The primary occasion at Massey Corridor occurs on Sept. 28
Kim Mitchell says when 13 of Canada’s most influential ’70s-’80s bands are inducted into Canada’s Stroll of Fame will probably be like a household coming collectively.
Mitchell’s pre-solo Toronto band Max Webster is among the many 13 inductees that shall be collectively honoured on Thursday evening at Massey Corridor together with April Wine, Chilliwack, Glass Tiger, Lee Aaron, Lighthouse, Loverboy, Quebec’s Michel Pagliaro, Platinum Blonde, PRISM, Tough Commerce, The Parachute Membership, and Trooper.
“I can assure you that during the last two summers I’ve seen all these bands at airports and lodge lobbies,” joked Mitchell, 71, who simply got here off some solo reveals final week.
“Loverboy are a little bit extra worldwide however the remainder of us I form of name blue-collar working musicians of Canada. We’re grabbing small commuter planes going to little cities and taking part in these fantastic festivals. I actually need to say, and I hope this comes throughout proper, however I really feel like we’re all household.”
Platinum Blonde’s Mark Holmes, a British immigrant to Toronto within the late’70s who has all the time divided his time between Canada and England, feels much less near the traditional Can-rock scene.
“Sort of sure and no,” mentioned Holmes, who at present runs The Jean Darlene Piano Room on Dundas St. after beforehand working The Mod Membership on CollegeSt.
“Within the U.Ok. and America, you do competition excursions and also you get to know different bands. And we, for essentially the most half, travelled with two large tractor-trailers simply stuffed with merchandise and our gear and we went round and toured and we actually didn’t get the possibility to fulfill or change into pleasant with any of the opposite bands. I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have some chats with (Parachute Membership’s) Lorraine (Segato) a bit and (Glass Tiger’s) Alan Frew. I’m Fb buddies with (Tough Commerce’s) Carole (Pope). I keep in mind Tough Commerce being round after I came visiting (from England) and pondering, ‘That is actually cool. All my buddies again house are going to like this.’”
(Mitchell, for his half, calls Holmes, “a candy man,” he’s had conversations with over time.)
Thursday’s occasion, referred to as Canada’s Rock of Fame in a play on phrases, is the largest-ever mega CWOF induction as a part of the oranization’s Twenty fifth-anniversary celebrations and shall be adopted by one other gathering on the Metro Toronto Conference Centre on Dec. 2 to be broadcast at a later date on CTV and different 2023 inductees embrace singer Avril Lavigne, and TV star Rick Mercer to call a couple of.
The Massey Corridor event shall be co-hosted by Jeanne Beker and Terry David Mulligan with radio-TV deejays and veejays from that period as presenters and performers embrace Holmes, Tough Commerce and Pagliaro, the latter two who even have reveals on the Phoenix on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30 respectively.
“I felt very nice about it,” mentioned Mitchell of the CWOF induction. “Issues not often get my consideration like this. I assumed, ‘Wow, that is actually nice.’ The one humorous factor about it was, (the CWOF) wished an eight by ten (photograph) and I’m like, ‘(Max Webster) band broke up 4 many years in the past! I’m sorry youngsters, there aren’t any eight by tens! And you already know what? You don’t wish to see one both!’ I’m simply blissful that Max Webster meant one thing. That’s actually humbling. I’m thrilled.”
Holmes, who says Platinum Blonde “could also be gearing up for some very, very giant tour,” is simply blissful for the popularity.
“I used to be very, very shocked,” Holmes mentioned of the CWOF induction.
“It’s humorous ‘trigger I assumed the Canadian music business was simply making an attempt to erase us from the map,” he mentioned pointing to NOW journal’s finest 50 Toronto rock bands ballot beforehand which didn’t even point out Platinum Blonde.
“After which the Juno Awards with an enormous (fiftieth) anniversary present a couple of years again, they confirmed everybody besides Platinum Blonde. So I used to be fairly excited that (we) hadn’t been forgotten. I assume for those who’re round lengthy sufficient, you’ll be beloved. That’s actually cool.”