Happenings on the Scene – Mo Manitoba Music Maker of the Month

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/02/2015 (4073 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The criteria for selecting artists or groups for the distinction of Manitoba’s Music Maker Monthly is pretty straightforward — if you’re making music on a regular basis and making things happen in this community’s music scene, you are a contender.

Therefore this month’s selection was quite easy.

First off, Mo Karrouze has got a lot going on and plenty upcoming shows with his band in 2015 that will almost certainly become highlights down the road.

Not only has he been doing double duty as an agent-manager for the Beetles, all while playing full time in the band, he’s also been diligently preparing a solo project in his spare time — not to mention running his hair salon, Hair Artistry by Karrouze, on 20th Street and Princess Avenue.

Hot off of amazing performances before record crowds at the English pavilion during the 12th annual Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Fest, and just days before a highly anticipated weekend run at Sand Hills Casino (just south of Carberry on Highway 5), Karrouze — drummer and vocalist in Brandon’s beloved Beatles tribute act known as the Beetles — took some time out for this exclusive Q & A for our latest edition of Happenings on the Scene…

Frank: Ironically you formed the group in order to have ample entertainment at the English pavilion all those years ago. Since some of the personnel have changed over the years, how long has this particular lineup been intact?

Mo: This lineup has enjoyed eight years together. Our initial keys player moved out of province, creating a space which has been expertly filled by our current player; our lead guitar was also replaced because the demands of work, study and family didn’t allow for him to continue. So the lineup changed following that first pavilion and has remained constant ever since.

How many years in total have the Beetles been in action?

This past weekend marked our ninth anniversary.

Any requests from the English pavilion gigs that you didn’t play because you still need to learn them?

There is such a huge volume of work that I think we won’t run out of songs to learn. Our most recent request is “Michelle” so I guess that’s next.! We love learning new material and we are always adding to our repertoire.

Whenever you’ve received requests for songs you don’t know 100 per cent, have you ever just winged it?

Haha! Winging it and Beatles songs don’t really go hand-in-hand on stage. During rehearsal we have fun jamming new tunes before getting down to work and getting them performance ready.

Since you formed the band, how many new Beatles selections have you added on to your musical repertoire and how many of their songs in total could you perform live?

We started out with a dozen songs. Now we have about 65 Beatles songs in our repertoire.

I hear you’ve added some stuff out of their solo catalogues, I would imagine to keep things fresh. How well do those selections go over compared to all of the Beatles stuff you do?

Songs like “Band on the Run” and “Photograph” are really popular and make for a great additions to our show. We are a tribute to The Beatles. Although we do play a couple of individual songs — a McCartney tune here or there, maybe add a Harrison song — our focus remains squarely on the collaboration that the four musicians achieved as a band.

I recently saw some video of a McCartney tribute act that was quite impressive and the innovator in me thought, why not take that even further? So allow me to share this idea. Since you guys do some of their solo numbers, have you ever thought of performing say a Lennon and McCartney set, followed by some Harrison and Ringo numbers and then culminating it all on the third set (or one might say third act) with a full-on Beatles set containing the best of their tunes that you do? Another way to do it would be the first set containing early Beatles hits, second set could be the mid-’60s experimental period and the third set could be the White Album up to the rooftop gig? Are there any other innovative ways you’ve thought of presenting your show or do you prefer more of a spontaneous thing when it comes to selecting songs?

We did, for a time, try just that. We set aside our suits for a set and donned psychedelic attire. Honestly, we found our audience preferred that we mix it up and we returned to sets that were not defined by those periods.

Some Beatles tribute acts go so far as wearing the mop tops but you guys stopped at the suits. Was it a conscious decision to not go overboard with the effects or is it just the fact that you can’t get all of your hair to look like Mo’s?

Haha! As musicians, we are more interested in musical excellence rather than the “look.” And, of course, we all have great hair!

Sorry, Mo — I couldn’t resist taking that shot. I’ll make it up to you and let you get a plug in for your solo album you’ve been working on. Give our readers a glimpse of what that album might be like?

I am so happy to be working on my own material. Playing with The Beetles is wonderful. We are all close friends, the music is challenging and the audience response is awesome. As an artist, it is really fulfilling to me to be working on another solo effort. I’m very pleased so far; the music comes from the heart and is, I think, powerful because it has been “stripped down” and is true to my original intention. That is, I’m trying to capture the essence of the songs.

Between that and keeping active while promoting the Beetles all the while running a hair salon, how on Earth do you find the time?

I can’t deny that it’s rather busy. Honestly, every band member has a full, busy life but our rehearsal time and gigging time is such a pleasure — it doesn’t feel like work.

What is your favourite Beatles tune to perform live?

We have a few favourites. I think we all especially enjoy “Penny Lane” and “All You Need is Love.” My personal favourite is “Let it Be,” and then you’ve got “Drive My Car,” “Hey Jude” — it’s pretty tough to choose a favourite.

Which songs really whip the crowd up into a frenzy?

“Twist and Shout” always fills the dance floor, as does “She Loves You,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and “I Saw Her Standing There.”

Are there any tunes that you’re working on that aren’t stage ready just yet?

We’re working on a few, but I’m especially excited to be rehearsing “Don’t Let Me Down.”

No doubt it’s going to be another busy year for you guys. Typically how many shows do you like to fit into your already demanding schedules?

Despite our full schedules, we live to play and as to how many gigs, the answer is “as many as possible!”

To get the harmonies and changes as well as all the other nuances down that the Beatles were known for, you must invest many hours in the rehearsal studio. How many hours a week do you rehearse?

When we aren’t gigging every week, we try to commit four to five hours a week to practise. We’re stoked for our upcoming show at Sandhills Casino!

By the way, for those of you who’d like to catch either the Friday or Saturday night Beetles performance at Sand Hills Casino this weekend without having to drive, be sure to call the Limo Rental service at 841-0371 or Queen Sheba Limousine at 204-724-9933 and ask for the special Sand Hills rate.

Frank McGwire is a veteran of the local radio industry, a musician and booster of the music scene in Brandon and Westman.

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