The musical legacy of Sylvester Stallone wasn’t limited to the country his cab driving character croaked with Dolly Parton’s help in the movie Rhinestone. When the song he commissioned for Rocky III from muscular corporate rockers Survivor became the hugest song of 1982, the actor was suddenly regarded as a hitmaking mogul, and his subsequent streak of blockbuster action movies were each accompanied by a soundtrack — invariably featuring a tune from his songwriting brother, Frank.
Raffi Der Ghazarian, a 26-year-old guitarist from Scarborough, was born in the year of “Eye of the Tiger,” not to mention the John Rambo character's debut in First Blood, and was inspired after a series of road conversations to start his own tribute band dedicated to these testosterone tunes, Balboa.
“Rocky was the underdog character that everyone could relate to,” says Der Ghazarian. “I felt like I was in that same situation, taking that million-to-one shot and going for it. Just like how Stallone, by struggling to get the movie made when he did, took a gamble with his life. That idea appeals to me. And, whether you win or lose, just going the distance.”
Recruited to help with this mission were musicians including veteran frequent tribute act vocalist Phil Naro, who could channel that Rocky spirit through a set list that doesn’t fail to include a rock arrangement of James Brown’s show-stopper from Rocky IV, “Living in America.” And it wouldn’t be a faithful enough homage without the “Gonna Fly Now” theme by Bill Conti, whose orchestral pomp is simulated through more vocals.
Der Ghazarian has accumulated “a disgustingly big” DVD collection of action-adventure flicks. “I’m drawn to the ballsy heroic power,” he says, “all of the bravado and machismo.”
Back in January, he was among those commemorating the release of the latest Rambo by watching a marathon of the four-film series at the Scotiabank Theatre. Needless to say, it was a male-dominated room: “There were maybe three girls there, looking disinterested.”
Does it help a guy to keep his tastes in such cinema a secret? “Absolutely not,” says Der Ghazarian. “If a woman isn’t cool with this, the truth is going to come out in the end, so it helps to just admit it up front.”
Mounting a musical homage to Rocky Balboa would itself be a giveaway — while the spirit is satirical, the performance is apparently true to the legacy, based on reactions to their debut show last August at the El Mocambo, and a second round at Rock ‘N Doc’s in Mississauga.
The band returns to the El Mocambo (462 Spadina Ave.) on August 22, on a card that includes guitar-bass-drums trio Mackenzie King — the band formerly known as Ontario Power Generation — bashing out their renditions of the music from the 1991 videogame Street Fighter II.
Rocky Balboa’s set list draws from the soundtracks, but also incorporates tunes redolent of the boxing films, like Europe’s pugilistic “The Final Countdown.” “Most people just assume that was in a Rocky anyhow,” says Der Ghazarian.
Not on the set list, unfortunately, is Frank Stallone’s only memorable hit, “Far From Over,” from the soundtrack of the Sly-directed Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive — not manly enough for this crowd, perhaps?
Sylvester Stallone’s star might have fallen from the heights he ascended from the first Rocky in 1976, until around the time of Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot in 1992 — compounded with his inability to get elected governor of any given US state — but Der Ghazarian remained a fairly loyal fan. He dug Judge Dredd, even if he wasn’t compelled enough to sit through Spy Kids 3-D.
More recently, the line between 62-year-old Stallone and his Balboa and Rambo characters were blurred with sobering sequels.
Survivor, meanwhile, were able to cash in on the endurance of “Eye of the Tiger” in 2005 by starring in a television commercial for Starbucks DoubleShot Espresso Drink.
The spectacle planned by Balboa doesn’t sound any less unfaithful to the spirit, then. But, catch it while you can. “We try not to play too often,” says Der Gharzarian. “After all, there aren’t any more Rocky movies coming out that we can get different songs from.”
Rambo V, on the other hand, is allegedly right around the corner.
A night celebrating Rocky wouldn’t be complete without a few competitive events, including an arm-wrestling contest inspired by one of Stallone’s less-celebrated muscle movies, 1987’s Over the Top. Prize will be a genuine imitation Rocky Championship Belt, which presumably must be defended at future Balboa shows.
So, what is this? A new subculture dedicated to guys who forever want to be 14 years old?
“No,” counters Der Gharzarian. “For me, it’s more about being like I was when I was eight.”
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