After a few failed attempts and scheduling issues, I finally had the chance to chat with Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran; an all-around great guy.
We reconnected on the experience of playing before fans last year to celebrate their stint at one of Canada’s most recognized venues for musicians….the El Mocambo.
“Even though it is a smaller venue, and we were only able to perform to 50 guests as per the guidelines for social distancing; the energy was definitely there, and it was great”
The show also Livestreamed across the world that night which was October 3 of 2020.
We also chatted about his love of a certain hockey team, his solo career, and his current collaboration with one of Canada’s most famous guitarists, Rush’s Alex Lifeson.
This project will see a release of at least 10 tracks in the not-too-distant future.
To get a handle on the missing blanks, click on the video below
CONEY HATCH formed in Toronto 1980, named after the infamous lunatic asylum in Britain (spelt Colney Hatch) that Andy Curran’s parents had lived near before emigrating to Canada. In 1981 an ad was placed in the Toronto Star looking for a singer guitarist to join a working band. Carl Dixon joined Andy Curran, Dave Ketchum, Steve Shelski and on they went to release a kickass debut album in 1982 CONEY HATCH, produced by Kim Mitchell, that still resonates today. The Hatch toured with some of the biggest names in rock opening for Iron Maiden (40 shows) and Judas Priest (27 shows.) Music videos for Fantasy and Devils Deck featured on MTV and Hey Operator broke into top 20 but lack of promo and difficulties with management saw the Hatch go their separate ways after three albums (Coney Hatch, Outa Hand, Friction). A few reunion gigs in the 90s and the noughties kept the guys connected. In 2008 Carl Dixon was nearly killed in a car accident in Australia. Andy Curran spoke through the phone to Carl while Carl lay in a coma, it seemed Carl would not survive. Andy told Carl “the Hatch still has more rocking to do, you gotta survive”
They both kept the bargain! Carl incredibly survived the automobile accident with many serious injuries and now sports numerous titanium implants. The four reunited to produce what many say is their best album yet in 2013, CONEY HATCH FOUR. It was voted into the UK’s top 50 rock albums of 2013 by Classic Rock magazine.
In 2018 the Hatch line up changed, with Sean Kelly breathing new life into those brilliant riffs. Coney Hatch toured with Steve Harris’s British Lion to packed venues in November 2018. The Hatch went on to rock in Germany’s HEAT festival and returned to Bully Les Mines in France in 2019. In 2020 CONEY HATCH returned to the classic el Mocambo in Toronto. ONE NIGHT ONLY … you can order the double vinyl via rockpapermerch.com
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