IVAN DOROSCHUK AND STEFAN DOROSCHUK BOTH DESPERATELY WANT MEN WITHOUT HATS

I can thank my sister Julie for driving me and my family nuts back in 1984 while camping at Carnarvon Gorge National Park in central Queensland for a few days, because the whole time we were camped there, Julie was playing the MEN WITHOUT HATS song THE SAFETY DANCE, in the tent, in the car, even on our bushwalks, the walkman went everywhere with Julie and so did MEN WITHOUT HATS (laugh). I was actually surprised to learn a few days ago when i went searching on the internet for this song that MEN WITHOUT HATS are a canadian band, i always assumed they were an australian band. I once mistook them for the australian band THE MODELS, maybe that explains it. Anyway, as i discovered MEN WITHOUT HATS come from of all places - MONTREAL, in the canadian province of QUEBEC. Besides this US and UK chartbuster, the band's other big 80`s singles hit was POP GOES THE WORLD, which i have to admit i am not familiar with. After many years of inactivity and the odd solo project, keyboard/vocalist IVAN DOROSCHUK, whose dense baritone voice made the new wave band totally unmistakable, reformed MEN WITHOUT HATS with founding brother Stefan in 2003 for the album NO HATS BEYOND THIS POINT, an indie pop high point and regarded by many critics as the band's best output since POP GOES THE WORLD in 1987. The brotherly relationship soured however after this album, by the time the album LOVE IN THE AGE OF WAR emerged, which was early this year, Ivan relied on the services of session musicians to complete it, but contrary to the brickbats brother Stefan has thrown at the latest album, critics and fans have been mostly complimentary. In a quite spiteful, bitter and confrontational manner, STEFAN DOROSCHUK reportedly was or is going to continue recording and performing with a completely seperate band, but under the MEN WITHOUT HATS name. That should make for quite a copyright bunfight sooner or later.