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Matthew Churchill was thrilled when the lead
guitarist of his favourite rock band, Two Thirteen, handed him a
couple of his guitar picks earlier this year. Two months later,
15-year-old Matthew was dead.
“When Rod closed Matthew’s casket for the last time, he placed a
guitar pick (in it) from the band — so he could play above,” Desma
says of her husband’s gesture in saying goodbye to their only child.
Giving the guitar pick to Matthew is now a bittersweet memory for
Carl Hibbs, the band’s lead guitarist and singer/songwriter.
“My brother made up custom Two Thirteen picks and gave them to me
for Christmas. It was awesome, and I remember at the show, Matthew
wanted a pick. I gave him a couple of the ones I had and that meant
the world to him. The fact that he knew people in a rock band — and
a rock band from Portugal Cove,” Carl says of Matthew’s hometown.
“Matthew thought the world of Two Thirteen,” Desma says.
To her son, the guys in that band were the coolest and the best, she
says.
“Actually he was jealous of his cousin, Adrianna, because she had
a copy of their first CD and it was signed by the band. Matthew had
offered her money to trade with his CD, with no luck. He would often
tell friends that he knew guys in the band — Carl Hibbs and (former
bassist) Mike Churchill. To Matthew, this was no little band — they
were Two Thirteen.”
Just as he was delighted with Two Thirteen’s debut CD, entitled
Yesterday, Matthew would have been one of the first to pick up the
band’s newly released second CD, The Big Picture.
Instead, the band has done its part to ensure the boy’s memory stays
alive, especially in the hearts of music lovers.
A dedication on the CD’s liner notes reads as follows: “This album
is dedicated to the memory of Matthew Churchill. Matthew was stolen
from us on March 28, 2005 when he was struck … by a hit-and-run
driver. He was just 15 years old at the time of this tragedy.
Matthew was a huge fan of our band and was becoming a very promising
guitarist in his own right.”
There are no words to describe how Desma and Rod miss their son.
Their house is quiet now, where once it was filled with Two
Thirteen’s music that Desma says Matthew played constantly as he
typed away to his friends on MSN.
Matthew also loved playing his own guitar and jamming with his
buddies. In 2004, he and his friends, Greg Thorne, Justin Tucker,
Justin Hawco and Markus Rose formed a band they called Zero
Tolerance.
Desma is overwhelmed with Two Thirteen’s kind gesture and for
including information about the Matthew R. Churchill Memorial Fund.
“They have helped us in our new purpose in life — keeping Matthew’s
memory alive. They truly are wonderful people,” she says.
• • •
Greg Thorne was one of Matthew’s best buddies. The teenager was with
Matthew the day he was struck down and killed.
It hasn’t been easy going on without him, but, like others who knew
Matthew, he wants to help keep his friend’s memory alive and finds
his voice when asked for a comment about Matthew’s love of music.
“We went to a show when Two Thirteen were playing an all-ages show
in Portugal Cove, and Matthew and all
of his friends, including me, were amazed by the solos by Carl (Hibbs),”
Greg says. It was the same show at which Matthew was given the
guitar picks.
“Matthew and I were both very proud of our connection with the band,
because Carl is my cousin and Two Thirteen’s former bassist (Mike
Churchill) was Matt’s cousin,” Greg says.
While Mike Churchill left the band in February 2005, he performs all
bass guitar tracks on the new CD.
“There were probably only about 13 kids at the concert we put off
for the younger kids in Portugal Cove,” Carl recalls.
“But it meant to the world to Matthew.”
Just as Matthew touched the hearts of many people during his short
life, so, too, did his death.
“Myself and Ben (Samson), who plays drums with the band, have been
best friends for almost 20 years,” Carl Hibbs says.
“And Gregory and Matthew almost emulated me and Ben when we were
young. They did exactly the same things: out skateboarding, playing
music, calling your buddy and asking him what they’re doing then
saying, ‘I’ll meet you halfway’ type of deal. And that’s why the
whole thing with Matthew got to me. It was so much like me and Ben
were when we were young. It could have been one of us,” Carl says.
Carl has been writing songs for more than 15 years; all tracks on
the new CD are his original compilations. Other band members are
Mike Burke, Roger Hibbs, Garry Gosse and Ben Samson.
All are from the Portugal Cove, St. John’s and Torbay area.
“I take something from everything I do in life every day. … I pull
from all of that when I’m writing a song. And, for me, it always
starts with music, it never starts with lyrics. It’s always about
how can we create an energy that’s going to attract people,” Carl
says of his songwriting.
“It’s a crazy story,” he says, when asked how the band came up with
its unusual name. Originally they were called Fusion.
“The number just started following us. Every time we’d look at the
clock, it would be 2:13. Or you’d be following a car and the licence
plate would be 213. You’d go to someone’s house and the address
would be 213. Or you’d buy something and the change you get back
would be $2.13,” Carl says.
“And when we were changing singers and making a few changes to the
band, we’d be forever thinking about a name,” Roger says.
“Then, one day, we were just sitting around and we saw the number
again. So then we thought, why not call the band Two Thirteen?” he
adds.
“And when people ask us how we got our name and we tell them, then
Two Thirteen starts following them around, too. That’s what happened
to me,” Garry says.
“As soon as Carl told me about it, I started seeing the number
everywhere.”
Garry is the newest member of the band. He joined up as the group’s
bass player about seven months ago.
The band’s first CD was recorded at Rick Hollett’s Red House
Recording Studio.
“Compared to our first CD, this was a much more highly involved
process,” Carl says of recording The Big Picture with Spencer Crewe
and Great Big Studios.
“We were new to recording the first time and we really didn’t know
how to make a record.
“Rick showed us the ropes on the first one and it was a big learning
curve. We knew a little more about what we were doing on the second
one and it was awesome going to the studio. It took us about a month
and a half to get all the tracks ready,” he adds.
Hard rock without curse words, is how Carl describes their latest
compilation.
“Yesterday was a bit more heavy metal,” he says of the band’s first
CD.
“But I don’t think we go over the top. There’s no screaming, no
yelling, no vulgarity.”
Two Thirteen has been playing on the downtown club scene for more
than three years now. Most of their performances are at Club One on
New Gower Street.
While their gigs are regular, they don’t play every weekend.
“We do all original music, so when you’re doing the same songs over
and over, you try not to perform too much,” Roger says.
They have, however, performed enough to make an impression with many
big-name bands. Two Thirteen recently opened for Collective Soul at
Mile One Stadium in St. John’s. They’ve also opened for other bands,
such as Theory of a Dead Man, 54-40, The Trews, Three Days Grace,
Finger Eleven and Billy Talent.
A third CD is already in the works.
“This is what we’ve wanted to do with our lives since we were about
12 years old. And until we can’t do it anymore, we’re going to keep
on going,” Carl says.
Performing in a band is also something Matthew and his friend Greg
thought about since they were young boys.
Carl says the tragedy that took Matthew Churchill also stole a best
friend from his young cousin.
But Greg takes solace in knowing Matthew is looking down from a
greater place.
“Matthew and I both loved Two Thirteen,” Greg says.
“We would listen to them as we played PlayStation and we would
listen to them in the car with (Matthew’s father) on our way to
hockey, anywhere. I am sure Matt would have loved to hear their new
CD. And I am sure, somewhere, he is listening to it right now.”
Two Thirteen’s new album can be purchased at Fred’s music store, or
by visiting the band’s website at
www.twothirteen.ca
For more information on the Matthew R. Churchill
Memorial Fund, visit
www.matthewchurchill.ca |
