Currently:
Todd "scoobs" McDougall (vocals, guitars), Terrell "herbal T" Froese (drums, violin, hand percussion, vocals), Dan "the man" Trupp (bass, backing vocals), Blake "the snake, shake'n'blake" Minaker (synth, vocals), "from the mighty Hand of Osiris" Dave Mitchell (djembe), Joshua "weiner" Wiens (didgeridoo) and Jaymez on visual effects and general mind fuckery.
Other/Past Contributors:
"From the Moon" Lunar Lyndon (live keys and backing vocals), Miss Carly Maicher (vocalist, keyboard and live xylophone player), Waqar "the waq attack" Syed (shananigans engineer, djembe), "from the Furr" Matthew "the austMAN" Austman (occassional live tambourine and backing vocals, Vagrant Moth 2 bass and trumpet).
Influences
Bob Dylan, CCR, Neil Young, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, the Doors, the Travelling Wilburys, King Crimson, Neurosis, jamming, robbing banks, flying kites, fishing, setting up tents, sometimes we sit and talk together, etc.
Sounds Like
The old wood wheels of a horse drawn wagon racing down a dusty trail alongside a motorcycle club.
“It’s tying sheaves of dreams in tattered form – It’s home.” The Illusive Mind Gypsy Crew is a gathering of folks that create the sounds of prairie metal. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba the Gypsy Crew is a well-established art collective seeking honest views of the broad land that they call home.
Stirring up trouble in Winnipeg since 2004, Todd McDougall and Terrell Froese began their narration by recording The Vagrant Moth Demos: One, the first in a series of like-minded EP’s, released in 2006. Performing steadily with a band of family and friends, they operate with a thrifty, communal philosophy of creating. This inspired the music that became Vagrant Moth Demos: The Second (An Album Inspired By Dirt). The band recorded what they call the “Vag 2” beginning with two days of live tracking the weekend after their beloved Winnipeg Folk Festival. Engineered and mixed by Blake “the Snake” Minaker, the album was finally released on March 1, 2008 at the first annual Winter Cabinbash – a festival the band hosts every year.
This latest release finds the Gypsies chanting and stomping their feet in unison as fuel to the fire for a party they have come to know in and around their home. Dubbed by listeners as “festival metal,” it travels through colourful flavours of world music and pop references through the filter of the heavy metal tradition. Tracks like “Headless Chicken” and “Surfaced Tension (complexity?)” offer up massive guitar servings of brutality. While songs like “Lake Of The Woods” and “In Dangered” give the listener an atmospheric backdrop for reflection and guided meditation. The anthemic piece, “Smooth Flavour (It’s Home!)” closes the album as a confident homage to the prairies and natures beautiful grasp on the art at hand, summarizing what Backstage Winnipeg calls a “Shockingly psychedelic” performance.
Now with Dan Trupp of Krull on bass, Blake Minaker on synth and vocals, and locally established Winnipeg filmmaker/electronic artist Jaymez doing live visual effects and sampling, the Gypsy Crew heads out this August on a 15 date Canadian tour. Upon return the band will record Vagrant Moth Demos: 3. With such talent now in the ranks and a knack for weaving their famous off-the-cuff jams with tight and mountainous song structures, word on the farm is the new music emerging from the band is something to keep an ear, eye and mind out for.
REVIEWS:
"At its core, the Illusive Mind Gypsy Crew is a three-piece band, with guitar, bass, and drums. However, there were no less than five people on stage at any given time with one to twiddle the effects knobs and another providing occasional vocals and keyboards in addition to looking after the band's picture-show backdrop. Melding trippy psychedelic melodies with heavy riffing and harsh vocals, the Crew was like nothing the Kathedral had ever seen before." - Greg, www.toohightogetitright.com. Review of Aug 23rd '08 at the Katherdral, Toronto.
"What would it sound like if Bob Dylan collaborated with Tool? A strange question to be sure, but one that’s at the heart of Illusive Mind Gypsy Crew (IMGC), a Winnipeg collective..." - Aaron Epp, The Uniter.
"A metal band from Winnipeg that successfully fuses tribal folk rhythms with heavy metal guitar... many try, few succeed. The notion of the heavy metal jam band rarely flies... but I challenge you to listen to this bands tracks here on the interweb and tell me this won't be one of the most interesting heavy shows to come around since we first laid eyes on Ekatree" - The Townehouse Tavern in Sudbury.
More Psychotic Fun at your fingertips from your friend at the fringe!
The fully animated WASP FLIGHT Video is Finally Out and a complete blast!! (produced by SongFire Studios)
Poor little Wendy Wasp gets chased down by a pair of horndogs lookin' for love: Yellow Chopper Wasp and Jet Green Wasp. Little do they know, someone else wants all three of them for dinner. Who's coming out on top?
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Drop by and Shout Out! You know how lonely I get. Hehehehehe ;)~
Brète
PS: I love to share, so, if you like the vid, I've enabled embedding. Just click Menu on the vid player and copy the embed code to your profile.
Hey, if you dont have your tickets for this show yet let me know! I will do everything i can to get one to you! Give me your address for w.e. let me know asap!
Hey, if you dont have your tickets for this show yet let me know! I will do everything i can to get one to you! Give me your address for w.e. let me know asap!
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