Venue: Aberdeen Hotel Year: 1915 City: Chatham Ontario Canada Closed:Circa 1996. Address: 1 Grand Ave.
Info based on the article: Aberdeen Hotel has a long history of serving liquid hospitality Posted by Chatham This Week 2016/07/11. By: John Rhodes.
*Before becoming known as the Aberdeen Hotel, it had spent 40 plus years known as the McNaughton Tavern. *It can be traced back to the late 1840s – early 1850s. Known most for selling Whiskey than renting rooms.
During the 1970’s, Country music was huge, and the Aberdeen was a popular venue featuring live music most days of the week. During the 80’s, it became a hot spot for live hard Rock & Roll. Through it’s final years (1990-1996), it had began to show its age.
As of today (April 2017), The building still stands, being used a storage space for Western Equipment.
Aberdeen 2016, now used as storage space
Picture Source:Bechard family. (Calixte Bechard owned it for many decades). The picture is from a postcard produced for the hotel, which I estimate to have been created between 1910 and 1920. John Rhodes. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Venue: Aberdeen Hotel Year: 1971 City: Chatham Ontario Canada Closed: Circa 1996. Address: 1 Grand ave.
Notes:
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.
Tickets on sale now. At The Cultural Centre Box office or online. Info below.
Aberdeen Reunion Date: Saturday July 29th 2017. Where: Bar Out Back 160 Keil Drive South, Chatham. Gates open: 6:00pm, show starts at 6:30pm sharp, till 11pm.
(Outdoor event, Bar Out Back parking lot)
Bands: Town Krier Lyra Electric Voodoo Beggars Opera Def Bombs
Event Mc’s
* Jason Allan (Comedian from London)
* Mat Drew(Frontman for Face4Radio, and previously Foster Child & The Janet Theory).
Prizes: ‘Ab Tab Draw’. Three $100 cash give-a-ways to cover your tab for the night.
Ticket Info: Tickets: $18 + Handling fee. Available at: * The Cultural Centre Box Office, 75 William St. N., Chatham. 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Monday To Friday. * Or order online at cktickets.com * Tickets go on sale Monday Feb. 13th.
Set Times * 06:30 – 7:05pm Town Krier (Stage 1) * 07:10 – 8:10pm Lyra (Stage 2) * 08:15 – 8:50pm Electric Voodoo (Stage 1) * 08:55 – 9:55pm Beggars Opera (Stage 2) *10:00 – 11:00pm Def Bombs (Stage 1)
Town Krier: Performed at the Aberdeen between 1983-1986. They still get together once or twice a year. Members include Billy Wolsing (Drums), Chris ‘Hymie’ Zelina (Bass & Vocals), & Herby Classens (Guitar).
Lyra: Performed at the Aberdeen in the late 1980’s. A great local rock band who’s members later went on to perform in Sweet Fa, Rockus, Blu Bones, Thunder Circus, Killer Dwarfs, Fear Disorder, Tangled Puppet, Manpower, & Teethin’ Freaks.
Electric Voodoo: Rocked the Aberdeen through the 90’s, mostly as a Jimmi Hendrix tribute. A popular true party staple band, and the soul of rock & roll for Chatham. Dave Major & Mitch Robinson will return. Bass player is unknown at this time, they had some great players & they will let us know who is available to attend.
Beggars Opera: Another great band from the Aberdeen 90’s era. Members also continue to be a part of many great bands out there today.
Def Bombs: Currently London’s most popular rock cover band, including members from Syre, Helix, Sven Gali, Leather Snake, & Before The Damned). Excited to have them perform.
Note: For info on the 2017 Aberdeen Reunion, Click here.
The Official tribute to Chatham’s legendary Rock Bar, the Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Reunion * Sat. August 13th, 2016 * At Bar Out Back, Chatham (Behind Swiss Chalet) * 160 Keil Drive South, Chatham, Ontario. * The event sold out. * View above pic in original large size here.
* The show began at 8pm to a full house. Some of the bands on the bill were reuniting for the first time in years. Lyra reunited for the first time in 28 years and played flawlessly. Beggar’s Opera, Foster Child, & Electric Voodoo all shared in their respective reunions. The Aberdeen had closed 20 years ago this year.
* Highlights included the people who attended. It was a love fest of a true nature, in that all that attended, were attendee’s from back in the day. Many people signed the huge Aberdeen reunion sign, which can be seen at Bar Out Back, in Chatham.
Live Entertainment Electric Voodoo (Reunion) (1-2AM) The Smash Tones (10:30-12:30PM) Lyra (Reunion) (9-10PM) Foster Child & Beggars Opera (8-9PM)
Venue:The Aberdeen Tavern Home:Chatham Opened: unknown: Circa 1971. Closed:Circa 1996. Last owners:Ron L. (Al & George) *Aberdeen reunion 2016 infohere.
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
Artist : Foster Child Release Title : Foster Child Home : Chatham Music Style : Rock Date : 1996
Musicians : Shawn Beaulieu– vocals, guitars Mat Drew – Vocals, Percussion Jay Moskaluk – Guitar , bow Jesse Verleye– Vocals, Bass Chuck Young – Drums
The Demo: This is their second demo, Recorded & Produced by Steve Eyres.
The original 3 thrash kids (Shawn,Jesse,Chuck) recruited Jay & Mat from the local cover band ‘Soul Kitchen’.
Due to the lack of venues having original music, the band doubled as a cover band with originals thrown in to keep them playing every weekend. The band found themselves booked endlessly packing venues all over Ontario for the next 2 years including a few Cornstalks, KOA Bash’s, & a handfull of arena shows.
The band did a summer tour of Ontario in support of this demo & heavy playing everywhere & anywhere lead to a good following.
Although the plan was to gain more exposure by playing covers & getting into more clubs from this, they found covers were consuming all their time. by 1997, members started up original projects ‘Janet Theory’ & ‘Whatever’, while keeping Foster Child just a cover band once in a while until 1999 when their original projects took on life.
Engineered by Steve Eyres at Eyres Studios, Chatham. Produced by Foster Child and Steve Eyres. Mastered at DB Studios, London, Ontario by Brian Burnes. Photography by Theresa Chartrand.
Summer Tour Dates 1996 Windsor – Rum Runners (2 nights) Amherstburg – Bonkers (2 nights) Sarnia – The Tunnel (two nights) Blenheim – Papa Luigi’s (two nights) Chatham – Aberdeen (three nights) Wallaceburg – Sam’s Hotel (two nights) Blenheim – Arena Toronto – The 360 St. Catherines – The Club Tilbury – Arena Hamilton – X Club Kitchener – Mrs. Robinsons Chatham – Cornstalk Mitchells Bay – Outdoor show Acme Bash – Outdoor show AOK Bash – Outdoor show London – Baha Club Chatham – CAW Hall
Click video preview below to hear samples of the CD
Chatham Music Archive 