The Darcys are driving in the fast lane and loving the high speed. In no time at all this Halifax/Toronto based band graduated from campus sets to a hot spot in the acclaimed NxNE festival. These guys have already caught CBC’s ear and are raking in rave reviews from across the country. Their brilliant release Endless Water is in part responsible for their national praise, while the rest of the blame lies with their live performances.
Though the boys humbly credit Wilco, Broken Social Scene and the 70s as inspirations, innovative rock tracks like “I Am a Ship” and “New Jr.” put the five young men in a league of their own. The bar in Canadian music has once again been raised.
The Darcys currently loaded their tour van with gear and road tunes and hit the streets of eastern Canada. Drummer Wes Marskell offers a taste of what is spinning on their iPods.
1. Fear
Ladyhawk
2. Stop Breathing
Pavement
3. Time Can Be Overcome
Constantines
4. BlindBlindBlind
A Silver Mt. Zion
5. Almost Crimes
Broken Social Scene
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Kiss My Ring: Her Royal Highness seated before a selected group of fans.
A firecracker on stage and a frat boy’s wet dream in theory, but when it comes down to her public, Katy Perry is not as magical as her hit ditty suggests. The new teen idol, who boasts about her same-sex smooch on her chart-topping single “I Kissed a Girl,” showed her sour colours when she graced her fans with a ridiculously brief meet and greet.
“Congratulations!” one of Perry’s publicists cheered. “If you have a number, you get a Katy Perry autograph today!”
Hallelujah! That’s right, folks, fans were asked to take a number and get in line for the chance to exchange three words with Perry and obtain an autograph at the most. Even that was pushing it.
Speaking of pushing, Perry’s security goons shoved and heaved her now number-branded fans, herding them into single file like ill-stricken cattle.
When the starlet finally made her tardy grand entrance at her merch tent, her royal highness avoided all eye contact and public salutations while security once again unnecessarily plowed through people and physically removed bodies which may or may not have been in Perry’s path.
With the single of the summer and such keen business strategies under her belt, perhaps Perry can now focus on her people skills. In a world where image is everything, Katy Perry should pay a little more attention to elements that affect her image like her attitude, entourage, and pushy security. God forbid that Katy Perry should stir up bad karma or even provoke that pesky curse of the one hit wonder.
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Quick Questions with Reel Big Fish
How do you feel about being pioneers on the Warped Tour?
Aaron Barrett: It feels good. I don’t feel like I’m an old guy. I feel like another band on the tour. I’m not like, “Aw whatever, you kids!”
Dan Regan: It’s fun to come onto a tour where they have their own system and way of doing things. It makes everything a lot easier. It also gives us something to do. We also get to check out the other bands.
Ryland Steen: As soon as we get on stage it all finally makes sense. This is what we live for. We love our fans, we love music.
What is the strangest thing to happen on tour so far?
Ryland Steen: I was listening to Prince on my iPod. A younger guy who is in one of the bands playing the tour (I won’t say his name because I don’t want to embarrass him) said, “Hey what are you listening to?” I answered “Prince” and he said, “Who’s that?”
Aaron Barrett: No! Shut up!
Dan Regan: What! That’s like saying, “What’s sexy, I never heard of that!” Oh my God! I’m sorry, but that kid has probably never been laid.
