Art Bergmann - A Legend Right Now
Friday, November 29, 2013
 |
| Art Bergmann |
In 1977 when I was 34 years old I would put
on a black leather jacket (purchased in un-hip Sears) and the rest of my
outfit, Big John boots, T-shirt and jeans were all black. Then with a Pentax MX
loaded with Kodak Technical Pan film and three lenses, a 120, a 50 and and a 28
I would head to the Commodore Ballroom or such places as Japan Hall, Russian
Hall, Wise Hall and a few more places that are long gone like the Smiling
Buddha. In these venues (most were joints) I would take pictures while my buddy
and Vancouver Magazine rock critic (In One Ear) Les Wiseman would listen,
discern as only he could.
In short order, Wiseman, with an ear that was highfalutin and snobbish, taught me, like the good music critic that he was, to
appreciate rock music at its best. He could quickly separate the wheat from the chaff,
“If you
are going to insist on listening to heavy metal make sure it’s Motörhead. Lou
Reed is God. I am proud to never have gone to a concert by Images in Vogue.”
For
some concerts where our interest was in the warm-up band we would leave right
after to ovoid the uncool headliners.
When most music critics of the conventional
media of the time (and still conventional as it fades away) were avoiding punk
concerts, proclaiming that they were violent and dangerous we went to as many
as we could.
I will never forget that first time I ever
heard and saw Art Bergmann (1977) fronting his K-Tels (later the Young
Canadians) at the Smiling Buddha. As soon as I could I found a corner in the
place to put down my camera so I could pogo (jump) with all the rest that were
there. What must be funny in retrospect was that I was the only one (dressed in
black) with an expensive briar pipe in my mouth!
Since 1977, while I am not a music critic,
but I have been taught by the best, Les Wiseman, I can state here that I know a
bit about music.
 |
| Jim Carroll - Alex Waterhouse-Hayward |
In later bands Art Bergmann, who had some
addictions from hell, navigated this self-made hell in an almost auto destruct mode
so that his career when it was almost at the top (this happened many times) would
plunge by a simple insult, from Bergmann, to a record exec or business
promoter.
His music was not the raw punk music of the
Subhumans or D.O.A. variety. It had strong melody and lyrics that someone only
like Jim Carroll of the Jim Carroll Band could possibly be compared with. And then
there is the humour, the bittersweet humour of Bergmann’s lyrics from one of my
all-time favourites:
Hospital Song
(Bergmann)
albums: Sexual
Roulette + Design Flaw
Yes I know
What I've done
And I know
That it's wrong
Cuz I talked
To your mom
We watched you
All night long
I put a pillow
Under your head
Laid down some rags
You'd read
Friends sent cards
And flowers
Said they hoped
You got well
From your hospital bed
To my padded cell
There's not one thing
We need
This is heaven and
hell
Maybe later
We'll get together
Learn how to relax
Maybe later
We'll get together
And have a relapse
I watch you sleep
In your tubes
And IV's
They kept your face
So clean
Would it seem
Too mean
If I pull the plug
On your dream machine
Would I be
Losing you
Or would we
Meet again
How I wish
You knew
How to live
How I wish
We'd known
How to live
Copyright © 2013
Theodore Stinks & Dr. Applefritter - All Rights Reserved.
Art Bergmann may be a
legendary punk, but I would amend that as a legendary former punk who was born February
8, 1953 he is much more than that. Now 60, Bergmann is a legendary singer,
guitar player, songwriter who does all that with passion (now) and is backed by
a band, Kevin Lucks, bass, Stephen Drake, guitar and Adam Drake, drums that for
me has moments of the K-Tels at the
Smiling Buddha, with only one difference they are now better.
Those lucky enough to
be present at tonight’s show featuring Art Bergmann and his band at the Pawnshop
in Edmonton
should count their blessings. The former legendary punk has grown up.
