On any given day, helen gone is at least three people, though there
have been reported sightings over the years of up to four people at
once coming together under the aforesaid moniker to conjoin in raising
a peculiar ruckus that might best be described as rubber soul. They
were granted 15 seconds of national fame when goner Gail was interviewed
by some old guy on MuchWest after the band had placed a track on the
CFMI Homegrown IV compilation CD.
The band was set to take the next steps when nasty thieves detoured
the band's upward mobility by stealing their guitars, demo tapes,
tape recorder, and de rigeur leather jackets. Daunted, the band responded
by giving up and seeking spiritual enlightenment and freedom from
material desires. This translated into a trip to Winnipeg, which helped
somewhat, but on returning to Vancouver the explosion of Starbucks
outlets lured the band into a hopeless physical addiction in an ever-widening
circle of coffee consumption. Soon all their friends were hooked as
well, but as goner Karl said "We may not be bigger than Jesus,
but I'll have another mocha, thanks."
Since every electric guitar Gail had ever owned had been stolen
at one time or another, she eventually took this as divine intervention
suggesting politely but insistently that maybe she should buy an acoustic
guitar instead. So she did, and so did Karl, and goner Stu showed
up with an upright bass and thus was helen gone reborn as an amplified
acoustic trio/quartet. And when new goner Kevin recently showed up
wearing a tres bohemian leather beret and sporting a pair of bongos,
he was submitted to the gruelling helen gone initiation rites, which
include making lattes for everyone and naming all the characters on
Red Dwarf. Having passed the audition he was immediately whisked off
to the next helen gone engagement .
They play original tunes and their own inspired versions of classics
by the likes of Graham Parker, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, and George
Harrison, to name-drop a few.
Their future ambitions are to play lots, record lots, have a helluva
good time, sell some CD's, and drink good coffee.
