Coming to rock Firemen’s Park with 1,000 musicians
London rocker Rose Cora Perry doesn’t mind playing ribfests. Or family fairs. Or even a kayak challenge, as she’ll do in August.
Whereas some singers might dismiss such events as ‘unhip,’ Perry and her band The Truth Untold know better. It can be more hip playing to attentive crowds than bored clubgoers texting all night.
She’s been there, in a previous band.
“Demographics have changed tremendously in terms of how people attend venues,” she says. “We might play fewer shows, because we’re not playing every dingy bar that’s on a tour circuit. We try to play bigger profile things.
“We like playing the family friendly circuit, playing these festivals, because we’re reaching a far wider range of ages than we would playing bars. And if you’re playing a ribfest, even if people haven’t heard of you and aren’t there for the music, they might end up becoming a fan.”
July is shaping up to be a pivotal month for the indie trio. Four days after playing the only Canadian stop of the final Vans Warped tour in Toronto, they’ll anchor the Day of 1,000 Musicians event July 21 at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls.
Modelled after an event three years ago in Cesano, Italy, for which 1,000 musicians played a Foo Fighters song to sway the band to play their town, the Falls version will gather 250 guitarists, 250 bassists, 250 drummers, 150 singers and 100 brass musicians to play six songs, starting at 6 p.m.
Watching videos of the Italy event, Perry loved the “camaraderie” of the musicians on display. She hopes to see it again in Niagara Falls.
“I thought it was just such a beautiful kind of experience,” she says. “We’re extremely honoured to be asked to take part in such a significant event. I understand this is the first time it’s actually been attempted in North America. I really hope we bring this home for Canada.”
Musicians can still sign up at www.dayof1000musicians.com.
For Perry, The Truth Untold is her return to rock after taking a mental break from the scene following the demise of her former band, Anti-Hero. Among her new activities: Asking questions instead of answering them, hosting two cable shows on Rogers TV in London.
“I wanted to re-direct my energies towards other things, and I’d had enough of the scene for a while,” she says. “I needed to mentally decompress and wanted to express myself artistically in different ways.
“It certainly was interesting to have the ‘backseat’ experience, not being the one doing all the talking.”
Always chatty on stage, the TV experience brought even more of Perry’s personality out on stage once she returned to music. In addition to her old school rock sound, it’s a huge part of the band’s appeal.
“Part of being a good frontperson is about knowing how to compel a crowd,” she says. “Knowing how to keep them entertained and energetic. You can’t just play straight without saying anything. Maybe if you’re Rush.”
Perry released her sophomore album, “Onto the Floor,” in 2016, then formed The Truth Untold with drummer Tyler Randall and bassist Amber Gorham (from
Niagara Falls). She wasted no time reclaiming some of London’s rock turf, nominated for best rock artist at last year’s Toronto Independent Music Awards.
Asked if she enjoys the business more now than when she started, Perry offers a hearty “Hell no!”
“It’s gotten so much worse. There’s just so many distractions, so much over-saturation, and so much use of technology to make up for deficits. People don’t feel they need to master an instrument in the same way. ‘Oh, I’ll just use autotune,’ or ‘Oh, I’ll use a sample.’
“It’s also a huge disservice to music listeners because they’re not getting that authentic, genuine, organic, raw experience of a musician being real and emotive. They’re getting something that sounds like a bloody computer. Where’s the art in that?”