Skydiggers
      Soar
      at
      the
      Barn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Mahones
      and
      Paul
      Macleod
      also
      entertain)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Steve
      Ellis
      )
     
    

    
     
      The
      third
      day
      of
      UPEI’s
      Winter
      Carni-
     
     
      val
      went
      out
      with
      a
      bang
      as
      the
      Barn
      hosted
      an
     
     
      ecclectic
      evening
      of
      entertainment.
      Paul
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      quickly
      becoming
      the
      definitive
      ‘‘Canadian
     
     
      sound’’.
      Other
      groups
      who
      exhibit
      this
      acous-
     
     
      tic
      styling
      are
      Blue
      Rodeo,
      The
      Waltons
      and
     
     
      Hemingway
      Corner.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacLeod
      and
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      really
      in-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ——
     
     
      They
      have
      an
      unadulterated,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mahones
      opened
      for
      the
      trigued
      me
      about
      the
     
     
      featured
      act---
      the
      uncomplicated,
      guitar-rich
      Pa
      ti
      ae
      -
      the
     
    

    
     
      kydiggers.
      :
      i
      :
      ow
      that
      the
      lead
      singer
     
     
      Fi
      eal
      MacLeod
      -
      sound
      which
      is
      quickly
      put
      on.
      All
      I
      could
      ot
     
     
      kicked
      off
      the
      evening
      becoming
      the
      definitive
      ofhim
      were
      tufts
      of
      wiry
     
     
      with
      his
      cool
      acoustic
      ‘‘Canadian
      sound’’.
      reddish-brown
      hair
      and
     
     
      guitar.
      Hismellow
      tunes
      his
      bushy
      beard
      because
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      provided
      a
      relaxed,
      pub-like
      social
      atmos-
     
     
      phere
      which
      was
      the
      perfect
      set
      up
      for
      the
     
     
      Mahones
      and
      their
      Celtic-rooted
      rock.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Mahones
      are
      a
      high
      energy
      band
     
     
      from
      Kingston
      Ontario.
      Their
      musical
      style
     
     
      and
      performance
      is
      very
      much
      drawn
      from
      that
     
     
      of
      the
      Pogues,
      a
      British
      cult
      band
      that
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      extremely
      popular
      in
      the
      late
      eighties
      and
      early-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nineties.
      A
      great
      rhythm
      section,
      augmented
     
     
      by
      an
      amazing
      accordion
      and
      fiddle
      had
      eve-
     
     
      rybody
      in
      the
      place
      kicking
      up
      their
      heels.
      The
     
     
      crowd
      was
      in
      high
      spirits
      as
      the
      Skydiggers
     
     
      took
      to
      the
      stage.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Skydiggers
      also
      gave
      an
      impres-
     
     
      sive
      performance.
      They
      have
      an
      unadulter-
     
     
      ated,
      uncomplicated,
      guitar-rich
      sound
      which
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      had
      a
      big
      black
      wide-brimmed
      hat
      covering
     
     
      his
      face
      for
      most
      of
      the
      set.
      He
      introduced
     
     
      many
      of
      hissongs
      with
      spiels
      thatreminded
      me
     
     
      of
      schizophrenic
      outbursts,
      which
      was
      defi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nitely
      cool.
      His
      vocals
      had
      a
      lot
      of
      power,
      and
     
     
      his
      body
      language
      told
      you
      that
      he
      was
      really
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*feeling’’
      what
      he
      was
      singing
      about.
     
     
      This
      was
      my
      first
      experience
      with
      all
     
    
   
   
    
     
      three
      of
      the
      acts.
      I
      would
      have
      to
      say
      that
      even
     
     
      though
      the
      Skydiggers
      were
      the
      big
      name
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      triple
      bill,
      I
      enjoyed
      the
      Mahones
      the
      best.
     
     
      Their
      music
      appeals
      to
      the
      Celt
      in
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      night
      was
      very
      successful.
      Con-
     
     
      gratulations
      go
      out
      to
      Finley
      Martin,
      the
      Barn
     
     
      staff,
      and
      the
      Winter
      Carnival
      Committee
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      setting
      up
      such
      a
      great
      event.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      John
      Frusciante
     
    

    
     
      Niandra
      Lades
      and
      Usually
      Just
      A
     
     
      T-Shirt
     
    

    
     
      (American)
     
    

    
     
      Weird.
      Sick.
      Beautiful.
      I’m
      not
      quite
      sure
     
     
      how
      to
      explain
      this
      one;
      but
      beautiful
      bits
      and
     
     
      pieces
      floating
      in
      a
      festering
      pool
      of
      crap
     
     
      seems
      about
      right
      to
      me.
      The
      entire
      album
     
     
      seems
      to
      bea
      session
      of
      studio
      noodling
      mixed
     
     
      into
      vulgar
      little
      pieces
      resembling
      songs.
     
     
      Many
      sections
      of
      the
      fourteen
      tracks
      contain
     
     
      wonderful
      acoustic
      guitar
      lines,
      all
      of
      which
     
     
      are
      invariably
      runed,
      all
      semblance
      of
      beauty
     
     
      lost.
      If
      there
      is
      a
      point,
      I
      missed
      it.
      Just
      don’t
     
     
      bother.
     
    

    
     
      Q)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ce
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rhymes
      With
      Orange
     
     
      Trapped
      In
      The
      Machine
     
     
      (Plum/A&M)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MUSIC
      REVIEWS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Oh
     
     
      MIKE
      BEAGAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Waterboys
     
    

    
     
      The
      Secret
      Life
      Of
      The
      Waterboys
     
     
      °81-"85
     
    

    
     
      (Ensign/EMI)
     
    

    
     
      Abhbhh,
      eighties
      music.
      That
      one
      phrase
     
     
      brings
      forth
      a
      plethora
      of
      unpleasant
      images.
     
     
      Plastic
      clothes,
      plastic
      hair,
      plastic
      sounding
     
     
      synthesizers;
      it’senough
      to
      make
      me
      cry.
      That
     
     
      is
      why
      this
      disc
      was
      such
      a
      pleasant
      surprise.
     
     
      All
      of
      the
      instruments,
      lyrics,
      music,
      and
      emo-
     
     
      tions
      are
      very
      real.
      This
      release
      of
      remixes
      and
     
     
      outtakes
      is
      straightforward
      rock
      ‘n’
      roll
      with
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      fun
      anda
      lot
      of
      feeling.
      You
      should
      listen
     
     
      before
      you
      buy,
      but
      this
      is
      certainly
      worth
      a
     
     
      look.
     
    

    
     
      (3.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canadian
      underground
      indie
      faves
      Rhymes
      With
      Orange
      serve
      up
      arefreshing
      collection
      of
      tunes
     
     
      on
      this
      release.
      The
      Music
      is
      rhythm
      heavy
      and
      reminiscent
      of
      the
      Tragically
      Hip
      and
      the
     
     
      Watchmen,
      but
      certainly
      not
      derivative
      of
      said
      groups.
      The
      songwriting
      is
      exceptional,
      and
      the
     
     
      instrumentation
      is
      equally
      proficient.
      The
      band
      achieves
      originality
      through
      its
      use
      of
      often
     
     
      ignored
      percussion
      sounds
      and
      careful
      use
      of
      keyboards
      to
      back
      the
      heavy
      bass
      and
      guitar
      lines.
     
     
      Vocalist
      Lyndon
      Johnson
      allows
      his
      voice
      to
      shine
      while
      remaining
      a
      part
      of
      the
      overall
      sound,
     
     
      not
      the
      central
      focus.
      Trapped
      In
      The
      Machine
      is
      recommended
      to
      all.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (4.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      presents
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARTISTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Don
      MacConnell-Violin
     
     
      Neil
      MacConnell-Viola
      and
      Violin
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Keith
      Boere—Guitar
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Donald
      Holy—Guitars
      and
      Rosettes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kate
      Poole—Dulcimer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sennen
      NE
      ao
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gallery
      in
      the
      Guild
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Opening
      February
      7th
     
     
      730
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Instrument
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EVENTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Makers
     
     
      Show
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FEB
      7,
      7:30
      :
      Opening
      Ceremonies
      with
      musicians
     
     
      participating
      in
      Jam
      Session
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FEB
      7-11,
      1-400
      :
      World
      renowned
      Kai
      Arvi
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FEB
      tl-12,
      130-500
      :
      Hendric
      Bouman,
      Harpsichord
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Piano
      maker
     
     
      FEB
      28,
      tl-12:00
      :
      Makiko
      Yamaguchi
      on
      the
      Japanese
      Koto
     
     
      MARCH
      1-2,
      il-12:15
      :
      The
      making
      of
      the
      Celtic
      Lap
      Harp
     
     
      and
      mini-concert
      with
      Nancy
      Clement
     
    
   
   
    
     
      David
      Thomson
      and
      Friends-—
     
     
      Arnold
      Wogner,
      Rupert
      Vessey.
     
     
      Charlie
      Hanson—Guitar
      and
      Viola
     
     
      Vion
      Emery—Bodhean
      (drum)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Where
      would
      we
      be
      without
      the
      musicians?
      Where
      would
      the
      musicians
      be
      without
      the
      instrument
      makers?”
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      31,
      1995