One night you’re opening for Iron Maiden in a sold out arena, a few days later you could be playing in a half-empty club in some unknown city. That’s the “ups & downs” of being in a rock band, & that’s when it becomes ALL FOR THE LOVE OF ROCK‘N’ROLL. Darrell “Dwarf” Millar has seen both sides of the coin, from his lustrous days of touring with the legendary Killer Dwarfs to his more recent ventures with AUTOMAN.CA – of which he is NOT ONLY the leading frontman, but also a sideline drummer & the group’s manager/record executive. He has a wealthy musical history…that has taken four modern musicians & turned them into a powerhouse sensation of tangled-guitar, blues-rooted “BAR BRAWL ROCK”. You’re never really sure just what to expect from these comical trendsetters, but rest assured it will contain a driven mix of crunchy riffs & southern rock chant that you’d never believe came from the streets of Toronto.
Formed in 2002, the group initially came from the makings of Autobon – an AC/DC tribute act that allowed Millar to test his vocal prowess…his “hockey practice”, the Oshawa-raised Canuck tells me. It has been a satisfying experience to front the group, & Darrell accepts all of the mayhem that comes along with it. He is joined by Carleton Lockhart – “Guitar Star” genius, showcasing left-handed, pickless, upside-down tactics that will astonish you… John Fenton – bassist, whose fury for tempered, heavy music has landed him spots with bands like Kataklysm & Sepultura… & Adrian Cavan – drummer, who started on a “Coleco Vision” box with two wooden spoons & was coached to PRO-STATUS by Millar himself. They’re pointed, creative, & raw…mimicking rock‘n’roll adventure through every chord of the music. Millar & Lockhart are the primary writers for the zesty collaboration sharing common 70’s influences like The Stones, Zeppelin, & Ted Nugent. They had NO DESIRE to chase the standards of mainstream radio, but regardless of their position…radio has found them. Automan’s music is being aired on 30-40 legitimate stations in the US, “Power97” in Winnipeg, & over 350 major internet networks…including XM Radio.
“Really…deep down as a kid…what got me off were those ROCK BANDS!” — Darrell Millar
“I’m lovin’ this role, & I just feel like it’s so natural for me…& I’ve had a whole REBIRTH of my career.” Millar states. His 28 years in the business has seen him support acts like Dio, Saxon, Queensryche, Accept, Motley Crue, & ZZ Top. He brands himself as a drummer with a singer’s soul…& nothing could be more than true with his “Bon Scott” undertones & low-end “Alice Cooper” vibes. His father is a jazz piano player, & having relatives in the acclaimed band Steppenwolf, the “entertainment bug” bit the showman at a very early age…first drum kit at seven…touring by the age of fifteen. He tells me that managing the road has become increasingly difficult these days, simply due to distance & cost…& that record labels are merely “a vehicle” in today’s musical market. Proper distribution is critical, & with the world becoming so “digitized”, it puts an extreme amount of pressure on the artists. But…“NOBODY SELLS MY BAND BETTER THAN ME!” he adds.
The group’s current release “Pocket Change” (Unkle Dunk Records/Megaforce/Sony-BMG) has been receiving favorable response from critics & fans alike, en route of the band’s recent Canadian tour. It’s a fun-lovin’ mixture of twisted licks, swaggering rhythm, & “cheeky” lyrics that ooze confidence. Lockhart is a vicious “Beck-like” player with upward strums that exhilarate the sultry tempo of the music. Fenton (although shy in-person) brings his own claim to fame with throbbing bass-slugs & notable backing vocals. I was impressed by the drumwork of Adrian Cavan, who challenges his “mentor” (Darrell Millar) in a one-on-one clamoring duet during their live show. Darrell remains to be the group’s quintessential ROCKSTAR with high-octane energy, a growling set of pipes, & light-hearted facetious personality…all-in-all, making for an entertaining act.
On June 30th, 2010 the Ontario rockers got a chance to open for the ultimate headliner “IRON MAIDEN” in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Some of the spectators (“Peggers” are known for liking their metal HEAVY & HARD) did not appreciate these two musical diversities being thrust together, especially when anticipations were high for seeing a Dream Theater experience. Despite jaded calls from certain parts of the arena, Automan held steadfast with as much energy & spunk as they’d normally exhibit…reaping FIVE-STAR RESPECT from Maiden themselves, who’ve already played a critical role in Darrell’s past success. Steve Harris stood on the sidelines & brought “Piece Of Mind” that the music had been well-delivered to a very tough crowd. Again…if they didn’t love rock‘n’roll as much as they do, these four musicians might’ve Run To The Hills. Darrell Millar shares a truthful optimism about that night, “We went out & we played a great show…we kicked ass! But the bottom line is…Iron Maiden fans are Iron Maiden fans, & they’re not there to see us. If I can take 2,000 of their 16,000 fans home with me to at least say, “Yeah, we liked you…I’m gonna’ check your record out.” – I WON.”
With the footage captured during the concert at MTS Centre, Automan.ca are looking forward to creating a hardy performance video to be released this fall. “I wanted to use the LIVE BAND as the video,” Millar states, “so the Maiden thing became a huge opportunity!” American tour dates are in the works, & the song “Milldog Blues” is scheduled for a feature in the new Cuba Gooding Jr. movie “The Hit List”. Now, the only thing left for Automan to do is record a NEW album…which will be happening in February, 2011. After eight years in the making, it’s nice for Millar & his posse to be “BACK IN THE SUN” – a song about a rocker who leaves a cold & dismal “career end” to head to California…where he renews his MUSICAL SHINE. That rocker was Darrell Millar – when he left “The Dwarfs”, & harsh Canadian winters, to join Laidlaw…a band that Nikki Sixx brought to fame, a band that would take Millar’s musical inspiration in a whole new direction. Does he think he can maintain his longevity as the vocalist for Automan? “Rest is key.” he says, “You can’t oversing. If the band’s too loud, & you’re screamin’ your head off trying to keep up…you’re done! You’ve gotta’ pull back, & use of monitors really helps.” Currently, Darrell is endorsed by Sennheiser which carry some of the most innovative vocal & audio equipment available today.
“LET’S JUST BE TRUE TO OUR ART, EVEN IF WE GET PANNED. WE’RE GONNA’ WRITE A RECORD FOR OURSELVES.” – DM
The future looks bright for Automan.ca, but even they would agree…it’s a long way to the top, if you wanna’ rock‘n’roll. Are they shootin’ for the next multi-platinum album? Possibly…but creating self-inspired music COMES FIRST, & steering the craft seems to be a very natural road for them. Everyone experiences packed houses & empty dance floors, cheering crowds & booing critics, smash-hit singles & bargain-bin flops, career ends & new beginnings. Nobody said being a ROCKSTAR was an easy journey…& sometimes it leaves you literally with only your “Pocket Change”. The trick is to keep “Drivin Rockin Lovin” long enough to make the music become effortless — “THE AUTOMEN” are well on their way to reaching their destination.
For more information on Automan.ca or for booking, please visit:
BPatoine – September, 2010
