The Birth of Evil Disco Part 3: Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and Munched.
What can I say…it’s been a nasty last 12 weeks building the playroom for the kids and working like crazy. My projects at work end in June, or launch rather, so maybe at that time, I’ll get some of my life back! I started writing this post a few weeks after the last and have been adding to it now and then. However, today, being April 15, 2008, marks a strange day for me….
Eight years ago tonight around this time, I, in a quiet rage, quit Zuul’s. I had asked Matt Wilson of Strange Bargain to drive me to the band house to grab my drums and other small things, and then proceeded to go to James’ apartment across the street and give him all my Zuuls legal things, and wear a brave face. The truth of it is this: I was so enraged Anil was fired, let go, quit, dismissed – whatever – it’ s really hard to know what happened that night before at the club, that I protested by leaving with him. Sure, clearly I had my own issues with other members, and my own private demons turning me into a very challenging person to be around, but it was what it was: brief, quick, apathetic, and terribly traumatizing. James knew my departure was coming – he new I was messed up inside. I didn’t and was in pure denial. Even if things hadn’t went down the way they did, I probably wouldn’t have listened to him, which is unfortunate because we were very close. It’s like they say: “Decide in Haste, Repent in Leisure” – and repent I did. I remember running into Ajay and Prince a few blocks from my place a couple of nights later, drunk out of mind, and sobbing uncontrolably – not crying, but sobbing. I felt totally abandoned and betrayed. James and I would eventually reconnect a year and half later, but it took a few things to be said and a few pitchers to be drank before we were solid – which took all of one night. More on this stuff at another time. I think it was the next morning I decided I needed to disappear. After a few weeks, I saw them play at Call the Office with our good friend Eric on the kit in my place. I had just seen Eric earlier that day on my last day to work, stopped in his store, gave him a hug – and tossed him my key to band van. We didn’t say very much to each other…drummers…whaddya gonna do. That night, however, as people asked me what time “we” were going on and the such, an even weirder thing happened. I stood there all by myself, arms crossed watching the show in front of them, and other people in the crowd watching me and giving me quite the radius. During the last song, Prince, who never wanted me to leave, put the mic to my face and I sang a verse with my “ex-band”. It was quite fucked up. The next morning, I left… At some point in the future, I’ll get into more details. It was just on my mind tonight as tonight as it is also Stew’s birthday.
Now, geting back to this post – the real post – part three of the beginning of this band…
When we last left our heros, they were recording in the basement of 200 Huron Street in London, frantically trying to write songs, and get the submission package ready for the Western Battle of the Bands…and let me tell you…we worked right up until 30 minutes to the deadline…thank God we lived down the hill from the school…mentally and physically, however, the whole thing seemed like an up hill battle.
The deadline was a Friday afternoon and James and Anil and I had worked all night. Stew bailed out on us – but for reasons deemed acceptable by any roommate – lucky bastard. In the very early hours of Friday morning, we finished the last mix-down for the demo using the four-track and a ghettoblaster to test on. What an accomplishment! We had actually done it. It was time for celebration! Unfortunately, we didn’t have any booze to drink, but Anil – Indian Party Leprechaun to the rescue – did have “alternatives”.
So what did we do? Well, what any normal healthy university kids would do to celebrate a momentous occasion – eat a few grams of magic mushrooms!!!
And oh what fun we had, laughing and listening to our mix over and over – we had just over 4 hours to kill before the 9:00 am deadline so we planned to stay up and James was going to deliver it. Then I looked over the entry requirements in the Wester Gazette and realized we forgot to write the bio. Holy Shit. We were high as kites…
This is where I truly think the concept of Zuul’s graduated to the “ridiculous”…we start typing furiously on James’ super-fast 286 computer…gigling and writing in stream of consciouness, making shit up and writing things like “..DONT GIVE JAMES THE KEYBOARD” and “We raent even goingg to spel check this” – seriously. In retrospect, I cannot believe I suggested we do this… I can’t believe James agreed…James…who turned out to be quite the manager years later, agreeing to this madness, and Anil…Anil just laughing at us and trying to convince us we only needed bacon sandwiches to fix this problem. So, we printed this monstrosity of a bio on James’ super high tech dot-matrix printer, sealed the envelop with beaming pride, and took it to UWO Entertainment. To our utter shock, they accepted us, stating very blatantly that anyone who was crazy enough to form a band in less than a week, write and record five tunes, and “get drunk” and write a bio, they had to see. They didn’t think that anyone could make that shit up. Apparently, they listened to the demo and laughed their asses off while they passed around our bio. Somewhere in my house, I have that original piece of paper – when I find it, I will post it so you can see for yourselves. There is also video footage of our first show somewhere around here too, but I can’t find it.However, I did find this little goodie..
This was a promo video that Western Film helped us with. Kim, the editor was a sweetheart and took all our crazy footage and created this for us so we could put promo packages together. No other band on the circuit was doing this, and it was pretty cutting edge at the time. However, by this point, Ajay’s sense of humor – a comedy that fits no classification – had influence on the script. Originally, Joel Krass (Bomb 32 / Headstrong) did the voiceover, but it was too sexy. This video shows clips from our infancy in 96 when we were five, to late 1997 when Maria Lindsay, Warren, and Ghetto Glen were all part of the act. I am pretty sure at this point Prince was still recording the shows for us and hadn’t joined yet. You’ll see the puppet shows, Warren’s Flashdance tribute, Myself, Joel – a.k.a. “House of Priest”, and Jon Cohen (Bomb 32 / Headstong) – a.k.a. “I’m too sexy for my Jon” practicing dance moves with me, Agent Drek on the Frying Pan, Evil Kev, Soynzorrow from da’hood, Maria fixing Chris hair, James with long hair, and of course, “Slam Daddy Jay Jay” Massey in prime form in his new wig. Above, you’ll see a classic picture of James and Ajay before the dreadful “summer of haircuts” in 1997 at the Brunswick Hotel. This video – now 10 years old is pure cheese, but we loved making it at the time. I hope you enjoy.
I guess that’s it for the birth of the band. If you have any suggestions for the next post, let me know. I’ll keep digging for gold in the archives and try to put together a slide show or something soon.
Keep the funk alive,
D.
Brother. Wow. First thing I noticed was the date. Last thing that hit my soul was your (last) reference to the date. Man- guess the saying don’t cry ’cause it’s over, smile ’cause it happened has some merit here. Just didn’t realise it was also cry while it happenend. But hey- ’tis better to love and lost’, eh? Miss those days. In their entirity.