People are funny like that.....: Plaskett fills his ECMA basket

Rocker wins six categories; Canyon picked top entertainer
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter for

The Halifax Chronicle Herald
Mon. Feb 11 - 6:33 AM

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Joel Plaskett has been a Halifax Star for several years & I love his music and the pure energy of his live performances. Its clear that his band is having a blast on stage & the crowd is always pleased. If you ever have the chance ... GO SEE JOEL PLASKET ... you'll never regret the Experience.

Joel Plaskett performs at the East Coast Music Awards show at the Aitken centre in Fredericton on Sunday. (INGRID BULMER / Staff)

FREDERICTON — Halifax rocker Joel Plaskett traded in an ashtray for an armload of East Coast Music Awards on Sunday night, winning a record-breaking six silver trophies at the 20th anniversary of the annual ceremony held in Fredericton’s Aitken Centre.

Ashtray Rock, the Joel Plaskett Emergency’s concept album about teenage hijinks, young love and friendship in suburban Halifax was named the FACTOR recording, group recording and rock recording of the year, while the tune Fashionable People earned the indie-music icon group single, video and SOCAN songwriter of the year honours.

"It’s humbling," admitted Plaskett after the gala, still a bit jet lagged from a five-week solo tour of Australia. "It’s really flattering and kind of embarass-ing at the same time.

""We set out to make a record as ridiculous and ambitious as possible, and I’m glad it paid off creatively and captivated the imagination of everyone who listened.""

Plaskett’s big night tops the five ECMAs won in one evening by artists including Lennie Gallant in 1995, Ashley MacIsaac in 1997, Bruce Guthro in 1999 and Great Big Sea for Sea of No Cares in 2003.

It’s been a good week for Plaskett; his sardonic hit Fashionable People also picked up a Billboard World Song Contest honour in the pop category on Thursday.

I like to write about where I’m from, I think any good writer tries to do that," said the Clayton Park-raised musician. ""I like to think I captured something of that in a fictional account of growing up in suburbia.""

The only other multiple winners Sunday, with two apiece, were fellow Nova Scotians Dave Gunning, Cherry Brook R&B favourite Jamie Sparks and the reunited Rankins.

Pictou County bard Gunning’s House for Sale was named the male solo recording and folk recording of the year.

""I did not expect this, it was a surprise,"" said Gunning backstage. ""I’m writing a lot right now, getting ready for the next record, but I’m certainly proud of this one.""

The Rankin Family’s Reunion CD was picked for roots/traditional group recording of the year, while the video chronicle of the Cape Breton family band’s live show, Back Stage Pass, earned DVD of the year.

""This is quite the honour . . . I can’t seem to shake this band,"" grinned Jimmy Rankin after stepping to the podium for the DVD award.

""(This reunion) is something I thought would never happen, so on behalf of all the Rankins, thank you very much. This one’s for John Morris.""

Other Nova Scotia winners included country star George Canyon, picking up the coveted fan-voted entertainer of the year honour, Juno Award-nominated MC Classified for rap/hip-hop single track recording for Hard to be Hip-Hop and Halifax-based singer-songwriter Rose Cousins in the female solo recording category.

Up-and-coming Sackville performer Chelsea Nisbett won gospel recording for her debut CD New Beginnings, which has already won an African-Nova Scotian Music Award and a Music Nova Scotia Award in recent months.

""I’m shocked, when I first had the idea of making an album all I just thought of it as something people could buy at my shows,"" said the petite singer-songwriter backstage.

""But since it came out it’s been one opportunity after another, meeting more people playing more shows, things are really starting to develop.""

Besides the Rankins, Nova Scotian Celtic music performers winning ECMAs included Antigonish’s Troy MacGillivray for instrumental recording for Live From the Music Room and Cape Breton fiddler Kimberley Fraser for roots/traditional solo recording for Falling on New Ground.

Former Slainte Mhath singer Stephanie Hardy was blessed with the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award (which comes with a $5,000 prize) for her contemporary songwriting on Brand New Skin.

Veteran Halifax pianist Bill Stevenson earned jazz recording of the year for For the Record, recorded with his nephew, Hot Toddy bassist Tom Easley, while Hot Toddy singer/guitarist Thom Swift got props for his solo debut, Into the Dirt, named blues recording of the year.

""I’ve been with Hot Toddy for about 10 years, and after a while you build up a blanket of security,"" said New Brunswick native Easley to reporters. ""Like any successful group, you need those outside influences to keep growing.

"I’ve been playing with Bill since I was a teenager, and I think if you’re a real musician, you want to keep playing until you can’t play any more."

Hosted by This Hour Has 22 Minutes wit Mark Critch, the two-hour gala featured performances by Joel Plaskett Emergency, hearty Newfoundland folk band Shanneygannock, Jimmy Rankin, New Brunswick gospel group the Lapointes and alternative recording winner Nathan Wiley.

"The big news this year is that the CBC isn’t broadcasting the awards live," said Critch, to a chorus of boos from the crowd.

"Oh, you don’t have to tell me, I work for the CBC, I’ve seen the ratings. But not being on the CBC means more people than ever will see the ECMAs!""

Halifax band Wintersleep, which followed Plaskett with five nominations, unfortunately left the Aitken Centre trophy-less.

However, the show was a great showcase for the broad variety of New Brunswick performers, including country recording winners the Divorcees, fiddler Samantha Robichaud, Swift and Moncton rocker Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew.

A special honour of the evening was presented to New Brunswick’s Acadian music pioneers 1755. The group’s achiviements in popularizing Atlantic Canadian Francophone music earned it the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award for a landmark career, taking its music across North America and over the Atlantic between 1977 and 1984.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the East Coast Music Association honoured behind-the-scenes figures and music business builders with its annual Industry Awards.

The sound technician of the year, engineer Mike Shepherd from Cape Breton’s much-honoured Lakewind Sound studio seemed pleased that for once he wasn’t too busy to attend in person.

""I’d like to thank Fred Lavery and Gordie Sampson, the co-owners of Lakewind,"" he said. ""They’re my guys; working for them these past nine years has been absolutely amazing.""

Halifax photographer Chris Sm!th, the Funk Factor founder, had a few more people to thank after his win, rapidly reading off a list of clients as long as his black T-shirt clad arm.

Media person of the year went to veteran P.E.I. writer Doug Gallant of the daily Guardian newspaper, who remarked that his love of music has deep roots.

""The people in this industry really make it worth getting up in the morning,"" said the bearded island scribe. ""I’ve been around it since I was 14, hauling gear for acts like Sam Moon and Matt Minglewood and I can’t imagine a better industry to be involved in.""

Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours International Festival was named event of the year, and co-founder Max MacDonald was effusive in his praise of the ECMAs’ effect on the

AND THE ECMA GOES TO . . .

Entertainer of the year: George Canyon
Recording: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
Female solo recording: If You Were For Me (Rose Cousins)
Group recording: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
Male solo recording: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)
Rising Star recording: Brand New Skin (Stephanie Hardy)
Group single: Fashionable People (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
SOCAN songwriter: Joel Plaskett for Fashionable People (performed by Joel Plaskett Emergency)
Video: Fashionable People directed by Randall Thorne (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
DVD: Back Stage Pass (The Rankin Family)
African-Canadian recording: It’s The Music (Jamie Sparks)
Alternative recording: The City Destroyed Me (Nathan Wiley)
Bluegrass recording: Saddle River String Band (Saddle River String Band)
Blues recording: Into The Dirt (Thom Swift)
Classical recording: Forbidden City Tour (New Brunswick Youth Orchestra)
Country recording: You Ain’t Gettin’ My Country (The Divorcees)
Francophone recording: 11:11 (Vishten)
Folk recording: Looking Back — Vol. 2: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)
Gospel recording: New Beginnings (Chelsea Nisbett)
Instrumental recording: Live From the Music Room (Troy MacGillvray)
Jazz recording: For The Record (Bill Stevenson & Tom Easley)
Pop recording: Little Jabs (Two Hours Traffic)
Rap/Hip-Hop single track recording: Hard To Be Hip Hop (Classified)
Rock recording: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)
Roots/Traditional group recording: Reunion (The Rankin Family)
Roots/Traditional solo recording: Falling On New Ground (Kimberley Fraser)
Urban Single track recording: If You Were (Jamie Sparks)
Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award: presented to New Brunswick group 1755