A story: It was January 1999 at the Rivoli and Mason Hornet had just given up the stage to Wayne Omaha. We had the privilege of opening for the legendary 122 Greige on the night of their Moving Away From The Sun CD release. A gentleman who had never seen or heard the band asked me what to expect. He had a bottle of Budweiser in his right hand. Nobody had ever asked me that question before. Greige had been around for so long that I assumed everybody attending the release show had been exposed to the mighty Greige in one way or another. They don’t play a lot of shows, but they’ve been together since 1989 and cast a mighty long shadow. Most people I know in my favourite local bands have been under the Greige spell for a while now. I didn’t know where to begin the answer.
"Well, they’re sort of like storytellers. Adam’s drumming always tells a story, watch for how he builds in the song."
A blank stare. "Drums that tell
stories?"
"Well, actually Matt tells the stories. Usually stories about misguided love, longing, regret, all my favorite hot buttons. He sings sort of like Ian Curtis, but he’s not as pissed off, sort of an Ian Curtis fronting Galaxie 500."
Silence. "Ian who? Does he race cars?"
"I don’t think so, he's been dead for a long time."
"Oh. So this is sort of an Indie 500 tribute band?"
The gentleman’s question was not being answered quite as well as I had hoped. "122 Greige are alive and well, they're just a bit low-key. You can dance to most of their songs, though, if that’s your thing, - I said, looking at his bottle of Budweiser.
"Oh, so they’re like that guy who got fired from the Oak Ridge Boys."
"No. I’m sorry. I don’t mean low key like a baritone, I mean low key in an understated sort of way."
"Understated. You mean they’re Mexican?"
"No. They used to be suburban but now they’re cosmopolitan."
Oh. I don’t like Russian music."
"You're beginning to annoy me. I’m going to go play pool."
"But you haven't told me what 122 Greige are like."
They’re like living upstairs from a drunk with a gun."
"Ah. You sleep with one eye open."
That’s it."
Catch 122 Greige and Thanatopop on April 23! - Doc Pickles