Bergmann goes the distance
The Ubyssey / October 12, 1988 / by Giles Gysel

Art Bergmann has been a major force on the local underground rock scene for some years now; from his early days with punk legends “The Young Canadians” to his band Poisoned (the name was dropped to avoid confusion with the glam-rock dipshit band Poison) and his solo career, the Berg-man has graced Vancouver with his menacing presence for almost a decade. Along the way, he has accumulated a dedicated following, becoming somewhat of a local hero.

Sooo…after ten years of marching to his own drummer, Art Bergmann has gone big time. Backed by local rock impressario Sam Feldman, theBerg scored himself a major recording contract with Toronto’s Duke Street Records, and suddenly his album “Crawl With Me’ is elbowing for space with Whitney Houston and Guns n’ Roses in K-marts across the nation.

But what does it all mean? Does it mean that Art Bergmann, the man with no fixed address, is going to buy a condo in False Creek? Does it mean that some ultra-powerful New York based marketing firm is going to saturate us with Art Bergmann paraphernalia like so many KISS ARMY badges? Could this be the start of Bergmannia? Does this mean that Art Bergmann has (gasp) sold out?

After September 29th’s sold out show at the Town Pump, the answer is definitely NO WAY. Art Bergmann is still as caustic, psychotic, and eerily witty as he has ever been. What sets him apart from many other underground rockers is the fact that he is an accomplished musician with a fine pop melodic sense: his music is the scaly underbelly of commercial rock. Recalling elements of Iggy Pop, Ziggy Stardust Bowie, and the Velvet Underground, Art Bergmann’s sound is, nevertheless, highly unique, and makes him hard to categorize.

On stage, Bergmann is pure intensity; his glands rival those of DOA’s Joey (Keighley) Shithead for pure sweating power. His band, consisting of Susann Richter (keyboards/vocals), Ray Fulber (bass/vocals), and Taylor Nelson Little (drums) was incredibly tight. They were, at times, almost too tight, as if they were playing the songs exactly as they were recorded on the album. Of particular note is Richter; her keyboards and vocals serve as a melodic counterpoint to the Berg’s savage voice and slashing guitar.

For ninety minutes, Bergmann flailed away like a crazed beast to a full house of his dedicated fans. The band ran through the songs from “Crawl With Me” to a number of older Poisoned tunes. In particular, songs like “Runaway Train”, “Our Little Secret”, and “(We Want) The Most Wanted Man in Town” came off much better in a live performance than on the album, which has a tendency to bury the guitar in the mix. The overall sound of the show was excellent; most notably, the outstanding clarity of the vocals. The mood of the crowd was jubilant, as if in celebration of their man finally going over the top, and doing it his way.

Thursday’s show seemed to mark the end of an era for Art Bergmann as a local underground hero. Yet it also marked a new start for him, as he begins the perilous journey down that long and winding (and pot-holefilled) road to international recognition, and maybe even stardom. Those who have followed his music from the beginning should wish him good luck, while those who have been recently converted should try to turn other people onto the aural sensations of this homegrown talent.

One of the lines from “Crawl With Me” asks “Who has the guts to go the distance?” Art Bergmann certainly has the guts (and the talent) to go the distance. And he should be able to get a large following to crawl there with him.