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B.C.91Ƶs 91ƵCaptain Maniac91Ƶ has seen close to 1,000 concerts since 1964, starting with The Beatles

Longtime drummer Colin Hartridge still gets his kicks hosting an internet radio show
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Colin Hartridge in the room of his Surrey-area townhouse where he does his 91ƵCaptain Maniac91Ƶ internet radio show. (Photo: Tom Zillich)

Think you91Ƶve seen a lot of concerts? Meet Surrey91Ƶs Colin Hartridge, a walking, talking encyclopedia of rock n91Ƶ roll.

By his count, he91Ƶs witnessed close to 1,000 concerts in his 68 years, and has many of the ticket stubs as proof of his love for live music.

The kicker is, Hartridge is still an avid concert-goer, with two or three on his calendar every week. He also still frequently drums at jam nights around Metro Vancouver, as a blast from his past with the band Sparkling Apple.

In another music-related passion of his, he91Ƶs hosted his own from his Guildford-area townhouse for the past four years, giving listeners new themed shows every Monday on mixcloud.com.

This week91Ƶs episode, his 256th, is dubbed and features 34 songs with the word 91Ƶmoon91Ƶ in the title, including tunes by Nat King Cole, Ozzy Osbourne, Captain Beefheart, John Mellencamp and others.

91ƵIt91Ƶs just something I like to do, for fun,91Ƶ Hartridge said. 91ƵOn Mixcloud, there91Ƶs a listener count for each show, but I have no idea where they91Ƶre listening from unless they 91Ƶfavourite91Ƶ or repost the show,91Ƶ he added. 91ƵIf they do that, I can see that Captain Maniac Show friends have tuned in from Greece or South Africa, or France or England or wherever.91Ƶ

Hartridge, a retired graphic designer who still creates posters for buddies in bands, moved to Surrey with his family when he was six years old, and has lived in the city ever since.

He started playing drums at age 16, a couple years after he saw The Beatles play Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The landmark show, in 1964, was his first as a concert-goer.

91ƵI91Ƶd seen The Beatles on TV, Ed Sullivan91Ƶs show, and of course I saw Ringo and said, 91ƵWell, I can do that!91Ƶ91Ƶ Hartridge recalled with a laugh. 91ƵI91Ƶd always be tapping on window sills with my mom91Ƶs knitting needles and my dad finally said, 91ƵYou should take drum lessons.91Ƶ91Ƶ I took lessons for about six months (at a place in Vancouver), but they were more interested in Latin rhythms, sambas and all that, but I just wanted to play rock 91Ƶn91Ƶ roll. So I sort of ended up teaching myself just by listening to records and playing along to those.91Ƶ

As a teen in the late 1960s, Hartridge saw concerts by several iconic rock bands that travelled through Vancouver, including Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin and more.

Hartridge has a sharp memory for details of those performances.

91ƵThe best concert I ever went to was the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and that was 91Ƶ68 at the Pacific Coliseum, and they had about three other bands on before him 91Ƶ Eire Apparent, Soft Machine and Vanilla Fudge, so by the time Hendrix came on, it was about midnight,91Ƶ he recalled.

91ƵSo he came on and said to the crowd, 91ƵI91Ƶve got a cold,91Ƶ but he still played like nobody91Ƶs business. I remember that his grandmother was in the audience, because she lived not too far away from there, in Strathcona, around there. So when he did 91ƵFoxy Lady,91Ƶ he dedicated it to her.91Ƶ

Earlier that year, the Coliseum also played host to Cream, with Eric Clapton on guitar, Jack Bruce on bass and Ginger Baker on drums.

91ƵI remember them playing only six songs, but of course each song was at least 10 minutes long,91Ƶ Hartridge said. 91ƵThey91Ƶd do a framework of the song and then they91Ƶd jam 91Ƶ 91ƵSunshine of Your Love91Ƶ with extended solos that went on for years.91Ƶ

Back then, he91Ƶd attend a lot of concerts 91Ƶbecause they were events you just had to go to,91Ƶ he explained.

91ƵBy today91Ƶs standards it was cheap 91Ƶ I saw Led Zeppelin for $5, so I guess that91Ƶd be like $50 today, or something. And back then we didn91Ƶt have any digital distractions, and we didn91Ƶt spend a lot of time watching TV, so we went to concerts. You know, 91ƵThin Lizzy91Ƶs in town, let91Ƶs go see 91Ƶem.91Ƶ One time it was T. Rex and the opening band was Blue Oyster Cult, who we really liked back then, so we went and couldn91Ƶt stand T. Rex, so we left after a couple songs.91Ƶ

The band Hartridge has seen most often in concert is Blue Oyster Cult 91Ƶ probably 10 times, he said.

91ƵI know they91Ƶre coming here in the summer, to that , but I91Ƶm pretty sure it91Ƶs not all the original guys. So I91Ƶll probably go see that. And a band like Zeppelin, every time they came to town we91Ƶd go see 91Ƶem, just because it was Zeppelin. They were here in 91Ƶ68 for the first time, and a bunch of times after that. I saw them all, I think.91Ƶ

Not surprisingly, the music of many of the bands Hartridge has seen in concert is played on his Captain Maniac show.

Out of the gate, his very first episode was called a two-hour collection of songs recorded by Jet, Rose Tattoo, The Cult, The Sex Pistols, Big Sugar and others.

The weekly series is 91Ƶdevoted to the music *I* want to play 91Ƶ not what I91Ƶm TOLD to play, but what *I* want to play, with the emphasis on loud and proud rock and roll!91Ƶ Hartridge wrote in an introduction.

to visit 91ƵThe Captain Maniac Show91Ƶ page on Facebook.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of , launched in 1969, just after Hartridge had graduated from high school.

91ƵIt started off as the Plastic Rat Blues Band, and we had one guy leave so we wanted to change the name to something else,91Ƶ he recalled. 91ƵWe had a bottle of cider in front of us, and that was it, OK. It stuck.91Ƶ

For Sparkling Apple, a final gig is in the works for later this year.

91ƵWe haven91Ƶt played for a while because Art has sciatica, and I have problems with my eyes (I had a torn retina),91Ƶ Hartridge explained.

91ƵIt91Ƶs going to happen, possibly at Donegal91Ƶs (in Surrey) but not until after summer, probably in the fall. I don91Ƶt see us playing beyond that show.91Ƶ

to read Sparkling Apple91Ƶs 91ƵRoad Stories,91Ƶ written by Hartridge.

Last Saturday night (April 13), in another of his concert-going experiences, Hartridge helped celebrate the 70th birthday of Doni Underhill, the former Trooper bass player, at in Guildford. The night included a four-song reunion performance by singer Ra McGuire, guitar player Brian Smith, drummer Tommy Stewart and Underhill on bass 91Ƶ the band91Ƶs 91Ƶclassic91Ƶ edition, minus keyboardist Frank Ludwig. They played the classic cuts 91ƵWe91Ƶre Here for a Good Time,91Ƶ 91Ƶ3 Dressed as a 9,91Ƶ 91ƵThe Boys in the Bright White Sports Car91Ƶ and 91ƵRaise a Little Hell.91Ƶ

Early Sunday, Hartridge posted on Facebook: 91ƵWasn91Ƶt that a party?91Ƶ

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tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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A framed ticket stub in the room where Surrey resident Colin Hartridge records his weekly 91ƵCaptain Maniac91Ƶ internet radio show. (Photo: Tom Zillich)


Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news for Surrey Now-Leader and Black Press Media
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