MOCKING SHADOWS
Calgary's own Power R&B, blues, soca, ska, jazz, funk, fusion septet.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
We started out in 1998 after some years doing other people's music. Now we have three or four songwriters in the band, and there is only one rule: No rules. We will play any song, regardless of style, if we feel it's good.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
Yes. All over the place. We've been playing BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and we played Ontario, Quebec, and the East Coast with BB King recently . We have backed Long John Baldry, Lighthouse, Doug and the Slugs, The DownChild Blues Band, Powder Blues, and before this Eastern Tour, we toured Western Canada with BB last fall.
Your musical influences
Louis Prima, Charlie Parker, Billy Holiday, the Beatles, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Tower of Power, Dylan&the Band,the Specials, the Guess Who, Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, James Brown, XTC, and of course, the RAMONES. (Rob)
What equipment do you use?
We are a low tech band. Hammond B3, tape echo, Mellotron, Moog, old guitars, accordion, basses, pianos, brass, reeds, etc.
Anything else?
Fernando sez: We put out just as much if not more energy than a really kickin' metal band, that's the vibe we have.
Rob sez: Yeah, personally, I'm exhausted, yet strangely alert...
