He may be down physically, but Art Bergmann says he鈥檚 by no means out.
The singer-songwriter, who emerged from Vancouver鈥檚 punk rock scene in the late 1970s, is a seminal figure in Canada鈥檚 underground music scene.
Recognizing his penchant for delving into the dark side (his songs have explored suicide, incest and the junkie lifestyle), some critics have compared Bergmann鈥檚 songs with the poetry of Charles Bukowski, the so-called 鈥渓aureate of American low-life.鈥�
Sixty-year-old Bergmann, phoning recently from his farmhouse in Airdrie, just outside Calgary, said degenerative arthritis now makes performing a challenge.
鈥淥h yeah. It鈥檚 in my spine mostly, but all my joints. It鈥檚 kind of made me into like an鈥� old man,鈥� he said with a wry laugh.
鈥淭hen [in performance] I get this adrenaline surge and I kick the chair away. Electricity surging though my body. It all disappears for an hour or so.鈥�
Bergmann rose to notoriety with his punk band the K-Tels (who, for legal reasons, changed their name to the Young Canadians). Their most famous single, 鈥淗awaii,鈥� a twisted paean to the joys of low-rent holidays, was as notable for Bergmann鈥檚 acid-tongued delivery as his lyrics.
As a solo act, Bergmann scored a 1990 radio hit with 鈥淏ound for Vegas,鈥� about a washed-up entertainer making a comeback attempt in Las Vegas. His 1995 album, What Fresh Hell is This, won a Juno award for best alternative album. Yet, despite critical acclaim, his record company dropped him.
During the past decade, Bergmann, who has survived struggles with drugs and alcohol, performed rarely. Last year he played well-received shows at the WISE Hall and the Biltmore. This, in part, encouraged Bergmann to undertake a West Coast trip that includes gigs in Victoria and Commodore Ballroom Saturday (Sept. 6). Backed by a band, Bergmann will offer older material as well as tunes from his new EP, Songs for the Underclass.
The new songs suggest Bergmann鈥檚 lost none of his fierceness. One of them, 鈥淒rones of Democracy,鈥� targets those who create state-of-the-art weaponry to advance military agendas, despite the toll on innocent civilians.
Discussing 鈥淒rones of Democracy,鈥� Bergmann wondered aloud: 鈥淲hat would you do if you picked up your son鈥檚 body or your daughter鈥檚 body in a plastic bag?鈥�
He added: 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe why people as a whole just haven鈥檛 risen up and ripped this raging horror of an old regime down and replaced it with something a bit more humane鈥� Mountains get shredded, people get shredded. It鈥檚 just enraging to me. And [I鈥檓] trying to get it into song without being too much of a sloganeer.鈥�
Always cordial, Bergmann did bristle several times in conversation. For instance, he was perhaps understandably reluctant to discuss a reporter鈥檚 memory of seeing the Young Canadians open for the Boomtown Rats at Victoria鈥檚 Memorial Arena. (鈥淭hat鈥檚 a long time ago. Thirty-five years ago, man.鈥�)
Bergmann also said he鈥檚 uncomfortable with the labels some journalists apply to him. He doesn鈥檛 like the description 鈥減unk rock icon,鈥� for example.
鈥淚 say, 鈥業 was writing music before punk.鈥� I appreciate that day punk opened this music and ways of expressing oneself. But I combine it with all this other stuff, all this musical knowledge. Hopefully, all the creativity wants to move and progress, kind of,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand people clinging onto their old school, whatever their old school is. I go for the new school.鈥�
These days, Bergmann doesn鈥檛 listen to music often, although he reads widely. The musicians he admires include singer-writer Jason Isbell of the Drive-By Truckers and alt-rock band Wilco.
Lately, he鈥檚 also been interested in Sub-Sarahan African and East Indian music. Bergmann said he鈥檇 hoped to add some 鈥淚ndian village music鈥� at the end of 鈥淒rones of Democracy,鈥� but in the town of Airdrie, tabla and sitar players are in short supply.
For his upcoming show, he plans to rock as hard as he鈥檚 able. Bergmann said the fire still burns in his belly.
鈥淢y god, it never seems to still. The body doesn鈥檛 want to support it. But emotionally I鈥檓 angrier than ever,鈥� he said.
Art Bergmann plays the Commodore Sept. 6 with guests the Courtneys and C.R. Avery.
