Flash Lightnin': What's Old Is New Again

11/17/08 1:54pm

by Scott Bryson (CHARTattack)

Like it or not, classic rock is back.

ZZ Top and The Rolling Stones are selling out shows like it's 1975, and a flock of new bands are ready to take over the reins when the old guard finally lay down their guitars.

Enter Flash Lightnin', a Toronto trio who long for a return to the glory days of rock 'n' roll — when bands thrived because their players were masters of their craft.

"As opposed to marketing a new face or a haircut," says singer/guitarist Darren Glover, "maybe we'll get back to marketing what real music was. Before videos, people weren't the best looking. Look at The Cars. Look at Boston. Look at Journey. These bands had huge, huge success and amazing songs and singers, but they weren't judged on their appearance. They were judged on the music and, therefore, the music had to be amazing."

For Glover and his bandmates — bassist Darcy Yates and drummer Chris Henry — success is found in an easily definable formula:

"What's missing in popular music is just the celebration of music," he says. "It has always been about girls, cars, relationships and riffs. It would be silly to try and take apart the classic formula."

The following is a Listen Up article taken from the October 2008 issue of Chart Magazine. To purchase the issue, head on over to the Chart Shop.