‘The Tragically Hip: No Gown Rehearsal’: An intimate have a look at Canada’s band

It’s been virtually precisely seven years since Canadians misplaced The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, and greater than eight years for the reason that band performed their last-ever present in Kingston, Ont.

Time, elongated and obfuscated by the pandemic, appears merciless. Has it actually been that lengthy since we misplaced considered one of our nation’s most charismatic, beloved musicians? And has it actually been virtually a decade for the reason that group of fellows fondly known as “Canada’s Band” ceased to play?

The Tragically Hip: No Gown Rehearsal, a four-part docuseries streaming on Prime Video beginning Sept. 20, offers an extremely intimate have a look at the band, from its humble beginnings in small-town Ontario to its glory days onstage.

Directed by Gord’s brother Mike Downie, all 4 hour-long segments of the docuseries are unapologetically uncooked, with vignettes from Gord himself and every of the band members because the plucky bunch of boys develop from youngsters dreaming of changing into rock stars into, effectively, rock stars in their very own proper.

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Brother of Gord Downie recounts emotional closing tour of ‘The Tragically Hip’

Jaw-dropping live performance footage is featured all through — even die-hard Hip followers will see issues they’ve by no means seen earlier than (no spoilers right here!) — and there are interviews with household, associates and others who knew them through the journey. Canadian celebrities and followers, together with Dan Aykroyd, Jay Baruchel and Bruce McCulloch, amongst many others, categorical their love and incredulousness concerning the band, cementing what any fan already is aware of: The Tragically Hip have been one thing particular, and a sure form of musical magic Canadians could by no means see once more.

International Information sat down with Mike Downie and the remaining members of the band — Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay — to speak about what the docuseries means to them, what it was like accelerating to nationwide fame on the peak of Canadian rock, and life after Gord’s dying.

When revisiting the entire archival footage, reflecting on previous performances and all the things that you simply’ve all been by way of collectively, how did it really feel to look at?

Gord Sinclair: It’s just like the drone shot in lots of methods. We all the time stored a reasonably slender horizon all through our careers, attending to the following gig after which the following alternative to make a report, subsequent alternative to take a while off, writing and stuff. While you step again and have a look at it, to me, it’s a sense of gratitude for the chance that we had…. We have been by no means certain whether or not we have been going to have the ability to make one other report after the earlier one.

Gratitude to the followers that got here alongside and the fellows I performed music with. Rewatching it made me actually recognize what Mike went by way of. Mike moved with Gord from Amherstview once we have been solely 13, and he’s coming at it not solely as a buddy, however honouring his household and honouring the group. I feel he did a beautiful job. Once more, it’s a pleasant look again, for certain.

Why did you determine on now because the time to place this docuseries on the market?

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Mike Downie: I feel timing was a giant a part of it, and it’s defined within the movie.

I do know for the fellows within the band, the years after Gord’s passing have been… a bit bit misplaced. You simply form of retreat into your individual kind of expertise, and I had an identical expertise as effectively. You understand, attempting to determine what it’s all about. However, once we went into our previous highschool, it was vacant. It had been bought to Queen’s College. College students have been all gone, and in October of 2021, we have been capable of go in there for 4 days and actually simply form of take it over, use it as our set.

That was virtually 4 years to the day that Gord had handed. And I form of simply realized lately that it was in all probability the correct quantity of time, prefer it was nonetheless actually shut. You see it within the interviews. However there was additionally sufficient distance to have some readability as effectively, and to begin occupied with, or speaking about, the band and definitely the early days as a result of it’s what we wished to do once we have been in highschool.

I do not forget that feeling, the lump in my throat, , as we began speaking concerning the band and all the things. However quickly the story takes over. Gord’s not with us anymore, however he’s alive in these tales. It all the time received me once I’d hear one other story, clearly one thing I didn’t learn about my brother that these guys did. They have been spending most of their time away collectively. So, that was actually nice for me. And lots of that’s in all probability not within the doc, nevertheless it’s, , it’s in right here [gestures to his heart] perpetually now.

Has diving into the movie, creating it, all the things, having the lump within the throat… has that helped every of you together with your sense of grief?

Rob Baker: I feel grief is all the time going to be with you. It by no means goes away. The great occasions, you bear in mind them; they’re like a pleasant cleaning bathtub or an evening out. You will have nice recollections of it. However grief is one thing that pierces your pores and skin and leaves scars, you must reform the way in which you progress by way of life, to accommodate. Time is absolutely simply the easiest way to cope with it. Like we did within the band, you set one foot in entrance of the opposite. We by no means centered on the horizon, conquering the world. It was all concerning the subsequent gig, the following track we’re going to write down. And it’s the identical factor with coping with grief.

We misplaced a brother. We went by way of all the things that we did collectively, very collectively and overtly collectively, after which all of us went off individually and grieved. Utterly alone. And that was actually onerous.

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The Morning Present: September 6

Watching this footage is simply mind-blowing. It’s such as you’re proper there within the pit. Within the ’90s, Canadian rock was such a beast. What was it wish to have a meteoric rise throughout that point?

Johnny Fay: It was enjoyable! I used to be considering again to a number of the stuff that we had accomplished. We had this one gig we have been actually enthusiastic about, we have been opening for 54-40 on the Spectrum in Montreal. After which a 12 months to the day later, 54-40 opened for us at Penguin Park in Saskatoon.

I bear in mind speaking to some folks they usually mentioned to me, “It felt like we have been watching a aircraft take off, and also you guys went into the clouds!”

Having a dialog like that afterwards, it was like, “Actually?” 54-40, Blue Rodeo, The Northern Pikes… we have been all utilizing the identical PA firms and stuff. We have been touring within the winter, which was fairly treacherous, and the truth that we went by way of that and lived is a narrative in itself. It was a reasonably thrilling time to be a band that was enjoying rock ‘n’ roll on this nation at the moment. There have been some actually, actually nice bands on this nation. After which Nice Large Sea out east, and it was like, yeah! We have been all doing it and we have been all having enjoyable. It was a good time to be making music as a result of it was pre-phones, which at our final present, that’s all you noticed. Some folks put the telephone down and watched it for actual, however (again then) was a reasonably golden age of individuals going and listening to music.

Canadian success vs. U.S. success: Does it matter if The Tragically Hip have been as fashionable within the U.S. as they have been in Canada?

Mike Downie: Definitely, once I was setting out to do that doc, I actually wished to reply this query as soon as and for all. As a result of, I really feel, for lots of people, there’s this asterisk about big success in Canada, however not practically as a lot in America. I feel we actually took run at it within the documentary, as a result of the reality is, it actually wasn’t about measuring nation to nation. It was actually this concept of validation that Canadians, particularly within the ’80s and ’90s, we’re our personal artists, our personal something and saying, “Yeah, that’s fairly nice, however what do the Individuals suppose?”

Again then it was virtually a parental approval form of factor that we wanted. And that’s what occurred to the Hip. After which in fact, it flipped, as a result of then Canadians have been like, “Wait a minute, this implies all the things to us. We love this.” And we realized it doesn’t matter what the remainder of the world thinks as a result of it’s ours. That confidence wasn’t actually there earlier than. And I feel the band had this inherent confidence due to this brotherhood and this partnership and this collaboration. The band had this confidence of their songwriting and of their efficiency.

Canadians have been popping out of our shells, rising up within the shadow of Nice Britain and the USA. It simply took us some time to search out our footing, and I consider The Tragically Hip helped transfer that ahead in a giant manner.

One factor that stood out concerning the doc, proper off the highest, is that you simply have been all boys with a musical connection, fantasizing about changing into rock stars. And also you grew as much as be members of one of many largest rock bands in Canadian historical past. Trying again, does it ever really feel like a dream?

Gord Sinclair: Very a lot so, I used to be simply occupied with this yesterday. When (we have been teenagers), Rush performed the Jock Hardy Area, which is a small half-hockey area, possibly 2,000 folks… I do know most of you have been there with me [gestures at bandmates], as we’re from a small city and this was a giant, large live performance. I bear in mind they opened up with Bastille Day, and it was the loudest, most superb factor I’ve ever seen. It was really inspiring.

And yesterday we’re sitting there, and right here’s Ged (Geddy Lee, Rush frontman) on TV speaking about our tunes. The 16-year-old me is like, “Wow.” It’s superb. I nonetheless have issues wanting that man within the eye as a result of it’s Geddy Lee! It’s fairly unbelievable, again once we have been enjoying on tennis racquets as youngsters listening to the Rolling Stones, after which we’re having a pint with them. It’s onerous to consider.

It’s form of like a dream come true, that degree of inspiration. It speaks to the facility of music for me, as a result of I nonetheless maintain these recollections actually, actually strongly. Music was the one factor I wished to do after seeing Rush play, and as a music fan to have the ability to do this… to have the ability to recognize that on a winter’s evening in Saskatoon, or Pigtown, there’s a child on the market who’s possibly considering the very same factor. You get that sense of neighborhood that music creates. Music is a superb power for good.

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‘The Tragically Hip: No Gown Rehearsal’ is now streaming throughout Canada on Prime Video.

This interview has been edited and condensed.