This Thing

This is the resurfacing of a project which existed many years ago. In Nelson, BC, back in the early to mid nineties, a band came along that sounded like no other in the region. This Thing was that band. For 5 years, they played several gigs around the Nelson area. They were known more as an obscure, but interesting performance art kind of band. They were 8 or 9 pieces, wore gowns and ceremonial headgear, and played music that was part Syd Barrett, part Frank Zappa, and part Sun Ra. In 1993, they entered CFOX Radio's Demo-Listen Derby 93. They placed in the top 20, which earned them an appearance of Shaw Cable's Demovision: Project Discovery TV series. In 1994 they released an album (out of print) called "False Idols, Holy Wine, and the Big Picture." It sold fairly well on the local market, and was described by one reviewer as "Jazz/blues meets a sombre, New Age Andy Warhol." By 1996, This Thing had played for 5 years but still hadn't been able to break out of the area. The leader, Richard Fordham decided to move on to other projects, with the hope of resurrecting it eventually. In 1998, Fordham left Nelson for Vancouver. In the intervening years, he has been a freelance bass player for many local bands. He has also gigged as a soloist, learned how to make balloon art, and has taken a year to study acting. Also, he took some time to nearly lose and then regain a finger. Now with said finger more or less intact, Richard Fordham is reintroducing this project in a corporately downsized format. On the hunt for musicians, This Thing will begin as a 3 piece and eventually swell to its original numbers. In the meantime enjoy.

Band Members

Richard Fordham - guitar, vocals, writing