Tuesday June 20, 2000 @ 01:30 PM
By: Matt Mernagh
Sum 41 Shake That Ass
There are two reasons why record labels no longer have release parties in strip clubs:
1) It's bad for the corporate image.
2) Female journalists apparently don't like going to strip clubs.
ChartAttack.com can think of four reasons why record release parties should be held in strip bars. Naked Women. Naked Women. Naked Women. And More Naked Women. Oh and free booze too.
This was the reason why Sum 41 decided to go the route of debauchery by hosting their record release party at Zanzibar in Toronto last night. However, the only G-stringed ass that ChartAttack.com saw was from the band that took great joy before performing their set by taking off their clothes in a strip routine. Someone should have given them a few lessons ahead of time, as they didn't turn us on at all. They didn't even go the full Monty as they kept their socks on, even though they were in shorts, g-strings and wigs. To view these images follow this link.
Granted Dave, Steve, Cone and Deryck were more naked than the waitresses who were almost fully clothed in white Merry Widow outfits. The waitresses did work their pretty little asses off serving us free drinks, resulting in much drinking on our part. Consider for a moment that regular drink prices at Zanzibar start at $8.50 and you begin to understand why we hit the bar fast and hard. The toll on our health from all those drinks wasn't that damaging; one Charter lost her voice, another almost lost it when she met Treble Charger's Greig Norri, and one lucky Charter's wife wanted to know where she could buy one of those Merry Widows the waitresses were wearing. Having our female staff at Zanzibar proved that point number two is baseless.
By hosting their party at the notorious Zanzibar the group guaranteed that they would get a pack of industry weasels clamouring at their feet. We saw all the usual suspects, Punk Rock Grandpa, Keith Epitaph and Cori Publicist. Aquarius label president, Donald K. Donald, dressed in the latest of fashions seemed very excited to be on stage introducing Sum 41. He flashed back to the day when he introduced the Stones at the ElMo. During his speech he gave props to Norri who has worked with the band on this album. Hopefully Greig got some ideas for when Treble Charger releases their new album, Wide Awake Bored.
DKD also joked that EMI Canada president Deanne Cameron who was also in attendance - which essentially ruins point number one on why not to hold a record release party in a strip club - said that a merger between Aquarius, Warner and EMI would be titled WEA. [Editor's Note: Sorry for the industry humour.]
At the end of Sum 41's Half Hour Of Power performance and with the bar soon closing, ChartAttack.com stumbled into the street right into bronze moose parked out front. The moose said Sum 41 are really cool and that we should tell the world about them. We think we just did.
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