Blüt
Blüt was a band that has achieved near-mythical status in Canada and Europe. They began in London, Ontario in 1983, formed by two brothers, Jason and Phil D'Eau, with Rick Mullins and Will Kahn. They each came to be known as Jonathan (Jon) D'Eaux, Phineas (Phi) D'Eaux, Stephen (Steve) Picasso and Bill Christ.
They named their band Blüt, based on a belgian phrase the D'Eau brothers' mother used to say.
The D'Eau brothers (they later added an 'x' to the their given name) were extremely young when the band started. Jason (Jon) was only 14 when they played their first gig. Jon showed an early and prodigious talent for songwriting and guitar playing, and was the band's primary songwriter (though his brother contributed many of the band's key riffs and lyrical hooks). He received numerous offers to write for various publishing companies, a fact that drove an early wedge between the band members, but he never followed through on any of the opportunities.
The band released four LPs between 1983 and 1989, and while they toured Canada and the U.S. three times, their primary success was earned in continental Europe. Drawing on family roots in Belgium as a home base for their five European tours, they appeared in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. They did particularly well on the festival circuit, and their final live LP "Blüt in Bruges" remains a rare, valuable collector's item (in certain circles). The record captures the band at their performance peak before their breakup one month later in May of 1988, as they travelled to their last, unplayed gig in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The band was detained at the border, and were finally denied access to the US after the border guards discovered Steven Picasso's marijuana stash. When they were finally released back into Canada by the authorities, the band's van crashed near Woodstock (Ontario) when a fight broke out in the vehicle. With no money, Steve's newfound criminal record (which denied international travel) and little desire to continue as Blüt, they parted ways.
While Picasso and Christ carried on as the rhythm section with a few other Canadian bands before leaving the music scene for "real jobs", the D'Eaux brothers disappeared entirely for over 25 years. Jon D'Eaux has recently reappeared from music retirement, releasing new material as well as old recordings, most available for the first time online. He did also release a number of solo recordings in the 90s and 00s under a nom de guerre. Phi D'Eaux is rumoured to be residing somewhere in the American midwest.