Recently I was able to sit down with Ted Axe, whose dark persona has everyone wondering who this Rock and Roll Vampire is. Well, he may be dark on the outside but just wait to you hear what he has on the inside. Let’s kick back and hold a mirror up to this long-time performer and see what kind of reflections come back to haunt us.
Blast-What is the Origin Story of Ted Axe?
TED- I started a band called the Action, which is touted as Canada’s first Punk Band. We were a pretty cool band even though we were from Ottawa. Do real punk bands come from Ottawa. Well, the Viletones thought we were cool as they use to spit into each other mouths in front of us.
As we travelled around Ontario, we were received in peculiar ways. Once in London On, a bouncer who was a biker handcuffed himself to my mic stand just to make sure he was there. From there we went on a 20-city tour with the Ramones and then got a gig opening for the Stranglers in Ottawa at a high school. You have to remember; Punk hasn’t been born yet. I just remember stealing all their beer as they performed on stage.
Blast- What is missing in today’s music scene.
TED- A lot of the bands playing today, look like lumberjacks trying to sell you ice cream. There really isn’t any danger anymore. We want to bring that sensation back. You are never quite sure what I may do next, so it adds suspense to the show. I carry around a microphone like a weapon and people begin to feel unsafe. But people just want to be fed pabulum and want to hear more cover songs. I will do covers to keep them happy and mix it with my originals.
Blast- Do you have a loyal following?
TED- My fans call me the Count of Rock!
Blast- What is your take on today’s audience?
TED- I like mixing it up the crowd. In today’s world, everybody has a phone are taking videos of me live. A lot of the footage is not always complimentary. You can either ignore them, dumb your performance down, or get in their face. It changes the way you perform. If I am interacting with my Bass player, I will stay a little longer so people can get the shot.
When I am on that stage, I make sure people get a visual show, and not just a bunch of guys playing on stage while they just stand there.
Blast- Are you always looking for something new to do?
TED- Yes, we auditioned for Canada’s got Talent. They asked us to perform a genre that is not really our style. So, we played Lady Gaga’s Born this way. This was the inspiration for us to go in and record this song.
Blast- When you mentioned the mic, I thought of Alice Cooper as his would impale someone on stage with it. Did you know about this?
TED- Yes, Alice was a big influence in my life. I took of high school and then hitch hiked with a bunch of Roadies from Alice Cooper. They got me stoned and I got to sit on the stage and watch him very closely. This was on the Killers tour, and it cost me $5 to get into the show.
David Bowie is also a big influence during his Ziggy days. I met Mick Ronson and even saw Mott the Hopple back in those days.
Blast- What is the basic message you want to send out to people?
TED- Most of my lyrics is about toxic relationships. I have a song called “On the rails” about cocaine abuse and another one called, “Get out of Rehab”, about a guy who I met in a park who just escaped rehab. This was written before Amy Winehouse’s song.
I simply want to entertain people and give them the Rock experience!
Blast- So, connecting this way with people, does that give you a sense of pride?
TED- One of the things I am most proud of is when I live in Hollywood for 12 years, I rescued dogs. I’ve rescued over 100 dogs, mostly pit-bull mixes.
I came in as the glam metal was dying and Sunset Strip was still the place where you would see kids handing out flyers to all the shows. I did play the Whiskey A-Go-Go, The Roxy, and the Rainbow. Getting a weekend gig there was almost impossible because there were so many bands trying to get noticed. I love the Toronto scene because it is so diverse and it is easier to make connections here.
Blast- What is it that Ted Axe does to satisfy his audience?
TED- My songs are as good as anything out there. From my early stuff to my latest, I try to keep the quality high.
Blast- Tell me about the new song.
TED- I do a rendition of Lady Gaga’s song, “Born this way”. I take on a rockier version of this song. My drummer says it reminds him of Kiss’ song, “I was made for loving you”. I have also recorded two original songs. “Little Vampire Girl” which is about a guy coming to realize who his girlfriend really is. “The Devil’s Candy”, which is about a female vampire who is sweet with the Devil. This song is being played around at a lot of Goth parties. If you follow a guy named, Dracula’s Daughter, he is a DJ over at See-Scape and they spin that tune a lot. It is a perfect place to dance to my song.
Blast-Do you change the way you play based on where you play?
TED- Yes, at the Rockpile, I will play the heavier Rock stuff. When I do Dracula’s Daughter, I work towards more Goth and Dance kind of stuff. Other places I show up at would be, Ground Zero, Hybrid at a club called Taco Taco in Kensington Market.
Blast- Tell a bit about your band.
TED- We have Derek Dark on Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Jef Blakk on Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Vlad Vamp on Guitar
Stefan Synister- Drums who is an animal on his kit.
Blast- What is your favourite place to play?
TED- I would have to say the Opera House. It has this cathedral ceiling and has a haunted aura to it.
Blast-Since we talked about the safe sounds in Toronto, what would your sound represent?
TED- I had one writer say we are a cross between the UK sound and the Detroit sound of the 70’s. A sort of Alice Cooper meets Ziggy Stardust kind of vibe.
Blast- Most young bands use their influences to create their sound, like Greta Van Fleet who sound a lot like Led Zeppelin but need to break away from that Zeppelin sound to truly reach that original level and become a huge band based on their sound, not a copy of some other band.
TED- I started off with original songs and have added some covers to blend in with the sound I have already created.
Blast- With a long career was there ever a spinal tap or moment you can remember that helped you with your stage performance?
TED- I was in The Action and it was my birthday …so I was onstage and this punk chick comes up to me with a piece of chocolate birthday cake on a paper plate for me. She comes through the crowd and holds it up to give to me. So, I lean forward to take it and instead she smashes it in my face!!!I was blinded temporarily by it and she took off. I suppose she didn’t think I was a real punk enough! The lesson I learned was never trust strangers bearing gifts.
Blast-Do you create beyond just music?
TED- I write poetry, in fact there is a Poetry by Ted axe on Facebook- Insert link here- (1) Poetry by Ted Axe | Facebook
I am also an artist and went to art school in Mexico. My place is like a personal art museum, and I am not selling them.
Blast- I guess maybe you could put on a special show and show your paintings off. If you sell one, then someone will have an original Ted Axe. Just a thought.
With that said, I hope you have a better understanding of the Count of Rock. He has been rocking the world for decades and is an underground delight here in Toronto. That is what makes Toronto fascinating, we have great acts that only a handful of people know but keep coming back for more. In the past we have had crazy characters like Nash the Slash, Frank Soda, Robbie Rox. We also have Ted Axe and he is not leaving us anytime soon. So, if you have the need to explore the Toronto sound like a fancy thrift store and sort through all this unheard music, make sure you see Ted Axe before he returns to his coffin.
You can start right now; here is a link to his music- Ted Axe | Spotify
Here is a statement Ted sent to me so you can plan a night out with the Count:
GREAT!!! The Bovine Sex Club on Sat April 4th! I am playing MAY 9th at The Bond St Event Center in Ajax as Round 3 of The Rockstalgia Music Festival tryouts kick off and at May15th at THE BOVINE.Then July 24th s booked at SPOT ONE MUSIC HALL-289 Rutherford Rd S.Brampton L6WR9 but music fans will find more upcoming dates on my Facebook and Instagram accounts as they come in this Spring and Summer.We are heading back into the studio with two new songs this month as well!
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