Pumping life into corpse of rock 'n' roll

The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, March 30, 1990
By Greg Barr

Art Bergmann isn't sure why he scares people.

"Actually, I'm the biggest suckhole in the world," a rather sleepy Bergmann confessed into the phone this week. "I just write about subjects that everyone thinks or talks about, but some people just don't want to hear it."

When the former Vancouver protopunker released his debut album Crawl With Me in late 1988, it was a tough sell. The moody atmosphere, created by former Velvet Underground mentor John Cale, was a disturbing backdrop for ditties about sexually-abused women, among other dark subjects.

Though working with Cale was too intimidating, Bergmann says working with producer Chris Wardman for the second album, Sexual Roulette, was quite inspiring. One reason was that Cale wasn't into guitars, and Wardman, guitarist with Go Four 3, most definitely is.

"I'm lucky I got a second chance. But this (album) is more me," he said. He hopes it might release his alternative-label chains.

The lead-off cut, Bound for Vegas, captures the roadhouse spirit of the Rolling Stones's Route 66. Bergmann said it was inspired by a TV interview with Iggy Pop, who noted how sad it is that every entertainer's reward for staying in the business to age 50 is to play Vegas.

(She) Hit Me is full of fuzzy T. Rex and Ronson-style riffs. It's controlled spontaneity, Art's personal quest to pump some life into the beer-drenched corpse of rock 'n' roll.

And to make sure the guitar sounds stand out, a second axeman, Michael Joy, has been added to the touring band, opening for National Velvet at Porter Hall Saturday.

As for the lyrics... well, Art still seems awfully upset about a lot of things. Dirge No. 1 is sludgy industrial punk, describing a "vision of pain" when he nursed a coke-addict friend through seven nights of insanity.

The album closes with Deathwatch, recorded in the studio in the wee hours of the morning, just Art and his acoustic guitar doing that psychotic Dylan and Jack Daniels thing. Those personal demons still have Art in a vice-like grip.

"I get total solace in spending the time creating my music. Then once that's done, the performance is the only thing I have left. All of the hanging around waiting for the next show is very detrimental."