A Hamilton pandemic anthem featuring The Trews, FirstOntario Centre and the late Bob Lanois
It's about time we had a pandemic rock anthem to call our own, something we can all shout out together with fist-pumping abandon.
Thankfully, The Trews were eager to oblige.
I Wanna Play" is just that, a riff-heavy rocker with a roaring chorus that speaks to the time.
The Hamilton-based band came up with it late last year after getting yet another gig cancelled by the pandemic. They had been booked to play on Canadian Pacific Railway's popular Holiday Train, which travels from town to town playing music during the Christmas season.
The band got word of the cancellation while jamming in the home studio of lead guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, when his brother, Trews lead singer Colin MacDonald, jokingly came up with the line: I want to get on a train in a global pandemic." That simple statement became the first line of the new song which they were able to rough out in a matter of minutes, power-pop chorus and all.
It's set against the backdrop of us having our livelihoods ripped from underneath us, our method of expression ripped out from under us, our lives and our livelihoods," John-Angus told The Spectator in an interview from his west Hamilton home, where he lives with his wife, Jenny, and their two young sons.
They sent the song to producer Eric Ratz, who immediately sensed a hit and brought the band into his Toronto studio to finish it. Time was of the essence, another lockdown loomed on the horizon.
By January, they had the song completed. Now they needed a video. That's when the fun began.
Drummer Chris Gormley suggested they film it in an empty arena. It was an obvious choice and all agreed. They approached the management of FirstOntario Centre, home of the Hamilton Bulldogs, who gave them a deal on the rental.
The script called for the band to sneak into the cavernous arena, tricking a crotchety old janitor to let them by so they could set up at centre ice and let their instruments wail. They needed an actor to play the janitor and they called upon an old friend, renowned Hamilton studio designer, filmmaker, producer and sound engineer, Bob Lanois.
Unbeknownst to the band, Lanois was in ill-health when they called, but he gladly accepted the project, adding a distinctive Lanois touch, grooving out on air-guitar with his mop and eventually chasing The Trews off the ice with a well-placed expletive.
Bob was perfect for the part, this great legendary figure from Hamilton," John-Angus says. He showed up and just nailed it, beyond our wildest expectations. He was even coaching Colin through their scene to make it better."
Again, the band's timing was perfect. Shortly after filming ended, the latest lockdown order arrived. The band was able to the post it on their website and YouTube on April 16.
Unfortunately, just as the video was being released, Lanois, 73, was admitted to hospital suffering from an unspecified illness. He died a few days later on April 19.
We were just gutted to find out that he didn't make it," John-Angus says. It's a testament to his spirit that he did (the video) and he did it so well."