Written by: Franky

Category: Search for Reverb in Canada

Published: 03 September 2017

Hi! Today, I have the pleasure to chat with Arthur Cossette, lead guitar from Les Jaguars 1st wave band! Thank you Arthur for taking time to answer us. Let's surf and start the interview if you please. ?

SRR: What year was Les Jaguars founded?
Arthur Cossette: 1963.

SRR: Who are the members of Les Jaguars?
Arthur Cossette: Me, lead guitar; Gilles and his brother Raynold  Morissette, guitar, drums et Doris Thibeault, bass.

SRR: From which city did Les Jaguars originate?
Arthur Cossette: Arvida, Quebec, Canada.

SRR: Where did the idea to form an instrumental band come from?
Arthur Cossette: We were playing dance hall music, which was often instrumental.

SRR: How did you meet each other?
Arthur Cossette: They heard of me and then they called me. I was already playing in a band called Les Vampires.

SRR: What are your influences?
Arthur Cossette: Colin Kids, Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Santo and Johnny, Merle Travis...

SRR: How did you guys describe the band at the time?
Arthur Cossette: Musicians were not classified back then. Electric guitar music if you want.

SRR: What year did you do your first recording?
Arthur Cossette: 1963.

SRR: Did you have a label?
Arthur Cossette: Tournesol.

SRR: Which instrument did you used?
Arthur Cossette: Fender Jaguar, Gretsch 6120.

SRR: Which amplifier did you use?
Arthur Cossette: Fender.

SRR: Did you use a reverb tank?
Arthur Cossette: Echochord.

SRR: Was it an original or modified tank?
Arthur Cossette: Original.

SRR: What are the effects used on the guitar?
Arthur Cossette: None. Only the Echochord.

SRR: What type of strings did you use, flatwounds or roundwounds?
Arthur Cossette: Half-Round Daddario, light top heavy bottom.

SRR: How long has Les Jaguars been active for?
Arthur Cossette: 2 years.

SRR: Was there any reunion?
Arthur Cossette: Only once for one show in 1985.

SRR: Were the members in any band(s) after Les Jaguars?
Arthur Cossette: Personally I've been hired by a Montreal band Les Sinners, then I played for Robert Charlebois and after La Revolution Francaise.

SRR: Where can we buy and follow Les Jaguars?
Arthur Cossette: In some specialized stores.

SRR: Where can we listen and follow your actual band?
Arthur Cossette: I am guitar player for Lyse and the Hot Kitchen we are on Facebook and Bandcamp, also I am preparing a personal showcase who's going to be shown to public for the first time at Festival Pop de Montreal next September 15 2017.

SRR: Thank you very much Arthur for taking time to answer me today.
Arthur Cossette: Thank.

Written by: Franky

Category: Search for Reverb in Canada

Published: 27 August 2017

Hi! Today, I have the pleasure to chat with Jeff Welch and Mike Bradford, bass and lead guitar from The Reverb Syndicate 3rd wave band! Thank you Jeff and Mike for taking time to answer us. Let's surf and start the interview if you please. ?

SRR: What year was The Reverb Syndicate founded?
Jeff Welch: The band was founded in 2006, or 1966. We’re never quite sure.

SRR: Who are the members of The Reverb Syndicate?
Jeff Welch: Originally me on bass; Mike Bradford, lead guitar and whatever other instrument takes his fancy and James Rossiter, rhythm guitar; Mike Rifkin, drums who both retired. Now Michael Sheridan on drums and percussion.

SRR: From which city did The Reverb Syndicate originate?
Jeff Welch: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

SRR: Where did the idea to form an instrumental band come from?
Jeff Welch: The instro idea was Bradford’s brainchild. He wanted to start spy-themed instro band. I thought it sounded like a fun project but would that it likely wouldn’t go very far. Handful of shows max. That was 10+ years, four albums, two over-seas tours and countless Canadian and USA headlining shows later.

SRR: How did you meet each other?
Jeff Welch: The band was basically formed when I drunkenly approached Mike Bradford at a show we were both attending.  My previous music project had just folded and was looking to get a new thing started.  I had known Bradford for many years through the music scene and had had always got along reasonably well with him. At that point it was more important to be in a band with someone I liked than the style of music.  The rest of the founding members were hand-picked from our mutual musical contacts. 

SRR: What were the influences of the band?
Jeff Welch: Our early influences were bands like The Ventures, The Shadows, The Atlantics, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. The style of old spy-movies and basically the 60’s in the general. As the years went on, we found elements like spaghetti westerns, 80’s home computing and even Devo creeping into our sound.

SRR: How did you guys describe the band at the time?
Jeff Welch: We are Ottawa's or perhaps Canada's only surf/spy.spaghetti western/go-go/ band.

SRR: When was your first gig?
Jeff Welch: Spring of 2006 at Irene’s Pub in Ottawa. This would be our home base for many a year.

SRR: What year did you do your first recording?
Jeff Welch: Later that year of 2006.

SRR: Did you have a label?
Jeff Welch: Nope. We are proudly self-funded and self-produced. 

SRR: Which instrument did you used?
Mike Bradford: A lefty Fender Jazzmaster reissue from the mid-90's and a lefty Burns Marquee also from the mid-90's, depending on whether we feel like sounding super-clean or a bit twangy. Our keyboard is a Commodore 64 breadbin with 6581 SID chip, one of the early models. Makes some fantastic bleeps and bloops which occasionally fit with what we're trying to do!
Jeff Welch: I use a Burns Jazz bass reissue from the early 90’s and a my back-up is a Eastwood H-Flyer.

SRR: Which amplifier did you use?
Mike Bradford: A Traynor YGL-3 that someone crudely hacked apart to turn into a head, with a Workhorse speaker cabinet I borrowed long term from my high school in 1994.
Jeff Welch: Various Ampeg amps including a B200R, a Micro VR for recording and a Portaflex 350 for staqe shows.

SRR: Did you use a reverb tank?
Mike Bradford: No. The YGL-3 has a gorgeous reverb that goes on for days. I rarely turn it past 4, but 10 is great for those Astronauts sounds.

SRR: What are the effects used on the guitar?
Mike Bradford: Very minimal effects. Lately a Roland Space Echo has been a great source of amusement though!

SRR: What type of strings did you use, flatwounds or roundwounds?
Jeff Welch: I think we all went through a flatwound phase during the Mondo-Cacti spaghetti-western phase of the band.

SRR: How long has The Reverb Syndicate been active for?
Jeff Welch: Never stopped since 2006.

SRR: Were the members in any band(s) after The Reverb Syndicate?
Jeff Welch: Our original drummer Mike Rifkin has turned family man but he still buts out music under his own name from time to time.

SRR: Where can we buy and follow The Reverb Syndicate?
Jeff Welch: The Reverb Syndicate can be found on all the popular streaming sites and for purchase on iTunes and through CDbaby. You can find us online and on Facebook and Twitter. Its pretty easy to find us. Google is your friend. While we are currently in the writing phase for our fifth album, we will playing in Ottawa at the Surf & Turf Festival this November at the House of Targ. So if you are into the live rock and roll thing.

SRR: Thank you very much Jeff and Mike for taking time to answer me today.
Jeff Welch: No problem. Thanks for including us in your search for Canadian Reverb. There are so many good bands out there, both historically and the current wave of bands.

Written by: Franky

Category: Search for Reverb in Canada

Published: 20 August 2017

Hi! Today, I have the pleasure to chat with Michael Diabo, lead guitar from Urban Surf Kings 3rd wave band! Thank you Michael for taking time to answer us. Let's surf and start the interview if you please. ?

SRR: What year was Urban Surf Kings founded?
Michael Diabo: Urban Surf Kings started way back in 1995.

SRR: Who are the members of Urban Surf Kings?
Michael Diabo: USK features Rev Mike (me) on guitar; Crash Flagg, bass & Inky, drums. This line-up has been in place since 1996-97 with Inky taking a break for a couple of years around 2010, but he is back. Brain, bass & Spunky, drums were in the first line-up, for about a year.

SRR: From which city did Urban Surf Kings originate?
Michael Diabo: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

SRR: Where did the idea to form an instrumental band come from?
Michael Diabo: I had just finished playing with a couple of heavy bands in the late 80's early 90's; the Medicine Men from Montreal, the 14 Eyz from Halifax and was trying to figure out what to do next. My wife was the one who suggested starting a surf band just after Pulp Fiction came out. Since some of the first tunes I learned when I was 14 were Rebel Rouser, Pipeline and Wipe Out it all made sense. Plus I didn't need a singer.

SSR: How did you meet each other?
Michael Diabo: The first line up were friends from University and around Halifax. The line-up that has been around since 96-97, Crash was in the same Jazz program I was at St FX, and Inky is my younger brother.

SRR: What were the influences of the band?
Michael Diabo: USK was influenced by the classic surf-instro bands originally; The Ventures, Dick dale, Davie Allan and Link Wray. As we became more familiar with modern bands Los Straitjackets had a big impact on us. As a guitarist I have been influenced by Link Wray, Davie Allan, Dick Dale and Eddie Angel.

SRR: How did you guys describe the band at the time?
Michael Diabo: We used the tag line North Atlantic Surf. People generally recognize that we are a surf band.

SRR: When was your first gig?
Michael Diabo: Our first gig was at the Wardroom at Kings College in Halifax. We had no idea if a surf band would go over, but the place went bananas!

SRR: What year did you do your first recording?
Michael Diabo: We recorded our first release "Looking Sharp" a cassette ep live at T.U.N.S. in 1996 with 4 mics and a 4-track (guitar, bass, drums, audience).

SRR: Did you have a label?
Michael Diabo: We worked with the Halifax based "Cinnamon Toast Records", Italy's "OmOm Records", and Italy's "Surfer Joe" on several releases. Most of our recordings have come out on our own "Reverb Ranch" imprint.

SRR: Which instrument did you used?
Michael Diabo: For guitar I use; Fender Stratocaster Plus, Eastwood Airline Map, Danelectro U2 1990's a double cut away original Hodad Baritone and a 4 pick up EKO. For bass; Ernie Ball 5 string, Danelectro Longhorn. For drums a Yamaha 4 pieces and for keys we use a 1960's Farfisa on some recording.

SRR: Which amplifier did you use?
Michael Diablo: Live; a early 60's Fender Vibrasonic, late 70's Garnet Revolution II. Recording; a bunch of things including Fender, Kalamazoo, Garnet, Kent. etc...

SRR: Did you use a reverb tank?
Michael Diabo: Yes.

SRR: Was it an original or modified tank?
Michael Diabo: I have 2 1990 reissue tanks.

SRR: Can we know about which tube you used?
Michael Diabo: Only my amp tech knows.

SRR: What are the effects used on the guitar?
Michael Diabo: It varies depending on my mood. With the Garnet amp I use the onboard spring reverb, but I use the reissue tank with the Fender. Ocassionally I will use Diamond Boost-EQ (made here in NS) or an EHX Soul Food to push the amp, an MXR Carbon Copy and an Ashbass Fuzzrite clone for Davie Allan fuzz.

SRR: What type of strings did you use, flatwounds or roundwounds?
Michael Diabo: 11's roundwound with a plain 3rd.

SRR: How long has Urban Surf Kings been active for?
Michael Diabo: We have been going strong for the last 22 years with no end in sight.

SRR: Where can we buy and follow Urban Surf Kings?
Michael Diabo: On Facebook, under Reverb Ranch on Bandcamp and Youtube, also urbansurfkings.com

SRR: Where can we listen and follow your other project?
Michael Diabo: I also have a radio show called Great White Surf on North Sea Surf Radio that you can follow on Facebook too.

SRR: Thank you very much Michael for taking time to answer me today.
Michael Diabo: My pleasure and thanks for keeping surf alive!

Written by: Franky

Category: Search for Reverb in Canada

Published: 13 August 2017

Hi! Today, I have the pleasure to chat with Mark Brodie, lead guitar from The Metalunas 3rd wave band! Thank you Mark for taking time to answer us. Let's surf and start the interview if you please. ? 

SRR: What year was The Metalunas founded?
Mark Brodie: 1999.

SRR: Who are the members of The Metalunas?
Mark Brodie: Originally, me on guitar; Rod Moore, drums and Mike Cinnamon, bass. Although there were personnel changes over the years.

SRR: From which city did The Metalunas originate?
Mark Brodie: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

SRR: Where did the idea to form an instrumental band come from?
Mark Brodie: It was my idea. I’d been in several other instrumental surf projects and this was just another one.

SRR: How did you meet each other?
Mark Brodie: I met Rod back in 1990 through a newspaper ad. Mike Cinnamon came into the band through another newspaper ad.

SRR: What were the influences of the band?
Mark Brodie: Dick Dale, Surfaris, Beach Boys, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.

SRR: How did you guys describe the band at the time?
Mark Brodie: Sci-Fi Surf Rock.

SRR: When was your first gig?
Mark Brodie: New Years Eve 1999 at the Picadilly Pub in Vancouver.

SRR: What year did you do your first recording?
Mark Brodie: 1999.

SRR: Did you have a label?
Mark Brodie: Yes, “American Pop Project” from San Rafael, California.

SRR: Which instrument did you used?
Mark Brodie: I used a Fender Stratocaster.  I don’t know what other instrument brands the other guys used. Can't remember which amplifier I used.

SRR: Did you use a reverb tank?
Mark Brodie: Yes.

SRR: Was it an original or modified tank?
Mark Brodie: Re-issue.

SRR: What are the effects used on the guitar?
Mark Brodie: None, except the reverb tank.

SRR: What type of strings did you use, flatwounds or roundwounds?
Mark Brodie: Roundwound.

SRR: How long have the Metalunas been active for?
Mark Brodie: We were active from 1999-2002.

SRR: Were the members in any band(s) after The Metalunas?
Mark Brodie: I had other surf instrumental projects after the Metalunas. I was in the Banzai Rebels from 2003-2005 and created the Hang-Ten Hangmen in 2010.

SRR: Where can we buy and follow The Metalunas?
Mark Brodie: The Metalunas stuff is not available anymore except for what people have uploaded to the Internet.

SRR: Where can we listen and follow your actual band?
Mark Brodie: The Hang-Ten Hangmen have several releases (“Surfin’ and Swingin’ with”, “Live at the Shameful Tiki Room”, “Tales of the Hang-Ten Hangmen”, “Surfing, Cars, Girls, and Zombies”).  I also released material under the names the Mad Doctors (“Robots, Lasers, and Disembodied Brains”) and the Surfside Swamis (“The Enlightened Sounds of…”) all available on iTunes and streaming sites.

SRR: Thank you very much Mark for taking time to answer me today.
Mark Brodie: No problem.