Get ready for Talent Time

An interview with Vancouver’s own Paul Anthony

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

llow me to introduce you
to Paul Anthony: he’s an
actor, having appeared

in such films as A Gun to the Head
(2009) and Suck (2010). But you'll
know him best as the ringmaster
of the most bizarre variety show
in Vancouver, Paul Anthony’s Talent
Time. Operating on a monthly
basis, last Wednesday’s show just
happened to be Talent Time’s four-
year anniversary special. In honour
of this momentous occasion, I got
to chat with Anthony about Talent
Time, what the ride’s been like, and,
off the record, how much we love
The Room (2005).
How did Talent Time get started?
Paul Anthony: By me! There’s a
bunch of different answers to that.
I used to put on little variety shows
with my brother and sister, cousins
and stuff at family get-togethers. I
don’t know where I fell in love with
that kind of format... but I’ve been
doing them since such a young age.
I did comedy for a while, [but I]
found it not fulfilling, and I found
every scene—like, no matter how
interesting it [was], I found it really
limiting. I just wanted more variety.
So I started looking for anything

On the record

different, and then when I [found]
certain acts and weird little things,
I wanted to kind of bring them all
together and show my friends what
[I’d] found. That’s kind of how it
started.

How much has Talent Time
changed since it began?

PA: When it started, I wasn’t quite
sure what the show was going

to be. Lapproached every show
like it was a variety show within
itself, and I would play with the
format and would have different
co-hosts. [Each] show would try
[something] different, whether [it
was] an air-band competition, or
more comedians, [maybe] sprinkle
in a couple novelty acts, or try to
do longer sets or shorter sets. [We]
kind of tried everything to see what
felt the best and what worked the
best. [A lot of] it [has been based
on] audience response, feeling the
way the room changes.

What would you say has been the
most ridiculous act?

PA: Well, I'd say [last] Wednesday
[it was retired auto mechanic-
turned-singer] Mr. James Ming
Kwok. He had a Michael Jackson
jacket and white gloves... he’s a
really interesting guy. We had a
jam with the house band the night

before, and he just couldn’t stay on
beat. We'd gently give him direction
like, “you're a little behind the
beat,” and [he'd be] like, “I sound
great!”

Same thing with the gloves;
I got him [the Thriller] jacket to
wear—I thought it would take
everything to the next level (it
did)—and then he said, “I’ve got
the glove,” [so] I’m like, “Okay.”
So then he showed up and [he had]
these two white gardening gloves.
It was just fun.
What's in store for the next Talent
Time?
PA: I’ve been talking to a group
that dances with dogs... it’s
choreographed. I’m meeting with
them and I’m going to dance with
them, and hopefully they’Il be on
the show in the near future.

There’s a really great crooner
that we had at Babylon [on January
27], Phil Moriarty, that we’re going
to have on [Talent Time] very soon—
probably the next one. He’s great,
he looks like Kenny Rogers and he
sounds like Tom Jones [proceeds to
imitate]. It’s really cool.

[We’re going to] keep that ball
of fun rolling, and hopefully as
it rolls [we'll] just grab more and
more people, and people can come

 

We interview student and musician Ron Ganderton

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

eople come and go through
Pose so quickly at

Douglas that the ‘grab (that
piece of paper) and go’ mentality
has stuck over time. Most would
simply like to move onto bigger
things as fast as possible, but that
initial rush is often blinding. It
never hurts to take things just slow
enough that you can be sure you’re
following the right path. Take Ron
Ganderton for example, one of the
school’s older students currently
taking on the Music Technology
Certificate—a program that he
spoke very highly of.

Sitting down and chatting with
me last Thursday, Ganderton stated
that he’d already been down that
road, as front man of the group
Sound Ceremony. “[We] had three
albums out in the [‘70’s and] ‘80's,
and they were... sort of obscure.
The first album was called Guitar
Star (1973)... Sound Ceremony (1979)
was the second, and the third

6

album’s called Precious As England
(1981).”

Ganderton’s Canadian, but
when the call came, his career
needed to be established elsewhere.
“|The albums] were recorded
in London, England, we [even]

did some recording at Abbey

that called One Kind Favor... [long
story short,] he wanted to re-release
[Sound Ceremony’s] three albums.”
Ganderton went on to explain

that, “Because the songs were so
weird, they [became a topic of
interest in all these] vinyl collectors’
magazines.”

“Ganderton takes pride in knowing that he did what he set out to do, and
that now he’s being recognized for it.”

Road.” But, to revert back to my
introduction, not everything can
be set in stone. Ganderton stated
that Sound Ceremony did not find
the commercial-level of popularity
they had been searching for, leading
them down a rather bumpy road.
Years have passed since then
though, so of course times have
changed. “I [came] home one
day and there was an email from
Feeding Tube Records,” Ganderton
begins, “and one of the members,
Nick Williams, [had] decided to
start up an alternative label from

Sound Ceremony’s originally
“obscure” albums are now sought
out more than ever. It’s not the
following the group ever intended
on finding, but Ganderton takes
pride in knowing that he did what
he set out to do, and that now he’s
being recognized for it. The albums’
revival is based in part on a fan
base that has developed over the
years, but also on their value in
vinyl “collectors’ circles.”

I asked Ganderton how he
felt about vinyl’s place within the
digital age. “I guess you’re kind

and know that they’re going to
have the best time.

The next Talent Time is Wednesday,
March 7 at the Biltmore Cabaret,
but until then you can check out
Anthony’s new weekly variety
show, Babylon, this (and every)
Friday!

What: Babylon—Dance Party /
Performance/ Sleaze / Spectacle
Where: The Waldorf Hotel, 1489
East Hastings Street, Vancouver
When: Friday February 10 (and
every consecutive Friday) @ 10 p.m.
Cost: $12 before 11 p.m. ($15
afterwards)

@ Paul Anthony

 

of aware of the resurgence, there
is a resurgence going on for some
strange reason. New models of
record players are being sold. The
collectors have sort of managed

to keep [vinyl] going, but, for
some reason, some newer bands
have chosen [to release on vinyl

as well].” In the end, Ganderton
attributed vinyl’s survival to the
fact that, “[Certain people] just
crave the music scene. I’m grateful
for vinyl, that’s what my career has
been all about.”

The group’s second album,
Sound Ceremony, was digitally
remastered and re-released last
year. You can find it and future re-
releases to come at Zulu Records
and Red Cat Records in Vancouver.

[fyou’re an artist of any sort
(musician, actor, painter, etc.), feel free
to contact us at arts@theotherpress.
ca. Whether you've got a show coming
up or just want to get your name out
there, we're eager to hear from you!