Behind
      the
      Scene:
      the
      Making
      of
     
     
      Before
      the
      Big
      Feast
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Stephan
      MacLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      value
      of
      a
      music
      scene
      is
     
     
      judged
      by
      the
      quality
      of
      compilation
     
     
      albums.
      Charlottetown
      has
      a
      history
      of
     
     
      producing
      compilations
      of
      local
      inde-
     
     
      pendent
      artists.
      From
      cassettes
      of
      the
     
     
      underground
      hardcore
      scene
      to
      the
      Eat
     
     
      This
      CDs,
      bands
      often
      share
      the
      bill
      on
     
     
      an
      album
      to
      promote
      the
      music
      scene.
     
     
      While
      these
      collections
      of
      artists
      cap-
     
     
      tured
      moments
      in
      Charlottetown’s
     
     
      musical
      progression,
      they
      were
      usual-
     
     
      ly
      produced
      in
      a
      hurry.
      Like
      the
     
     
      Gigzilla
      compilation
      that
      came
      out
      a
     
     
      couple
      of
      years
      ago,
      a
      lack
      of
      record-
     
     
      ing
      experience
      and
      planning
      failed
      to
     
     
      do
      justice
      to
      the
      work
      of
      local
      artists
     
     
      on
      previous
      compilations.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      a
      brief
      dry
      spell
      in
      our
      FF
     
    
   
   
    
     
      music
      scene
      in
      terms
      of
      CD
      releases,
      a
     
     
      small
      but
      crucial
      flood
      of
      new
      albums
     
     
      emerged.
      Flush,
      Eyes
      For
      Telescopes,
     
     
      The
      Rude
      Mechanicals,
      The
      Tuesdays,
     
     
      and
      Nathan
      Wiley
      have
      all
      contributed
     
     
      to
      a
      growing
      catalogue
      of
      albums
      by
     
     
      Island
      musicians
      and-
      bands.
      The
     
     
      growing
      output
      of
      original
      music
      by
     
     
      local
      musicians
      has
      made
      festivals
     
     
      comprised
      mostly
      of
      homegrown
      tal-
     
     
      ent
      like
      Close
      to
      the
      Coast
      possible.
     
     
      Events
      like
      this
      have
      attracted
      a
      grow-
     
     
      ing
      audience
      for
      all
      of
      these
      bands
      on
     
     
      PEI.
      Releasing
      a
      compilation
      featur-
     
     
      ing
      these
      bands
      and
      other
      new
     
     
      unrecorded
      acts
      seemed
      like
      the
      natu-
     
     
      ral
      next
      step
      for
      Lloyd
      Doyle
      and
      Pat
     
     
      Deighan,
      organizers
      of
      the
      Close
      to
     
     
      the
      Coast
      events
      and
      countless
      other
     
     
      shows
      in
      Charlottetown.
     
    

    
     
      Lloyd
      Doyle,
      the
      manager
      of
     
     
      Eyes
      For
      Telescopes
      and
      president
      of
     
     
      Sandbar
      Music
      Group,
      has
      a
      child-like
     
     
      enthusiasm
      for
      the
      Island
      music
      scene.
     
     
      Although
      he
      recently
      celebrated
      his
     
     
      fifty-fifth
      birthday
      last
      month
      in
     
     
      between
      catching
      performances
      at
     
     
      Baba’s
      and
      Brennan’s,
      Lloyd
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      most
      active
      members
      in
      an
      emerg-
     
     
      ing
      musical
      renaissance
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown.
      Providing
      a
      helping
     
     
      hand,
      a
      little
      bit
      of
      guidance,
      and
      the
     
     
      wisdom
      and
      cautiousness
      he
      has
     
     
      gained
      through
      experience
      in
      promot-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [6]
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      music,
      Lloyd
      took
      the
      initiative
     
     
      after
      Pat
      Deighan
      put
      the
      idea
      of
     
     
      releasing
      a
      compilation
      of
      local
      bands
     
     
      into
      his
      head.
     
     
      Luckily,
      the
      P.E.I.
      Department
     
     
      of
      Community
      and
      Cultural
      Affairs
     
     
      also
      liked
      the
      idea
      of
      promoting
      the
     
     
      music
      scene
      through
      a
      compilation,
      so
     
     
      a
      much
      needed
      grant
      was
      put
      in
      place
     
     
      to
      get
      the
      project
      off
      the
      ground.
      With
     
     
      the
      support
      needed
      to
      fund
      the
      album,
     
     
      Lloyd
      enlisted
      the
      help
      of
      Pat
     
     
      Deighan,
      Morgan
      Merrit,
      Luke
      Leunes
     
     
      and
      myself
      to
      organize
      the
      artists,
     
     
      recordings,
      and
      artwork
      for
      the
      CD.
     
     
      When
      it
      came
      time
      to
      compile
     
     
      a
      roster
      of
      artists
      in
      Charlottetown
      for
     
     
      a
      compilation,
      Pat
      Deighan
      of
      Eyes
     
     
      For
      Telescopes
      was
      the
      best
      person
      for
     
     
      the
      job.
      His
      diverse
      taste
      in
      music,
     
     
      years
      of
      experience
      as
      a
      local
      musi-
     
     
      cian
      and
      friendships
      with
      other
      talent-
     
     
      ed
      musicians
      throughout
      the
      scene
     
     
      aided
      him
      in
      organizing
      the
      line-up
      of
     
     
      the
      album.
      Lloyd’s
      vision
      of
      the
      CD
     
     
      was
      a
      “snapshot
      of
      a
      music
      scene
      in
     
     
      the
      middle
      of
      a
      creative
      eruption.”
      Pat
     
     
      took
      that
      vision
      one
      step
      further
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      enlisted
      artists
      who
      had
      yet
      to
      release
     
     
      material
      on
      their
      own
      to
      contribute
     
     
      brand
      new
      tracks
      to
      appear
      alongside
     
     
      the
      previously
      released
      songs
      of
      estab-
     
     
      lished
      bands.
      The
      New
      Drifts,
      Motel
     
     
      Money
      Murder,
      Under
      the
      Hood
      and
     
     
      the
      Swindle
      Project
      were
      all
      given
      a
     
     
      chance
      to
      record
      songs
      with
      several
     
     
      new
      side
      projects
      by
      Dan
      Currie
      of
     
     
      Eyes
      For
      Telescopes,
      Vert
      DeFrance,
     
     
      and
      Deighan’s
      solo
      work
      in
      the
      Orb
     
     
      Weavers.
      In
      Pat’s
      hands,
      this
      compila-
     
     
      tion
      was
      not
      merely
      a
      snapshot
      of
     
     
      what
      was
      happening
      in
      the
      scene,
      but
     
     
      an
      excuse
      to
      increase
      P.E.I.’s
      creative
     
     
      output
      and
      perhaps
      give
      a
      taste
      of
     
     
      what’s
      to
      come.
     
    

    
     
      The
      idea
      to
      record
      brand
      new
     
     
      songs,
      specifically
      for
      this
      album,
     
     
      complicated
      the
      process
      of
      getting
      the
     
     
      CD
      together
      on
      time.
      Compromises
     
     
      had
      to
      be
      made
      to
      ensure
      that
      the
      fin-
     
     
      ished
      product
      accurately
      reflected
      the
     
     
      quality
      and
      talent
      of
      artists
      involved,
     
     
      so
      Lloyd
      avoided
      rushing
      through
      pro-
     
     
      duction.
      Producer
      Morgan
      Merritt
      was
     
     
      under
      a
      lot
      of
      pressure
      to
      capture
      the
     
     
      essence
      of
      the
      bands
      he
      recorded
      in
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      short
      amount
      of
      time.
     
    

    
     
      Morgan
      experienced
      a
      similar
     
     
      lack
      of
      time
      and
      resources
      when
      he
     
     
      recorded
      the
      Tuesdays
      debut
      album,
     
     
      Build
      a
      Horse,
      over
      three
      late
      nights
     
     
      last
      summer.
      Seasoned
      veterans
      from
     
     
      his
      Tuesdays
      sessions,
      Dennis
     
     
      Ellsworth,
      Dan
      Currie,
      and
      Pat
     
     
      Deighan,
      all
      got
      a
      chance
      to
      refine
     
     
      their
      solo
      work
      with
      Morgan’s
      help
     
     
      when
      they
      worked
      with
      him
      once
     
     
      again
      on
      brand
      new
      songs
      for
      the
      com-
     
     
      pilation.
      Under
      the
      Hood
      and
      Motel
     
     
      Money
      Murder
      took
      their
      first
      crack
      at
     
     
      recording
      with
      Morgan’s
      assistance.
     
     
      All
      five
      of
      the
      new
      songs
      Morgan
      was
     
     
      involved
      in
      producing
      stand
      alongside
     
     
      the
      previously
      released
      studio
      tracks
     
     
      on
      the
      album.
     
    

    
     
      Along
      with
      Morgan’s
      record-
     
     
      ings
      and
      songs
      that
      were
      previously
     
     
      released,
      several
      artists
      recorded
      their
     
     
      own
      new
      material.
      Luke
      Leunes’
      trip-
     
     
      py
      alter-ego,
      Mr.
      Dr.
      Octopus,
      con-
     
     
      tributed
      an
      experimental
      home
      record-
     
     
      ing,
      “Free
      Venom”,
      for
      the
      CD.
      Luke
     
     
      also
      designed
      the
      artwork
      and
      came
      up
     
     
      with
      the
      concept
      for
      the
      disc.
      Luke’s
     
     
      idea
      for
      the
      packaging
      of
      the
      album
     
     
      was
      to
      create
      a
      storybook
      world
      repre-
     
     
      senting
      the
      local
      music
      scene.
      The
     
     
      cover
      gives
      us
      a
      glimpse
      into
      a
      myste-
     
     
      rious
      world
      of
      animals
      dressed
      up
      in
     
     
      period
      costumes
      about
      to
      celebrate
     
     
      dinner.
      He
      named
      the
      album
      Before
     
     
      the
      Big
      Feast
      because
      the
      scene
      is
      just
     
     
      getting
      started
      and
      has
      yet
      to
      reap
      its
     
     
      rewards.
     
    

    
     
      Luke
      sees
      something
      fantasti-
     
     
      cal
      in
      the
      community
      of
      musicians
      and
     
     
      music
      lovers
      in
      Charlottetown.
      It
     
     
      plays
      out
      like
      a
      bizarre
      children’s
     
     
      book
      to
      him.
      The
      amazing
      thing
      about
     
     
      what’s
      happening
      with
      music
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      lately
      is
      the
      effect
      it
      has
     
     
      on
      people
      like
      Luke,
      Lloyd,
      Pat,
     
     
      Morgan
      and
      the
      musicians
      and
      fans
     
     
      that
      make
      up
      this
      scene.
      Different
      per-
     
     
      sonalities
      and
      musicians
      are
      coming
     
     
      together
      because
      of
      projects
      like
     
     
      Before
      the
      Big
      Feast
      and
      local
      music
     
     
      festivals.