Scott Rodgerson

Hey folks, I'm looking for a pretty obscure piece of MGB memorabilia-- or at least a scan of it. Back in the fall of 2001 there was an issue of Chart that included a tear-out Audio of Being calendar, probably branded with the TrustUs logo. It most prominently featured the Lionel Drew illustrations from the record, but there were a few extra pieces that were only included on the calendar, as well as a graphic predicting future events. The reason for all this is I'm making a t-shirt for the AOB tour that never happened as a gift for a friend. I've got really high-res scans of all the album material (I bought a poster way back), but can't find anything from that calendar. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

Hi James, You can find the bulk of my work at ScottRodgerson.com, and more recent work on Instagram at @scottrodgerson and @therodgersoncorporation -- the API for my site's screwy right now, so it's a few months out of date.

Well, shit. I didn't realize it wasn't St. Catherine's proper. You're absolutely correct, it's Arizona's in Thorold.

If I'm remembering right, the video was about the things a person can do for a living (not necessarily violently torturing employees, but say, being an executive at an arms company) while still functioning as kind and decent everywhere else in their life. MG was given to highlighting the grimly absurd back then (see: any Manifesto), and the song itself is about the absurdity of celebrity, so the dichotomy sorta tracks.

That's it. Can't tell you how cool it was to see that shot on a giant video screen in my town.

Additional unsolicited fun fact: As a gift for my best friend, a few years back I created a proper physical version of the Bontempo record (art, packaging, the works) and got Matt to sign it. Then I gave him an off-colour, error-riddled recap of Empire Strikes Back.

If anybody recalls the posters for the 2008 tour, they might enjoy this. Back in '05 I shot a few gigs, and this shot from a St. Catherine's show ended up being used later on. I was still shooting on film back then, god help me. Actually, funny story--I was 20 at the time, and knowing that I was gonna shoot the gig, I ended up going to another band's show in Hamilton since Pat Steward was drumming with them (Stripper's Union, with some dudes from the Odds and the Hip). I was trying to get a sense of what I was in for, and it was no small comfort to hear that it wasn't just me who got ultra-short email replies from Matt. A few days later I was in Toronto to see a friend, and walking down Bay I thought I saw someone I recognized. Pat Steward. I guess I got close enough to give him a shout. He turns around searches me, then points and says my name, not totally sure. I assured him I wasn't stalking him (this may have been an unforced error). Anyway, he asks what I'm listening to on my giant-ass headphones. Five seconds later, he's wearing said headphones and air drumming to something off NIN's With Teeth in the middle of Bay Street. Really lovely guy; it was always a pleasure to bump into him at shows. Heading into shooting for a guy I admired as a kid, Pat's presence and attitude made a real difference.

Oh, he's seen 'em. Not really a gig I want, though.

I consider helping people replace the Vancouver cover to be a public service.

In the same breath, I think he mentioned it being about the strangeness of fame. Cut to "Girls in Black", where he laments that there was a time "he walked the streets, like on the sea".

As an exercise over the years, I've designed a ton of (alternate) album art, some using other artists' materials, some entirely self-generated. If you've ever seen that Cold Harbor cover with the blacked out figure looking at a ship, that's one of mine-- though embarrassingly bad since I wasn't an art director yet. I figured I'd drop them in here for the only group of people who'd really be interested. Enjoy.

Did the link get pulled, here? I'm a little confused.

It's all just adolescent nonsense from kids with nothing better to do. 2000 was a weird year.

Yeah, I remember him using the JF Sebastian handle. Ryan McNutt did a writeup some years ago that touched on that era a little. He said something to the effect of "we were all sharing this kind of insanity. We don't talk to each other anymore, now that we're sane." That feels about right.

Seeing the show on Saturday brought back the Massage Board days, some. Strange, strange times-- I mean, the politics of it? The MGB LF board? Monkeys Wars? It's weird to think any of that stuff even happened.

God I missed seeing him do stuff like this. Nobody pulls subversive shit like that anymore. Oooh. I gots me a warning point. Forgot about that. Can I pray the sin away, or what? How does that work?

Album art, found on Bones Hillman's site.

"Same with Rodgerson". Hey hey. No need for name calling.

I really, really don't want to have to subject folks to 48 inane followup posts from me in order to get copies of these demos. I don't. That would be wrong. And I won't. [hide_me]But if you felt like sending a rapidshare link to [email protected], I'd be grateful.[/hide_me]

modedit: no.

I'm shooting some shows again. That'll be fun.

Okay, I'm finding it incredibly hard to get my paws on any of these demos. Is there a torrent available for the new demos?

Isn't anyone going to speculate wildly as to what the second new studio track is? I know what it is, I'm just curious to hear what you've got to say.

Heh. I can see myself taking photos at the bottom in the start of the song...

Last of the Ghetto Astronauts - Omissions of the Omen Raygun - Alabama Motel Room Underdogs - The Inescapable Us Lo-Fi B-Sides - Born to Kill Beautiful Midnight - The Future Is X-Rated Loser Anthems - Life Beyond the Minimum Safe Distance The Audio of Being - The Workers Sing a Song of Mass Production Avalanche - Near Fantastica White Light Rock and Roll Review - Blue Skies Over Badlands