31/08-2007
  The Saga continues

  On a hot afternoon looking out at an expansive, hilly backyard and a large swimming pool, it's easy to trick yourself into
  thinking this is Los Angeles. It helps, too, when you're hanging out with some bona fide international rock veterans
  pacing around a spacious patio with cellphones.

  But this is Kitchener, near the site of the sorely-missed Lulu's Roadhouse, in a large house that has taken the concept of
  a home recording studio to a whole other level. And those rock vets? Canadian prog-rockers Saga, laying down tracks
  for their 17th album, to be titled 10,000 Days.

  Turn to any classic rock station and you're bound to hear one of their old hits, such as Wind Him Up or On The Loose, but
  unlike most of their contemporaries from the '70s and '80s, Saga has never stopped. Instead, the band has maintained
  a rabid following in Europe (particularly Germany) and kept its original lineup virtually intact.

  The only change in recent years came with the addition of Brian Doerner on drums. A Kitchener native and brother of
  former Helix guitarist Brent Doerner, it was he who suggested the band record in his hometown.

  "We had a couple of options," guitarist Ian Crichton explains. "We had been arranging and rehearsing the new songs in
  Los Angeles, so we could have stayed there and recorded, like we have for almost every album since '87. But we thought
  it might be better for Brian to do his drum tracks somewhere that he felt comfortable, so we came here and it's worked
  out great."

  Although the studio has now been christened Riveredge Recordings, Doerner first knew it as the place where his brother
  was working on his solo project. But even a cursory glance reveals that its facilities are on par with any studio in Toronto.
  Transforming your basement in such a manner is certainly not for everyone, but owner Kim Poser and his wife, Debbie,
  saw it as an opportunity to do something fun and exciting 18 months ago, and entrusted their close friend Mark Fortuna
  to help them pull it off.

  Fortuna, a well-known Kitchener sound engineer who most recently has toured with Ashley MacIsaac and Men At Work's
  Colin Hay, has operated studios before and right away saw the potential to make the space state of the art. Once up and
  running, Fortuna started bringing in clients, and already the studio has nearly 10 releases to its credit. In fact, Kitchener
  singer/songwriter Lucas Stagg is about to do his second record there, with help from legendary local producer Rick Hutt.

  "I'd initially set up the big room and soundproofed it in order to have a home theatre," Kim Poser says. "When Mark came
  into the picture, he opened up the possibilities of it becoming a commercial studio. After the first year, we really got
  serious and invested in the equipment needed to make this a top-notch facility. That was a big leap of faith, but we're
  confident that it will pay off."

  Poser says the homey atmosphere leads to better performances, something that Fortuna, as house engineer, has seen
  first-hand. "I think we're at a point where recording has come full circle," Fortuna says. "People understand again that
  recording is a craft, and it's hard to concentrate on both the music and the technology when you're working at home on
  your computer. I think people are getting frustrated with the ever-changing technology, which is leading to them not
  putting all of their heart into the music. So what we're trying to do is provide an affordable world-class space for
  musicians to come in and just concentrate on their music."

  It's a situation that's obviously pleased the members of Saga, who in many ways are coming full circle themselves with
  the new album. Its release this fall will mark their 30th anniversary together, and in honour of the occasion, they are
  planning a rare Canadian tour that should bring them to the Centre in the Square.

Members of Canadian classic rock band Saga listen to playback
at the Riveredge recording studio in Kitchener.
From left: Brian Doerner, Michael Sadler, Ian Crichton
and studio engineer Mark Fortuna.

  17/08-2007
  Links til spillesteder og billetkontorer til SAGAs danske koncerter

  8.11.2007 - Amager Bio - København - Sjælland

 

  9.11.2007 - Post1 - Odense - Fyn

 

  17/08-2007
  SAGA Puerto Rico show cancelled

  15/08-2007
  Cover artwork of the forthcoming SAGA album '10,000 Days'

  08/08-2007
  Steve Negus News

  03/08-2007
  Happy Birthday Ian

  Today, the greatest guitarplayer in the World turns 51.

 
Ian Crichton turns 51 today - here with another great guitarplayer Steve Lukather.