The Ford Plant

By Jeff Sebanc

The Ford Plant is a little like Heaven on Earth. Surrounded by boarded up businesses and empty streets, it's become the epicentre of the Brantford music scene, which some might argue is the new Guelph. Jeff Sebanc talked to the guys involved to find out why people love this place so much.

TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE FORD PLANT, GOALS AND SUCH.
Josh Bean: I think we all have different ideas as to what the Ford Plant should and could be. But I generally think that we all have a need for community, for some cohesion in Brantford's artistic community. I know that's where I stand anyway.

Chris George: The Ford Plant's goal is to survive. Period. We put on shows, have fun, dance, hit things, sweat, discuss, fight, love, paint, sing, miscellaneous, think and do!
Then we meet new people who believe in the same things.

WHY BRANTFORD?
Tim Ford: Brantford is such a spiritual place for us. It's the only place that's ever felt like home, and I've lived EVERYWHERE. That's what you get for being a Navy brat! It has history, beauty, controversy... all the makings of a great movie.

Josh: It's home, it's the community where we live. And I don't like the idea of running, of leaving. I have to be honest and say that I'm guilty of thinking it once in a while; it could be so much easier somewhere else. But it wouldn't be as effective. It wouldn't feel the same. It may be a rotting old smelly building in the heart of a dilapidated downtown, but man it's made me feel special on more than one occasion. When I'm old I know I'm
going to look back on this time of my life and feel special, special in the 'œI was lucky to be a part of that'? kind of way.

Chris: Interesting question, but we've always reversed that question to read - why NOT Brantford? It's a great community that's bred so many young bloods into the indie rock/arts communities around Canada. So we decided one day that instead of inspiring to leave our community to assimilate into one somewhere else, we'll make our own distinct and unlike any other. It's working.

HOW DOES THE CITY FEEL ABOUT THE FP?
Tim: Divided. Some think it's an amazing place and is giving kids a positive outlet in a town with idle hands. Others think it's a drug nest in a sketchy part of town, although we don't let drugs in the place and we're in the heart of one of the oldest downtowns in the country. We can't win all the hearts, and the ones we can't we'll just rip them out of their chests. You know, like in Temple of Doom. You ever see that flick?

Josh: We have a large amount of support from the city. (Laughs) I'm dreading Chris' answer cuz I must admit this is a heated issue between me and him. And I agree with him on some of his points, certain parts of the city have been very oblivious to our existence. But others, mainly the tourism centre, have done a great deal for us, and are behind us 100%. There is recognition. I mean, we did get nominated for a tourism award, and normally it's one of those things where you nominate yourself in a cheap publicity
thing. But we didn't, it was totally out of the blue by someone we don't even know.

Chris: The city's been very unhelpful with our efforts to improve it's dreadful image of it's downtown core. They think we're a bunch of hooligans running around drinking in alleys. More time then not we're actually the ones beating up the people drinking in those very alleyways. It's a catch 22. What it boils down to is - either you understand what we're trying to do, or you don't. And this city doesn't.

DOES IT GET HARD MAINTAINING AN INDIE VENUE IN A TOWN LIKE BRANTFORD?
Tim: Of course! Brantford, although not a "small" town by definition, is really closed off from a lot of counter-culture coming from surrounding big cities. But we wouldn't want it any other way. If people latch on to another person's views, they won't be able to find their own. This way we can start with a clean slate and let kids make up their own minds, instead of just doing whatever Toronto or Montreal is doing.

Josh: Yeah, it's really hard. We've made some mistakes, and we'll make some more. I think the hardest thing is that the population isn't that big, so in order to do really well we need to count on the same people to come out to a lot of the shows. And that gets boring for those people after a few months. That's been our biggest curse. But for the most part, Brantford has been great.

Chris: Not at all, it's like making a really great pancake! No matter how you put in the ingredients, and no matter how hungry you are, there's always a possibility of burning the shit out of them! Sometimes we burn them, sometimes we eat them! You know?

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE "SAVE OUR DOWNTOWN" SIGN ON THE WINDOW?
Tim: We have the clichéd 'œWal-Mart ruined our city'? story. Big companies moved into the north end, crushing all the mom and pop stores in our downtown district. This is sad for so many reasons, but one being that our downtown is one of the oldest in Ontario. There is SOOOO much history in our buildings and they were literally left to turn to dust. I don't want any of that. These buildings deserve our respect and deserve to have life in them. It's also a stance on the new western culture of in with the new, out with the old. Fuck the new!

Josh: Can you explain the silhouettes on the boarded up store fronts?

Chris: It was a hand silkscreened bed sheet I made one day, because I was really bothered by Brantford that day. At first I hung it from my window and yelled at everyone walking down the street, then I just decided to put it in downstairs in the window. It fit perfectly, so we kept it. Now I have no idea where it is. Hmmm'¦

YOU SPEAK REALLY HIGHLY OF THE REGULARS WHO COME OUT EVERY WEEKEND. WHY DO YOU THINK THEY LOVE THE FP SO MUCH?
Tim: The same reason we do. We do this because we love music and we love being a part of something that can cause change. If this was just a music venue and people came, gave us their $5, watched the bands, and then went home, then we are no better than the corporations we bash. There is a movement here that no one can explain. There is a common bond between every single person that walks through the doors. I think the kids feel it too and that's why they are so loyal. We never got the 'œbe a part of something that will distort everything the world has ever taught you'? speech in school, so when they find it here they are intrigued. That was a very arrogant way of looking at it... I just feel there is something other than a building and bands here and it frequencies through people when they come here.

Josh: It's home, they are our family. And we want to be more promiscuous. (Did that sound incest-ish? Fuck, I didn't mean it like that.)

Chris: I think they respect, enjoy and love the FP so much because they get it. We relate to them so well and have a mutual love for them. They have honestly kept the FP running for three years now. They are definitely the best part about the venue!

IT STARTED OUT WITH JUST THE THREE OF YOU BUT I'VE HEARD ABOUT SOME SORT OF COLLECTIVE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE COLLECTIVE DOES? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED?
Tim: There're just over 30 people now. We feel that it isn't just ours anymore. The kids who come every single week are just as much of The Ford Plant as we are, so why not get them involved? It's pure ego to say that The Ford Plant is what it is today because of Chris, Josh and I. We're only one small stem of it. This way everyone who has made this thrive feels involved in the process.

Josh: The collective is just getting started. But it was never about the three of us. In the beginning we were really the only ones wanting to go that extra step, but now there are probably a good 20 people who really want to help. It's now just a matter of being more organized.

Chris: The FP has indeed grown into a collective of about 40 people. The collective was a way to involve all the people who have supported us through the good times and bad. It was a way of letting the young people of Brantford get involved with something they love and to get their hands dirty in all aspects of the FP! There is also a horrible initiation any new collective member must endure to been included, and it's fucking gross. That's all I'm saying.

ANY FUTURE PLANS?
Tim: Burning the city down and building a new, more powerful dictatorship on the existing rubble... metaphorically of course.

Josh: I have tons. I have plans for an art centre, but we'll see about that.

Chris: Pregame?

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORD PLANT?
Tim: Be ready. You ain't seen nothin' yet. We're building an army.

Josh: If we've ever made you feel uncomfortable, or out of place or anything, or if we've ever been grumpy or angry or anything, we're really, really sorry. We didn't mean it. We try to be as nice as possible to everyone, but sometimes things come across wrong. Everyone is welcome at the Ford Plant. Everyone is welcome in our family. Except that Greg Collins guy, he broke our couch. Never gonna let that go.

Chris: Dollar beers! Pregame! All are welcome, always!