Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Mar 20/00) - The spring thaw may be weeks away, but every once in a while Delta Flood washes over the Inuvik region -- and when it does the joint is generally jumping.

A trio of local musicians -- vocalist-drummer Pete Smith, guitarist Doug Villeneuve and Laurie MacNabb on bass and vocals -- Delta Flood has been performing for two years.

"A good show means people having fun," said Smith. "There's a lot of songs we cover that are good for the audience to sing along with, like the Doors' Roadhouse Blues."

Delta Flood emits a lot of high-energy fun and puts out a big sound with few instruments. That's partially because of their choice of music -- home-grown and classic rock -- and the fact that the band members aren't rookies.

A New Brunswick native, MacNabb has been living, working and playing in Inuvik since 1980. In fact, he said he first came to town after being recruited to play guitar for the Zoo house-band, Jelly Roll, whose motto, "Let's get sticky," perhaps typified what was then the heyday of boomtown Inuvik. Performing nightly, MacNabb said Jelly Roll covered a pretty diverse musical range and that while the night might begin with Hank Williams it often ended with the somewhat edgier Dead Kennedys.

Villeneuve said he's been playing guitar for some 15 years and together with Smith in various bands for the last 10. One early collaboration took the form of Frost, a band that managed to find hard-to-find, though cool, practice space in Inuvik.

"We had electricity but no heat and had to chop wood for the fire," he said. "We'd come back to practice the next day and have to defrost the drums before we could get started."

It was at a Grollier Hall jam session that Delta Flood got its start, and where bassist MacNabb joined in after Dave Lang left town.

"It was strange but good playing in the chapel and having this crucifix hanging over us," said Villeneuve, adding with a smile, "and we tried to keep the profanity down to a minimum."

The band's song list features their own lyrics and those of other artists. Flood ballads like Broken Hearts and Help Me See the Light are sometimes included on the list, which otherwise consists of crowd favourites by groups such as Pink Floyd, AC/DC and Van Halen. More modern tracks, like Blur's 2 Minute Song also make their appearance. But limited practice space and time means Smith keeps a song-book close at hand while performing.

"A lot of people say, 'Geez, how can you play the drums and sing at the same time?'" he said. "For me, I have to concentrate on the music and it is hard to do both, so I have to keep the lyrics there, just in case -- but the lyrics that really sink in are the original ones."

The band remains a part-time pursuit for the trio, but at the same time the members don't want to limit its growth. They've entertained in Tuktoyatuk and are planning to make a return trip to Fort Good Hope's Wood Block Music Festival this summer. Villeneuve said they're also eyeing concerts in the Yukon and Yellowknife and are considering a compact disc.

"We've got a few songs written and are working on more," he said, "and want to apply for an (NWT) Arts Council grant to cut a CD in Yellowknife."

Meanwhile they'll continue to flood the Delta with classic rock and entertain their small but faithful legion of fans.