Conclusion of grandeur

>>Montreal’s Me Mom & Morgentaler
re-release Shiva Space Machine
and reunite for one last hurrah

A-SHIVA-DERCI: Me Mom & Morgentaler

By CHRIS BARRY

In their early ’90s heyday, they were simply the biggest thing around—well, around Montreal at least. But transposing that local success of their colourful blend of ska, punk, pop and polkas to the international stage was a vastly different story for Me Mom & Morgentaler, who, despite all predictions, were never quite able to break the big time, finally calling it a day in 1996. Now they’re getting back together for one final wingding to celebrate the re-release of their highly praised 1993 album, Shiva Space Machine. The Mirror tracked down guitarist/vocalist Gus Van Go at his home in NYC to get the skinny on their latest endeavours.

Mirror: How did this reunion come about?

Gus Van Go: The idea began once we started talking about it being really sad no one could go to the store and buy any Me Mom & Morgentaler music. So we started poking around with the idea of re-releasing Shiva Space Machine on some label or other, ultimately choosing to do it through MusiArt. Then we figured we should really do a show to promote it. You know, it’s fun getting together with the whole gang. We’re all the same 20-year-old kids we were back then, just a little older and fatter. Personally, I wanted to call this the Fat and 40 Tour, but the other guys thought that was too negative. I still think it should be called the Fat and 40 Tour.

M: So what is it called?

GVG: Uh, I don’t even know. “The return of,” or something.

M: Is there anything on the re-issue of Shiva Space Machine that wasn’t there the first time around?

GVG: Oh yeah, the songs all have different mixes—cooler, rawer mixes. Back in the day, we originally had it mixed by Glen Robinson, but then decided to go back and remix it with this other guy. But on the re-release, it’s all the original Glen Robinson mixes, we’re much prouder of them. Plus, it’s been remastered and there are some other tracks, unreleased stuff we’d recorded but left off the original record, and some live stuff. It’s actually a really long record—it’s got, like, 20 songs or something.

M: Will you be doing any new material at this gig?

GVG: What, are you crazy? Nah, we’re fat and 40—as if we’re going to work that hard.

Last chance to dance

M: Do you think, if Me Mom & Morgentaler were just getting off the ground today instead of in the early ’90s, that the arguably healthier state of Montreal’s music scene nowadays would have made things much easier for you?

GVG: Absolutely. It’s a completely different time now. Me Mom & Morgentaler put on an insanely great live show, arguably much better than anything we ever recorded. We had crazy-ass costumes, actors, fire-breathers, scripts we’d write—it was almost like a Gwar show. Nowadays it’s such a different scene that a band like ours could get attention across the world, but back then, we didn’t have a chance. Shiva was released on our own independent label, Chooch Records, that we created ourselves because, back then, there were no cool indie labels in Montreal like there are now, you know? Not to mention that no one outside of Montreal really understood Me Mom & Morgentaler because it was such a purely Montreal phenomenon—the music, the style, the French and English, the whole deal, you know? To labels outside of Montreal, we were just like, “What? What is that?”

M: Does it still drive you crazy the band was never able to take it to the next level?

GVG: It’s so long ago now that I’m over it, but there was resentment and anger, for sure. Back when I was still schlepping around my amp on stage at CBGB’s and coming home not even having enough money to buy pizza, you know, when I was close to 30 years old and wondering what the fuck was going on in my life, yeah, there was resentment.

M: What are the chances of Me Mom & Morgentaler making these reunion gigs a habit?

GVG: I can safely say there will never be another Me Mom & Morgentaler reunion. This is it. Abso-fuckin-lutely! Me Mom & Morgentaler was such a youth thing. We’re already stretching it at this age and we don’t want to drag it into stupid territory. So for all those wanting to see Morgentaler, this is your last chance—and I’m not just saying that to sell tickets. That’s for real.

With guests at Club Soda on Wednesday,
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Nov. 14, 15, 17 and 18,
8 p.m., $35, all ages