From Left to Right: Brian Dicks, John Moore, Bill Moore, Don Ryan, and Tom Alteen

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When young people from the east side of Corner Brook meet their counterparts on the west side of the city, you can usually count on a little ribbing and rough housing. However, three guys from Mt. Bernard and three from townsite have managed to get it all together, forgetting their location differences, to make music for the young adults of Corner Brook, under the catchy and appropriate title of Crosstown Traffic.

Crosstown Traffic was born about three months ago when Brian Dicks, lead singer and leader of the group, approached a buddy and suggested giving the music circuit a try. Eventually, four more friends got into the scene, some with little musical background, and all with more than a passing interest in music.

Brian, 20; son of Mr. and Mrs. George Dicks, 11 Randolph St., and employed with Bowater, says that although he had no previous background in music, he is now taking lessons and is a member of the Corner Brook Choral Club.

ENJOYS MUSIC

"If this type of music could prove profitable, I'd prabably consider it as a career because I enjoy what I'm doing," said Brian."

"But the way it runs in the music business, most entertainers are usually washed up by the time they reach 30."

Brian, who is planning to enter university in September to major in sociology, would like Crosstown Traffic to get more bookings in clubs because he feels the group's type of music is better geared for a more mature audience, but the majority of nightclubs in Corner Brook are under contract with some private agency and receive package deals of out-of-town entertainment.

Crosstown Traffic has been playing to large student audiences at the regional college and high schools for the past several weeks, and have been offered bookings at two local nightclubs during the Easter holidays.

Johnny Moore, 19, son of Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Moore, 25 Queen St., is the organist for Crosstown Traffic and he "really gets into music."

PREFERS OLDER CROWD

Johnny, who also works with Bowater, says "It's fun pleasing the audience, but I'd rather play to an older crowd. Most young kids are into listening to the Top 40 and it's hard to get them to appreciate anything else."

He, like the other guys in the group, would like to keep music in his life, but plans to enter university to take business administration.

Bill Moore, Johnny's brother, 23, is lead guitarist with Crosstown Traffic, and according to the opinion of his fellow musicians, the acknowledged leader in arrangements and brains for the group.

Bill, who has some backgound in music, taking up saxaphone when he was 13, and guitar a year later, toured Newfoundland with the Regina Band.

"Mostly older audiences appreciate our music," which is a mixture of funk, blues, rock 'n' roll and some original material, "but a lot of kids are tuned into the radio hits and have a hard time dancing to any other music," says Bill.

OUTDOOR CONCERT

We're planning to do some concerts in Corner Brook and Stephenville in the arts and culture centres, and an outdoor concert in July is also in the making."

One of the younger members of the group, Donny Ryan, 19, would like to dispel the myth that a rock 'n' roll star's life is one of glory.

Donny, son of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Ryan, 28 Queen St., is on bass guitar, and says: "There's a lot more to music than music. All the equipment that has to be moved in and out of places we play can make it a pretty heavy thing."

Donny, employed with Western Surveys, says he would consider music as a lifelong career if he could get "the big break," but has applied to a technical college to take a course in surveying."

Brian Kean, 19, is majoring in psychology at the Western Regional College and is manager-soundman for the group. Brian, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Kean of Mt. Bernard Ave. has some background in music with other groups and says "music is something I've always wanted to do."

WANTS TO TOUR

He says that ultimately, he'd like to see Crosstown Traffic go on tour where they could get acknowledged as a musical group as well as a dance band.

Although Brian is majoring in psychology, he'd like a future in technical production of radio and television.

The drummer for Crosstown Traffic, Tom Alteen, is 19 and the son of Mrs. Nora Alteen of Victoria St. Tom, who also attends the regional college, says the group seems to have a little more glitter than other local bands, and has attracted larger audiences than some well-known mainland rock bands.

"I really enjoy playing with the group, and would like to spend my life at music, but you really have to be super talented to make it happen."

Nick Alteen, 21, is Tom's older brother and the sound and lights man. He has great faith in Crosstown Traffic's music, and could be called the public relations person for the group.

CAN COMPETE

"I'd like to see the guys playing more clubs around Corner Brook because they are quality entertainers, and I think they can compete with the out-of-town bands."

Nick plans to go back to university this fall to take business administration.

Well, the 600 teen-agers who packed the Western Regional College last Friday night can't all be wrong, and perhaps more club dates will be upcoming for Crosstown Traffic, if the managers of the clubs would, as Johnny Moore once said, "just get into it."

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