Aberdeen Tavern Chatham 1995

Venue: The Aberdeen Tavern
Home: Chatham
Opened: unknown: Circa 1971.
Closed: Circa 1996.
Last owners: Ron L. (Al & George)
* Aberdeen reunion 2016 info here.

 

1970’s – Chatham was home to a strong music scene with bands performing at least six nights a week at the Aberdeen. Musicians from all over Ontario join the strong Union in this city. Times are good.  Country music rules the day & the Aberdeen is a bar highly respected in the music community. Touring acts from around the world played here when they crossed Ontario.

1980’s – Glam rock takes over. The bar grows rough edges but continues to thrive and becomes a legendary party venue on the touring scene.  It can be safely said that no bar may hold more good rock & roll stories than our little watering hole here in Chatham.

1990’s – Live entertainment dwindles down to just three nights a week. By the late 1990’s, the live music bar scene fades & Al & George decide to sell the venue & move. The Aberdeen becomes a storage warehouse for a local business. It still stands today (2011) in all its run down glory. The glory days are over, but the stories will never be forgotten. It was simply Chatham’s most legendary bar.

* The Aberdeens final “weekend” of live bands included Nerve, Never, Square Root Of Margaret & The Janet Theory/Foster Child.

Mama, George & Al. Good Kind people!

If you have any pictures of the venue or Al & George, please send them to us so we can share them. Thanks.
Email us:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

Beatniks Cafe Chatham

Venue: Beatniks Cafe
City: Chatham Ontario
Location: 125 King St W (Downtown)
Year: 1999

* Beatniks was lost to a fire that broke out in the year 2000.
* Small vibrant bar that welcomed live bands including blues, alternative, Punk etc.
* A funky little bar in downtown Chatham where numerous debaucheries and outlandish performers were the norm.

If you have pics of this  club, Email us:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

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The Whaling Band 1993

Band: The Whaling Band
Year: 1993
Genre: Rock, classic rock
Home: Chatham Ontario

Members
Ray Whaling – Guitar
Terry Allen – Drums
John Griffore – Bass

The group performed covers & originals.
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Send your pics & info on Chatham bands (past & present) to
Email us:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Chatham music event flyers for 2011

Flyers for all the weekly music events that happened in Chatham Ontario during 2011.

Craig James Laur Music 2011

Artist: Craig James Laur
Year: 2011
Genre: Acoustic, Singer/ song writer
Home: Chatham-Kent (Wallaceburg)
Resides: Toronto
Former bands: ForClosure, Creek Street Sessions and more

Craig James Laur has been playing music for almost 10years. In his early days as a musician he was the front man for Wallaceburg band For Closure. The modern rock band was a local success playing covers and originals. More recently he was the front man for Wallaceburg local band Creekst.sessions. The blues rock band was also a local success playing covers and originals. The local radio station showcases the talent of both bands on a regular basis. In search of new opportunity, Craig is now recently a part of the Toronto music scene. Him and Kurt Dickson, a good friend and talented drummer, are an acoustic duo playing regular gigs at venues like “The Rose and Crown” and “Sheesha Lounge and Coffee House.” Though Craig still enjoys playing covers, he is expanding as a song writer and has many new original songs. The duo are still in search of a Toronto-based bass player, as they have booked steady gigs as a full band and are looking forward to starting a successful trio.

You Tube  link here.
Reverb Nation Link here.

Watch his video below in the comments section (while available)

Suds 2011

Band: S.U.D.S.
AKA: shed union district standards
Year: 2011
Genre: Celtic Rock and Roll
Home: Chatham
Formed: 2009
website: http://www.myspace.com/sudsband
Type: Originals & Covers together

Members
Danny Wright – Guitar, lead Vocals
Darryl Twigg – Guitar, Vocals
Goody – Bass guitar,vocals
Skinny – Drums,vocals

Notes: This band can often be seen performing at the Elephant’s Nest and they really bring the party.
Danny also performs in ‘Go Man Go‘, a new metal project who just released a demo this year.

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Send your pics & info on Chatham bands (past & present) to
Email us:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com
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Sarah Hiltz 2011 Music For December

Artist: Sarah Hiltz
Release: Music For December
Released: Nov. 29 2011
Genre: Christmas
Home: Chatham Ontario

Tracks
1. Just For Now
2. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
3. Christmas Song
4. Still, Still, Still

All tracks performed, recorded and mixed by Sarah Hiltz at home and at Eyrespace Studios in November 2011.

Sarah is emerging as a singularly talented songwriter with a voice all her own. In a modern blend of two classic and very different genres, echoes of Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell and Feist ring out faintly through the structure of Sarah’s artistry.

Sarah has been busy touring around Canada on different ventures. She often performs with a live band and does many duo shows with her friend Linz R.

Discography
2010 – letters (EP)
2009 – How Many Fires
2003 – Close To Me
2000 – The People Of Chatham Kent

Visit her website here.
Download or peview this CD here.
Visit Sarah on YouTube here.

• Watch/listen to the video preview below.
  

Email us:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

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Bold Equation 2011

Artist: Bold Equation
Release: Born Killer EP
Year: Sept. 2011
Genre: Dubstep
Home Town: Chatham Ontario
Website: http://www.boldequation.com/
Press Contact: boldequation@gmail.com
Previous Group: Stress Related.

Songs
1. Born Killer
2. Clak Clak
3. Earthquake
4. Unleash The Fury

Notes:  AKA Chris Spafford has come a long way in being a supporter of the local scene to becoming a scene maker. Locals may know him back in the day as the very young skate board shop owner of “High Five”. A young go getter who was one of the central figures behind getting our sleepy town a skate park. That was no easy task!
I have watched this guy grow as he dabbled in music in the likes of hip hop, rap etc.  The good thing about him is that he always worked with others & took the knowledge he learned & kept progressing.
It is great to see this guy take his ambitious passions to new levels each & every time. We are talking about a guy who takes his vision and makes it happen.  If his track record proves correct, this is not the high point of his musical trials. The best is yet to come. Keep an eye on  Bold Equation…. The math adds up.

Watch videos below in comment section.
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The Why Nots 1966

click pic to enlarge

Band: Why Not?
Circa: 1965-1966
Home: Chatham-Kent Ontario
Note: Through popular dissemination they mistakenly became known as “The Why Nots?”

Members
Doug Chevalier
Paul Miller
Allan Jones
Bob Niksic
Rick Chrysler

This popular band performed at a different High School every weekend. The material was mostly Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks and James Brown covers. This was Rick’s first band.
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