It is always interesting to talk to Paul McKenzie of the Real McKenzies who play Scores with the Boids and the Lethbridge Firefighters Pipes and Drums.
Because he always has something interesting on his mind whether he is talking about fellow Vancouver punk Joe Keithley’s new book, or the new book being written abut the Real McKenzies or talking about raising money for charity by putting Stephen Harper in the
stocks and getting people to pay $200 to throw rotten fruit at him. He is excited about a new line up for the band and an upcoming album.
“We’re all Canadian now,” said McKenzie noting he fired half his band and replaced them with bassist Troy Zak, Guitarist Mario Nieva and drummer Jesse Pinner.
“Jesse used to play with D.O.A so when they threw him out of their van, our van was the first van that came along and picked him up,” McKenzie said.
Guitarist Mark “Bone” Boland and bagpiper Matt McNasty complete the lineup.
“After the last European tour, I got tired of the snivelling Americans,” he said.
“I’ve got nothing against Americans. But they had the ‘I’m better than you attitude.’ And that really pissed me off. It is important to say please and thank you and open doors. It means a lot. I’m a gentleman,” he said.
He is pleased with the new McKenzies.
“These guys are always asking me what they can do. They are easy to get along with,” he said.
He is also excited about an upcoming book about the Real McKenzies which Chris Walters is writing.
“ The poor bastard has no idea what he’s in for. He thought it was only going to get to 100,000 words, but it’s already up to 280,000,” he said.
“It won’t be like Joey Shithead’s book which is basically a travel schedule,” he said adding the Real McKenzies book will tell the whole truth of everything that happened and should be out by summer.
He doesn’t hang out with a lot of the original Vancouver punks.
“I know things about Joey that others don’t,” he said.
While on the surface, Real McKenzies music may sound like lighthearted party songs about drinking, McKenzie noted most Real McKenzies songs have underlying political undertones to them.
“‘Nessie’ is about the environment, ” he said.
The Real McKenzies are working on a new CD, which they will record in San Francisco in April.
They would like to return to Nanton, where they recorded their last CD “Westwinds.”
“ There is this cat , Bandit, at the great Nanton Inn. Some people took him and drove 200 kilometres in the winter and just left him. But he found his way back. I’d like to find those guys and strip them naked and do the same thing them,” he said.
“We’re working on some cool stuff,” he said.
He is excited about returning to Lethbridge where he has several relatives.
The Real McKenzies with Montreal punk band the Boids and the Lethbridge Firefighters pipes and drums, perform at Scores, March 14 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20.
