The McGill Tribune
February 4-10,1992
Page 8
Scram bled Eggmen shake up G< B Y D A V ID N O R T H C o n s id e r th e b itte r s w e e t p r e d ic a m e n t o f th e ty p ica l o p e n in g b a n d : b itte r in d e e d . M o s t fa n s c o u ld n 't ca re le s s w h o o p e n s fo r th e h e a d lin e a c t. M a n y , in fa c t, re g a rd a n y o p e n in g a c ta s a p o in t le ss d iv e rs io n , o r p e rh a p s a s p a rt o f so m e co n s p ira c y to k e e p th e h e a d lin e a c t fro m c o m in g on sta g e . B u t a t th e s a m e tim e , th e e x p e rie n c e is s w e e t in th a t th e e x p o s u re g a in e d b y a g ro u p o p e n in g fo ra re a lly p o p u la r b a n d is in v a lu a b le . T h e q u e s tio n re m a in s ; w h a t is a re a s o n a b le p rice to p a y a s a n o p e n in g b a n d ? Is it e v e n w o rth it to p la y y o u r m u s ic , a s y o u lis te n to d ru n k e n a n d re s tle s s fa n s b e g g in g y o u to le a v e th e sta g e , c o m m a n c r n g y o u to m a k e ro o m fo r th e b a n d th e y p a id g o o d
m o n e y to see ? C o n fro n te d w ith th e se p o te n tia l fa c to rs , M o n tr e a l's o w n E g g m e n w o u ld u n d o u b te d ly e m b ra c e th e o p p o rtu n i ty to o p en fo r a n y o n e . L a st W e d n e s d a y , T h e E g g m e n w e re p re s e n te d w ith a g o ld e n o p p o rtu n i ty to o p e n a t G e r t's fo r th e im m e n se ly p o p u la r fo lk -ro ck o u tfit, T h e S k y d ig g e rs . It w a s a c la s s ic s c e n a rio : to n s o f d rin k in g u n iv e r s ity s tu d e n ts , a n x io u s fo r th e sh o w to b e g in , lo o k in g fo r a n y e x c u s e to g e t u p an d sh a k e a b o u t, n o n e o f th e m e v e n e x p e c tin g a n o p e n in g b a n d in th e firs t p la ce . A n d th e n ..."H e llo , w e a re T h e E g g m e n ." B u t b e fo r e a n y o n e c o u ld y e ll " S k y d i g g e r s ! ...N o w !," s o m e th in g u n u su a l h a p p e n e d . T h is o p e n in g b a n d w a s d o in g s o m e v e r y d iffe r e n t s tu ff o n s ta g e ,
m u c h o f w h ic h h a d to d o w ith c lo th in g . In fa ct, th e p le th o ra o f s ty le s a n d e r a s (u n in te n tio n a lly ? ) re p re se n te d b y th e m u s ic ia n s ' g etu p s s e r v e d a s a c o n v e n ie n t a n a l o g y fo r th e v a rie ty o f m u s ic th e y w e re c r a n k in g o u t. F ro m o n e s o n g to th e n e x t, th e a u d ie n c e w a s b a r r a g e d w ith m u sic a l s ty le s r e m in is c e n t o f b a n d s lik e S q u e e z e a n d T h e B e a tle s a t o n e e x tre m e , a n d B la c k S a b b a th o r B lu e O y s te r C u lt a t th e o th e r. A s a fin a l b iz a r r e tw is t, th e lead s in g e r / b a s s is t w a s a d e a d rin g e r fo r S tin g . It w o u ld n o t b e s tre tc h in g th in g s to s a y th a t T h e E g g m e n a r e s till e s s e n tia lly tr y in g to fin d " th e ir s o u n d " . F ro m p o p -lik e , c a tc h y lo v e s o n g s to g ru n g y , a n g u is h e d b a lla d s , th e y p la y e d it all. D e sp ite in c o n s is te n c ie s in sty le, h o w e v e r , o n e c o m p o n e n t rem ai ned c o n sta n t th ro u g h out th e b r i e f se t: h u m o u r. T
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E ggm en knew how and w hen S k y d i g g e r s p l a y e d T r u th o r D a r e to la u g h a t W ednesday. t h e m d a y n ig h t. s e lv e s . F in a lly , F o r th e S k y d ig g e rs , th e th e ir lo v e o f w h a t e v e n in g 's p e rfo rm a n c e w as th e y w e re d o in g o n s ta g e w a s s o m e o ld h a t. T h e y p ra c tic a lly m a k e a liv in g o u t o f p la y h o w c o n ta g io u s . in g in fro n t o f u n iv e r s ity If o n ly in a v e ry cr o w d s , an d th is th e y d o v e r y w ell. g a r a g e s q u e se n se , T he E ggm en em b o d ie d th e tr u e T h e b a n d a ls o s e e m s s p ir it o f ro c k and h a p p y to r e m a in ju s t b e lo w r o ll fo r a s h o r t th e s u rfa c e , m a y b e e v e n s tra te g ic a lly a v o id in g th e w h ile la s t W e d n e s -
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k in d o f fa m e th e y a re c a p a b le o f, th e k in d o f p o p u la rity e n jo y e d b y th e ir b ro th e rs in a rm s , T h e T ra g ic a lly H ip an d B lu e R o d e o . O r m a y b e th e S k y d ig g e rs d o cr a v e s o m e g re a te r k in d o f re c o g n itio n . E ith e r w ay , th e y 'r e d o in g th is th e ir w a y , a n d re m a in a k in d o f w o n d e rfu l s e c r e t a m o n g s t th e ir m o s t d e v o te d fan s. U
Crash Test Dummies’ success no accident BY PAUL CO LEM A N R e c e n tly th e M cG ill T rib u n e sp o ke w ith B rad R o b erts, fr o n t m a n fo r the fo lk -ro c k band T h e C rash T e st D u m m ie s . In p a rt resp o n sib le fo r the ode to th e M a n o f S te e l w h ic h h a u n te d la st s u m m e r 's a ir w a v e s, R o b erts p ro ved a n e lo q u en t su b je c t fo r a n in te r v ie w . F rom T o ro n to , R o b erts sp o ke fr a n k ly a b o u t th e b a n d 's recent su ccess a n d its u p c o m in g co n cert o n F rid a y , F e b ru a r y 7 a t Le S p e c tru m . T r ib u n e : O n th e s u rfa c e , y o u r ly rica l co n te n t is q u ite lig h t h e a rte d . H a v e y o u c o n s c io u s ly ste e re d w id e o f th e p o litic a l in d o c trin a tio n th a t s o m a n y C a n a d ia n b a n d s h a v e ta p p ed in to , fo r e x a m p le 5 4 -4 0 an d S p irit
sis o f p o litic a l p h ilo s o p h y , b u t 1 of th e W e s t? th in k th a t th e w a y th a t it w as B ra d R o b e r ts : I d o m a k e a w ritte n , te n d e d to a lle v ia te som e c o n s c io u s e ffo r t to w e a v e h u o f th e s e r io u s n e s s o f th e to p ic. m o u r an d ir o n y in to m y w ritin g , O n th e o th e r h a n d , it 's n o t so m e r a th e r th a n h a v in g it ra n s a c k e d k in d o f s tr ic t a n a lo g y e ith e r. An b y th e e a r n e s t a p p r o a c h o f p o p u e ig h t-y e a r -o ld c a n k in d o f d ive la r m u s ic r ig h t n o w . I d o n 't th in k in to it a s w e ll, a n d c o m e a w ay th a t it 's all th a t h ip to w e a r y o u r w ith s o m e th in g c o m p le te ly d if h e a r t o n y o u r sle e v e . T h e r e 's a fe re n t a lto g e th e r. d a n g e r th e re o f b e c o m in g a little T r ib : D o e s it b o th e r y o u a t all, to o p re a c h y . th e n , w h e n p e o p le in th e in d u s T r ib : Y o u ten d to p re s u p p o s e a try a n d th e m e d ia la b e l y o u r b a s e le v e l o f in te llig e n c e a m o n g ly ric s 'q u ir k y '? y o u r liste n e rs. A t tim e s , a re y o u B . R .: I r e a lly ta k e it a s a c o m a fra id th a t y o u h a v e o v e r-e s ti p lim e n t. B u t th e n a g a in , m a y b e m a te d y o u r a u d ie n c e , an d th a t I'm ju s t s tu p id , a n d th e y 're all p e o p le m a y m e re ly ta k e y o u for re a lly in s u lts d isg u ise d w ith a c o m ic b o o k h e r o fa n a tic ? B. R .: I th in k th a t [m y w ritin g ] p le a sa n trie s. T r ib : A fte r C a r ly S im o n re c a n b e a p p r e c ia te d a t a n u m b e r q u e s te d to s in g w ith y o u liv e in o f d iffe r e n t le v e ls . "S u p e r m a n 's N e w Y o rk C ity , y o u re m a rk e d , S o n g ", fo r e x a m p le , is a n a n a ly
'N o t b a d fo r a b u n c h o f W in n e p e g g e r s '. W in n e p e g it se e m s , is n o t a h o tb e d o f cu l tu re in co sm o p o lita n te rm s. A n E d m o n to n p e rio d ic a l, h o w e v e r, h a s y ou as th e fo r e ru n n e rs o f a u n iq u e ly C a n a d ia n so u n d . B . R . :If th a t's th e c a s e th e n I a m v e r y g la d th a t it tu rn e d o u t th a t w a y , b u t it w a s n o t a c o n s c io u s g o a l. I th in k th a t it w a s m o re lik e ly a co in c id e n c e o f tim e a n d p lace . T r ib : It h a s b e e n a h u g e y e a r fo r th e D u m m ie s , b u t I u n d e r sta n d th a t y o u a re e a g e r to g e t b a c k to w ritin g . Ju s t la s t y e a r, y o u w e re b a r te n d in g in W in n ip e g , a n d n o w y o u 'r e h e a d lin in g v e n u e s a c r o s s th e co n tin e n t. W ill th e c h a n g e in th e te m p o o f y o u r life b e re fle c te d in y o u r
w ritin g ? B . R . : I d o n 't th in k so . A n y c o n c e rn s I h a v e a t th is tim e a re m u s ic a l, a n d so fa r e v e ry th in g lo o k s g o o d . T r ib : W h a t c a n M o n tre a le r s e x p e c t fro m th e D u m m ie s , F ri d a y , a t the S p e c tru m ? B . R . : I th in k th a t th e b a n d is g o in g to b e a little m o re a g g r e s siv e th an p e o p le w ill e x p e ct. W e 'v e re a lly b ro u g h t u p th e d ru m s an d th e b a s s , so it 's g o in g to b e a real k ic k -b u tt s o r t o f ro ck an d ro ll s h o w . B u t d o n 't q u o te m e o n th a t, b e c a u s e r e a d e rs w o n 't b e a b le to h e a r th e sa rc a sm in m y v o ice. T r ib : I 'll ju s t p u t 'je s te d R o b e rts ' o r so m e th in g . B . R . : N o ...'fa c e tio u s ly '. Y e a h , p u t'fa c e tio u s ly '. &