**Note: The Georgia Straight reached out to multiple Vancouver mayoralty candidates asking them if they'd do a What's In Your Fridge. Mostly there's been nothing but radio silence. A couple of candidates were awsome enough to answer, including Fred Harding. 

What’s In Your Fridge is where the Straight asks interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting beside the Heinz ketchup in their custom-made Big Chill Retropolitan 20.6-cubic-foot refrigerators.

On the grill

Fred Harding

Who are you

I am Fred Harding, husband, father, brother. A solutions-driven leader with an eye on the big picture. Currently running for Mayor of Vancouver with the NPA. A no-nonsense business thinker who lives within a framework of honesty, and integrity with a mission to never blight the reputation of my wife or children by making any woeful decision that would cause embarrassment or infamy. (So far so good.)

First concert

Kid Creole and the Coconuts in the Ardwick Apollo in Manchester. I wore a red Bowie Bolero jacket with matching pants.

Life-changing concert

The most mind-blowing concert was in China, 2013. Largely because my then girlfriend, now wife, was performing. I had no idea she had such a large fan base I was also not a fan of C-Pop, had never listened to it, had no idea I could like it until that moment. It opened me up to world music outside of what I had heard in Folkfest. (I was a film guy rather than music).

Top three songs

T-Rex "Bang a Gong"  A timeless epitome of cool. No comparison for its time and age. Robert Palmer’s Power Station came out much later with a passable version but Marc Bolan still rules with the original.

Coffee "Cassanova"  A jazz-funk anthem that I grew up with in 1970s Manchester.. A powerhouse of dance.

Earth Wind and Fire "In the Stone"  There hasn’t been a better musical intro written since this came out.. Mesmerizing offbeat, beyond brilliant. Takes me back.

All-time favourite video

Sinéad O’Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U"  A once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece, closely followed by the Jacksons' "Can you Feel It".

What's in your fridge?

 A jar of Sharwoods Butter Chicken Sauce. It was one of the first things I bought stepping off the plane.

Extra-mature cheddar cheese.

Carbonated water. I keep a constant supply of carbonated water but my fridge has nothing special in there.

For more information on Fred Harding, go here. 

(And don't forget to vote in today's municipal election.)