Turners Tavern

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Sheena Goodyear (Editor of The Muse, Local University News Paper)



"Bill Turner had more in mind than just another downtown watering hole when he opened Turner’s Tavern at 110 Water Street – he wanted to create a home for local musicians.

Supporting the scene is risky business in a city as small and isolated as St. John’s, and it’s no secret that it’s hard for new acts to catch a break. As a musician, Turner knows this first hand. Together with three other young musicians – Mike Gear(23), Mike McDonald(21), and Gene Browne(22) – he’s formed 110 Records.

“We do have a lot going for us here [in Newfoundland and Labrador.] Everyone has to help everyone else. That’s a big part of it. Sometimes little cliques get formed, but you should help everyone. The music community is a community, you know? It’s like your hometown.”

110 stands out because they’re not looking to profit from the intellectual property of struggling musicians, says Browne. Bands signed to the label retain complete rights over their music. The costs of recording, pressing, and printing are taken care of upfront.

“It’s the band’s music, and that’s the way it should be,” said Browne. “It’s the bands jamming. It’s the bands writing the songs. It’s them out there on the road. Why should some guy sitting in his living room make all the money?”

Once the upfront costs are covered, they negotiate with the artists what percentage of sales they will take. Once they recoup their cost, their percentage goes down and the artists’ goes up.

Turner was out of town in the week before the Muse’s press time, so he couldn’t make it for an interview. But his three eager associates were more than happy to provide a tour of the nearly ancient three-floor building that houses the studio and tavern they all own and run together.

110 Water Street – previously home to the East End Club – is among the oldest buildings in North America. It’s existed in some form or another since the 1500s, it’s survived fires, it’s a provincial heritage location, and it even has its own ghost.

“Let’s just say I was sleeping on that couch,” said McDonald, “and I got dragged across the floor on the couch. It was pretty creepy.”

“The rumour is that it’s a priest that hung himself in this building. It used to be a bishop’s quarters back in the ‘20s,” said Gear.

“No, it’s nothing crazy,” assured Browne. “He’s our buddy. He’s watching out for us.”

And it looks like he really is, because the four artists seem to have found the perfect space for what they’re doing.

The first floor hosts the tavern – a cozy little nook with maybe five or six tables, a couch, and a spot for bands to play. Local art, show posters, and photography adorn the walls.

One floor up is an open room, used as a party space. People can rent it for free so long as they buy their drinks from the Tavern.

And the third floor is 110’s gem – a free jam space for acts that book shows at the bar, and a recording studio.

Already, it looks like home to a variety of artists. Band equipment is scattered about, trustingly left behind by the musicians who use the spot. Old, but comfortable couches line the walls. The floral wallpaper looks like something out of Nanny’s kitchen, while the band flags hanging over it scream teenager’s basement.

“You can sit around, you can come down to the bar, and go back upstairs, and just rock out and have a good time,” said McDonald. “On Thursday night there was a punk band jamming on the third floor and we had an acoustic act downstairs, and you couldn’t hear it.”

That’s the norm for Turner’s Tavern/110 Records. It does not subscribe to any particular genre – it aims to be as eclectic as the St. John’s scene.

“Any given week here we have anything from reggae to metal to Irish,” said McDonald.

“The musicianship here in Newfoundland is crazy. The talent that walks through this door in a week would just blow your mind,” said Browne.

“There was a guy here the other night, and he said he went out to eight different bars, and all the bars had live music. He said he’d never seen nothing like it. He was from Montreal. And I mean, Montreal is supposed to have one of the bigger scenes out there.”

Nobody is signed to 110, but they’re working out details with a few acts – they won’t name names just yet. In the meantime, they’re scheming a few ways to showcase the diverse sounds of St. John’s.

In February, the label is releasing its first compilation disc, featuring names like the Adam Baxter Threesome, the Satans, Danielle Tobin, and the Brat Attack.

Next week is the Battle of the Fans – a tournament featuring four random acts each night. Performers are asked to bring their fans out to the shows to vote for them. 110 will sign the final winner and finance all the costs of recording, printing, pressing, and distribution.

“What we want to do is give the new and upcoming bands a chance to play with bands they wouldn’t normally get a chance to play with, and also play for an audience that they wouldn’t normally play with,” said McDonald.

“Anyone should be able to play with anyone else,” he said. “Music is a community. That’s exactly what it is.”





*** Jam space available for Bands/Artists *** - Call 739-0456 for details. Ask for Gene.