Max Webster was one of the first Canadian rock bands that I seriously latched onto, after I'd already climbed eagerly aboard the Rush bandwagon. Largely unknown outside their native country, Max Webster did carve out a niche in the nation's music history books. Through their trademark weirdness, visually, lyrically, and musically, Max never failed to surprise their rabid fans. I had the great, great pleasure to see Max on my high school stage, just a year before they began their rather rapid rise to modest fame.
These clowns loved to ham it up onstage, and certainly didn't disappoint when I first saw them in my school days. After that small town concert, the band went on to release two chart-breaking albums, and built an even larger cult following as they toured as opening act for Rush in the U.S. and Europe in the late 70's. But they were fated to remain largely unknown outside of Canadian classic rock circles, and sadder still, their career fizzled out abruptly thanks to a lack of support from their record label. I feel fortunate to have seen the band live in their heyday, before all of the messy lineup changes and label disputes.
Max Webster's curious mixture of hard rock and melodic progressive explorations led to a very unique sound. Add to that the odd and entertaining lyrics of non-performing band member Pye Dubois, who was responsible for many a barroom anthem. Certainly, guitarist Mitchell had something worthwhile (stunning, more like it) to say instrumentally, and his unmistakable vocal style gave life to Dubois's penmanship.
Lead singer and guitarist Kim Mitchell brought back various incarnations of the band in the 90's for some tour dates. Good ol' Kim was kind enough to swing by my city of choice a couple of times, once - strangely - to play in a country-themed bar/restaurant, and again (more successfully this time, I'll add) at a proper night club where I had a blast reliving the old days with songs like "Here Among the Cats" and "Waterline". That party was higher than the Eiffel Tower.
No comments:
Post a Comment