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Rip It Up, Issue 64, 1 November 1982, Page 18

Duncan Campbell

■ If the name Carol Pope doesn't mean much to. you now, it will before long. Her band, Rough Trade, already has a string of music awards and two platinum albums to its credit in its native Canada and is set for a breakthrough in this part of the world. A single, 'All Touch', has already been a sizeable hit in Australia. The nucleus of Rough Trade is Carol and guitarist Kevan Staples, who between them write all the material. They formed the band in 1974 and achieved national notoriety with a musical they wrote and performed in 1978, entitled Restless Underwear. Star of the show was the enormous transvestite known as Devine and the whole show had a decidedly sexual overtone. In fact, sex does play a major part in the Rough Trade sound, which Carol Pope cheerfully admits. Her voice is earthy and vibrant, the closest comparison being Grace Jones and her song lyrics are ... interesting. Rough Trade's second LP, For Those Who Think Young, will be released here in the near future through VVEA and Carol Pope

passed through Auckland recently on one of those exhausting meet-the-media jaunts. As she struggled to fight off the jet lag, we discussed the state of Canadian music. I asked her whether it was still being overshadowed by the USA. “Not any more because there are more MOR rock bands that are really doing well in the States, like Loverboy, Rush, April Wine and Chilliwack. "There's a good club scene in Canada, but the record companies normally won't sign anything that's different, because they're just branch offices of the American companies. But records are very cheap to make and distribute and there is a radio station which will play new things. "We haven't had to compromise to succeed at home, which is why the Americans haven't picked us up. But we've signed with Boardwalk (Joan Jett's label), so we'll see what happens." Rough Trade got its start playing bars in the sleazy part of Toronto, gaining a reputation for rather over-the-top stage acts with satirical-sexual overtones. Carol prefers audiences that are a bit

juiced up and able to move around ("I find them more responsive"). Carol has no qualms singing about sex. I ask her which is the more dangerous subject: sex or politics. "Neither. I think religion is more dangerous than politics. When I'm performing on-stage, I do it with a sense of humour. I'm self-mock-ing as a performer. If people are offended, that's their problem. "When we performed in Europe recently, people ignored the sexual aspect. All they asked me about was politics. It's only in America that people are really hung up

about sex. But I think I am subtle. I don't go flaunting my sexuality. "Where I live, the province of Ontario, is very conservative. It's really sickening. You have to stop drinking by 1.30, they have very

strong film censorship and it just drives me nuts.; Now that we've achieved a ; certain amount of success, every. time I do an interview I start to badmouth. the government and I say that Canadians are wimps who are being totally manipulated by politicians. And most people agree IwithJmeTPUBJUWBi^B ''l have developed quite strong political feelings recently because of the depression and the way Canada is being run. Trudeau just doesn't care any more and he's acting like a dictator. I think he's going to step down, but I don't know who's going to replace him." Rough Trade already has a third album in the can with Staples playing most of the instruments. It's described as more sophisticated and funkier than the last one, but if you haven't heard the last one, that won't make much sense to you, will it? So maybe in the meantime you should keep an eye out for an LP called . For Those Who Think Young. If there's any justice left in radio, 'All Touch' should be thrashed. But I'm sure there will be those who find Carol just a little too overpowering. How pitiful. Carol Pope would probably feel quite at home in this country.