Hometown Hero

by Peter Henderson

Eugene Haslam isn't shy about his love of Ottawa. In fact, it's just the opposite: the owner and operator of Zaphod Beeblebrox nightclub is an evangelist for the city and its music scene, a champion against the naysayers who disparage Ottawa and all that it has to offer.

"When people denigrate Ottawa, I think they're so wrong," Haslam says. "Ottawa is quite vibrant, actually, now. We've got great clubs, we've got more bands than we've ever had. This is the best time, bar none, for [music lovers]."

photo by Alex Martin, The Fulcrum

Haslam isn't just a lone prophet on a soap box-he is doing his part to give Ottawa citizens the nightlife they deserve. His club, fondly called Zaphod's by most Ottawa music lovers, is named after one of the main characters from British author Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It was founded in 1989 and moved to its current location, 27 York St., in 1992. The club has featured performances by artists like Bif Naked, Ben Harper, and Alanis Morrissette, and was once featured in a music video by the Rolling Stones. Although it has been a both a cultural and financial success in a fickle industry, Haslam, who studied business at the University of Waterloo, makes it clear that keeping Zaphod's running has never been about the money.

"I wasn't going into this to create a business," says Haslam. "I was going into this to create something that didn't exist in [my] time. We created this place to see live music, but beyond that, we created a social place where we weren't outcasts. We weren't doing anything wrong; we just wanted to listen to things that weren't mainstream."

On most nights you can find Haslam, instantly recognizable with his long dreadlocks and infectious smile, mingling with the Zaphod's crowd and getting to know his customers. Under his watchful eye, Zaphod Beeblebrox has remained one of the city's most popular clubs. It made the top 10 in a CBC Radio 3 contest that named the best live music venues in Canada, and was named a runner-up in the "Best place to hear live music" category in the Xpress Best of Ottawa 2008 poll. Although the bar has developed a loyal clientele and been influential in the development of Ottawa's music scene, Haslam isn't content to rest on his laurels.

"In some ways, [Zaphod's] was the progenitor of so many things here, but the fact is that we're now and we're current," he says. "As much as the past is important, it really is the present that defines you."

Bringing new music to the masses is a key part of what keeps Haslam's nightclub relevant. Zaphod's features many local acts at its free shows on Monday nights, and Haslam is always on the lookout for new artists as part of his "heard before the herd" philosophy.

"There's good music in any era, and there's good music in any culture," he says. "It's a matter of finding it out and bringing it to the attention of folks.

"I've seen in Ottawa [that] there is, sometimes, a culture of beating ourselves up," he continues. "For our city size, you can't compare us to London or New York. But what we have here, with our population base, is amazing."

Haslam certainly wants to bring local music to the attention of Ottawa's citizens. He's excited about the possibilities of many local bands, and he's encouraged by the mutual support he sees in the scene. According to Haslam, the current Ottawa music scene is one of the best he's found in terms of positive interactions between bands, whether it be through sharing gear, booking shows, or recording.

"Ottawa is pretty good for [cooperation]. Bands get together," says Haslam. "It's not a fractious thing. In some communities I have seen that ... everyone crawling over each other to reach the top. There's a lot more of a helping-hand attitude in Ottawa."

The new world of digital downloads, YouTube, and MySpace has changed the way music is distributed, heard, and shared among friends. Total sales in the music industry hit US$37.4 billion in 1999, the year that Napster, the first popular music-sharing program, debuted. In 2008, global music sales (including digital downloads) were valued at US$18.5 billion. File-sharing has irrevocably changed the music business, but Haslam is confident that live-music clubs like Zaphod Beeblebrox will always have a part to play in developing and exposing young artists.

"The making of music stays the same," he explains. "Regardless of the delivery systems, regardless of how people attach themselves to it, music will still be made, music will still be heard, and music will still be promoted, whether it be in someone's basement or in a community centre or in a nightclub.

"Any of the music that people are listening to, in whatever way it's delivered, has to start somewhere," he continues. "If you look at Arcade Fire, if you look at Broken Social Scene, where did they get their start? The Zaphods of the world."

Customers often come up to Haslam and decry the state of Ottawa's music scene-that there aren't enough clubs, enough bands, or enough promoters to really make it work. For those people, Haslam has a question: What if it was all gone?

"Look at Barrymore's," Haslam says. "The best room suited for live music at that size has no live music in it. It's gone by because no one did anything. Don't be bitching that Barrymore's isn't around; what did you do when it was around? Whether it's Babylon, Zaphod's, or Rainbow [Bistro], give it some thought: what would it be like if it didn't exist? How would that affect the cultural life of our city?"

Haslam preaches far and wide to anyone who will listen about the merits of Ottawa, and he's a big proponent of experiencing the city for yourself.

"I'm a big promoter of what we've got," says Haslam. "I challenge people: don't bitch at it, go and do it. The more you do it, the more you like it, and the more you like it, the more it will spur things to happen. You're part of the solution. I encourage people all the time to go out, check it out. What's the worst that could happen?"

For those who still won't listen, who won't dig the Ottawa scene, and who scorn and belittle the accomplishments of Haslam and his peers, he has harsh words.

"Anyone who's saying there's not enough here, they've got their fucking head in the sand."