If you’re a typical Canadian millennial like me, then you probably remember racing home from school and flying through your homework just so you could catch Much On Demand at 5 p.m.
I was only in grade five when I started watching Much, and that’s where I discovered my initial love of music and naturally, nearly all of my favourite bands. So, the feeling was pretty crazy when I found myself in the basement of the iconic Queen and John building sorting through old Intimate & Interactive and Live @ Much tapes—but before we get to that, let’s start at the beginning.
Before Youtube (AKA the dark days), we watched music videos on TV. Since you would only be able to see music videos on TV, their premieres used to be a huge deal for music fans. I remember watching MOD and counting down the days/hours/minutes to a video premiere from my favourite artists. Even today, if you are lucky (or are lurking very deep in the shadows of Youtube,) you might come across music videos that were taken directly from the live airing, MUCH logo and all.
Case in point:
Now, if THAT doesn’t make you feel nostalgic, I don’t know what will. That was 2004, and in case you’ve been living under a rock all these years, in 2016 we catch video premieres via Twitter, Facebook, and more. It’s pretty surreal to see just how much the means of how we access and showcase music has changed, but keep in mind, music videos aren’t the only things that have drastically changed over the years.
Music television in general has evolved into something different altogether—it’s grown from being solely TV-based to a massive online, digital culture featuring content from all forms of media imaginable. The Much Vault is a great example of this new generation of online culture.
The Much Vault is a celebration of a monumental legacy—one that includes a vast array of innovative and unique programming, a constantly growing list of widely successful TV personalities (George Stroumboulopoulos, Rick Campenelli, Devon Soltendiek and Liz Trinnear, to name a few) and the upbringing of a new generation, solely through the power of music.
Don’t think of this as a trip back in time, but rather a reflection of some of the greatest musical moments captured through the visionary eyes of Much.
Welcome to the Much Vault.
