flying fox and the hunter gatherers

At The Biltmore photo by Oswaldo Perez Cabrera

It comes as no surprise that these guys won the prize given by Nimbus Recording. The prize consists of  recording studio time. The night was chilly and was dressed as Monday, but the Biltmore was full. The Nimbus crowd was hovering around when I got there. I was just in time to see the Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers and I must say I was impressed. They started with a mix of a Zappaesque jazz with operatic gypsy melodies to move to a fragment of their rock opera playing with giant mascot heads and banging the drums on the dance floor as you can see in the photo. The influence that the book Where The Wild Things Are by Sendka and its subsequent movie is notorious.  The other bands were good and tight, but everybody from Nimbus that I talked to were impressed with the Flying Fox and by the strange grim in their faces I could guess they were excited about the possibility of working with the band. Nimbus darling Nihilate showcased the night. I was delighted when I talked to a couple of the Hunter Gatherers and told me they were playing a show the next day in my neighbourhood. They were guests in my radio show last time they were in town but I never seen them play live before, maybe because they are from Winnipeg. They also rocked Falconettis, although the small stage limited the performance but the crowd could enjoy a larger set.

This is what I found on the Nimbus site

Winnipeg’s FLYING FOX & THE HUNTER GATHERERS took top honours at the 2nd Nimbus Showcase Event, held April 5th at The Biltmore Cabaret. The band was awarded recording time at Nimbus, for a minimum of 3 songs. Said Nimbus instructor Futch of the band, “Not since the invention of the cel phone have I seen a room where EVERYONE was looking at the stage”. Nimbus Production students look forward to the challenge of capturing that on-stage energy in the studio. Production students were also so impressed by the set of KUBA OMS that they have offered recording time at Nimbus for him as well! Many thanks to all of the bands that performed that evening for helping us raise money for Music Therapy programs at BC Children’s Hospital: Flying Fox & The Hunter Gatherers, Kuba Oms, Swan, Aeterna, and Nihilate.

Official Bio

Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers is a band fascinated by folk tales, puppet shows, and homemade mythologies. Drawing from gypsy jazz, classical and pop, the Flying Foxes perform music about the sexual misadventures of heavy machinery, the night time journeys of little boys and lions born of a human womb.

Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers are a sextet of classically trained musicians showcasing complex songwriting and “Winnipeg’s strongest horn section” (The Manitoban). Since receiving a five-star review for their self-titled EP (The Uniter) and a description as one of Winnipeg’s “most acclaimed bands” (Winnipeg Sun), Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers has performed at numerous festivals, embarked on four major tours, and recorded a live performance for CBC Radio’s Canada Live.

Late December 2010, the Flying Foxes emerged from Private Ear Studio smelling of whisky and cheap Chinese noodles… and brandishing their premier full-length album: Hans my Lion! Hans my Lion is a mosaic of orchestral interludes, flamboyant pop songs and gypsy folk songs that will be released March 15th and promoted with a five-week tour across Canada. Check out a sneak preview of two singles from the upcoming album: Hammer in the Night and Vanity (Have a listen on the Flying Fox homepage!).

In 2010, the Flying Fox obsession with dark tales and puppetry was taken to full fruition with the debut of an original rock opera titled The Wild Things. Inspired by the iconic children s story, Where the Wild Things Are, the rock opera featured elaborate costume and set design by local artists (check out the visuals section!). Performed at the 2010 Winnipeg Fringe Festival, the show received the prestigious “Best of Fest” award and sold over 1,200 tickets. Soundtrack music from The Wild Things was recorded and released as a concept album.