SEX,
      FUN
      AND
      ROCK’N’ROLL!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      the
      mock
      rock
     
    
   
   
    
     
      group
      GASH
      was
      brought
      to
      my
     
     
      attention,
      I
      really
      didn't
      know
     
     
      what
      to
      think.
      The
      closest
      com-
     
     
      parison
      to
      any
      thing
      out
      there
      I
     
     
      was
      able
      to
      get
      was
      that
      they
     
     
      were
      supposedly
      along
      the
      same
     
     
      vein
      of
      "Spinal
      Tap".
      That
      alone
     
     
      was
      enough
      to
      perk
      my
      interest,
     
     
      as
      I
      figured
      at
      the
      very
      least
      it
     
     
      wouldn't
      be
      just
      an
      ordinary
     
     
      show.
      So
      with
      such
      an
      expecta-
     
     
      tion
      in
      mind
      I
      set
      out
      to
      interview
     
     
      the
      Toronto-based
      group.
      During
     
     
      my
      almost
      hour
      long
      discussion
     
     
      with
      the
      group,
      which
      covered
     
     
      everything
      from
      old
      school
      rock
     
     
      and
      roll,
      the
      pros
      and
      cons
      of
     
     
      today's
      music,
      sex,
      and
      whether
     
     
      Charlottetown
      would
      accept
      the
     
     
      group
      for
      what
      it
      was,
      it
      turned
     
     
      out
      my
      suspicions
      were
      correct.
      It
     
     
      wasn't
      just
      a
      regular
      rock
      show,
     
     
      and
      to
      my
      pleasant
      surprise
      it
     
     
      turned
      out
      to
      be
      more
      creative,
     
     
      original
      and
      entertaining
      than
      I
     
     
      could
      have
      thought.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      first
      things
      that
     
     
      GASH
      cleared
      up
      was
      that
      the
     
     
      band
      had
      never
      set
      out
      to
      even
     
     
      resemble
      the
      popular
      stars
      of
      the
     
     
      mockumentary
      "This
      Is
      Spinal
     
     
      Tap"
      or
      groups
      such
      as
      the
     
     
      Barenaked
      Ladies,
      and
      didn't
     
     
      consider
      themselves
      influenced
     
     
      by
      such
      groups.
      The
      band
      was
     
     
      formed
      in
      2001,
      and
      at
      first
      was
     
     
      composed
      of
      lead
      singer
      Gash
     
     
      and
      guitarist
      Deuce
      Diamond.
     
     
      Bassist
      Beauregard
      Beechcliffe
     
     
      joined
      later,
      having
      been
      a
      loyal
     
     
      fan
      of
      the
      group
      since
      its
      first
     
     
      shows.
      Finally
      drummer
      Chuck
     
     
      Schick
      joined,
      giving
      GASH
      the
     
     
      line-up
      it
      has
      today.
     
    

    
     
      From
      the
      get-go,
      the
      band
     
     
      wanted
      to
      create
      an
      act
      that
     
     
      would
      not
      only
      play
      quality
      rock
     
     
      music,
      but
      also
      take
      a
      page
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
        
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      acts
      of
      yesterday
      and
      also
      cre-
     
     
      ate
      an
      entertaining
      visual
      show.
     
     
      Not
      surprisingly,
      they
      cited
     
     
      groups
      such
      as
      KISS,
      the
     
     
      Ramones,
      Dokken,
      and
      Iron
     
     
      Maiden
      as
      major
      musical
      and
     
     
      visual
      influences.
      They
      pointed
     
     
      out
      that
      one
      flaw
      they
      see
      with
     
     
      modern
      music
      is
      that
      the
      fun
      has
     
     
      been
      drained
      out
      of
      it,
      that
      a
     
     
      good
      visual
      show
      is
      lacking
      in
     
     
      most
      of
      today's
      acts.
      As
      for
      the
     
     
      lyrical
      content,
      that
      is
      one
      of
      their
     
     
      self-proclaimed
      trademarks
      as
     
     
      they
      have
      set
      out
      to
      bring
      a
      sense
     
     
      of
      humor
      back
      to
      rock
      and
      roll.
     
     
      When
      asked
      about
      the
     
     
      song
      writing
      and
      their
      lyrical
     
     
      inspiration,
      their
      reply
      was
      that
     
     
      they
      wrote
      about
      what
      they
      all
     
     
      agreed
      they
      liked
      to
      write
      about
      -
     
     
      "Sex".
      One
      only
      has
      to
      hear
      a
      few
     
     
      songs
      to
      realize
      that
      nothing
     
     
      about
      the
      subject
      is
      sacred
      to
      the
     
     
      group,
      and
      that
      they've
      managed
     
     
      to
      take
      the
      most
      ridiculous
     
     
      themes
      and
      turn
      them
      into
      enter-
     
     
      taining
      songs.
      Highlights
      include
     
     
      such
      songs
      as
      "I
      Ate
      Your
     
     
      Corsage.
      I
      Didn't
      Want
      To
      Go
      To
     
     
      Prom
      Anyway"
      and
      "Anna
     
     
      (Kournikova)",
      as
      well
      as
      the
      fab-
     
     
      ulous
      parody
      of
      80s
      power
      bal-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      serious
      lack
      of
      space
      didn't
      stop
      the
      group
      from
      moving
      around.
     
     
      Photo
      by
      Jonathan
      Smith
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aS
      women
      (a
      point
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      group
      themselves
      that
      pro-
     
     
      vided
      the
      spectacle.
      Their
      trans-
     
     
      formation
      from
      a
      laid-back
      group
     
     
      of
      musicians
      to
      a
      group
      of
      rowdy,
     
     
      horny
      eighties
      throwbacks
      was
     
     
      quite
      complete,
      and
      the
      personas
     
     
      were
      quite
      well
      developed.
     
    

    
     
      The
      show
      was
      a
      good
     
     
      length,
      particular
      given
      that
      they
     
     
      were
      an
      opening
      act.
      Following
     
     
      mthe
      show,
      the
      group
      was
     
     
      extremely
      pumped
      with
      the
     
     
      crowd
      response.
      I
      was.told
      that
     
     
      Charlottetown
      did
      indeed
      seem
     
     
      to
      "get"
      their
      act,
      and
      that
      they
     
     
      ==
      would
      probably
      come
      back.
      If
     
     
      they
      ever
      do,
      and
      you're
      looking
     
     
      for
      a
      show
      that
      allows
      you
      to
     
     
      detach
      from
      any
      serious
      reality
     
     
      and
      just
      embrace
      the
      absurd
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lads
      "Michelle
      .
      Twas
      informed
      an
      entertaining
      evening,
      then
      put
     
     
      that
      one
      of
      their
      rion
      arate
      that
      aside
      any
      sensibilities
      you
      might
     
     
      the
      "banana
      hammock"
      is
      a
      thing
      have
      and
      relive
      the
      80s
      sound
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      beauty,
      and
      that
      men
      should
      and
      spectacle
      with
      GASH.
     
     
      be
      able
      to
      show-off
      revealing
     
     
      swim
      wear
      just
      as
      much
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      were
      not
      willing
      to
     
     
      argue).
      One
      of
      the
      high-
     
     
      lights
      of
      the
      group's
      per-
     
     
      formance
      was
      definitely
     
     
      the
      use
      of
      absurd
     
     
      metaphors
      and
      allegories.
     
     
      Underneath
      the
     
     
      immature
      lyrics
      and
      over-
     
     
      the-top
      innuendo
      was
      a
     
     
      strong
      musical
      backdrop
     
     
      that
      was
      by
      no
      means
      a
     
     
      joke.
      The
      group
      admits
     
     
      their
      sound
      is
      extremely
     
     
      old
      school,
      but
      their
      point
     
     
      is
      that
      they
      grew
      up
      lis-
     
     
      tening
      to
      80s
      rock
      and
     
     
      thus
      it
      has
      affect
      their
     
     
      style.
      They
      played
      a
      solid
     
     
      show,
      and
      the
      band
      was
     
     
      quite
      tight
      musically
      as
     
     
      well
      as
      literally
      given
      the
     
     
      lack
      of
      space
      they
      had
      for
     
     
      their
      active
      and
      extremely
     
     
      energetic
      performance.
     
     
      While
      actual
      physical
     
     
      visuals
      were
      sparse,
      it
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you're
      going
      to
      talk
      the
      talk,
      Gash
      figures
      you
      may
     
     
      as
      well
      walk
      the
      walk.
     
     
      Photo
      by
      Jonathan
      Smith
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -:page
      [11]
      October
      13,
      2003:.