One Step Beyond
1988, February 05. Groovy Aardvark - The Dumbs.
I overheard Theresa LeClair talking to Sarah Lees Calnan in the hallway at Adam Scott high school about going to Ottawa for the weekend. I half jokingly told them that I would join 'em. Next thing I know it became a plan.
Theresa Le Clair
"...Julie Currie and Dean Findlay were with us as well..."
I didn't have any intention of hanging out with them and intruding on their weekend of fun, I just needed a ride. Going to a metal or punk show in the city would be my main goal.
At the time in Ottawa there was an all ages club called 'One Step Beyond' Located on the south side of Rideau Street, near Dalhousie that would open on Friday and Saturday nights.
One Step Beyond began in September of 1986, as an all-ages alternative [ska] dance club with occasional live performances of 'high energy, non-downbeat music' on weekends. As the space evolved it became an almost exclusively live venue with emphasis on young, local and Canadian underground and alternative bands. The club quickly expanded their audience by delving into the world of punk and metal. Sometimes grouping various genres on the same bill. They would try to offer two or three out-of-town larger touring bands each month.
Bands like: Accused; Beyond Possession; Broken Bones; Circle Jerks; Dayglo Abortions; Dead Milkmen; G.B.H.; No Means No; Rollins Band; S.N.F.U.; Sacrifice; Scream [DC]; The Swans; UK Subs and Whiplash all played in this space.
This particular weekend a thrash metal band from Montreal called D.B.C. - Dead Brains Cells with Montreal hardcore band Capitali$t Alienation opening. D.B.C. had recently released their debut LP the year previous on Combat Records.
For some reason D.B.C. pulled out early on, leaving the bill as Capitali$t Alientation; Counter Attack and The Dumbs. D.B.C. later played Roxanne's in Ottawa 1989, June 18.
John William Maffett.
"...I don't think that [D.B.C.] was ever locked. The flyers had Capitali$t Alienation as the headliner, with The Dumbs and Counter Attack. I'd never been aware of D.B.C. being slated to play until ...someone posted a monthly schedule in the group 'One Step Beyond Alumni'. It looks like Jeff [Cohen] might have sent them the early version and never sent an update. The [D.B.C.] posting is taken from the Club listings from The 'Ottawa Citizen'..."
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| Honest Injun, One Step Beyond, Ottawa |
Before heading to Ottawa, I had connected with a tape trader pal Steve 'Mop' Desrosiers' who hooked me up with another friend of his named Mike Moreira who hosted me for the evening. It was the first time I was meeting them both.
John William Maffett
"...He [Mike Moreira] used to record a lot of shows..."
One Step Beyond was a great all ages space. Their scene was very lucky to have had that. Since I was from out of town and didn't know anyone, I mostly sat on the bleachers and took in the whole atmosphere. I was a little bummed out that Capitali$t Alienation and Counter Attack ended up cancelling as well.
John William Maffett
"...Counter Attack pulled out a week or so before, due to them not being able to find a second guitarist in time [This would have been their first show with Terry. If I remember correctly, Jeff Marier had joined by the time they played their next show in April, 1988] Capitali$t Alienation pulled out right before the show, and Groovy Aardvark filled in..."
Groovy Aardvark [formerly Schizophrenic Muff Divers] and The Dumbs replaced Capitali$t Alienation for the night. Although disappointing, I did however really enjoy Groovy Aardvark. They were a Longueuil band that seemed to be going in all direction at the same time. Originally their sound seemed much like that of Portland's metalcore scene. Their early demos were reminiscent of bands like Spazztic Blurr or Wehrmacht.
Tyson Kingsbury
"...Groovy Aardvark was something you played for me... I think it was one evening when I was crashing at your place, and we watched 'Evil Dead' ...I think the next day we went up to Toronto to go record shopping at the Record Peddler... bought a great Venom bootleg that day. For whatever reason, Groovy Aardvark stuck with me..."
As Groovy Aardvark evolved into the 1990s they added a more funk sound and although it likely limited their growth outside of Quebec, the band was not afraid to pay respect to their French language heritage. I was surprised at how large the francophone community in Ottawa was.
That night, after the show Micheal and I spent most of the evening dubbing demo cassettes from each other and watching horror films. It was a bit awkward not knowing him all that well, however we seemed to connect and get along fine. I did have a strange feeling that the parents didn't really want me staying in their home. This was a pretty common experience for me back in those days. Except this time it was all in French without the subtitles.
The next day after the show I called the hotel where the girls were staying. Turns out that they had left. Holy Crap!!! That was a stomach dropping feeling that I had for a short time that kind of freaked me out... Somehow through broken English, the hotel staff managed to relay a message to me. The others had decided to spend the night at some college party house. I don't remember how I managed to find them, yet I did... That evening's plan was for us all to head to Hull for the evening where we could drink at age eighteen.
We ended up at a really fancy nightclub in an old Church called 'La Viva Disco'. The place had once been named in Playboy magazine as being in the top ten bars in North America. Years later the club abruptly closed down with rumors' of some shocking 'event' that witness had been seriously affected by for years to follow.
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| La Viva Disco, Hull Quebec. |
Of course that Saturday night back in 1988, the door man would let everyone in but myself. As usual... due to my style of dress. "...No denim or studded leather jackets..." I recall him saying.
Not wanting to ruin the night for the girls and their friends, I took a cab back to the College house and crashed out on an old couch in their unfinished basement. The only other thing I remember was that the College house basement was filled from floor to ceiling with stolen stop signs, mail boxes and newspaper stands. They even had a very large McDonald's 'Golden Arch'. If that house could talk, it must have had some wicked fraternity initiation stories.
Theresa LeClair
"...I remember that house very clearly. The garage was filled floor to ceiling with empty beer bottles..."
