By Kaitlin Doherty / DELHI NEWS-RECORD
October 15, 2008

To continue the Delhi Belgian Club's 60th anniversary celebrations, Canada’s ambassadors of rock, April Wine, will be taking the stage to perform classics rock songs.

After changing band members numerous times since their debut in 1969, original member Myles Goodwyn along with members since the 1970s, Brian Greenway and Jerry Mercer, will join newcomer Breen Mercer to sing classic songs that Delhi fans know and love.

And for Greenway, coming to Delhi is a nostalgic event.

“I came to Delhi Belgian Club in 1973,” he said. “I was with a different band then, but we had such a great time. This is a nostalgic visit for me, and it will be great to see it all these years later.”

With 20 albums and 11 Juno Award nominations under their belts, songs like “Oowatanite,” “Like a Lover, Like a Song,” and the bands biggest single to date, “You Won’t Dance With Me,” remain as favourites with the bands devoted fan base.

“We will be performing a variety of stuff going back decades and really encompassing the hits. The show that we put on is always different but the songs will change. The people will hear what they really want to hear.”

Having not released a new album since November of 2006, April Wine has been in the studio working diligently on two new albums.

And while most recording artists are using new technology for their albums, April Wine is bringing back the old days of analog tape recording.

“We love the analog tape over the digital,” said Greenway. “We’re going back to the old days where everyone jammed in one room and hung out for hours having fun and making music. Digital has its benefits, but the sound quality is just not there. You miss the little details of a guitar or a voice and that’s why we want to make these records like they used to be.”

After taking their first steps into the rock spotlight 39 years ago, and opening for rock icons like The Rolling Stones, Styx and Rush, April Wine is nowhere near slowing down.

“If we slow down, we get old,” Greenway joked. “We have been touring every single year, hitting about 175 locations, and we are still having so much fun.”

Playing both small and large venues, Greenway notes there are pros and cons to both.

“Playing somewhere like the Belgian Club is neat because it is very intimate and people get to see the real us,” he said. “But larger stadiums are great because of the sound. That really works to our advantage over a smaller venue with a few hundred people.”

Tom Dertinger, general manager of Delhi Belgian Club, said having Canadian rock artists like Kim Mitchell and April Wine on stage is a special event for Delhi and is a classic way to celebrate the clubs 60th anniversary.

“We don’t want everyone to get used to having these bands here all the time,” he said. “These events are very special treats for the community and they are a really big deal.”

These concerts, Dertinger said, are critical because they will decide the future of music in Delhi.

“We are so happy to have these artists come into town and we want people to take advantage of this,” he said. “These artists have perfected their craft and are ambassadors of rock in Canada. That is special and something to celebrate.”

Opening for April Wine on Oct. 18 is up-and-coming Canadian rock band Red Party Pirates. Tickets are $35 or $40 at the door and are available at Delhi Belgian Club or www.belgianhall.ca