the BATTLESHIP, ETHEL archive: October 2010

Self released CD 2007 recorded by Mike Ford (excerpt below)

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Live at Rancho Relaxo in Toronto Nov 5 2008

Excerpt from unfinished record 2009.

Ex-Drummer Mike Ford has all the master tapes.

CURRENT LINEUP (2011)
CD, MM

DAMO SUZUKI'S NETWORK TOUR

Jamie Andrew on bass, McLean on guitar, Kevyn Wright playing drums and melodica, Mike Ford playing CS 60 synth and theremin and Carl Didur playing organ and ring modulator. Essentially stable 5 piece line-up. Excerpt from MINI DISC recording from that tour with Damo Suzuki singing. Rough Tour Schedule >>

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Over the Top Festival with Simply Saucer in St Stephen in the Fields Church in Toronto .

Michael McLean, founding member.

Excerpt (full song minus introduction) from LOSS OF CRITICALITY live at Korova Milk Bar, Toronto, 2010. Last large scale BSE composition. An exercise in truncating time signatures. MINI VHS audio.

And a rough demo of same track 2008-2009

"CANTERBURY" era

2007 or 2008: Two shows in one day, both outdoor. One on the roof of Jackson Square mall and another in the quiet town of Dundas for their street festival. The BIKERS with the Harley Davidson booth complained that the band was "clearly on drugs" and was scaring away their audience. The soundman was a 13 year old boy. The "same" set both times. Both poor quality cassette recordings. A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

Jackson download

Dundas download

Another entire live show from 2009 (?) warts and all.
Mike McLean bass, fuzzbass, Carl Didur organ, fuzz organ,
Mike Ford batterie. Very Poor quality cassette recording of unreleased material.

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Eclectic Psychedelic. Local Small Paper review.

CD Release at the RAVEN, early period.

It's YOUR Festival, an Ethel tradition, View Magazie.

Absinthe show with Evangelista, trio format.

Poster for Hamilton show with Mean Red Spiders and Creeping Nobodies 2003 (?)

Early self-released catalogue. Recorded at Valley View (Jamie's studio) or live with Jamie's equipment. Jamie engineered the early period of BSE. Kevyn oversaw the art and manufacturing.

Underground opening with Arcade Fire for Swords Project (?).

The Battleship, Ethel played many times at the Underground
with lots other bands. Long sets.

Middle Period Typical (2003-4 ?)
Ford on drums, Winterman bass, McLean guitar, Didur synth.

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61 mixed vegetables was a live compilation of improvised recordings.

WAVELENGTHS (Weekly Toronto Music series). Cedrumatic played Wavelength#2, Ethel played several times and again with Damo

Hamilton indie video night. BSE made one video for "The Old Regime" and commissioned a short film on a later occasion to be played behind the band.

Flyer for shows on Jackson Square rooftop and in Gage park, presumably made by Kevyn.

Dan Winterman and Mike McLean performed. Payment consisted of a collated photocopy of the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft, a real tome.

McLean poster, meaning unknown.

McLean Flyer, meaning unknown.

Opening for Oneida. Sheets of Easter.

The general context in which BSE existed (exists?)

At the Niagara Arts Council.

Sidebar ad for the RAVEN (long gone) where Ethel often played (possibly more than any other band in the club's history).

Early Ethel Era article about Valley View x-Mas records.
With Jamie Andrew.

A Wavelength Music series write up. A good synopsis of the early era.
Photo is Kevyn, McLean, Jamie

Rare Sonic Unyon gig.

Playing with Simply Saucer at the Westside Concert theater. Ethel bass player Dan Winterman had quit to join the reformed Saucer by that point. Mike McLean on bass, Carl Didur on rhodes, organ, stylophone, Mike Ford on drums.

Rare visit to St.Catherines

Playing for the City of Hamilton on the roof of the local mall.

A New Plane of Existence.
View Magazine, Hamilton

Introducing Dan Wintermans.

Live MINI DISC recording from the Silver Dollar Room a few years later with this version of the band. Wintermans and Ford, as the rhythm section, had a large impact on the sound, tending more consistently towards epic dirge rock. McLean on guitar/ X-911 guitar synth and Carl playing synth, organ and rhodes. Excerpts from "Capacitor Ambassador" self released recording 2005.