VANCOUVER (CUP)

Thousands - of B.C. students- a

are letting their talking. ,

More than 2,000 University of B.C. students marched Feb. 19 from the campus to downtown Vancouver, while 600, of their counterparts in Victoria walked tgthe front steps of the.B.C. legislature Feb. 14 in protest of educa- tion cutbacks.

The placard-carrying stu- dents in Vancouver took part in what was Called the “Great Trek", a march similarto the

feet ’do the

one held inl922 when"thou-_

sands, of UBC students de- manded an adequate campus to house B.C.’s fledgling university; The demonstra- tion in Victoria was called the “Dare to Care” rally. Organizers of the “Great Trek ’85”, said the provin- cial government should halt its proposed funding de-

creases to universities and'

that any further cutbacks would spell disaster for the waulity of education'in B.C. They» said the demonstration drew the largest number of B.C. students in recent years.

The government froze uni- versity funding in 1983, cut operating grants by five per cent in 1984 and has hinted at a similar cut for next year.

The universities have re- sponded by increasing tuition

' fees, introduction differential

fees and limiting enrolment in certain programs. UBC’s tuition fees jumped 33 per cent last year and may in- crease‘ another 10 ‘per cent thisyear. ’

“There’s no question our university is under attach,”

Emler Orgryzlo, UBC faculty association president, told the rally.

“... Students grants are a thing of the past; student fees

are on a record-breaking rise;

student aCcessibility 'iS' de- clining; impOrtant programs are threatened with closure; class sizes are reaching into- lerable levels; university

autonomy‘ is being eroded,”

he said.

Glenna Chestnut, one of the organizers and UBC’s student council president, said another great trek will be held in the fall, after students have collected signatures on a petition over the summer condemning the cuts. The petitions will then be brought to the govern- ment’s attention.

In Victoria, protestors called on cabinet ministers to speak to the rally, but no one appeared. B.C.- univer- sities minister Pat McGeer

It’s:new.-s—

it’sBlack ’N Bl

By Glen Boswall g

Among the current flood of heavy metal bans from Los Angeles, the boys from Black ’N Blue stand out for

two reasons: 1. ’Tth‘ey3_have'}

talent and. 2. they’re origi- nally from Portland, Oregon, and being from anywhere but Los Angeles is a definite advantage.

Black ’N Blue (consisring'

of vocalist Jamie St. James,

drummer Pete Holmes, bass- V

ist Patrick .Young and guita- rists Tommy Thayer and Jef Warner) is based in L.A., but the band stresses that this is. only because it is easier to be picked up by a major record label in the city of Angels than in their natiVe Portland.

While the song titles on this self—titled debut album may suggest another _ overamplified assault on the eardrums (ex. “Autoblast”, “Wicked Bitch”, “Chains Around Heaven”), the con- tent proves otherwise.

That’s not to say that the band doesn’t fall victim to a few over standardized heavy metal cliches. There’s the cus— tomary cover tune (an up- dated version of Sweet’s “Action”), 3 shout along in time to music number (“The Strong Will Always Rock”) and of course, a snare drum that sounds like a 105 milli- meter howitzer.

r . ' m; mxwamzatflmé’zxr-U‘E‘fi‘in“ I r v

senseless . v. ,_

Now for someof the dif- ferences. The boys do actual vocal harmonies which puts

,them 'ahead of most new metal bands. Their' use of Electronic drums on a few cuts will make them a few enemies among hard rock

Ir ~ -1- y i. - . r . , r r , - r a o

1‘ ‘ .

Ill

purists, but the sound does not suffer for it.

I suppose the best think about Black ’N Blue is their ability to combine good lyrics

- indication, a talent for show- . manship. . “Autoblast”, “Hold on to

q talented package that will

‘1 new band field. In a period

said he was in his office during the rally and had not been invited.

“I didn’t even know they ‘ were here.” _

Asked if he' would have

spoken to the students if approached, McGeer replied: “Who knows? Who knows?”

Education minister Jack Heinrich said he was meeting with Vancouver\high school

«*;,sét‘udénts‘on the movetorgfunding

students at the time and could not leave for the rally.

Speakers on the legislature grounds denounced what they called the government’s “immoral” lack of funding

and disregard for education.

The demonstrators in- cluded students from Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Williams Lake and a sprinkl— ing of local high school students.

Rook Notes

The latest news in rock n’ roll

By P. Stahl MacIntyre

AEROSMITH has been negotiating with GEFFEN RECORDS and VAN HALEN/SAMMY HAGAR producer TED TEMPLEMAN, so-expect a project from the ’SMITH in the near future.

In other AEROSMITH news: STEVEN TYLER, lead vocalist of the band, after seeing a poor prototype of a tour shirt, grabbed 20 of the Shirts and had his seamstress make a body suit of them. _ .

BOY GEORGE of CULTURE CLUB will soon be going into the studio to record with none other than DOLLY PARTON.

PHIL EHART, drummer Of KANSAS, has formed a company called INSIDE TRACK to aid aspiring movie makers over look managers and record companies for songwriters and musicians.

Musicians for hire include: PAT SIMMONS'(DOOBIE BROTHERS), lRICK NIELSON and ROBIN ZANDER (CHEAP TRICK), RICK DAVIES (SUPERTRAMP), STEVE HACKETT (EX OF GENESIS), and so on, and so on Keep your eyes and ears open for Scotland’s “THE

WATERBOYS”, a bandthat follows in the musical line of U2 and BIG COUNTRY. Headed by MIKE SCOTT (singer, songwriter, instramentalist), they are currently on tour with U2. Their first North American release is called “A PAGAN PLACE”, on ISLAND RECORDS. Songs include: “I WILL NOT FOLLOW”, and “DECEMBER” (reminds me of U2’s “I WILL FOLLOW”, and “OCTOBER”).

JIMMY MARINOS, drummer and occasional vocalist of THE ROMANTICS has left the band to form his own rock trio.

His old band goes unhindered by this, and is currently recording its next LP.

MIDGE URE of ULTRAVOX fame is said to be producing the next LP by Canada’s own RUSH.

Loca Musician of the Week: JOHN BOSWELL, vocalist/ bassist for “THE PRESS”. .

Answer to last week’s TRIVIA QUESTION: “ARE WE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE SEX, AND HORROR ARE THE NEW GODS?” is a quote from FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD’s “TWO TRIBES”.

This week’s TRIVIA QUESTION: Who is Paul Hewson better known as and can you name the band he is in?

ue! V ”

and complex musical ideas without sacrificing that bone- jarring sound that defines hard rock. .

Jamie St. James,-- group vocalist, cites some of the group influences as Aero- smith, Kiss, Alice Cooper and early AC/DC. While it is difficult to trace the respect- ive sounds of these bands to Black ’N Blue, it is easy to see

that their combined influence

has led to a ‘high energy album and if the reactions of fans on the last tour are any

“School of Hard Knocks”,

18” and other numbers from the album deliver a tight and

give groups like Ratt their Wednesday first real competition in the ' '

when every new act presents all the excitement of the latest episode of Video Hits. Black ’N Blue stands out as aplea- sant surprise.

Door Prizes

Thursday

Black ’N Blue

High Points

“Wicked Bitch”

“Chains Around Heaven” “Action”

“Autoblast”

Low Points

"The Strong Will Rock” “i’m The King”

Dieter Dierks production isn’t all that wonderful

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