Day 3: Friday
Trying To Rock At The Royal York

Friday would begin with the most rock’n’roll experience I could find: conferences! Yes, nothing gets the rock star juices flowing like sitting in a ballroom listening to speakers. Ok, that might not be fair; the speakers were actually very interesting, including Manchester pop-impresario Tony Wilson and legendary producer Alan Parsons. Wilson, the founder of Factory Records who was immortalized in the film 24-Hour Party People, helped launch the careers of the Sex Pistols, Joy Division and the Happy Mondays. He spoke extensively about his work in the business and his approach to finding and working with bands. Parsons – for those who don’t know – began his career at Abbey Road Studios working on The Beatles’ “Let It Be” and “Abbey Road” albums and engineered Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon.” Being in his presence was a true thrill for an aspiring producer like myself, and it was fascinating to hear him discuss his many projects.

After dinner with some new producer friends, I decided to follow their lead. Their first choice was the best show I saw all week.

If you haven’t heard of Inward Eye, you will soon. They have all the elements of a great rock band and their momentum is building. My first thought as I watched this power-trio perform was that The Who and Green Day had somehow spawned a love-child that was now all grown-up and performing at The Horseshoe for CMW. As good as their songs are it was their performance that had me stunned. Through the whole set, I had the impression I was watching the future. There was an energy and intensity that set them apart from any band I’ve ever seen live, and puts them in a category of bands I have only had the pleasure of experiencing on DVD.

Another very difficult act to follow. We headed to the Rivoli for Die Mannequin, who I could best describe as legitimate punk in a pop-punk world. It was very revitalizing to watch a band that really didn’t seem to care about the packed-house before them, but still played every note as if it could be their last! The lead, Care Failure, was not far from perfect. I defy you to go to one of their shows and stop looking at her. She commands attention and doesn’t look like the kind of girl who takes “no” for an answer.

Back to reality, the next stop was the Richmond Lounge for a performance by local pop-rockers, One Short. I’m going to do my best to avoid using the band’s name as a descriptor for my feelings, but I will say this, I was left feeling a tad unfulfilled. Much like the Awesome Team before them, they had some good songs and performed them very well, but just didn’t have that certain something to make them memorable. I guess with so much competition in this particular genre, I just expect more.

It was now roughly 11:30 p.m. and the plan was to head down to the Reverb for the wonderfully talented Luke Doucet. Unfortunately, at the last minute, I was lured to the Sony suite at the Royal York with promises of a “bathtub full of beer.” The choice was clear. The suite was filled with lots of pretty and talented industriosos, but it lacked the kind of debauchery I was expecting from a private suite in a fancy-pants hotel. After a few drinks on my new pals from Sony, I headed over to the Cameron House to close out another eventful evening.

Junk TV, a charming 4-piece from London, England, was on and they were a real pleasure to see and hear. The songs were simple and sweet and the band smiled the whole way through their set – even when the PA crapped-out and lead singer/guitarist, Will Kevans, broke a string. The musicianship of Junk TV is what sets them apart. Their bassist plays very McCartney-esque funky/tight lines that roll perfectly alongside keyboardist Martin Riley’s electric organ and piano parts. Topped-off with some rich and upbeat three-part harmonies and you’ve got a perfect recipe for shimmery brit-pop 

Trevor's other CMW nights:

- Thursday

- Saturday

Other CMW coverage

- Trevor Thomas

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