Gerry Alvarez
The Gruesomes
The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey
By Christopher Duda
(Cavestompin’and Sugarbuzzin’)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Gerry Alvarez has been on the Canadian Music scene since the mid 80’s with the legendary Gruesomes. No stranger to most fans of what is now known as the Garage genre. The Gruesomes were actually seen as troglodyte path forging pioneers out here in the Great White North. Alvarez’s solo music has a chatoyant quality transcending planes and sending you on an astral journey into the inner recesses of your tangled decaying mind. Aureate light show explosions in the third eye minus the lysergic acid diethylamide. Believe. This is no carnival sideshow barking nostrum and do not be flummoxed by cheap Asian imitations. Alvarez dishes up scoops of his heart and soul for all to peer into this transparent windowpane.
• How does Omega Tea Time differ
from Candy Prankster?
It's more stripped down, the songs are shorter, tighter and more pop rock but still with a psychedelic sound. It's nice to do it a little different but in the same spirit. Flavio did a great job producing. • Where does the title come from? That's a secret; I don't want to give it away. I want to let people try to figure it out on their own... it's more fun that way.
• How do you feel about frequent Beatle comparisons made about your solo output?
I think it's great, take it any day. Who wouldn't want to be compared to them anyway? They have always been a big influence and I can't deny it.
• Where do you draw inspiration?
My musical inspiration comes mainly from British psychedelic bands and 60's garage rock pop. I also like to write and draw concepts all the time, it could be spiritual, artistic or personal thoughts and then I mix it up with the vibe and sound that I grew up listening and playing. I also get inspired by the visual arts, paintings, sculptures and from other creative people such as Picasso and Billy
Childish.
• Has the overall experience of releasing solo cd’s been positive or has it overshadowed by your time with The Gruesomes?
It's great that I can do music, express myself artistically and have fun with it too. The Gruesomes notoriety helps to get some attention to what I'm doing now so that's cool. It's nice to be able to create the type of sounds that I have always been into and still like. I don't think they overshadow much at all actually.
• What is your personal favourite Gruesomes record and why?
My most favourite is "Cave-In". All round great experience making it. Getting back together after a long spell made us better, we were more experienced and we were able to step back and see what we were about to focus on what made us what we were all about. We were really good on that one especially and the tunes are great.
• Quick Thoughts about the following------
• Ricochet Records (Raye) - Inspired
and very knowledgeable on the type of music that I do and that I'm into.
• Bobby Beaton (singer in The Gruesomes) - He is a very funny guy and has a great sense of humor. Knows a lot about a wild variety of subjects. You could find him with his nose buried in a thick book on the American Constitution, that's Bob.
• The term “Garage” - Back then you would never hear it mentioned anywhere. I'm really surprised at how much it is being used and referred to in music reviews and mainstream articles nowadays.
• “Gruesomes” legacy - It's cool that we are sometimes referred to as garage legends. It's nice to have some recognition from around the world. We wouldn't have thought that back in the 80's.
• The music business in general - One good thing is that it's much easier to make a CD these days. As a musician, all you can do is just play what you like without any expectations. It's a magic trip.
• The Haunted (legendary Montreal band-1960’s) - They wrote one of the best garage tunes ever, 1-2-5. It was our Montreal anthem and we opened up many shows with that one.
• Toronto Vs
Montreal - It's like London and Paris, one-city rocks and the other one goes to restaurants... a lot.
• How would you like to be remembered when you leave this earth?
As a Canadian artist known for his music and art. That would be good enough for me.
• What is your next musical project?
Working on a video and a book of illustrated songs, poems and short stories. Also planning on some silkscreen print projects. Will keep fiddling about for the next couple of years and see what comes out of it musically.
• In your opinion whom is an under rated musician?
The guy who played lead guitar for The Illusions.
• What is your musical history? Did you play in a band before The Gruesomes?
I just jammed with friends nothing serious. I got my first guitar at 16, had a friend in Laval teach me chords then when I got together with The Gruesomes I showed them how to play tunes. Before we were The Gruesomes, actually we had several names such as The Way Outs and The Lost Mynds.
• Was there ever a time that you thought of quitting the music scene?
I've been through periods of not really
caring about it. After The Gruesomes and the 80's and early 90's I never really saw myself as part of a music scene anymore, just a musician doing his thing. Music is something I always enjoy doing whether there is a scene or not.
• Any contemporaries of the Gruesomes that you are surprised are still at it or any that no longer exist that you would like to see playing again?
The Fuzztones and the Chesterfield Kings. I get to see them on the Youtube. Best show I ever seen was the Fuzztones in Quebec City in the late 80's, love to see them again. The Lyres would be great to see as well.
• Is there a chance that the Gruesomes would reform and /or under take a large tour?
Maybe.
• Any regrets?
If I knew what was to become of the music industry I might have done things differently like not have spend so much money on vinyl and CD's.
• Whom living or dead would you love to record an album with?
I'd have to say John Lennon.
• Did the early Montreal punk scene ever figure on your radar and how accepting was the punk scene to the Gruesomes?
We could play in any crazy club. That's what was great about The Gruesomes, no matter how nasty or punked out the crowd was we would come out of it without getting beaten up... even in East 
Germany.
• What was your experience like playing the Wooly Garage Festival with the likes of Love, The Electric Prunes? And the Mysterians?
On the night we played, we were the headliner and those bands were headlining on the other nights unfortunately. The hall we played in was really cool though. When we played the Cave stomp shows in NY was when we got to see bands like Blues Magoos, Music Machine, Plasticland and I got to meet a member of the Monks at the bar. I was also at one point backstage with Sean Bonniwell, Rudy Protrudi and Little Steven Van Zandt.
• Do you think if the Gruesomes existed twenty years later that their might have been more financial success?
Oh yeah, we would've been rich rock stars cause the underground became mainstream after a while.
• Parting
thoughts?
Buy my record Omega Tea Time now!
www.myspace.com/thegerryalvarezodyssey