Todd Babiak, Journal Entertainment
Writer
Edmonton
Journal
(article thanks to mizz
carrie)
Sunday, September 30, 2001
Bif Naked
With: Static in Stereo and LiveonRelease
Where: Red's
- - -
On paper,
Bif Naked is the coolest woman in the world. She is a rock 'n'd
roll
singer, an actor, a skateboarder and a snowboarder, a BMX trickster, a
yoga
devotee and a student of the deadly martial art Sun Hang Do. Not to
mention
the tattoos.
"I am living the dream," she says on the phone from her home in Vancouver.
"No, actually, no. I couldn't have dreamt it."
Naked
is in Edmonton this weekend to support her latest album, Purge, a
blend
of hard rock, punk and power ballads.
Though
she is one of Canada's hottest acts, Naked is not caught up in rock
star
braggadocio. "There's a misconception about getting famous," she said,
"that
you're automatically a millionaire. If you're in the arts and you're
successful,
it means you're paying the rent and feeding the dogs."
Her two
dogs, Nicholas and Anastasia, are fed regularly. They are only two
of her
small friends. MuchMusic's Ed the Sock is another Naked playmate. "I
always
lick Ed. My mother just gets horrified when I lick him, but I can't
help
it. You know, he's this phallic guy and I like to worship the lingam."
Anyhoo,
tonight she rocks out at an all-ages show at Red's. Last night's
concert
at the same venue was an over-18 event, sponsored by a local
fraternity.
She didn't know about the fraternity connection.
"A frat?
Oh good," she said. "I love college boys. When I go back to
university,
I'm gonna need help with organic chemistry. So if any college
boys
want to help me, that would be great. Keeping in mind that I worship
the lingam."
All right,
enough about the lingam. Is her Kung Fu the best? "I just got
into
martial arts a few years ago," she said. Her manager is a black belt,
so she
said it all came to her by osmosis.
"I don't
need to be crouching tiger, hidden Biffy, but every female in North
American
society should be able to break a grip."
Despite
her toughness, when I mention that a slow song on Purge called
Stolen
Sidewalk has been popular at junior high school dances in Edmonton,
she says,
"Aaaw, why? That's such a sad song. I can't think of that song
without
crying."
Strong,
sensitive, artistic, sexually provocative around socks. Even modest.
Are there
any flaws in Bif Naked whatsoever?
"Sometimes
I hit my head with nunchuks," she said. "It really makes a ping
sound."