Music + Concrete Discs

Here’s a remix of the Sacrificial Leaves album that Mark and I put together focussing more on the improvisational aspects of our experiments.

A tip-of-the-hat to the somewhat obscure 1980s Danish band The Sacrificial Leaves, who either existed, or possibly did not exist–or possibly did not exist for very long–in Copenhagen.

Mark Bandola and Peter Moller met and became fast friends at Lord Beaverbrook Senior High in Calgary during the early 1970s. They spent their weekends exploring and improvising with rented gear in the booming concrete enclave of Moller’s father’s sign shop, gladly falling into the music-abyss.

In the late 70s Mark left Calgary for London to eventually help form new wave/rock band The Lucy Show in 1983. Around that same time Peter was the drummer for Calgary’s Rip Chords who, along with bassist Richard McDowell helped to start and run 10 Foot Henry’s, the alternative cultural hot-spot in those down-turn years.

Peter Moller & Mark Bandola Interpret The Songs Of The Sacrificial Leaves is the result of a back-and-forth interplay between friends on separate continents tethered by music and aided by the world-wide web.

Created with the additional talents of Calgary musician’s Allison Lynch, Chantal Vitalis (Kris Demeanor & His Crack Band) and Janine Bracewell (Same Difference.)

'The Shrine of Impossible Love' was scrawled on a bedroom door at the Hotel Moutin Noir in Wakefield, PQ. The beauty in these simple words presented me with inspiration and opportunity. Found art.

Over time this spark developed into sixteen sound experiments. Sound tracks for a creative and emotional journey. With love in all its intricacies as the base of this creation, art, war, peace, culture, perception, friendship, thunder and rain followed.

The Shrine of Impossible Love became a project of reflection that took on a life of its own, evolving into a live collaborative performance. 

On January 18, 19 & 20, 2006 The Shrine of Impossible Love was presented at One Yellow Rabbit's 20th annual High Performance Rodeo. The band line up included many veterans and bright lights of the Canadian alternative music scene: Dave Clark, Brigitte Dajczer, Kris Demeanor, Onalea Gilbertson, Diane Kooch, Keri Latimer, Carolyn Mark, Dan Meichel, Lester Quitzau, Chantal Vitalis and Rachelle van Zanten.

The live presentation was based on the CD, but expanded to include improvisations under the guiding hand and original mind of Dave Clark that responded to 3 new films created specifically for the Shrine shows. These films were created by Cam Christiansen, Sandi Somers and Richard McDowell.

Rip Chords existed from 1979-1985 during the heyday of Calgary’s punk-influenced music scene. They were birthed by Rodney (Max) Brisson and Adele Leger. Peter Clarke, Fred Holliss, Paul Lukeman, and Kim Solar played with Max and Adele in early versions of the band. With the inevitable partner swapping that any such musical scene inspires, the line up eventually solidified with Max on guitar, Adele handling the lead vocals, Kevin Labchuk on keyboards, Richard McDowell on bass, and Peter Moller on drums. 

It seemed an ideal time to get with the Sex Pistols-inspired global movement of musical rebellion that often took the form of drinking and drugging oneself into a state of, at worst, self denial or, at best, creative exploration.

Calgary’s economic bust of the early 80s seemingly bestowed the Calgary arts and music scene with golden opportunities. The combination of disaffected youth, cheap rent, and the feeling of ‘anything goes’ propelled many toward an inspired DIY ethic.

In 1982 Richard McDowell created and opened a club in Calgary called 10 Foot Henry’s. This tiny space (which today exists as a transmitter station buried under the LRT tracks at 10th Street and 6th Avenue SW) ran until 1985 and became a nexus for the burgeoning Calgary music scene. It was also a stopping off point for hundreds of musicians touring the circuit that the Rheostatics Dave Bidini captured so brilliantly in his book On A Cold Dark Road.

As McDowell was the bass player for the Rip Chords, the club became the Rip Chords defacto rehearsal space. Many of the recordings on these discs are from Henry’s.

Dennis Burton, one of the founders of Radio Cora (eventually renamed Radio Radio, and still broadcasting today) is responsible for spearheading this Byzantine compilation. In their time the Rip Chords produced three vinyl records and hundreds of hours of live gig recordings. Burton subjected himself to an inordinate amount of work by compiling and then yanking these tunes out of their magnetic tape dungeon, freeing them into the light of the digital realm; a truly difficult journey due in no small part to the ephemeral nature of magnetic tape. Often when played back, after years of being stored in basements and garages, some of the tapes produced no sound. The solution? Put the old tapes into an oven and bake them at a prescribed temperature for a certain amount of time and... poof! The sound magically returned. What else would you expect?

These tunes represent a certain time in our lives. It was a crucible that produced many fine bands; The Verdix, The Breeders, The Golden Calgarians, The R&B Keepers, Ohama, Same Difference, The Church of Doug, The Mules, Big Dog (Brian Dyson & Paul Woodrow’s creation) … and, obviously, many more. I’ll wager that there’s some recipe or equation to be realised from it all. Mix bored youth, hormones, right-wing politics, left-wing reactionism, drug and alcohol (ab)use, stir vigorously with righteous indignation and voila! A musical-multi-car mishap on the #2. A beautiful and gnarly result.

War is hell and so is the history of this somewhat cumbersome and certainly convoluted band. The only known recording of Orifice In The Underworld was long thought lost, only to resurface in 2003 in a drawer stash of pornography and dirty socks belonging to Saddam Hussein’s son Uday. Although it is not known how it got there, it is known that shortly after the performance captured on this recording, Dave Clarke did try to negotiate a winter in Baghdad working as a musician on a local production of South Pacific with The Baghdad Players.

In an ill-advised attempt at cashing in on one of the deader art-rock forms, The DeadRats followed a suggestion from their landlord and patron Doug (of Doug’s Place Autobody in Edmonton) to create a rock opera. The results are… well… here.

THE LINER NOTES:

Alright then...those other fuckers are off doing whatever the hell it is they do when we’re not slowly rehearsing and succoming to the toxic morass that is Doug’s Autobody...pretty good eh? morass...I thought it was one of those electric eels at first. All the stuff on this CD has been slapped together so we can eat. I know, the truth hurts. Hope you don’t feel too scammed. That being said... enjoy!

1.THE A-CHANNEL INTERVIEW Hmmmnn...can’t remember the interviewer’s name, but I sensed she didn’t really understand us. For them that don’t know us, this’ll sorta explain our situation. For those that do, skip to #2. 

 2.CHRIST THE SAVIOUR (DEMO) Dave and Vlad cooked this up. Vlad had done some time on the MONSTER’S OF CHRIST TOUR at some point in our history (drugs n’ time appear to have taken their toll, so don’t be expectin’ some Grammy-ass-kissin’ liner notes with dates n’ stuff). We figured there was some money to be made from the Lord. I don’t think we’re the first to have thought this. 

 3. I’MGOINAWAY (DEMO) This is one of mine. A sensitive look at a relationship breaking up. Backed up by my talented band the Three-Pete’s this demo actually charted in Finland. I dunno. 

 4. BRAND NEW CAMERA (DEMO) At least I think that’s the title...Christ only knows. This is one of Paul’s, and as he never actually speaks to me (although he shouts AT me alot) I could never get close enough find out anything about this song. 

5.CURE SOMEONE (DEMO) A rant about our fuckin’ lives...or my fuckin’ life...  

6.VLADDIE BOND (Soundtrack) This is all that’s left of the Rat’s failed venture into feature film making. Vlad and Dave, who’ve watched more movies on drugs than anyone else in the band, came up with the concept for this bogus Bond-character-film-thing and actually got Doug (the Autobody shop owner and our landlord) to pony-up the cash to make a trailer so we could attract the real money people blah blah blah. They left the negative for the trailer at a do-nut shop. The soundtrack is all that’s left. It was brilliant. 

7.JOE MEEK (DEMO) Dave’s tip of the hat to 60’s English producer (and poofter) Joe Meek. Every word is true. Check out Dave’s take on being a drummer...it’s laughable...what is it with that shit anyway. Why does everyone assume it’s so fuckin’ easy to play the drums? 

8. FUNNY PAUL (LIVE) One of the rare times that Paul said anything funny. At least in my books. 

9. PENIS LOVE (DEMO) I watch too much TV. Don’t you? Me and the Three-Pete’s again 

10. DEADRATS HOME PREGNANCY TEST KIT© (LIVE) Order now, our representitves are waiting. 

11. CASANDRA (DEMO) One of Paulie’s.  As far as notes go, see #4. 

12. LSD (DEMO) I’m not advocating drug use here, although me and the boys... erhm, my parol officer said it would be good to say that. LSD is an acronym for Lucy Sarah Demonsky my first girlfriend in grade 6 and real good kid too! 

13. CANADIAN GULAG (DEMO) Dave’s kinda fucked, right? I mean, he’s from England and all. Poor guy’s still reeling from spending time under Thatcher’s rule in Brixton. I don’t personally know a bigger commie-dupe, but he’s harmless.  

14. DIRK’S (COMMERCIAL) We’ll sell ourselves to anyone. Vlad again prooves his limited ability to write something with more than 2 chords. 

15. MORMON MEN (DEMO) Here’s Kris Demeanor’s attempt at trying to influence the band. I think he actually thought he could get in the band by giving us this song. Oddly enough it’s one of the most requested tunes we’ve done...but Kris, fuck off! There’s already too many people in this band. 

16. EINSTEIN 1905 (DEMO) This is my love letter to Stu Stullyatt our former lead singer. Rest in Pieces fucker. 

17. PETER BROWN (COMMERCIAL) Peter Brown of Edmonton CBC actually paid us to put this piece of crap on here. Thanks, Peter.

18. SUMMER OF LOVE (DEMO) The Rats like to think that we could solve all the worlds problems if we just loved each other like we think we did in the past. We’re such fools! This is one of Paul’s gems.

19. LATE (DEMO) Me n’ the Three-Pete’s were all trying to get laid by the same chick. This is our winey attempt at trying to impress her. Turns out she liked Vlad and he wasn’t even in the Three-Pete’s. What a broken record that is! 

20. THE HIDDEN TRACK (HIDDEN TRACK) Okay, so like, this isn’t hidden because when we did hide this track on the DeadRats In Garage Land © CD, and  nobody found it! So here it is in all it’s unhidden glory. I made it on my computer cause there’s nothing else for a drummer to do while the rest of the band debates dick-size.

Peter Rat, August 8, 2002