blog.captivatethem.ca

An incredibly versatile artist, fresh off a tour with Snoop, Ko takes the time to sit down with Remi L Roy to talk about rehab, the Trailer Park Boys, moving mountains and the experiences behind his inspiring sound.

Ko – Jammin with Captivate Creative Studios from Alexander Vlad on Vimeo.

Big Thanks: Ko, Mary Jelley, Chris Mangal, Warner Music Canada, Live Lounge, Christian Roblin, Trainwreck & Blueberry!

Songs: “Capable” & “Bourbon (Crack Song)” used with permission from artist.

The video was recorded entirely on the Canon EOS 7D w/ EF70-200mm f4L. Shot and edited by Alexander Vlad.  Check out more of Ko’s music at www.ko-nation.com

While my night consisted mainly most of playing assistant to Vlad and Alex Wolski – namely holding flashes, running back and forth from the car to the club for equipment and posing for light readings – I still had a blast. I guess it’s tough not to have a good time when you’re swimming through a crowd of models and beautiful women gathered at Lobby, Ottawa’s premiere VIP nightclub, for the unveiling of Bomba’s newest collection of luxury fashion. The show didn’t disappoint, as Bomba’s latest in a line of dresses and shirts, of course draped over a dozen sexy bodies, captured the attention of even the most detached bystander.

The three of us lapped it all up, and even managed to get a little work done. Vlad got a bunch of great shots, which we’ve posted for your viewing, and Wolski shot the fashion show and got some footage of the club scene that unfolded inside Lobby. I think he probably had a better night than either me or Vlad. It was priceless watching Wolski, camera in hand as always, mashed in between like 10 models, grinning ear to ear. Actually, come to think of it, I was grinning like a damn fool too. Hey, can you blame me? I’ve worked hundreds of assignments in exclusive environments, but have never been surrounded by so many models as I was on this night. Yeah, it was a damn good night. Anyways, that’s all I have to say about that (ala Forrest Gump) so check out the goods, watch the video, get jealous, whatever. We’ll be in touch soon. Take care.

RLR

Big Thanks: Bomba, Lobby and the models.

For all of the shots visit captivatethem.ca or click here

Die Mannequin is a bad influence. I picked up a copy of Fino + Bleed from the XPress office a month ago and it’s been on repeat in my stereo since. In that time, I was demoted at XPress for standing up the Trailer Park Boys, almost kicked out of my crib and hung out to dry by the girl I was seeing.  Not since I spent too much time listening to Motley last year or Buckcherry the year before has an album controlled my every action like Fino + Bleed this September. Call me a method writer, call me crazy, call me whatever the hell you want. I lost myself while preparing for this interview. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say it was messy.

By the time Vlad, Alex and I met up with Die Mannequin’s front-woman, Care Failure, and the matriarch of Ottawa’s Warner Music branch, Mary Jelley, it felt like the last day of a long tour – and in Ottawa on a Sunday to boot! I was sweating week-old liquor out of a month-old playoff beard, trying all the while to focus on my subject with eyes wide shut. It was destined to be a night that went down in my biography, or my obituary.

A bright sun beaming down on a late summer day, the three of us settled on shooting outside, where we set up in the shadows of Scotiabank Place and rolled on it. The interview went well, even though I looked and felt like total shit. I don’t get nervous during interviews, still, standing next to Care, it felt like my heart could, at any time, collapse and cave into my chest. After we finished the interview, Vlad took Care aside and managed to trap a dozen amazing pictures in just a few minutes. Though we went well over our allotted time limit, both Care and Mary were totally cool with the whole process. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: If all labels had a Mary Jelley, the world would be a better place.

A couple hours later, Die Mannequin blew the lid of Scotiabank. Watching Care rip it up, I knew that all the shit I’d gone through getting ready for the interview was well worth it. At that moment, I couldn’t care less if I was, as Care writes in Caroline Mescaline, “just another rock casualty.” Marilyn Manson closed the night out with a killer set, yet it didn’t seem to matter. This night was about Die Mannequin, not Manson; it was about Canada, not the U.S.; it was about tomorrow, not today.

RLR

Big Thanks: Die Mannequin, Mary Jelley, Mr. Butterscotch, Marilyn Manson, Live Nation, Warner Music Canada, Scotiabank Place

***To view the whole story, and our full gallery, head on over to Captivatethem.ca events or click here!

Good afternoon rockstars.  We got some concert coverage and a beefy video interview with Die Mannequin who are currently on tour with Marilyn Manson.  We’re still cutting the footage so all I got for you today is one shot from after the interview.  So without further delay, here’s Care Failure, lead singer and guitarist from one of Canada’s hardest rockin’ bands.

Stay tuned.  Also, check out their site and tunes.  http://www.diemannequin.ca/

Shad & Remi

In the burrows of Ottawa’s west end, an area far detached from the bustling stone corridors and vibrant night life of the capital city’s centre, Algonquin College finds itself in a location particularly prone to debauchery. In the shady pits of Deerfield, or even outside the shining student rez, “those nights” tend to happen in record numbers. Things can get ugly. Thankfully, last night was not one of “those nights.” On the contrary, it was an outing oozing with music and bubbling with good times. After an interview with Shad K – one of the freshest cats at the forefront of the new wave of Canadian hip hop – I was taking in a few brews at The Observatory, wondering where Vlad was at. We were supposed to shoot a set with Shad, so I figured Vlad wasn’t gonna show. Sure enough, at that moment, who do I see walking from the front of the stage, where he’d been shooting Thunderheist?

Thunderheist!

While we showed up at different times, it didn’t take long for me and Vlad to find ourselves on the same page.  The goal seemed pretty simple: Find a good setting, grab Shad and take some pictures. Not so. The Observatory is notoriously hard on photographers, and has been since I went to J school at Algonquin some years back. I’m not sure why, but they won’t let you shoot in there for any worthwhile period of time. So, of course, someone in the place, who Vlad reports looked like Peter Jackson (pre-gastric bypass surgery), got into Vlad for being too liberal with his camera and, as such, we were forced to take our party elsewhere. It was something of a headache pulling Shad out of his dressing room, bringing him back to the gig and then being told that we had to go somewhere else to take the shots we were after. But long story short: We went back to the room, set up, and were finished within minutes. As Shad is a post-graduate student working towards his MA in liberal studies, we thought it would be cool to set him up at a white board, looking like he was teaching a class. The end result? You tell us. The shots are posted and we definitely hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Talk to ya soon!

For the rest of the images and story, check out our event listing on Captivatethem.ca or click here.

RLR & AV

Big Thanks: Ken McLeod, Kat Stewart, Shad, Thunderheist and Algonquin College.