Brian Vollmer has been “ Rocking You” with Helix for close to 40 years, but like their audience, they’ve aged. So much so that they are no longer playing the electric show in bars— only at festivals and Casinos.
So they will be bringing the rock to Casino Lethbridge on June 20.
“First, the volume is just louder and second our audiences are older and we’ve always believed in playing to the audience, said Helix lead singer and founding member Brian Vollmer, on the way to give a vocal lesson in the Bel Canto Italian opera style to a client.
He has been singing in the Bel Canto style for almost as long as he had been singing with Helix. He is the only Bel Canto teacher in Canada. He formed Helix in 1974 and almost immediately hit the Canadian bar circuit with the band.
“I learned it after a year of playing bars with Helix. My voice had gone and my doctor told me I might not only sing again, but I might not be able to speak either,” Vollmer said. He began teaching Bel Canto in 1991.
They independently released their first album in 1979, but didn’t hit it big until their third CD “No Rest For the Wicked,” which spawned the hits “Heavy Metal Love” and “Don’t Get Mad Get Even.” They are best known for their breakthrough hit “Rock You,” from their next album “Walking the Razor’s Edge” which was followed up by “Gimmie Gimmie Good Love’ and a cover of A Foot in Cold Water’s ’70s hit “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want.”
He noted the Prairies and especially Alberta have always been good to Helix, he recalled almost getting fired from a mid ’70s gig at the Alec Arms Hotel for playing original music, before the owner changed his mind after their first set.
“ They are a lot of fun. They are a lot more blue collar and the audiences are more willing to rock out with us,” Vollmer said, adding he is excited about returning to Lethbridge for their gig at the Casino.
“ We’ve got 90 minutes … We’ll play the hits people remember us for,” he said.
Helix started doing regular acoustic shows last year partially because their audiences are aging with them.
“On the Monsters of Rock Tour, we did an acoustic set and that showed we can appeal to both audiences,” he said.
“Any great song should be able to be played on an acoustic guitar,” he said.
The line-up features most of the early ’80s line-up that wrote all of their hits including bassist Daryl Gray, drummer Greg, Fritz Heinz and new guitarist Kaleb Duck.
“He’s a great guitarist,” he said adding the 23-year-old keeps the rest of the band on their toes.
He loves playing with the reinvigorated band.
“For the most part I’ve liked everyone in the band. I’m pleased to be a good leader. I’d rather lead people than be a dictator and that’s difficult. We try to get along and I’d say we’ve done a very good job of that,” he said.
He is getting a golden reputation as a voice teacher.
Recently one of his students Tim Hicks has been topping the country charts with his hit “ Get By.”
“ I taught him for a couple of years,” he said adding he teaches a lot of country singers, and was surprised to see Hicks topping the charts.
“It’s a great feeling as a teacher. It adds credibility,” he said adding his own vocal coach Eduardo Johnson, the youngest member of the New York Metropolitan Opera also taught people like Ian Thomas and a lot of other ’70s and ’80s stars.
Hicks recently got a quick brush off from Canadian Idol, so Vollmer was excited to see him succeed.
He isn’t a fan of singing contests like Canadian Idol.
“The only way to learn how to do it is by getting out on the road,” he said adding being on the road is a test of a musicians mettle, both professionally and personally, which a TV show just doesn’t give you.
“A lot of people think these shows are a shortcut,” he said.
“There are no shortcuts. You have to want to do it for he right reasons. I’ve always been doing this for the music,” Vollmer said.
“ You shouldn’t be doing it for the money because there isn’t a lot of it,” he continued adding fame is also fleeting.
Helix is on stage at Casino Lethbridge at 8 p.m. There is no cover charge for the show.
