“Chinatown Calculation.
That’s cool with no regrets.”
- Chinatown Calculation – Doug and the Slugs
In 1978 I was playing at the Hotel Europa in Vancouver’s Gastown area, a part of the water front established in 1867 but had been run down over the years. It is now situated east of the main downtown area, near Chinatown.
After being rebuilt from the fire in 1886 the village was renamed to Gastown after Gassy Jack Deighton a saloon manager. As the city grew westward its name was changed to Vancouver. Gastown had begun became a run-down area until pressure of the local community to preserve it was decided by the provincial government in February 1971, and the old buildings saved. The Hotel Europa, a triangular-shaped building erected to fit a narrow strip of the area was also preserved.
England’s Sex Pistols had carved into the mainstream of disco and stale over-dubbed recordings that passed for music at the time. In Vancouver groups were starting to pop up in Gastown clubs called Battered Wives, Dead on Arrival and Doug and the Slugs. However, as irreverent as the Slugs were, in their music they made fun of the punk scene as well as the whole music business. I remember seeing them many times at the Spinning Wheel.
For the entirety of their recording career (1978-1992), Doug & The Slugs consisted of lead vocalist Doug Bennett, guitarists Rick Baker and John Burton, keyboardist Simon Kendall bassist Steve Bosley and drummer John “Wally” Watson. Most of the Slugs left the band after 1992 (Kendall stayed until 1994); after this time, Bennett toured with an ever-rotating cast of new musicians, still billing the act as Doug & The Slugs.
Doug Bennett: The Coolest Canadian
Rather than dwell on my own recollections of this great band I’m going to quote from http://www.chartattack.com: who states 10 reasons why Doug Bennett was cool:
1. The songs. Signature Doug & The Slugs hits like Too Bad and Making It Work have become part of the Canadian cultural fabric. Bennett may be gone, but those songs will have a life on radio for decades to come.
2. Although he did some solo work and had plenty of other projects on the go, Bennett kept giving the people what they wanted: The Slugs. Doug led the Slugs (through a variety of line-ups) for 27 years.
3. In their day, The Slugs were true touring warriors, often taking their live show to small towns that normally wouldn’t see many nationally successful rock bands. The band even made it 800 miles shy of the North Pole when they entertained troops at a remote army base.
4. In the early days of The Slugs, Bennett suffered from stage fright but quickly made the decision to let his sense of humor guide him through the shows. Bennett’s irreverence and charismatic personality soon became The Slugs’ trademark, making their live show a must-see throughout the ’80s.
5. Bennett used his gifts outside of the rock clubs as well. In the late ’80s he starred in the musical Rock And Roll, which toured throughout Canada.
6. Bennett was recognized for his contributions to the Canadian music landscape through a variety of awards. The Slugs were nominated for a couple of Junos and received The Canadian Organization Of Campus Activities [COCA] Hall Of Fame Award For Live Performance in 1989 and The Pacific Music Industry Association Special Award For Outstanding Contribution To The BC Music Industry in 1997.
7. In addition to being a performer, Bennett was an acclaimed filmmaker. He wrote, produced and directed 23 music videos by artists including Trooper, The Headpins, Zappacosta and Images In Vogue.
8. Doug & The Slugs enjoyed a fair amount of success in the U.S. and had many of their songs used in TV and movies like Meatballs III and Iron Eagles II. In the late ’90s, Too Bad was used as the theme song on Norm MacDonald’s short-lived The Norm Show.
9. Bennett enjoyed performing so much that he continued even as his health began to fail. This summer he made his final performance at Club 279. He had to use a cane, but still rocked the house.
10. Doug Bennett was a true Canadian star and knew how to give Canadians a good time. He will be missed.