The Ford Plant
Encyclopedia
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, its small spaces and unique atmosphere create one of Canada's most intriguing rock venues, as well as one of the more lively. The Ford Plant holds only about one hundred people, with the party-like environment often spilling out into the streets.
History
The Ford Plant was founded in 2002 by Tim Ford (member of the former indie/math rock band, The Vermicious KnidThe Vermicious Knid
The Vermicious Knid was an indie rock band from Brantford, Ontario. Formed in October 2000,. They released an EP independently in 2001 and released a second EP, Days That Stand Still, on AntiAntenna Recordings in 2002...
) and Chris George (local designer and zine publisher) at its original location 60 Colborne Street. Josh Bean soon joined and shortly thereafter the Ford Plant moved down a few buildings to its current location at the corner of King and Colborne streets (1 King Street). The Ford Plant became known locally and nationally for its unique alcohol-free, all ages, not-for-profit model, even being featured in national newspapers The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
and Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
.
The Ford Plant has welcomed bands from all over North America and beyond, including Arcade Fire, The Stills
The Stills
The Stills were a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2000. The band consists of Tim Fletcher , Dave Hamelin , Olivier Corbeil , and Liam O'Neil , Gregory Paquet .-History:The band members have known each other since the age of...
, The Unicorns
The Unicorns
The Unicorns were a Lo-Fi/Indie Pop band from Montreal, Canada formed in December 2000 by Nicholas Thorburn and Alden Penner , who were later joined by Jamie Thompson in December 2003.-History:...
, Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron is an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage.-Background:Doiron started playing guitar in Eric's Trip at the age of eighteen, having joined the band at the insistence of her then-boyfriend, Rick White, also of Eric's Trip...
, Wintersleep
Wintersleep
Wintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Background:Wintersleep formed in 2001 and released two albums with Dependent Music, a music label and artists' collective that began in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1994....
, Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian pop and country rock band, which was formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have been signed with Warner Music Group since their debut album Outskirts in March 1987...
, Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian band built around the melodic folk rock songs of singer-songwriter Tony Dekker. Originally from Wainfleet, Ontario, the band is currently based in Toronto....
, Cuff the Duke
Cuff the Duke
Cuff the Duke is a Canadian band from Oshawa, Ontario. They play a blend of traditional country and folk music with indie rock influences, and can be categorized as an alt-country group.-History:...
, Final Fantasy
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
, Jim Guthrie, The Most Serene Republic
The Most Serene Republic
The Most Serene Republic is a Canadian indie rock band based in Milton, Ontario. It takes its name from the sobriquet of formerly independent Venice under the Doges, which was regarded as "The Most Serene Republic of Venice".-Members:...
, Tokyo Police Club
Tokyo Police Club
Tokyo Police Club is an indie rock band from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. It consists of vocalist and bassist David Monks , keyboardist Graham Wright, guitarist Josh Hook , and drummer Greg Alsop ....
, Ninja High School
Ninja High School
Ninja High School is a comic book series created, written, and illustrated by Ben Dunn, and currently published by Antarctic Press. It was at first published by Eternity Comics...
, Zoobombs
Zoobombs
Zoobombs are a Japanese indie rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1994 by vocalist and guitarist Don Matsuo. The band's funk-rock style draws on influences such as the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis....
, Cursive
Cursive
Cursive, also known as joined-up writing, joint writing, or running writing, is any style of handwriting in which the symbols of the language are written in a simplified and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing easier or faster...
, Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
, Chad VanGaalen
Chad VanGaalen
Chad VanGaalen is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.-Infiniheart:Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released Infiniheart on Canadian independent label Flemish Eye...
, Holy Fuck, and many more.
Josh Bean left in 2007 in order to focus on launching the Brantford Arts Block organization. The Ford Plant venue is still run at its location at King and Colborne streets in downtown Brantford by an open-membership collective of volunteers, including remaining founder Tim Ford.
On 11 February 2009, The Ford Plant made CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...
's list of the top 20 best live music venues in Canada, after having made the top 50 on 3 February, and the longlist of 114 on 28 January.
On 13 September 2010, The Ford Plant announced in a statement posted on facebook, that it would be closing after the weekend of October 23. The weekend of October 23 will feature a musical funeral of sorts with some special guests and old friends.
Murdered City Music Festival
Every August since its inception, The Ford Plant has hosted a week-long music festival called the Murdered City Music Festival (often simply called Murdered City). This festival showcases numerous independent Canadian acts and local artists, and is known to bring larger bands to a relatively small crowd. Some past notables of Murdered City include Wolf ParadeWolf Parade
Wolf Parade is an indie rock band formed in 2003 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus as of May 31, 2011.-History:...
, The Sadies
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian indie rock and alternative country band from Toronto, Ontario.-Background:The band consists of Dallas Good , Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky...
, The Hidden Cameras
The Hidden Cameras
The Hidden Cameras are a Canadian indie pop band. Fronted by singer-songwriter Joel Gibb, the band consists of a varying roster of musicians who play what Gibb once described as "gay church folk music"...
, The Constantines
The Constantines
-History:The band was formed by Steve Lambke, Bryan Webb, Doug MacGregor, and Dallas Wehrle in 1999, following the break-up of Webb and MacGregor's emotional hardcore band Shoulder...
, and The Meligrove Band
The Meligrove Band
The Meligrove Band is a Canadian indie rock band, based in Toronto, and consisting of Jason Nunes on vocals, guitar and piano, Darcy Rego on vocals and drums, Brian O'Reilly on guitar and synthesizer, and Michael Small on bass guitar.-History:...
.
Murdered City was cancelled in 2007, as several of the more popular bands backed out of the festival in favour of bigger shows. Instead, the Ford Plant held the Ghosts of Brantford Festival. Effectively the same music festival as Murdered City, the Ghosts of Brantford Festival aimed to book bands with a sincere focus on independent music. Some of the bands that played the 2007 festival include Cuff the Duke
Cuff the Duke
Cuff the Duke is a Canadian band from Oshawa, Ontario. They play a blend of traditional country and folk music with indie rock influences, and can be categorized as an alt-country group.-History:...
, Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central is a Canadian indie rock band. After a pair of glowing reviews from the influential music website Pitchfork Media, they have come to prominence as a major indie rock band...
, The Ghost Is Dancing
The Ghost Is Dancing
The Ghost Is Dancing is a Canadian indie-pop band formed in 2002 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:Their first show was performed in August 2004 to commemorate the end of their residency at 2 French Avenue, the student apartment at which the group started playing and improvising...
, and Uncut
Uncut (band)
Uncut is an indie rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They formed as a duo consisting of Ian Worang and Jake Fairley in 2001, and have released two 12" singles and two full-length albums...
. Murdered City returned in August 2008 with performances by Attack in Black
Attack in Black
Attack in Black was a Canadian indie rock band from Welland, Ontario. They first signed to Skate Ahead Records for their self-titled album debut in 2005. In spring 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records...
, Ohbijou
Ohbijou
-Biography:Ohbijou began as the solo project of Brantford singer-songwriter Casey Mecija . Through the process of songwriting and composition, Casey discovered a need for the musical support of her sister Jennifer Mecija , whom Casey invited to assist with her early performances...
, The D'Urbervilles
The D'Urbervilles
Matters are a Canadian indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario. The band consists of Tim Bruton , Kyle Donnelly , John O'Regan and Greg Santilly...
, Bruce Peninsula
Bruce Peninsula (band)
Bruce Peninsula is a Canadian indie rock band, whose style has been described as "a near indescribable and rousing potpourri of prog, gospel, folk, rock, pop and country."...
, and others.
The Ford Plant Recording Co.
The Ford Plant Recording Co. is an independent record label, with a focus on promoting local musicians by distributing their music under The Ford Plant name. The Ford Plant has an in house recording studio for this purpose.To date thirteen albums have been released under this label:
- (TFP-001) Various artists − Brantford Compilation CD
- (TFP-002) The Sourkeys − The Sourkeys (2004)
- (TFP-003) Silent Film Soundtrack − Modern Time
- (TFP-004) No Orchestra − No Orchestra
- (TFP-005) Thomas and the Evil Computer − Math Teachers Count
- (TFP-006) Silent Film Soundtrack − Diplomats and Confidants
- (TFP-007) The Vermicious KnidThe Vermicious KnidThe Vermicious Knid was an indie rock band from Brantford, Ontario. Formed in October 2000,. They released an EP independently in 2001 and released a second EP, Days That Stand Still, on AntiAntenna Recordings in 2002...
− Smalltown Devotion/Hometown Compultion (2005) - (TFP-008) Hold Up Your End − Countdown to Destruction
- (TFP-009) Nich Worby − Oh, How?
- (TFP-010) Ryan Stanley − This Mountain Is a Hill
- (TFP-011) Dead Love Triangles – The Wandering Sickness
- (TFP-012) Arrows (Cursed Arrows) – Knives are Falling from the Sky
- (THEFP13) The Racoon Wedding - Gather Gather Bones Rattle Rattle Truth
External links
43°8′18"N 80°16′1.5"W