| Grievous Angels | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative country |
| Years active | 1986–2004, 2008 |
| Associated acts | L'Étranger |
| Past members | |
| Charlie Angus Peter Jellard Tim Hadley Dave Patterson Michelle Rumball Peter Duffin |
|
Grievous Angels were a Canadian alternative country band, active from 1986 to 2004.[1] The band's primary member was singer-songwriter Charlie Angus, who entered electoral politics in 2004 as the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Timmins—James Bay.[1]
The group was originally formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1986 by Angus, vocalist Michelle Rumball and fiddler Peter Jellard after Angus left the punk rock band L'Étranger.[2] They began as a collective of street buskers, and eventually began playing Toronto-area bars. Tim Hadley and drummer Peter Duffin joined the band in 1987. The band quickly became a popular draw at folk festivals across Canada, and released their debut album, Toute la Gang, in 1989.
They followed up with One Job Town in 1990, garnering national radio airplay for the singles "Gordie and My Old Man" and "Crossing the Causeway". The album was nominated for Best Roots or Traditional Album at the Juno Awards of 1991, and the band was nominated for Best Country Group or Duo at the Juno Awards of 1992.
Around this time, Angus moved to Cobalt. Rumball left the band as well, and Angus took over lead vocals for 1993's Watershed.
They were named one of the hottest up-and-coming bands in Canada by Maclean's in 1994. In 1995, Angus also launched HighGrader, a magazine about Northern Ontario life and culture,[1] and joined CBC Radio One as a correspondent and commentator for its Sudbury station CBCS.
In 1996, Grievous Angels released Waiting for the Cage, a concept album about life in Northern Ontario mining towns which also included an interactive CD-ROM feature. The CD-ROM feature won an award from the New York Expo of Short Film and Video.
In 1999, Angus was presented the Jackie Washington Award, for his contributions to Northern Ontario's cultural life, by Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival Boréal.[3] The band also released 22 Trailer Park that year.
In the summer of 2000, Duffin retired from the band, and Hadley accepted a gig touring with Stompin' Tom Connors. Duffin was replaced by Dave Patterson. The band's most recent album was released in 2003. Although the band is largely on hiatus due to Angus' career in politics, they have continued to perform occasionally on stage, most recently at the 2008 Northern Lights Festival Boréal.[3]