Dave Filchak - Moses (CAN)
When and where were you born? When did you first begin playing music and what was it that initially fascinated you about it? What was growing up like for you? Do you have any siblings?
I was born in Lethbridge Alberta in 1950. Out on the plains of Alberta. Well, I always liked music. My Mother was a very good piano player back in Scotland when she was a child. Unfortunately, after she came to Canada at the age of 10, she never ever really played again. Had to work too hard. No time, I guess. But she was always singing around the house so I think I picked up a love of the melody from her. My sister and I were always listening to music back then so I think it was natural that I wanted to learn how to play something. So, at the age of 7, my parents bought me a Stella acoustic guitar and enrolled me in guitar lessons. That was that... I was hooked. My childhood was pretty normal, I think. Nothing unusual - pretty stable home for the most part. I had two siblings, an older brother who died from a childhood disease, and an older sister. Early on we listened to people like Jimmy Rogers, Johnny Horton, Bill Haley, Gene Pitney, The Platters, Smokey Robinson etc. All the early greats. No one in particular... Just soaked it all in. Then, the Beatles hit and that was a game changer for me. The hooks, the harmonies. It was crazy good. Then Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, etc. I just immersed myself in all of it. I think this is the beauty of being born when I was. I got to live through all that changing music. It was life altering for me!
Moses.
Where would you go to see shows in your community and what groups/performances stood out to you the most during that time? What would you and your friends do for fun back in the day? Were you in any group prior to Moses?
Well, way back in the day we would see bands at Legion Halls or small community halls, high school auditoriums and the like. When I got a bit older, we used to frequent a place called Henderson Lake Pavilion, which was an old wooden lake side hall where all the bigger acts of the day would play. Great sound in that hall. Unfortunately, that was also a place where all the tough boys would go to fight. Was not always a safe place... But the great music was there so we chanced it. Bands from Alberta that stood out to me were acts your readers have probably never heard of. I mean, I could refer to all the radio acts of the day but, from my early career as a guitar player, guys like Archie Southerland with Chad Allen and the Club 93 Rebels, or, Will and the Walkers were standouts for me. As far as what myself and my friends used to do for fun. Well, play Rock and Roll and... Well... You know. I was in a number of bands before Moses of course. I mean, my first profession gig was at the age of seven, singing a song I don't remember at the Loyal Order of Moose Hall. Made $2.00. Seriously, I played in bands like Billie Nichol, Tamarax, Blackfoot etc. All good bands with good followings. The music scene in Lethbridge, at the time, was alive and growing. It was heady times for us. How did you initially meet your bandmates? Well, all the guys that eventually end up in Moses were all playing in the area in popular bands. We all knew each other, we all partied together, jammed together. I had always wanted to form, not really a super group, but a group of players I could relate to and who were serious. Who wanted to get out on the road and tour hard. Eventually, that is exactly what we did.
Moses - L to R: Jim Williams (bass), Randy McCann (drums), Lynn Johnson (guitar), Dave Filchak (guitar).
Randy McCann (drums).
How did the name for the group come to be? When did the group make their live performance debut and what was that experience like for you?
I don't know… Names were always a hard thing. I am not sure who originally came up with the idea for the name Moses… But it was like "Bringing Down the New Music to the People of the World". Pretty ostentatious, but that was it. I think our first live performance was in 1970 or 71 at the York Hotel bar in north Lethbridge. People went crazy, it felt good. Tell me about writing as well as recording “Whatcha Gonna Do Now/Heebners’ Blues”. How did the deal with R.R.P. Records come about? Can you tell me about when and where recording started essentially and what those experiences were like for you? Well, I think both of those songs were written on the road. Many of our songs were written on the road because essentially, we were never off the road. So, we had to write there. Heebner’s Blues was about an old red '53 Chevy that Lynn, the other guitar player in the band, owned at the time. We had a lot of fun in that truck and it was sort of synonymous with us at the time. Whatcha Gonna Do Now I think I wrote in Los Angeles. Can’t remember for sure. We were in so many places back them, it is hard to pin down time and place. It really is a song about saying, I don’t give a damn about what people think, or what problems may be in front of us.
What shows did you guys play that still stand out in our mind? I understand you guys had a tour in ‘75 and thats how the band’s shirts were made. What was the overall vision and goal you guys had in mind for the band?
Well, big clubs like the Starwood, Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood, BeGinnings in Chicago… Outlaws, Trade Winds… Lots of great gigs. We actually had many tours. In fact, we stated touring in 1973 and did not stop until 1979. We were touring ten months a year.
Dave Flichak.
When you reflect back on those times during the band’s history, what are you most fond of? What are you most proud of? Did you continue to write, play and record music after Moses? What have you been up to more recently during these rather strange times? Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?
Well, when you share as many stages and as many miles with a group of people as we did, there are so many thinks you can remember… Both good and bad. There is nothing like playing music on a stage with people you love when it is really cooking. It is the best drug out there for a musician. We say a lot of this continent together, had great times and hard time. But we got through it most, together. We accomplished a lot together, especially considering the time and the fact that we were from a small city in Southern Alberta Canada. We played a lot of music together. I am certainly proud of that. I went on to play in another really good band called Sharp Edges, https://davefilchak.com/sharp-edges-slice-of-life/ , who were signed to Aquarius/Capitol Records. Released an EP in 1983, toured quite a bit but ultimately broke up in 1984. As I was still in business with Capitol as a song writer, I decided to move to Toronto from where I was living in Vancouver. Have been in Toronto ever since. I have been a College Professor, a business owner (three studios) and as always, a song writer/producer. I am currently writing songs and releasing them worldwide through all the normal social changes and at https://davefilchak.com. I mix and produce music for other artists and am reached at https://zukamediaproduction.com.
Thank you for this opportunity to share my story with you and your readers.
Peace, Dave
Dakota Brown
