This weekend CONEY HATCH will be celebrating 40 years And the release of a new live album. Postcard From Germany will be released (and available at the show) in a 2CD set, coupled with the band’s classic 1982 debut album (remastered with bonus tracks!). In a recent exchange Carl Dixon answers questions on the band’s new release, as well as their first album, and (potential) future plans. Enjoy the read, and check out the links below. Tickets for this Saturday’s show At the El Mocambo in Toronto are available here – https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/postcard-from-germany-album-release-under-the-neon-palms-at-tickets/13483218
Q: ‘Postcard From Germany‘ has been out for a while via Cleopatra, what was the reasoning for this new release (rerelease?)?
Carl: We wanted to make a Canadian territory release similar to our early days with Anthem Records, and it’s a great opportunity to pair the most recent with our remastered debut.
So….the 40th Anniversary of the first Coney Hatch album was celebrated at the end of last year, will this celebration on the 11th be different as far as the set-list goes?
Yes, we’ll feature material from 5 different albums, including the song Andy sings on Postcard, Heaven’s on the Other Side which we did not perform last time!
Will there be some new merch special for this occasion? (a debut album shirt Perhaps)
There is a plan in motion to do just that. The Double -CD package will be available at the show also.
Might we get (even down the road) a full performance of the Outa Hand album?
Ah, clever lad, you’ve anticipated our next marketing ploy
Live From Germany turned out to be an excellent live recording; has it inspired (for lack of a better word) you guys to (want to) record any future shows? (Any chance you recorded last December’s El Mo show?)
Ummm, we haven’t thought about going to the well for more live albums, now having two, but you never know what the future holds
Being your first time playing Germany, and knowing how big of rock fans/ supporters Germans are, what was your biggest memory and lasting impression of playing that HEAT Fest in 2018?
It was most memorable to feel the audience excitement and hear them singing along. We love playing Germany and all Europe.
Both of the new tracks came out very good, and gave us 2 memorable Coney tunes. Were you happy with the way they turned out, the feedback, and has this planted the seed for possible new Coney Hatch in the near future?
Very happy, yes. It’s About a Girl and Heaven’s On the Other Side have pointed the way to getting more music recorded together as a band with great new guy (ha, 10 years) Sean Kelly.
Regarding the first album…. Looking back on writing, recording – the whole experience. What is the biggest memory for you from it? And what was the biggest thing you learned from it? (being your first album)
The biggest thing we learned from recording the first Coney Hatch album was that it’s so important to pay attention to details on every level; the lyrics, the performance, the musical parts that each musician plays, the gear you select, the setting, the scheduling, , staying healthy, even what you do at meal times!
Do you recall how you felt about the album when it was done and released and if you (guys) felt you had something really special or something you thought might be a big success at the time? (How did you perceive it at the time)
Kim Mitchell (producer) was very confident that it would be a success when it was done, so we took our cue from him. We felt that we had achieved our goals and even surpassed them. There was no feeling that we’d missed out or been pushed around by the label or producer.
There were a few tracks left off of ‘Coney Hatch’ , which are included as bonus tracks n this new release. And I know ‘Where I Draw The Line’ was bumped in favor of ‘Hey Operator’, but what do you recall of writing and/or recording that one (lyrical ideas), as well as ‘Dreamland’, and even ‘Sin After Sin’?
Where I Draw the Line started as a musical jam during one of the many rehearsal/writing sessions we did on the road in the early days. I wrote a lyric for it based on my experience of leaving Montreal after being in a band there for a couple of years. Dreamland came out of my blues-rock riffing, probably influenced by Bad Company and Humble Pie, and the lyrics were based on a mix of actual dreams and some dramatic waking experiences. Sin After Sin came from Andy’s love of Judas Priest and similar heavy rock, written about a girl who’d, umm, let him down shall we say.
Any recollections on the photo taken that ended up on the back of the debut album? (where taken, etc..)
Ha, that photo! We had a couple of photo shoots to get an album cover image, and the label guys felt we showed no “attitude” in the shots we were getting. Tom Berry (Anthem VP) decided to bring a case of beer to the next attempt, and the results were considerably loosened up this time. What they chose from that day was a picture of four semi-pickled young musicians each about four beers in…
Any Coney plans for 2024 – as far as any reissues, archived releases (thinking Cleveland 1982), major festivals, ….?
Wow, Kreskin, again with the anticipating! Yes, we are looking at Cleveland’82 as one option and some other products to release through Anthem, the record label name we are happily reunited with (even if it’s none of the same people). Some rumblings also of a new album if there is deemed to be sufficient interest from the public. Two European dates on the calendar for next October: Firefest in Manchester and Bully on Rock in France. hoping for more to come in over there!
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063052548185
https://www.instagram.com/rushguyyyz/ (Donald Gadziola Photography)
Outsider Rock 