Local band’s rock ‘n’ roll dream is quickly becoming a reality
By P.C. Pethick
The four band members of Nectar are having a sweet time while their ambrosial sound speeds them to the top of the Ottawa music scene.
With super-tight cohesion and intricately driven bass lines, Nectar came crashing into the lime light at Barrymore’s Music Hall in early November. It was the foursome’s first head-line show at the coveted Centretown venue.
Nectar spun its alternative style of dazzling 60s hard rock before a cheering crowd of a few hundred people. They peeled through their 11-song roster, and pulled a few out of the hat when their hard-core fans, known by the band as “the boys”, screamed for an encore.
The band plans to build upon the success of their headline show by playing a weighty gig on New Year’s Eve at the popular club Zaphod Beeblebrox.
Nectar’s success is made that much sweeter by the band’s relative youth; the foursome has only been playing together since February. But in that time they have compiled a set of outstanding tunes that they plan to take to the studio early in the new year.
Nectar’s talented lineup begins with Gerard Tweedy, 25, on drums and Steve Volk, 20, on bass. They set down the driving beat behind the psychedelic rhythm guitar of 26-year-old Greg Sherlock, and Chris Volk, the 26-year-old lead guitarist. Sherlock and Chris Volk wrap up the band’s sound by sharing vocals.
“It adds a lot of variety,” says Steve Volk about his two front men. “It’s not just one constant voice, there’s a lot of sharing going on.”
Nectar evolved from Heavy Nectar, the Volk’s old high school band. The band changed names when Sherlock and Tweedy joined the roster.
“We wanted to get out there and play live,” says Tweedy. “We didn’t want to wait a year rehearsing and then go play a show.”
So far, the strategy has worked. The band has developed a sound that is becoming quite popular these days.
Legendary lounge lizard and emcee, Johnny Vegas, first introduced the band at Barrymore’s for the Hennessy CD release party in September.
Nectar took the stage first before an impressively large crowd.
“There were 50 people in the front calling out for Nectar,” says Vegas, who put the band among the top five in Ottawa.
“I’ve never seen an audience go wild like that for an opening act.”
The offer for a headline show came shortly after Nectar’s smash opening; making the rock n’ roll dream a little more realistic.
But the troop haven’t quit their day jobs yet. Sherlock works at an insurance company, Tweedy is a waiter, and the Volk brothers own and operate a roofing company. It pays the bills, but the band agrees they want to take the music further.
“I don’t care if we’re not the next U2, or the Beatles,” says Sherlock. “But it would be nice to not have to work a full-time job, and just do this.”
For now the band is taking it easy, trying to keep success in perspective. They practice a couple times a week to keep tight and write new songs. Chris Volk, Sherlock and Tweedy are taking vocal lessons to improve their consistency. The rest, they hope, will keep on falling into place.
“We’re enjoying our success, and we’ll take as much as we can get,” says Sherlock. “But we don’t want to flaunt it, or in any way step on anybody’s toes.”