Jesus and the Lizards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jesus and the Lizards | |
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| Origin | Ottawa, Canada |
| Years active | 1975—present |
| Genres | Acid rock |
| Members | Chris North Daniel North Alex Wagstaff |
| Past members | Eric Brynaert Charlie Hoppner Aaron Voelker |
Jesus and the Lizards is a 1970s acid rock/jam rock group from Ottawa, Ontario which has featured keyboardist/vocalist Charlie Hoppner, bassist Alex Wagstaff, guitarist Aaron Voelker, tromboner Daniel North and drummer Chris North. The band became well known for their offbeat humour, which affected their lyrics and album titles. They are enjoying a surge in popularity as their original catalogue, widely unavailable and rare, is being gradually re-released.
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[edit] History
Formed in November 1975 by Hoppner, Wagstaff and the North brothers, Jesus and the Lizards are widely hailed as the "electronic answer to the Grateful Dead."
The original line up of Charlie Hoppner of guitar/vocals, Alex Wagstaff on bass, Daniel North on trombone and Chris North on drums was soon changed when Aaron Voelker was recruited a few months after their inception to allow Charlie more use of the synth, which proved a huge step in their sound.
Emerging from their native Ottawa scene, they went on to become famous for their modern interpretations of classic styles. Named for drummer Chris North's resemblance to Jesus Christ, Jesus and the Lizards brought the new technologies in synthesizers that were being developed in the 1970s to the classic jam rock sound.
The quintessential Lizards sound is owed greatly to the 1970s synths, and especially in their later years, the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak synthesizer. The use of the Six Trak contributed to forming a swirling soundscape of synth, bass and drums.
Throughout the 1970s they were often followed by fans on tour, in much the same way as the Grateful Dead were, David Gibbons being a famous example of fanatical devotion.
The death of guitarist Aaron Voelker by sexual misadventure in 1979 on tour proved a huge blow to the band, who took a hiatus until 1981.
On tour again for their comeback album, the band began to lean towards a new, even more electronic sound that kept true to their roots. In 1982 they released a tribute album to Aaron Voelker, with Chris North taking lead vocals on the ode to his bandmate, "Once a Lover, Never a Brother."
They have continued touring right up until the present, making time to release six albums since 1982. A new album is in the works for late-2005/early-2006, as a follow up to The Lizards Take Their Revenge. Rumoured titles include The Lizards Take Their Revenge Again and Revenge is a Dish Best Served Twice
[edit] Live
Jesus and the Lizards are a curious band as they perform live. Often experimenting with new things, the band is known to perform with as few as two members, and as many as twenty (including orchestra). One of the more common alternate lineups is that of a bass/drum combo (Wagstaff/North), which has performed several famous concerts, especially during their 1977 tour.
The Lizards' experimentation is not simply restricted to lineup changes though. As well, many members will switch to different instruments in concert, which has involved dabbling with sitars, theremins, and more.
[edit] Discography
- Lizards Break Loose! - 1976
- The Lizard Who Knew Too Much - 1977
- Lizards Live - 1977 (The tracks on this album were recorded live at the Fillmore North in Calgary, Alberta)
- Rock Out With Your Iguana Out - 1979
- Jesus Makes a Comeback (And He Brought the Lizards With Him) - 1981
- Aaron My Boy, If I Only Knew You - 1982 (tribute album to Aaron Voelker)
- Lizards at the National Arts Centre - 1985
- Jesus and the Freakin' Lizards - 1988
- Praise the Lizards - 1992
- Sauria - 1995
- The Lizards Take Their Revenge - 1998
- Jesus, Drums and Two Smoking Lizards - 2004
[edit] Trivia
- Despite their name, all the members are either atheists or have no religion.
- For a 1978 performance, Charlie could not be found (he was drunk on the other side of town) and the Lizards played with a dog on synth. The bootleg of this performance is widely traded among fans.
- Charlie has a superfluous nipple. (apocryphal)
- Chris and Dan are fraternal twins, but Chris is right-handed while Dan is left-handed.
- Chris' first love was the guitar, but his webbed finger on the left hand led him to take up drums.
- Dan has tried many times in his career to learn the guitar, but since he has a short attention span he has never mastered it (and probably never will).
