FOLK FESTIVAL MASSACRE Wavelength #14 features the debut of Folk Festival Massacre, the creation of Toronto artist, Alastair MacLeod. Alastair previously played in The Michael J. Fox Tribute Band and Toronto indie-rock veterans Neck. Wavelength correspondent Adam Rosen sent the email out.
Tell me about what the phrase "suffering for your art" means to you.
Alastair: "Suffering for your art" is an oxymoron because if you are making art you should be happy about it, but if it's cathartic then sometimes you inflict damage on all involved. That's the road to enlightenment - reaching a higher plane through punk rock.
Give me a brief history of how Folk Festival Massacre came to be.
Alastair: I wanted to pick up where I left off when I stopped playing in Neck. I was still writing songs and they were the same loud, fast, angst-ridden kind. I wanted to record some and was lucky enough to be able to find that a lot of people were interested in helping me out. Best of all, this is almost like the same band as before except there are only songs by me and there are two guitars instead of one -- and Dave plays bass (awesomely) and I play guitar (the roles were reversed in Neck). These guys can play really fast!!
Tell me a great story from the recording of Neck's legendary All September Long sessions.
Alastair: I know I was there but somehow it all seems to be a blur. I
remember it was December and we were watching the track grinder spray sparks
along the railway tracks from the studio window. I remember drinking Winter
Brew. The studio was right near the Upper Canada brewery (R.I.P.) so we were
never thirsty.
Dave: This led to absolute chaos - doing twenty takes of a song ("Hulk") and
getting fifteen seconds into it at best, not remembering how certain tracks
got done, etc.
Alastair: I think I was collecting unemployment at the time, so that really
made it special. Everybody who was involved in recording that tape is
playing on this new stuff.
If your songs were oil paintings, what types of images would you depict?
Alastair: Maybe the kind you see on those commercials on TV where they sell warehouses full of art. I am going through a Francis Bacon phase now but I don't know if these songs are in the same league. I like a guy named Patrick Caulfield, too. I like encaustics (painting with wax and oils). Actually, the closest would probably be those paintings by those gorillas and elephants in the zoos, except I think they use acrylics.
For you, what did Michael J. Fox represent?
Alastair: Michael J. Fox is still with us and he still represents the best Canada has to offer the world. I remember, at one time, he said he might run for prime minister -- it would be incredible. Canada could be back on the map in a big way. He could be like FDR -- a world leader rising above his disability.
What sort of environmental/psychological damage can we expect you to inflict upon those who witness your live show?
Dave: One of the missions of this band is to assault the audience's senses
as much as possible. There will be much blood, sweat and tears -- of joy!
Alastair: I will spray blood on anyone who gets too close to the stage.