GARY TOPP - Biography

CURRENTLY An active independent promoter in music and film. Recent musical artists include DIXIE CHICKS, HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN, HABANA SAX, EASTMOUNTAINSOUTH, DAN HICKS AND THE HOT LICKS, MICHAEL KAESHAMMER, GARTH HUDSON, MEDIAEVAL BAEBES, THE ACME FLEA CIRCUS. Recent film promotions include the MENTAL HYGIENE FESTIVALS and FREAKS, GLAM GODS AND ROCK STARS. He and prolific documentary film-maker RON MANN, have just established and independent Canadian distribution company "filmswelike". They're first film is THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND

Over the past 25 years, THE GARYS have helped define the city of Toronto as a cosmopolitan mecca of artistic expression. --TORONTO ARTS AWARDS, 1995

It's all a matter of taste for Topp. It was Gary Topp who deftly juggled trashy flicks (John Wate rs' Pink Flamingos, for instance) and art films (all six hours of the Russian War And Peace in one night) for crowd of zonked cineastes at the long-gone 99-cent Roxy. Next, as one of The Garys (with Gary Cormier), at such venues as the New Yorker Theatre, the Horseshoe and the Edge, he went on to promote all kinds of equally hip and eclectic concerts from Divine's Neon Woman to Jim Rose's Circus Sideshow, from Tom Waits to jazz space-case Sun Ra to the first Toronto gigs by New York punk-rockers the Ramones to Indian sarod virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan to an obscure, England-based trio of reggae enthusiasts called The Police, who in late 1978 drew a crowd of some 60 people to a now-legendary two-night stand at the Horseshoe.

That was in the '70s and early '80s. In recent years, Topp hosted several radio programs, has served as music producer for FRIDAY NIGHT WITH RALPH BENMERGUI, produced music videos and became the first promoter to win a Toronto Arts Award. Topp still books concerts, and his taste is anything but predictable. A year ago, he discovered a band no other Toronto promoter was interested in. This band was the Dixie Chicks, and he premiered them at Toronto's Massey Hall.

And obviously in character for Topp is a mini-festival called Mental Hygiene, which he is presenting in May at the Bloor Cinema. With its emphasis on kitschy rectitude, Mental Hygiene is a first cousin to the fabled midnight screenings of the unintentionally hilarious old anti-marijuana film, Reefer Madness, that took place at the Roxy.

Filmmaker Ron Mann (Twist, Comic Book Confidential, Grass, Go Further) sees a direct link between all those Roxy screenings and his new documentary, Grass, which premiered at last fall's Toronto International Film Festival. "I lived at the Roxy", says Mann. Gary programmed counterculture there and he was a huge influence on people. --excerpt from the NATIONAL POST, May 2000

1970 Booked weekend midnight screenings for CINECITY underground cinema. Dispite what the industry thought, YELLOW SUBMARINE ran for two years, every Friday night. Publicity Co-ordinator for FILMCANADA, representing: GIMME SHELTER, MONTEREY POP, CHILDREN OF PARADISE, films by ANDY WARHOL, KENNETH ANGER, DAVID CRONENBERG, JEAN LUC GODDARD and the filming of FESTIVAL EXPRESS.

1971-1976 Created & operated Toronto's first repertory cinema, THE 99-CENT ROXY ("...the pioneer of the repertory cinema circuit" TORONTO STAR). ROUGH TRADE played it's first show here. Promoted CAPTAIN BEEFHEART and LITTLE FEAT (who never showed up). Owned and operated a film distribution company, TOPSOIL FILMS, and was Canadian distributor of JOHN WATERS, EMILE DE ANTONIO and of JIMI HENDRIX.

1973 Co-publisher and Editor of THE 25-CENT REVIEW poster magazine.

1974-1975 Entertainment Editor of the TORONTO CITIZEN newspaper (Toronto's first alternative newspaper). Wrote wrestling column; he was pro-The Shiek and many wrestling fans wanted to kill him.

1976-1977 Operated NEW YORKER CINEMA, mixing film screenings with live concerts, creating one of Toronto's first multi-media venues. Live concerts featured a wide variety of music genres and promoted the first performances of the RAMONES outside New York, and then formed THE GARYS, continuing with TALKING HEADS, WAYNE COUNTY, THE CRAMPS, CARLA BLEY, ALI AKBAR KHAN, TOM WAITS, JOHN CALE, LIGHTNING HOPKINS, MENDELSON JOE.

1978-1992 As The Garys, operated live music clubs THE HORSESHOE and THE EDGE and promoted thousands of concerts in venues as MASSEY HALL, ROYAL ALEXANDRA, THE CONCERT HALL, CNE STADIUM, MAPLE LEAF GARDENS and numerous clubs throughout Toronto, introducing local and international artists to a loyal and ever-increasing following. PROMOTER OF THE YEAR on numerous occasions. Responsible for introducing and/or promoting a varied list of artists including: THE POLICE, ALISON KRAUSS, ASTOR PIAZZOLLA, KRONOS QUARTET, WILLIAM BURROUGHS, R.E.M., PEARL JAM, EURYTHMICS, JIMMY FLYNN, DAVID BOWIE, VILLAGE PEOPLE, ROBERT MUNSCH, KING SUNNY ADE, DEVO, RHEOSTATICS, JERRY SEINFELD, SUN RA, XTC, CYNDI LAUPER, KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS, WILSON PICKETT, THE STRANGLERS, SIMPLE MINDS, AL GREEN, JAMES BROWN, RITA MARLEY, MELLISA ETHRIDGE, NEW ORDER, MINISTRY, THE POGUES, THE CURE, CIRCUS ARCHAOS, DIVINE, BARENAKED LADIES, THE TEA PARTY, ORNETTE COLEMAN, ANTHONY BRAXTON, CECIL TAYLOR, INDIGO GIRLS, JIM ROSE CIRCUS, MARIANNE FAITHFULL, VIC CHESNUTT, VICTORIA WILLIAMS, BULGARIAN WOMEN'S CHOIR, GEORGE CLINTON, RITA RUDNER, B-52s, ANDRE GAGNON, NINE INCH NAILS, WATERBOYS, DONOVAN, ENGLISH BEAT, THE SPECIALS, BILLY BRAGG, THE CURE, IGGY POP, GARY GLITTER, TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS, BOBBY McFERRIN

1980-1981 Host of Q-107 FM's "EDGE OF MORNING" alternative/punk rock radio show. Q listeners wanted to kill him; the building received 2 bomb threats when he was on the air.

1981-1986 Host of CKLN-FM's "G SPOT" gospel radio show, voted best black-music show by TORONTO LIFE MAGAZINE.

1994 Dismayed with the direction of the music industry was heading, end The Garys. Music Producer for CBC-TV live-to-air "FRIDAY NIGHT WITH RALPH BENMERGUI" presenting among others: THE BAND, OFRA HARNOY, MOXY FRUVOUS, DREAM WARRIORS, HOLLY COLE TRIO, BLUE RODEO and THE 48TH HIGHLANDERS... Produced CONCERTS IN THE PARK for CBLT-TV, starring the NYLONS & the SATTALITES. Produced music videos for SONY MUSIC INTERNATIONAL, DAVID GEFFEN RECORDS (SLOAN)

1995 Received the TORONTO ARTS AWARD (first promoter to win this award)

1995-1997 Music Supervisor and Video Segment Producer for TOURIST TRAP (PARRAGON ENTERTAINMENT / LIFE NETWORK) and Music Supervisor for CANADIAN FILM CENTRE short film, ELEVATED, directed by Vincenzo Natali.