Interview with Canadian Punk rock Legend Murray Acton (Dayglo Abortions) part 1
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK
VIEW: Hello, Murray! Welcome to The
Cosmick View. Thank
you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: How
soon after the lockdowns were imposed in Canada did you realize this COVID thing wasn't gonna be a quick turnaround for the music industry?
Murray Acton: We were on tour with the Dayglo Abortions when they declared the worldwide pandemic. We played our last show in Vancouver and the first lock down was imposed the next morning. Turns out we were very close to the last live band to play in the country. Me and our drummer Blind Marc (Blarc) went back home to Vancouver Island which then disconnected itself from the rest of the world. Things were pretty odd, empty streets and all, but it took quite a while for the first cases to show up on the island so it wasn't long before people put on masks and started going about their business.
We were watching with horror what was going on in the States which was enough to keep a lot of people at home, but to sweeten the deal a bit, the federal government started giving everyone who applied $2000.00 a month. And a version of that is still coming. It was around then, a couple of weeks in, that looking at how it was going worldwide, it was obviously spreading like mad, and even though it was unclear what the actual mortality rate was, there were bodies piling up everywhere. I accepted the fact that we weren't going to be touring anymore this year, and there was no word of vaccines then so I realized that at my age, if I lost a couple of years of touring, I might as well call it quits. There were some dark days at first but I got offered a job that I took. It was the first time I had worked in twenty years so it was like a holiday for me. It kept me busy, and I quickly got my mind around the situation. It was a shame my career ended like that, I was hoping for a massive heart attack on stage somewhere. But I had been playing professionally for 45 years. Played around the world, and had friends everywhere I played, and the respect of my fans and peers. Changed my occupation on my Facebook page to say “pre-COVID occupation Guitar and Vocals for the Dayglo Abortions – post-COVID I paint houses.”
Murray Acton: We were on tour with the Dayglo Abortions when they declared the worldwide pandemic. We played our last show in Vancouver and the first lock down was imposed the next morning. Turns out we were very close to the last live band to play in the country. Me and our drummer Blind Marc (Blarc) went back home to Vancouver Island which then disconnected itself from the rest of the world. Things were pretty odd, empty streets and all, but it took quite a while for the first cases to show up on the island so it wasn't long before people put on masks and started going about their business.
We were watching with horror what was going on in the States which was enough to keep a lot of people at home, but to sweeten the deal a bit, the federal government started giving everyone who applied $2000.00 a month. And a version of that is still coming. It was around then, a couple of weeks in, that looking at how it was going worldwide, it was obviously spreading like mad, and even though it was unclear what the actual mortality rate was, there were bodies piling up everywhere. I accepted the fact that we weren't going to be touring anymore this year, and there was no word of vaccines then so I realized that at my age, if I lost a couple of years of touring, I might as well call it quits. There were some dark days at first but I got offered a job that I took. It was the first time I had worked in twenty years so it was like a holiday for me. It kept me busy, and I quickly got my mind around the situation. It was a shame my career ended like that, I was hoping for a massive heart attack on stage somewhere. But I had been playing professionally for 45 years. Played around the world, and had friends everywhere I played, and the respect of my fans and peers. Changed my occupation on my Facebook page to say “pre-COVID occupation Guitar and Vocals for the Dayglo Abortions – post-COVID I paint houses.”
CV:
Many people assume that since a band or artist is touring they must be making
lots of money. However, in reality, and for many, that is not necessarily the
case. As with any other line of work, touring is an artist’s way of staying
afloat and making ends meet. Initially in the wake of the lockdowns, unable to
tour, how did you occupy your time? Did writing new music immediately start?
MA: Once I started working and got over the initial shock of my life change, I started writing songs about the pandemic…lots of songs about the pandemic. For me I treat it like an exercise but there is also a personal therapy aspect to it. Each night after work, I would sit down and play guitar for a few hours at least (I don't watch TV or anything like that) and if a song idea came up I could put together a demo of it right there. I've got a set of Roland V-drums, a midi keyboard, 2 nice basses, and about 10 high end guitars in a room with a DAW and an 8 channel analog interface. I can quite quickly whip up a song of any style I choose. I try to make the music suit the lyrics if there is any. If there are lyrics, they are often tied to something I have on my mind that I've been struggling with. That's where the therapy angle comes in. I find it an immense help because it gives me a chance to process my thoughts. I can then let the topic go instead of it continually popping into my thoughts causing me stress.
MA: Once I started working and got over the initial shock of my life change, I started writing songs about the pandemic…lots of songs about the pandemic. For me I treat it like an exercise but there is also a personal therapy aspect to it. Each night after work, I would sit down and play guitar for a few hours at least (I don't watch TV or anything like that) and if a song idea came up I could put together a demo of it right there. I've got a set of Roland V-drums, a midi keyboard, 2 nice basses, and about 10 high end guitars in a room with a DAW and an 8 channel analog interface. I can quite quickly whip up a song of any style I choose. I try to make the music suit the lyrics if there is any. If there are lyrics, they are often tied to something I have on my mind that I've been struggling with. That's where the therapy angle comes in. I find it an immense help because it gives me a chance to process my thoughts. I can then let the topic go instead of it continually popping into my thoughts causing me stress.
CV: How
long into the lockdowns did you find yourself specifically writing for a solo
record? Was it something you set out to do or did it organically come about?
When did you make that decision?
MA: It was well into summer really. I was talking with a friend (Mike Hodlsall (sic) the bass player for DOA) and he told me he was about to release his first solo album. Some light stuff like Pink Floyd he said. Then we did a camping trip with another friend who had, just prior to COVID, released his first album. It was old school country, and really good. We all did acid and jammed all night long on the top of a mountain with an incredible view of that comet taking up half the sky. A lot of things came together for me that night. I decided that I would release a solo album, and I didn't even have to go easy and do some light Pink Floydy sounding stuff. I would make my album in line with the way I think and feel. Well I generally probably think too much and my emotions are completely beyond my understanding, so the album has ended up being quite diverse, but also revolving around various elements of the pandemic.
MA: It was well into summer really. I was talking with a friend (Mike Hodlsall (sic) the bass player for DOA) and he told me he was about to release his first solo album. Some light stuff like Pink Floyd he said. Then we did a camping trip with another friend who had, just prior to COVID, released his first album. It was old school country, and really good. We all did acid and jammed all night long on the top of a mountain with an incredible view of that comet taking up half the sky. A lot of things came together for me that night. I decided that I would release a solo album, and I didn't even have to go easy and do some light Pink Floydy sounding stuff. I would make my album in line with the way I think and feel. Well I generally probably think too much and my emotions are completely beyond my understanding, so the album has ended up being quite diverse, but also revolving around various elements of the pandemic.
CV:
Your debut solo album, "Covid-19 Nervous Breakdown," is the direct result of writing
music while spending 2020 in lockdown. Do you feel this album would have been
written otherwise, in some capacity, without the influence of the pandemic and
its ripples?
MA: I have at several times in my life thought of doing this. I have also had quite a few bands other than the Dayglos that have played gigs and recorded, but none of them generated anywhere near the interest that the Dayglos did, and many Dayglo fans were quite clear about what they expected from me. When I released this one I really was not expecting the result I got. I suppose the Dayglo fans got softened up a bit from the isolation and the lack of live shows and decided to accept as a stepping stone to the next Dayglo album, which it, in many ways, is. Now I have that out of the way I am quickly well into the Dayglo album which is starting to become something that could very well get my ass canceled by the ever more sensitive hyper entitled world in the "New Normal.”
MA: I have at several times in my life thought of doing this. I have also had quite a few bands other than the Dayglos that have played gigs and recorded, but none of them generated anywhere near the interest that the Dayglos did, and many Dayglo fans were quite clear about what they expected from me. When I released this one I really was not expecting the result I got. I suppose the Dayglo fans got softened up a bit from the isolation and the lack of live shows and decided to accept as a stepping stone to the next Dayglo album, which it, in many ways, is. Now I have that out of the way I am quickly well into the Dayglo album which is starting to become something that could very well get my ass canceled by the ever more sensitive hyper entitled world in the "New Normal.”
CV: In
essence, even with all the frustration and anger the pandemic spawned, it has
also been a source of inspiration for artists everywhere. Do you feel this
album to be some of your best work being it was so personally driven as a way
to cope with what was happening around you?
MA: To be honest, most of my music is “personally driven as a way to cope with what is happening around me” But I am quite proud of the content on it. It has some of the best of my playing, and is diverse enough to have some weird arrangements, as well as more traditional ones, and best of all, it's got my twisted sense of humor all over it.
MA: To be honest, most of my music is “personally driven as a way to cope with what is happening around me” But I am quite proud of the content on it. It has some of the best of my playing, and is diverse enough to have some weird arrangements, as well as more traditional ones, and best of all, it's got my twisted sense of humor all over it.
CV: As
a result of the pandemic, artists worldwide have been in overtime producing new
music since the lockdowns ensued. Spotify now claims to be handling 60K plus uploads daily. As an artist,
how do you navigate through such a sea of digital vastness to have your music
heard?
MA: As a byproduct of years of touring I have managed to acquire a substantial following of extremely loyal fans. In Canada, I have talked to people at shows who have seen me play 40 or 50 times and more. I think I fill in a niche for certain personality types that for some reason need to see the world through a filter of sarcastic satire. These people like all kinds of other bands as well as the Dayglos but we give them something that none of those other bands do. I keep visible in social media and pass comments on the events in the world as they happen. These same people follow my posts and seem to really take to heart most of what I say. When I announced I was putting out a solo album and it would be available for free download on my Bandcamp page, they flocked there to download it, but were very generous with their donations to my page. People were giving me 10 or 20 bucks, even 50 occasionally for something they could have for free. Things like that are what make all that I've been through over the years worth it. I feel good about what I've accomplished and I am constantly told that my music has helped someone get through difficult times or even just made life a bit better.
MA: As a byproduct of years of touring I have managed to acquire a substantial following of extremely loyal fans. In Canada, I have talked to people at shows who have seen me play 40 or 50 times and more. I think I fill in a niche for certain personality types that for some reason need to see the world through a filter of sarcastic satire. These people like all kinds of other bands as well as the Dayglos but we give them something that none of those other bands do. I keep visible in social media and pass comments on the events in the world as they happen. These same people follow my posts and seem to really take to heart most of what I say. When I announced I was putting out a solo album and it would be available for free download on my Bandcamp page, they flocked there to download it, but were very generous with their donations to my page. People were giving me 10 or 20 bucks, even 50 occasionally for something they could have for free. Things like that are what make all that I've been through over the years worth it. I feel good about what I've accomplished and I am constantly told that my music has helped someone get through difficult times or even just made life a bit better.
They all know
by now that I'm working on a new Dayglo album for them, and I have hinted about
its theme. I have a good idea of what they want to hear and for the most part
that is what I will give them, but at the same time I can plant some ideas that
will hopefully get them to see beyond the conflict between the various social
movements that is being encouraged by the media and the advertisers that
support them.
CV:
What do you hope listeners, your fans, come away with after listening to "Covid-19
Nervous Breakdown?"
MA: That a well developed sense of humor is often the best defense against the harsh realities of life. Turning the monsters into objects of ridicule will greatly reduce the damage that they inflict on your psyche, and learning how to laugh at your own predicament is much less self destructive than beating yourself up over it, or burying it with intoxicants.
MA: That a well developed sense of humor is often the best defense against the harsh realities of life. Turning the monsters into objects of ridicule will greatly reduce the damage that they inflict on your psyche, and learning how to laugh at your own predicament is much less self destructive than beating yourself up over it, or burying it with intoxicants.
CV:
What have you come away with after writing and recording this album?
MA: The biggest thing would be another example of how genuinely loyal and supportive my fans are, and how much they deserve my respect and gratitude. I will show this gratitude and respect by, among other things, continuing to make new music for them, and hopefully eventually getting out and playing live for them.
MA: The biggest thing would be another example of how genuinely loyal and supportive my fans are, and how much they deserve my respect and gratitude. I will show this gratitude and respect by, among other things, continuing to make new music for them, and hopefully eventually getting out and playing live for them.
CV: Has
there been some invaluable lesson learned for you as an artist throughout this
entire pandemic? Any personal revelations?
MA: I can't say that these revelations are new or anything but some things have become painfully obvious. We have allowed the worst criminals this world has ever known to completely take over our governments and funnel all the money into their hands. We sit back and let them kill people all around the world, with no push back on the lies they use to justify their actions. Regardless of who is responsible for starting this pandemic, and how it started. It has quickly turned into the biggest cash grab in history. Big pharma plans on selling everyone on the planet their overpriced vaccines multiple times over, and their vassals in government have set up a situation where it will be impossible for us to refuse. The media's hatred for Trump has helped to create an environment where even a suggestion of discussion about the validity of the narrative being pushed by social groups, will be met with cries of “you Nazi, homophobic, sexist, Trump supporter.” It is an absurd and potentially dangerous state we find ourselves in.
MA: I can't say that these revelations are new or anything but some things have become painfully obvious. We have allowed the worst criminals this world has ever known to completely take over our governments and funnel all the money into their hands. We sit back and let them kill people all around the world, with no push back on the lies they use to justify their actions. Regardless of who is responsible for starting this pandemic, and how it started. It has quickly turned into the biggest cash grab in history. Big pharma plans on selling everyone on the planet their overpriced vaccines multiple times over, and their vassals in government have set up a situation where it will be impossible for us to refuse. The media's hatred for Trump has helped to create an environment where even a suggestion of discussion about the validity of the narrative being pushed by social groups, will be met with cries of “you Nazi, homophobic, sexist, Trump supporter.” It is an absurd and potentially dangerous state we find ourselves in.
CV: In
addition to the new solo album, what else can fans look forward to
see coming from you in 2021?
MA: From me? In 2021? Hmmmmm, I'm not sure, I'll paint your house.....ha ha. I'm kidding, The new Dayglo album will be finished in about a month, and after that there will initially, probably be a digital release first, then vinyl after that, and if we're lucky, a tour.
Just to whet your appetites, I can personally guarantee that this album will shock the shit out of some people. And its title will be...something that is illegal in Canada, but in the States, is protected by the constitution. That is almost giving it away!
see coming from you in 2021?
MA: From me? In 2021? Hmmmmm, I'm not sure, I'll paint your house.....ha ha. I'm kidding, The new Dayglo album will be finished in about a month, and after that there will initially, probably be a digital release first, then vinyl after that, and if we're lucky, a tour.
Just to whet your appetites, I can personally guarantee that this album will shock the shit out of some people. And its title will be...something that is illegal in Canada, but in the States, is protected by the constitution. That is almost giving it away!
CV:
Thank you again Murray
for spending some time talking and sharing
with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best.
MA: Thank you, it was my pleasure...cheers!
with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best.
MA: Thank you, it was my pleasure...cheers!
Check out Murray at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cretin.dayglo/
Bandcamp: https://murraythecretinacton.bandcamp.com/
Dayglo Abortions Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Daygloabortions-home-109396324635204
Like The Cosmick View on Facebook at:
The Cosmick Voice
Music, Talk & Nothing But Business
www.thecosmickvoice.com
www.anchor.fm/the-cosmick-voice
My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
Spiritual Counseling and Sessions Available
www.pamelaaloia.com
Vinyl Closet Records
www.vinylclosetrecords.com
www.vinylclosetrecords.com
 |
| The Cosmick Voice Music, Talk & Nothing But Business www.facebook.com/TheCosmickVoice |
Comments
Post a Comment