Billy Talent jelling with best of Hamilton rock
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The members of Billy Talent have been spending an awful lot of time with Hamilton musicians lately.
As a matter of fact, it almost seems like Billy Talent has been joined at the hip with Hamilton’s rock triumvirate — The Dirty Nil, Monster Truck and Arkells.
In the past two years, Billy Talent has toured extensively across North America and Europe with both The Nil and Monster Truck. The Toronto-based band also has a long history touring with the Arkells, who even performed at Billy Talent singer Ben Kowalewicz’s wedding in 2011.
And, at a Junofest party in Ottawa last month, Kowalewicz got up on stage with the Arkells to sing David Bowie’s “Modern Love.”
“There is something special happening on the Hamilton side of the world,” Kowalewicz says on the phone from his Toronto home.
Kowalewicz, whose band is enjoying renewed popularity with the 2016 release of its fifth studio album “Afraid of Heights,” is full of praise for the Hamilton scene.
“Yeah, I think (The Dirty Nil) are the next great Canadian band, that’s for sure and the Monster Truck guys are just as bad-assed and amazing as ever,” he says.
Regarding the Arkells: “I think they are just lovely humans and a great band that is finally getting the attention they deserve.”
So when Billy Talent was in need of a new drummer last year, it wasn’t surprising for the band to turn to a Hamilton native son — Jordan Hastings, best known for his work with Alexisonfire.
Hastings, born in Hamilton and raised in Burlington, has been filling in for regular Billy Talent drummer Aaron Solowoniuk who has been suffering from a relapse of multiple sclerosis. Hastings performed on the “Afraid of Heights” album and has been playing live with Billy Talent since January 2016.
“Aaron is my best friend, it was like a dagger to the heart,” Kowalewicz, 41, says about Solowoniuk’s relapse.
“Out of a horrible situation, it’s been the best case scenario.
“We’ve done a few shows with Alexisonfire over the years and we knew Jordan as an amazing drummer, but it’s been very cool to get to know him as a friend. He’s truly a remarkable guy … All of that said, I see Aaron a couple of times of week and he’s doing everything he can to get back to the (drum) kit. We’re all cautiously optimistic for his return.”
Unfortunately, when it came time for Billy Talent to finally book a Hamilton show on their “Afraid of Heights” tour, none of the band’s regular Hamilton tour mates were
available to play a hometown show.
Monster Truck is in Europe with Deep Purple; The Dirty Nil are on a cross-Canada tour with the Flatliners; and the Arkells are playing in the United States before returning to Canada for a sold-out show June 24 at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage with July Talk.
But when Billy Talent performs Saturday, June 3, at Tim Hortons Field with fellow Toronto rockers Danko Jones, there will be a notable Hamilton presence in the form of a reinvigorated Teenage Head with Dave Rave on vocals.
It just so happens that Teenage Head, a band that pioneered Canadian punk rock, is one of Billy Talent’s idols.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect for them and what they’ve done,” Kowalewicz says. “We looked up to them. It’s always important for bands to know what preceded them. It’s going to be a great day. I’m really looking forward to meeting them and hanging out.”