SoundProof - Column: DarrelMillar

They might be from Toronto, but even if you're not a Torontonian or a GTAian (new word, you heard it here first) and you're into music, you've most likely heard of The Killer Dwarfs. From 1985 to 1992 they dominated the Canadian hard-rock scene, winning awards and tearing up venues across Canada and the States. They hit when hard rock was hot and left when its flame began to flicker and grunge was the new kid on the block. Former drummer Darrell "Dwarf" says "Killer Dwarves had an awesome career. I loved the band; Russ and me are best friends still. We had a great run … but when the grunge thing came in, it shut down that whole genre of '80s metal. It was like a door shut." Millar recalls the exact moment: "I remember being in LA and recording Method of the Madness with the Dwarfs, which is our fifth and final record, and I saw Nirvana on TV and I knew it. I thought: 'that's it, that's the change in the business.'"

However this article isn't a sad tale of a once successful heavy-rock band that threw it in to concentrate on their real-estate careers and wine tastings. It's about a talented drummer who took the end of one era and morphed it into another. He may have kept the heavy metal hair, but the attitude, vibe and sound is entirely different because it is entirely Darrell Millar.

When I first spoke to Darrell I told him I simply wanted to talk about what he was up to now. His response was, "I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm on a press blitz right now and I have to spend most of the time talking about The Dwarfs, which is fine, but really it's about Automan.ca."

Once The Killer Dwarfs chapter came to a close, Millar returned home to Toronto and spent the next couple of years not really knowing what was next. So he did what any out-of-work ex-metal drummer would do in that situation: he moved to L.A.

"The rock scene was done up here, the dance scene was big, so that's when I moved to LA. I had a lot of connections and I thought maybe I'd at least get some studio work to keep working in the business. I got really lucky, I ran into an old friend who had a southern rock band called Moonshine, which later became Laidlaw and I joined the band. Then Nikki Sixx discovered Laidlaw, signed Laidlaw, produced two records and the next thing you know I'm on tour with ZZ top and later with Motley Crue! I couldn't believe it, a minute ago I was depressed and down-and-out and then, two years later, I'm playing every fucking hockey rink there is! The rock gods have truly blessed me."

What a refreshing sentiment, a veteran musician who is still impressed by the power of performing. It is this love of performing for their fans that got The Killer Dwarfs and Darrell Millar back together, officially, in 2001.

"I was in Laidlaw for seven years and it ran its course. I get a call from Russ around 1999-2000 and in classic Spinal Tap fashion he says 'We're thinking about putting the band back together man. We've got a number one hit in Japan!' There was a resurgence of rock and we got back together with the original Killer Dwarfs for the fans only. It wasn't a money driven thing. We did it for the fans. So we got in a room, it took us an hour to rehearse and it was like it was 1988 again. We also did a tour in 2001 with Queensryche, but in the meantime I had started this band Automan.ca"

It may be a cliché, but the adage 'all things happen for a reason' is truly appropriate when it comes to the inception of Automan.ca.

Darrell explains: "When I was out touring with ZZ Top, I used to get up with the roadie band when they were doing the sound check and I would get up and sing with them every night in the arenas. I have a voice similar to Bon Scott so I was singing every night in these empty arenas and that's when the light went on and I said 'I could see myself doing this, being a front man!' When I went back to Toronto I called Carleton Lockheart and just for a test run I put together Autobon, an AC/DC cover band. I was cutting my teeth for this front man thing, so as soon as I was confident, Carelton and I wrote an EP and went into the studio to track it."

It's a pretty unique name, what's the deal with Automan.ca?

"Carleton used to call me AutoMan in the AC/DC tribute band so that's where the name came from, and because there's a show in Europe called "Automan," we just added ".ca" to make it our own, but we're known as Automan."

And thus Automan.ca was born (as I write this I realize it sounds like I'm introducing a new online superhero). This is an exciting new band with lots of experience and no ego, a rare thing in the world of rock these days. Darrell almost seems childlike in his excitement for this project: "I started my own record label (uNKLEDUNk Records) and put a little package together. It's a DVD and EP (Test Drive x 5/Auto Motive) and I did everything myself. The artwork the writing, the whole deal and I really enjoyed it! I liked knowing where the money's going and it helps me sleep at night, I have to admit.

It's a ton of work, like a 24-hour-a-day thing, but it's a really fulfilling thing at this stage in my career, to be a writer and perform … that's the rush. As a drummer in some of these other bands, I didn't have full creative input as a writer and that means a lot to me.

Now I'm a writer /singer /songwriter and that's why I love this band so much. So we're doing a full length right now, eight songs only. I'm kind of going back to that '70s thing: four songs per side. We just want eight solid tunes and no fillers, that's what I'm shooting for anyhow, we'll see if it goes to tape."

Sounds good so far. The real test, of course, will be when the album is released and if all of this hard work and experience will come together, to prove that Darrell Millar can sing and write, aside from being a dwarf-metal-drummer. They've already got merch if you feel like showing your love and you can get their first EP on their website or in stores. but according to Millar, they're a live band. "This band needs to be seen. We're a straight up rock-and-roll blues rooted band. We're bringing back party rock. I'm not professing to create a new style of music here. I'm just making music to get that fan base for people who like kick-ass rock. It's party rock!"

And there's nothing wrong with that. It's rare and interesting to find a man who has had as long and successful a career as Darrell Millar, which is why I put faith in the fact that nothing he has done has been a fluke. He is a testament to hard work in the world of hard rock. So for those who like to rock (not only do I salute you), you might want to check out Darrell Millar and Automan.ca. They anticipate their first album coming out in June and some surprise live shows here in Toronto. If you get a chance, check out their website Automan.ca or their MySpace page, and see if you're ready for some good old-fashioned party rock.