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From Issue #24
the Scene
Oh So Talented:
Canada's punk favourites open up about
their success, their secrets, and the game called Scrambles
by: Adam Grant
A sunny, beautiful April afternoon
in downtown Toronto is the perfect backdrop for a long-awaited
homecoming. Inside the legendary Horseshoe Tavern, beyond a
small black curtain that’s been hung to hide the band’s
sound check from accidental onlookers, the stage shakes with
the sounds of new songs—and a new era—for arguably
one of Canada’s most popular acts, Billy Talent.
This afternoon, they're previewing new tracks for fans, contest
winners, and music industry types. It's just a few hours before
their evening performance, and the quartet appears ready to
go.
Bouncing around on stage with an effeminately coloured, yet
sturdy mic stand, singer Ben Kowalewicz’s energy resembles
that of an unneutered cat that’s been stuck in a cage
way too long. Around him, the rest of the band—Ian D’Sa
(guitar), Jon Gallant (bass), and Aaron Solowoniuk (drums)—are
doing their best to ensure that each track will be performed
later that night with the perfection and intensity they've been
known to deliver - because for BT, small clus in T.O. ar where
it all began. "We'd always play in the city, and pwole
would come and check us out. We'd be lucky to have 40 people
at our show," recalls Kowalewicz from a sidewalk behind
the Horseshoe.
For about a decade this sort of scenario was nothing new to
BT. Then something funny happened. The band signed to Warner
Music Canada in 2003, released their self-titled debut disc,
and made a video for their lead single “Try Honesty.”
Before they knew it, MuchMusic was all over them, radio play
was plentiful, and lineups for usually modestly attended gigs
started to grow considerably.
With a fan base that mixed disenfranchised youth looking for
a band to believe in and adults that wanted some excitement
in a Toronto band with a knack for mixing metal riffs with punk
rock attitude and tremendous, melodic moments, BT was off and
running.
Before they knew it, they had sold over 200,000 albums in Canada,
put forth four successful singles, headlined their own Canadian
tour, and won two Juno Awards in 2005 for Group of the Year
and Album of the Year.
The band clearly now knows success, but what are their impressions
of it? “I don’t understand it,” says Kowalewicz.
“I don’t accept it. I don’t think that I’m
successful; I’m thinking fortunate.” He continues,
“I see guys from high school and it’s ‘Hi
buddy, how’s it going?’ I’m like, ‘You’re
not my buddy, you used to throw stuff at me and
punch me in the face. Now, just because you see us on the television
doesn’t make us friends.’” Redirecting his
train of thought, Kowalewicz adds, “It’s hard work
and if you work hard for something, then it feels good to get
a little bit of a tip of the hat once in awhile.”
Amidst
the success the band began to experience, BT was also hiding
a secret. In March 2003, Solowoniuk let the public know—via
a letter on the Billy Talent website—that he has been
living with Multiple Sclerosis. “We call Aaron ‘Rambo’
now, because he’s the hero,” says Kowalewicz with
much pride. “Aaron’s had MS for about seven years
now, and he decided to come public—and God bless him,
because he had a lot of rough times and a lot of hard goes,
and it’s not over yet. But he’s at least telling
people that ‘even if you have any kind of problem, you
can succeed, and you can get through it. It is possible.’”
Kowalewicz gushes, “He’s definitely our biggest
inspiration in the band—we love him the most.” Citing
in the letter that this revelation “changes nothing about
my band or me,” Solowoniuk and company are forging ahead
with their new record, Billy Talent II. Available to the public
on June 27, this 13-song collection runs the gamut from the
speedy, hard-hitting opening track “Devil in a Midnight
Mass,” to the beautifully toned down, yet equally powerful
tune “Surrender.” Having not expected such recognition
with their debut album, Kowalewicz admits that he can’t
focus too much on what audiences are expecting from Billy Talent.
He’d rather leave everything up to chance and live with
the consequences, good or bad. “It’s just like Scrambles,”
he says. “[I’ll make] a cake, and I’ll just
throw it in the air. It’ll hit the ground, and whoever
wants it will take some, and if not, they’ll leave it.
I can’t worry about it. Really, all we’re doing
with the record is going ‘Scrambles!’ If it works,
it works, if it doesn’t work, then we’re happy still.”
BT
fun facts (raise your BQ)
* The name “Billy Talent” comes from Hugh
Dillon’s character in the feature film Hard
Core Logo.
* The band was originally known as Pezz, and in September
2005 the long-lost album they released under that name,
Watoosh!, was re-released to the public.
* After playing the third stage at Edgefest 2002 with
such acts as Theory of a Deadman and Three Days Grace,
the band went on to headline that very festival in 2005.
* For a number of weeks, amidst the release of the single
“Nothing to Lose,” BT donated $1 to the Kids
Help Phone each time the song received radio or video
play.
* In July 2001, they had to cancel a show at Toronto’s
Lee’s Palace after Aaron suffered multiple injuries
in a “freak tubing accident.”
* In 2004, BT performed at the notorious Glastonbury Festival
in Scotland. Former Beatle Paul McCartney and Oasis were
also on the bill—not bad company, eh?
* BT will be on the road throughout July and August as
part of the Vans Warped Tour. |
The
deal with Multiple Sclerosis
What is it?
Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that goes after the protective
covering of the central nervous system, the myelin. It causes
inflammation, often destroying the myelin, and affects the
brain, the spinal cord, and the central nervous system.
What are the symptoms?
MS symptoms vary from case to case. They include extreme
fatigue, balance difficulties, blurry vision, stiffness
in muscles, coordination problems, speech issues, and troubles
with
bladder and bowels. MS is often disabling and in extreme
cases, people who have the disease could experience partial
or complete paralysis.
I’m too young to worry, right?
MS can happen at just about any age, but it’s usually
diagnosed in people who are between the ages of 15 and 40,
and is twice as likely to occur in women as in men.
What types of treatment exist?
At the moment, there are a handful of medicines that are
available to those with relapsing or remitting MS. These
medications help reduce the severity and frequency of MS
attacks. There isn’t a designated cure at the moment,
but for further information on MS and how you can get involved
in the cause, visit www.mssociety.ca. |
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