It’s been nearly 30 years since Haliburton County’s Carl Dixon and his band Coney Hatch last performed in Lindsay. And, yet, despite numerous gigs since, he still remembers it “vividly.
“We were at the Lindsay Fair outside in summer time, and it was a captive audience of the young people of Lindsay and surrounding towns who wanted to get out and do something on a Friday night, so there we were on the grandstand,” he recalled.
Dixon said this latest show, Nov. 29 at the Flato Academy Theatre, came about as an increasing number of requests do – via the internet. A person from a Bad Company tribute band got a hold of him and said he wanted to put on a show, and would Coney Hatch support the night. The other musician would open the show to get exposure and then Coney Hatch would take over.
“So many gigs these days come about in roundabout fashion,” Dixon said.
He anticipates an audience ranging from people in their 70s – friends of Dixon and his wife Helen Parker from the County – “thrilled I am finally doing a show within driving distance,” but also fans who grew up with the band. Their target audience was always people five to seven years younger than them.
“So, they’re now all appropriately well-heeled to go and do whatever they want; some of them are retired and then their children come along. We have a nice range of ages whenever we do a show.” Dixon believes quality music endures, and when the band gets back together, they have a lot of fun.
“We just laugh our heads off. We’ve been friends for so many years, though ups and downs, and breakups and reunions. Really, the only reason the band got back together again after years of not playing was because of my accident.”
Dixon was critically injured in a car accident in Australia in 2008, and is emotional as he adds, “the old gang said, ‘we have to do this for Carl’.” He refers to the “history, and long road of experiences together and there are things that only we’ll, as a unit, ever know.”
He recalled how in the early years, band members were competitive, but as time went by, they learned how to better co-exist and appreciate each others’ strengths.
Asked what else he is up to; Dixon had a show in Boston this week. He continues to do inspirational speaking, including an upcoming brain injury conference in Toronto. He’s at the Orillia Opera House in early December. Forty years on, the band, with three original members, are still rocking and touring. Coney Hatch has just returned from playing festivals in the UK and France and released a double vinyl album Postcard from Germany. His career does offer “immense variety” with individual gigs in the Highlands, too.
In his own songwriting, he is trying to xpress positivity and hope. He is also fine-tuning his inspirational talks for a postCOVID audience.
“I’m so grateful for this community and to have the life I have here and be embraced by the community the way [I have been].
“I’m just grateful that I’m still here to tell the tale, and have new experiences and also figure out how to go forward more strongly.”
