Who: Star Collector
Where: Boot Pub
When: Monday, Nov. 28
Vic "The Eggman" Wayne of Star Collector looks over reviews from German newspapers about the bands summer European tour from his Vancouver home.
"They could have been totally slagging us," he chuckles at the German-language print. "But, they ran pictures, so it must be okay."
Star Collectors music, somewhere between decadent 70s Americana and 60s British power pop, won over fans with some help from a few key German phrases Wayne learned. He recites two lines in German over the phone.
"That means Our drummer loves your city and your ass and our bass guitarist is a muscle man," he said. "We did anything to get a chuckle and endear ourselves to the German masses."
Humour, innovativeness and bombastic riffs are all things music fans can expect from the Star Collectors next show, Monday, Nov. 28 at the Boot Pub.
The nine-year-old Vancouver band has played with 54-40, The Heavy Blinkers, Sweet Apple Pie and The Boss Martians. The band appeared on MuchMusic, MuchWest, CBC, CityTV Breakfast, VTV Breakfast and Urban Rush. Along with airplay in B.C. and Alberta, Star Collectors guitar histrionics have aired in the U.K., Spain, Germany and Yugoslavia.
Having garnered a devout following in western Canada and the U.S. as part of International Pop Overthrow Festival, Star Collector turned its ambitions overseas, leading to two European tours over the past two years and two performances at The Cavern Club, the famous Liverpool club where the Beatles got their start.
"I am a huge Beatles fan," Wayne said. "It was a dream come true being invited to play there."
This years European tour with stops in the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands was thanks in part to federal arts/music grants from the Canadian Factor program. With remaining funds from this summers tour, Star Collector is getting set to record its fourth album in early January.
What started out as a mod 50s and 60s pop-influenced band, progressed to 70s riff rock Americana with the release of the bands third and current album, Flash-Arrows and The Money Shot , produced by ex-Grapes of Wrath frontman Kevin Kane.
Kane will be the helm of Star Collectors fourth album, which Wayne says stretches the music spectrum even further.
"Some stuff goes full on to riff rocks and even hints of ACDC," he said. "It has some semblance of Jet and Aerosmith along with moodier stuff starting to sound like The Verve. This album will definitely be the most diverse collection of songs."
Boot listeners can expect music from both Star Collectors current album and the bands not-yet-recorded fourth album for the Whistler show, along with a few Aussie Hoodoo Gurus covers.
"Ill try to learn some Aussie speak before we play in Whistler," Wayne joked.