FIVE QUESTIONS WITH CHUCK COLES
BY BEN RISPIN
Chuck Coles is a musician, producer, writer, booker and promoter. When Chuck's not on the road with bands like The Creepshow, Rules, Organ Thieves or his solo project Chuck Coles and The United Snakes, his off-time is spent booking and promoting Toronto's legendary Bovine Sex Club.
Chuck is a well respected member of Southern Ontario's DIY music community. His devotion to his musical roots are true, which can be seen at any number of the open mics he hosts in and around Toronto.
His musical talents are only rivalled by his ability to bring people together, which is why we're thrilled that he's the first subject of Fannatickets very first blog piece.
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH CHUCK COLES
HOW DID YOU GET INTO WRITING AND PERFORMING MUSIC?
CHUCK COLES: I was inspired by the recorder. You could just blow into this awful stick and it was given to you by an adult, my teacher at the time. I recall thinking I could make a high noise by tilting my head back and pushing as much air as I had in my lungs and shaking my head around. This was not the case. I found myself outside of the portable shortly after my introduction.
I was also in the “boys choir”. We sang Rockin' Robin and In The Jungle the Mighty Jungle. I remember singing with my friends and being so stoked to be a part of something that to this day I still strive to do my soul justice singing with friends at loud concerts.
I played a talent show at the same school and I played Nirvana songs. They thought I wrote them. I played Rape Me and Polly. I didn’t get to play them again after that day. They thought I was troubled. (laughing).
One of my first bands was called First Offence and everyone in the band was in my elementary school choir. We named our band after Maestro Fresh Wes' DJ of the same name.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SHOW YOU WENT TO?
CHUCK COLES: The first show I went to was Pantera. June 18th 1994. Sepultra and Biohazard opened. I had no idea I was singing what later on in my life would be racist hymns. “Thanks Phil!”. It was at Maple Leaf Gardens. I was a hockey goalie and I couldn’t believe that hockey and Pantera lived in the same building. So rad. I would also like to mention that we have to give more love to racist people because they were not born that way. It takes time to become better people and we can only do that with love and understanding.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST BIG SHOW WHERE YOU PERFORMED?
CHUCK COLES: The first big show that I played was Riot Fest in Toronto, Ontario. September 9th 2012 with my best friends. Other bands on the bill were; Andrew WK, Descendents, Fucked Up, Hot Water Music, Junior Battles, The Lawrence Arms, Mockingbird WIsh Me Luck, NOFX and my band, Organ Thieves. All of these bands are the DNA of my youth. It was very overwhelming and made me feel like I accomplished something with my friends that I had no idea was possible in my youth.
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST LIVE SHOW OR FUNNIEST LIVE SHOW MEMORY?
CHUCK COLES: The worst show I ever played was when I was 13 in Oshawa, Ontario at the Moon Room. I smoked hash outside of the venue before we played and we didn’t really know what we were doing. I’m sure my guitar was out of tune and we were not welcomed. I was so nervous that in between what I though were songs I couldn’t stop talking and these older guys spit on me saying “less talk more rock [Prejudice Term]”
WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
CHUCK COLES: Everyday is a gift when you dedicate your life to what’s inside. I hope to create music with my friends and anyone willing to bare their soul, putting yourself in uncompromising situations is truly living for me. It’s never ending. Willing to learn and understand different perspectives has been a goal of mine since the first time I heard the awful sound or the recorder.
CATCH CHUCK COLES ALONGSIDE DOA'S JOE KIETHLEY AND KEVIN MURPHY AT THE BOVINE SEX CLUB SEPTEMBER 19TH
