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By MIKE GIDORA

Nobody really knew what to
expect in November of 1973 as the
20 or so young people crammed
themselves and a variety of in-
struments onto the tiny stage in
New Westminster’s Nordic Centre
at a banquet honoring the 56th
anniversary of the Russian
Revolution. All that was known
about the group was that they
travelled under the unlikely name
of Bargain at Half the Price and
they had asked if they could sing a
few songs that evening at the
banquet.

That was the first of well over 150
performances which Bargain, as
the group has come to be known,
has staged in the last three years.
They have ranged from election
rallies and protest meetings
throtgh to coffee houses and
concerts in the Queen Elizabeth
Playhouse, and in each per-
formante the two things which
characterized their first effort in
New Westminster three years ago
— their enthusiasm for what they
are doing and their basic hope and
optimism for a better society in the
future — has gone with them.

And together with that has been
a determination to contribute
something to what is happening
around them.

As Steve Gidora, Bargain’s
musical director, explains it,
Bargain or something very similar
to Bargain was bound to come

about. ‘‘Popular music has always ©

reflected somewhat the struggles
in which people were involved,
particularly during the heyday of
popular folk music in the early
1960’s. But with the advent of the
counter culture and rock, that tie
was largely severed. It left a real
gap, particularly for progressive
minded young people who wanted
to contribute in a real way, but ina
popular way as well. :

“A lot of us, myself included,
went the route of popular com-
mercial music looking for an
outlet,’’ Steve says.

He goes on to say that it was only
after hours of discussion with
Vancouver _ folksinger and
songwriter Tom Hawken, whom he
had worked with in the past; that
he began to arrive at some con-
clusions as to how that outlet could
be found.

“Tom Hawken deserves a lot of
credit for Bargain and the direc-
tion of the group,” he said. ‘‘He is
one of the finest progressive
writers and singers around today,

and one of the few performers of
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 30, 1976—

IS THEIR MESSAGE

the sixties who didn’t get caught up
in the rock scene.

“Through discussions with Tom,
Icametorealize that, at best, most
of the counter culture represented
little more than a commercial
outlet. And, again through those
discussions I saw the need to try
and gather together a number of
other people who, like myself,
wanted to contribute but weren’t
really into traditional folk music.

“‘We wanted to somehow bridge

the gap between what people like
Tom were doing and the popular
rock music that was coming out in
the media.”

Tom Hawken’s influence is still”

felt on Bargain somewhat and their
repertoire includes a number of his
songs such as ‘‘Troubador’’ and
“Everything for Sale.”

Another major consideration in
the direction of Bargain was the

- conviction held by the original

members that what they were
doing had to be closely tied to both
the labor movement and the
community in general.

“We knew that we weren’t going ~

to become professional, and even if
we had wanted to it would have
been impossible because of the
sheer size and nature of the group.
But what we did want to do was
become part of the community in
the sense that we would try and
reflect the needs and interests of
the community as well as be an-
swerable in some way to the
community.”

It is for this reason that Bargain
very rarely charges for any per-
formance, and has spent hours of
time performing in old age
residences, nursing homes,
hospitals and shopping centres. “I
know it has been said before,”
Steve explained, ‘“‘but it’s. worth
repeating. ‘Art belongs to the
people; and art should bring out
the best in people.’

“That is probably the best ex-
pression of our approach to
community involvement. Most of
the community has been cut off
from the arts, both through the cost
involved and the fact, in music

anyway, that very little of it is -

directed toward the general
community.

“‘We would like to reverse that in
some small degree, and that’s why
we’re always ready to perform for
the community. We feel an
obligation to the community, not so
much because they support us, but
because music should belong to the
community.”

Bargain’s music is an interesting
reflection of the group’s attitude.

Page 12

They perform, side by side a
traditional labor song such as
“Which Side are You On” or
“Union Maid” with excerpts from
the rock opera ‘‘Jesus Christ —
Superstar.”

“The determining factor in what
we will sing is what type of reac-
tion will that song bring about. Will
it carry across some point, or
generate a feeling of optimism and
hope?

“That’s what we want to convey
— optimism for change in the
future, or for that matter change
now,” Steve explains.

“All of our songs reflect that,
some to a greater degree; others to
a lesser. We have a number of
songs which carry forward a
general optimism, without really
becoming graphic. I would include

.songs such as Pete Seeger’s

“Rainbow Race,” or one that I
wrote in 1963, “Early Morning
Sunshine’”’ in that category.

“They are part of the struggle,
just as much as “‘Study War No
More” is, but in a much less
graphic way. It’s the attitude of
hope which they carry which
makes them so.”

The other cornerstone of
Bargain’s music comes from the
wealth of union songs which are
available. ‘“‘We usually sing at
least one or two old union songs, no
matter where we’re performing.
We'll do them in a more modern
approach than most groups will,
but that’s the gap we’re trying to
bridge; we’re trying to present
these songs of struggle in a format
which will appeal to those who are
uninitiated to the music of the
thirties.”

One of the problems which any
performing group faces is lack of
money, particularly when what
they are performing and who they
are performing for is outside of the
mainstream of the commercially
oriented cultural scene. Bargain is
no exception.

The group has applied for
government funding a number of
times, and in its three years of
operations has received only one
grant of $550 from the B.C. Cultural
Fund. That amount will pay for a
musical director for a period of one
month.

The experience is nothing new
for progressive cultural groups,
Steve recalls. ‘‘When I was in-
volved with the Kobzar dancers
and the Association of United
Ukrainian Canadian orchestra, we
came up against the same thing.
The AUUC experienced, and I
would guess, continues to ex-

perience that discrimination, and
it’s largely because of the
organization’s social and political
outlook, and not a reflection of the

~ quality of performances.

“What I would hope to see come
about would be the formation of a
national or local progressive
cultural organization which would
include groups such as ourselves,
the AUUC cultural program, and
other groups and individuals who
are trying to be responsive to the
needs of their communities in a
positive manner.

. Bargain’s

STEVE GIDORA
musical director.

“We need that type of
organization simply because to be
able to advance anything in this
area, you have to have a certain
amount of clout. As it is now, no
one group has the clout necessary
to get any support.

“Those involved in progressive
culture have to become a
creditable force in the cultural
community, a force with a well
organized and clearly defined
voice.”

One of the more common
problems facing‘ groups such as
Bargain is just how to define their
political involvement. That
question, Steve says, crops up
occasionally, ‘‘but in many ways it
varies with the individuals in the
group. Some of us are very deeply
committed to political in-
volvement, and see the need for
our music to reflect that. Others
don’t, and even amongst those who
do, we are often committed to
slightly different paths.”’

_ He rejects the idea that Bargain
is essentially political in nature.
“Sure, we perform at political

events, but only those which
the general approach of the 8"
Last week we sang .at the P@
defence committee meeting}
donated some money tO
committee, but that’s a cause
believe in and try to reflect it
music. The same applies |
performing for the Canadian
Vietnamese Civilians, or at
Day.

“The first real total poli .
involvement by Bargain %
about at the beginning of this ¥
when we became involved if)
ICBC protest movement,”
says. He himself was a membe
the 12-man joint steering ©
mittee which directed the pro!
and he credits .Bargain’s|
volvement which took the for!
petitioning and organizing ©)
as well as singing at the pl
rallies, including the packed
meeting in the PNE Agrodom
alarge measure of the succes?)
campaign had.

At the same time, howevel
sees a need for a more tho!)
integration of culture into)
political arena. “One of the t)
we have to face is that i?
struggles going on today there) :
so many more issues which reé
a higher priority, issues whic?)
often of a life and death na
that culture is shuffled 1)
bottom of the heap.

“That’s not necessarily the]
it should be, but until it ¥
changed we ‘IL have to do our Pe
contribute from there.’’

As to where Bargain goes © i :
future, nobody can really say: }
still have a commitment (0,
tribute wherever and ho}
possible through our music, ® 4
have acommitment to impre

that’s about all I can say ab
future for Bargain.”

He does have some
however, including the dre® a
taking Bargain to the ele!
World Youth Festival in Hav? (e
1978, but that, he acknow!
will depend on a lot of thing ;
cluding both Bargain’s d¢Y}
ment and the developme"}
progressive culture across |
country.

As the lyrics from one of *
more popular songs go:

“T visualize a new society

No class distinctions _

No slums nor poverty” ne

And that, I’m sure we 4
agree would be a Bargain
price.

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