WHO: Bif Naked with guests Gob and LiveonRelease
WHERE: Whistler Conference Centre
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 19.
COST: $22.50 advance; $25 @ door
"I can’t wait to play in Whistler and even more, I can’t wait to see if the boys from Gob can shred on their boards."
This Friday will see Vancouver’s lovechild of confrontational punk pop music, Bif Naked, rocking the Whistler stage for the third time since going solo in the mid-90s, this time as part of the Freestyle Ski World Championships. And she says it’s a gig she always looks forward to.
"I love playing Whistler because it’s always fun and this time will be even better because of our strong supporting lineup."
As generous with compliments about her fellow musicians as she is with her frequent howls of laugher, Bif Naked says she has entered the best phase in her musical career.
"I’m working with great people and can’t believe I can actually make a living while having such a great time."
One of the support bands, LiveonRelease, was actually signed on the tour by Naked herself after hearing the group of schoolgirls play their hard rock lineup at a show in New Westminster. "These girls are the wave of the future," she enthuses. "They’ll be putting an album out under my label, Her Majesty’s Records, soon so look out for it."
The love child of two private school teenagers, Bif Naked was born in New Delhi, India in 1971. She was adopted by American missionaries who moved her to the United States before settling in Winnipeg. It was there she gained her first band experiences by joining Jungle Milk, and then joining a fellow band member in marriage. The union reportedly lasted less time than your average song and Naked moved on to become the frontwoman for Gorilla Gorilla.
To classify Bif Naked’s music, past and present, isn’t easy. "Punk pop" appears to be the phrase of choice adopted by promoters of her existing albums – Four Songs and A Poem, Bif Naked, I Bificus and the Canadian EP sequel, Another Five Songs and A Poem . However, the aggressive punk rock badge could the badge of a bygone era. Prior to going solo in 1994, Bif Naked was part of Chrome Dog and Dying to be Violent, bands known for their decidedly hard-core, punk style music. She believes music industry spindoctors – a.k.a. "the grown-ups" – often don’t look much past the image or her musical background when defining her music.
"If I didn’t have tattoos they would probably classify it differently," she explains. "I strike them as an alternative type of person, therefore I must make alternative music."
Left to her own definitions, Bif Naked says hers is an evolving sound.
"I hope I am becoming a better singer and songwriter, while staying true to who I am," she said. "Hopefully my lyrics still touch people, whether the words are angry or sad, and the funky beats still let people rock out to it." She pauses. "On the other hand, fuck, it’s just entertainment," she laughs.
Bif Naked’s yet to be titled album is due out this spring under Atlanta’s Lava label and fans may find it a different kettle of fish to the ones before.
"It’s more cathartic, more therapeutic than the previous albums and it’s also a real collaborative effort with the rest of the band."
Naked’s band certainly earns its two cents worth, comprising some of the best players on the West Coast: Doug Fury on guitar, Chris Crippen on drums and Gail Greenwood (of Belly and L7 fame) on bass.
"The album will incorporate our different tastes. I like to use a lot of profanity which never works (with the others) so I always lose," Naked laughs.
Continuing Bif Naked’s theme of contrasts are her two dogs, Nick and Anna. Their continuous yapping during our telephone conversation was a clue that these dogs were the size of dusters and Naked confirmed this.
"With my image people expect me to have a rottweiller rather than these fluffy foo-foo dogs – they’re more like barking cats," she laughs. As feared, Naked’s pooches will be sporting winter fashion jackets while in Whistler, along with the rest of the fluffy set. But their mother has no plans to go fluffy herself – in fact, far from it.
"We’ll be touring pretty hard once the new album comes out. You know, the usual tour of Canada, the US and Europe."
Any thoughts on how audience types vary across these continents?
"No not really," she says. "GAP is everywhere and so everyone looks the same, especially in the Commonwealth countries with their same politics and ways of thinking."
The Italians and Spanish are definitely more kissy and Texas is too hot, she added as an afterthought.
