Rocktoria X

Blackberry Henry is comprised of yet more Rocktoria'98 talent, creatively spearheaded by ex-Gabriel Hounds' singer / songwriter / guitarist Kevin Westwick, fronted by the effervescent Shannon Smiley on vocals and backed by the rhythm section of brother Todd Smiley (bass) and Erik Anderson on drums.

BH delivered a powerful package of melodic rock & spacey harmonies with a pinch of grunge and westcoast 60's feel. The highlight of their impressive set, was "I Breathe", a song which sends shivers down my spine & pumps viagra through my gills.

text/photos by barry newman
issue #58 - Cosmic Debris Musicians Magazine - Apr '99

text/photos by barry newman
issue #58 - Cosmic Debris Musicians Magazine - Apr '99
Three smashin' bands showcased at Duncan's Phoenix Pub on March 2 - a unique concert conceived & organized by bassist Todd Smiley.
Todd was looking for a third original band, and my suggestion that Aaron Grant's Grand Mantatas out of Nanaimo would suit his show, proved to be a good hunch. I hadn't heard Aaron on guitar before (he'd drummed with me at the Queens Hotel a while back), but I'd heard from a lot of musicians that his new act was killer stuff... and it is !!
Grand Mantatas (loosely translated: "those spots on Monica's dress" -bn) boldly go lyrically where only punk music previously dared... sweet ballads about suicide, stick-ups, cross-dressing n' glue-sniffin' gals. The difference with Aaron's music is that it incorporates a whole whack of melody and diverse rock styles - switching from rock to reggae and grunge - and often sounding like a 1950's Ritchie Valens.

Grant is an excellent vocalist & his creative guitar style utilizes a nice mix of tremolo, vibrato, reverb & occasional distortion. His rhythm section with Maurie Kaufmann (drums) and Kevin Kurjata (bass) is a tight and refreshingly well-rehearsed team. The band ended their dynamic set with a faithful rendition of the Beatles' "All My Lovin".