Dec. 31-04
Happy New Year…
I should have stayed off the rum the night before cause I was in no mood to do this gig. I didn’t feel too bad setting up but I was tired. I could have used a nap. I was trying to think of where I was going to dredge up the energy for this long night. The more I thought about it, the more tired I got. I had to stop thinking about it and just do it. I decided that I would go alcohol free for this one even though it was New Years Eve and I would love to have a toast with everyone. I figured even one drink would knock me out. I was hard enough to play as it was. My arms felt like two lead pipes with bricks on the ends. Not a nice feeling. If it was a normal evening, you would take your ball and glove and go home but I had to stay and finish the game.
During breaks I decided to slow down and conserve energy cause the warp engines were off line and impulse power was down to about 40%. I was not my usual hyper self. I could have slept in the break room. I was drinking pop to see if I could absorb the caffeine and get some energy back but that just gave me gas pains. So on top of no drive, I was suffering from pains in my stomach. Could it get any worse?
So we did the count down and the New Year came and went to our rendition of Auld Lang Syne. A very rocked up, but fun and bouncy version. We put it together before the show.
I liked it a lot.
Some of the guys from the band Spyder showed up and hung out in the break room with us. As the funny stories and jokes flew, it lifted my spirits a bit and I had some great laughs. It did nothing for my energy level unfortunately.
I like when we do our solos sometime, but this was not one of those times. I was thinking, “what am I going to do?” No worries, I didn’t have to solo and I didn’t miss it.
Now that the “new year” count down was over I was counting down the sets until I get to go home.
Once again I survived and I am looking forward to the next gig. We have some time off, so there are plans for about six new songs and plans for recording a CD.
Lots of plans and no resolutions…ok maybe one or two.
Practice drums more and get back the stamina I once had or don’t drink lots of rum the night before a gig.
Here’s to a great year past and to a successful year coming.
CHEERS!
Dec. 23-04
Merry Christmas.
Tonight we play the Blue Mist. Not sure how it will go being a Thursday and all. Usually when we get there to set up there is a good crowd brewing already. This wasn’t the case. There were maybe ten people in the whole place. It was quiet and gave me a feeling that it wasn’t going to be a good show.
Let’s rewind a bit.
The evening started with drinks at Rob’s and a very quick rehearsal of Feliz Navidad. After a couple of quick ones, I had to leave to head to the club cause I have more equipment than everyone else, but they were not far behind.
So I was able to get a head start setting up. I like to have most of my stuff done before the band gets there but that’s not always the case.
Rob changed the set list for this one. He really mixed up the tunes. It seemed like our first set was probably our strongest. At least it was our most energetic. Songs like “Rebel yell, Enid and Oh lonesome me” some of our fastest. After the set was over Rob looks at me and says “Sorry, didn’t mean to do that to you” my reply, “sure get me drunk and then expect me to play these songs” It was funny.
As the night went on the crowd grew and made for a very fun show. Two ladies got into it and tried to take over the stage. We are not big fans of that sort of thing and the staff was slow to remove them. Stuff like that is an accident waiting to happen.
Other than that the night was great and I had a good time as usual.
Merry Christmas and goodnight.
Dec. 11-04
Biggest Crowd in Six Months.
We had just been at Daniels 3 weeks ago. It’s such a small place. It was raining, and it seems to do so every time we're here.
Once again I find nothing out of the ordinary to write about. Although there was a big crowd and they enjoyed themselves and the band was red hot. So I have decided to put you inside my head for this one.
This may get long. If it does I will skip to the end, maybe.
Are you ready? Here we go.
The PA was already set up so I can set up right away. Once my stage is in place I can put my drums up. My setup it the same every time because of my stage. People ask me why do I bother to drag it around. I guess I’m an arrogant twat and want to make sure that everyone can see me. And it has a map of my drum kit so that all the stands go in the same place every time. That seems more realistic. It does cut down on setup time and I don’t have to sit behind the kit a tweak everything to get it right.
After sound check and finally getting my monitor in the right place, I check my headset, make sure my mic is in the right place and get my drinks ready. That mirror freaks me out.
Come time to play, I sit down get comfortable, stretch the arms a bit, give the set list the once over and tell Tony to wait till I give the green light. He starts the first song tonight and I sing backup so I have to have my mic in place. Sticks in hand, mic in place I wait for the intro.
Boom! The night starts. We rip through Running Down a Dream. Muscles are a little tight, gotta lay off a little bit. Make some adjustments. Ok. Getting into the song now.
Outro on the way, listen for riff, ok, four more to go. Crash!
Wait for Rob to stop talking. 1,2,3, bop, bop, bop, and we cut into Accidentally in Love. Ok, concentrate on the count. Flowing good now, don’t push it too fast. Feeling good, muscles are responding, stage sound little muffled. I’m ok if I can hear Rob singing. Little roll at the end and the song is over.
Rob goes right into 3AM intro. Start to tap hi-hat. I hope everyone can lock this. It doesn’t feel good, wait for Tony’s riff. Were in now, we’ll be all right. Ok Al, not too fast, just groove it. Crash, crash, crash, the song is over. That mirror freaks me out.
================BLACK LINE (Don’t ask)=====================
Grab a drink quick, this is gonna be a rocker. The crowd is warming up. Ok two fast ones in a row. This is gonna make or break the rest of the night. Fast count and BOOM! “Enid we never really………”I like this song. So fast paced and I like the harmony the boys have. “I can get a job…” Man were cranking now. Hold on arms we’ll make it. Off beat ending coming, don’t lose it.
Right into ROCK in the USA. Another fast one. Hey I didn’t set up my cowbell. Improvise, real fast. Ok, I’ll do this. Ta, ta, ta. I guess that’s ok. I wonder does anyone notice, or better still, does anyone care. I gotta lay off the fucking cymbals a little bit.
I’m a fucking animal on the fast ones. Come on, where’s the dynamics? Fuck it, the song is over in 2 and a half minutes.
===============BLACK LINE (Please don’t ask)===================
Man I’m thirsty.
Rob kicks the next intro. Having trouble hearing it but it’ll work out when he starts singing. Build up and BOOM! “She’s so high above me” BOOM again! I like the stops.
It really gives the song life. I like bashing the shit out of this one and I always see Tony cause I ride a lot on this one. Tony’s smiling. Is he having fun, or am I just funny looking? End now, still having trouble hearing acoustic. Deal with it.
Church time. Ok lock it, not too slow. Think of the riff and count it. Let’s see how this feels. Rob smiles, good tempo for Wave on Wave. We always rip this song. We should record it. I think that every time we play it. Great song.
2-4 The Show-my turn to sing.
That mirror again, it’s like people are standing behind me. Freaky.
Quick drink, place mic, listen to beep in headset. Ok, not loud enough. Hurry turn up before drum intro. Still a little down, listen to piano and lock it. “It’ two for the show…” Oh boy, vocals are rough tonight, and monitor a little low. OK, sing a little louder. Big breath, “If only there was a better way to go”. I think I was there. Didn’t sound flat. Ok, thinking of way too much. Here comes the solo, I hope he nails it. Stop humming and start breathing. Bad habit. Slow down you’re rushing the tempo, lock it. OK, that’s better. The song is almost over. I’ll have to say hi to Chris on the break. “One for the money…”. One more to go and drink time.
================BLACK LINE (You know)====================
“Thank you”. Don’t be a dick and acknowledge the crowd. Move the mic and get a drink. Sticks are holding up, arms are holding up. It’s getting warm in here. Steve forgot his fan.
Poor bastard.
1,2,3,4 BaBoom! Riverboat is always a groover. Steve is going to look for my hat trick. Hey it’s coming, but I’ll just tease him a bit. I’ll give him half and make him sweat. It is a nice little riff though. I use it in a few songs. OK, are you ready? Chink-it-ta, chink-it-ta…is the only way I can describe it. You’d have to hear it. Drag the end and were out.
Big build and Blam! Copperhead Road. Wait for it. Lock it. THUMP!!!!!!! With reverb. I LOVE IT! Do it again. THUMP!!!!!!!!! Come on Lock It. Yes that’s it. The head is moving now. I’m getting the BUZZ. Too bad we don’t have a cool but good sounding bagpipe at the end. Maybe.
OK, here we go. This will wake them up. Quick drink, mic is ready, hit the start button.
KABOOM!!! Yes that’s it, get off your asses. Hard to hear low voice, don’t wanna sing any louder. Hey don’t put your drink there. Shit. If that tumbles, Steve won’t have a monitor. Where do they hide when they are not dancing? Didn’t look like that many people. I wonder what time it is. Hey, I don’t have to use the bathroom yet. All systems still go. Should I do the big scream? I don’t have to sing a whole lot. No wait, that song has lots of high notes, whatcha gonna do for that? Oh ya, better save some. Vocals still not cutting. Gotta fix’em on break.
=================BLACK LINE (Have you figured it out yet?)============
I need a drink after that one.
One more and then break time. 1,2, crack-bop-thumpy-dump crash.
I still have to sing back up. Getting horse now. OK, deal with it. Don’t push too hard, don’t get mad, don’t get sad, don’t get glad, hey that rhymes. Where did everyone go? Come on this is a good dance tune. What’s up with that? Can’t get the right spot on my snare for the timbale sound. That’s my sweet spot. CRACK! There it is. Ya, give me some more. CRACK! Oh ya, there’s another. You sweet thing you. Maybe I’ll crank you up a few turns and beat the shit out of you. Just because you’re nice. CRACK, DING, POP! I have to leave the damper ring off more. You know, when the song is over were going on break, you’ll have to listen the dj. BOOM BOOM CRASH! And ride it out.
KABOOM!
Fade to black.
Time to zone out and relax, but not too much.
That was just one set and I left out a lot. Most of what goes through my head during when we play I can’t really put into words and I can’t explain why. Mostly because a lot of it is my own little world full of wonderful things, like colors. Just flashes of light, a million bits of information at a time.
I guess that makes me sound crazy. I just think a lot that’s all. I think of little bits of everything all at the same time. Even when we play a song, I will think of that song and then think of the next one and what I’m gonna do for that.
At Daniels I wonder how many people look in those fucking mirrors.
Stupid mirrors. Are they supposed to make the room look bigger?
Knock the fucking wall out if you want more room.
See what I mean, one topic to another. Maybe I am crazy?
I was gonna do all 3 sets but I figured most of you stopped reading long ago. I think my spell checker fell asleep a page back.
I guess the point of this whole thing was to show how much I do during a night. I am one forth of the band. My part alone takes a lot of physical ability, mental concentration, stamina and discipline. (My poor spell checker) So you can imagine if all four of us put into words what we do at the same time. There is a lot of shit going on here. This was just my little world. I barely even touched on what I notice the other guys doing. If you can believe it, this was a condensed version. Are you still awake? Shit, this is 3 pages long.
I remember even saying that night that I had now idea what I was going to write about.
Maybe that’s a good thing. Nothing bad happened. The bar was packed, second set felt like the last set cause that crowd rocked and the band was on track with full steam.
Don’t you just love playing drums?
Bunga-dump-thang-dupylu-bop-crash!
(This article was brought to you by my sponsor, Rotten Pepper Beaver Beer©)
Dec. 4-04
2:35am “Hey guys, can you play one more?”
Saturday is always a better night at the Main Event. My only concern was that The Tragically Hip was at Center 200 and I figured a lot of people would be going.
The concert did not affect our crowd at all. We had a full house.
The band was 100% and it was Rob’s birthday.
Happy _ _ st birthday. For those of you who don’t know, I’m not telling.
I fixed the midi problem from the night before, not that I want to bring up any bad memories but all the equipment worked fine. Well for the most part.
Steve was having equipment problems but not the electronic kind. Unless of course you call your hand not responding to your brain, an electronic problem. The old cramp up syndrome. There is nothing worse than getting a cramp in the middle of a song, or the middle of anything for that matter. I’m lucky that I don’t have that problem too often. My muscles get tired a lot but I don’t get cramps. I’m sure everyone knows what a cramped muscle feels like.
We blew through the sets flawlessly and the night was gone before I knew it. Another great show.
I was telling the boys about my Rush DVD and how it shows what they do before a gig. NOTHING.
There’s no work involved. They go see the sights and eat fine meals and read books to past the time and walk around the stage wondering how things are going.
They don’t set up anything. They walk in, play for 90mins and then take off to the hotel. Now that is the life. Some of the guys said they would probably miss playing the clubs.
I said "me to but I would get over that in a week". HA.
Once again we talked about recording. It seems to be a never-ending topic. We just have to get the ball rolling. We have started writing songs. The four of us have not been together at the same time for the writing part yet. I figure when that happens we will get another step forward. I feel that we are possibly stalled and we need to put together a small plan and decide how to proceed. This of course is my opinion, maybe I’m wrong. I’m just the kind of person that when I decide that I want to do something I want it done yesterday. I’ve wanted to record a cd for ten years. I think that is the reason why I push myself to continue to write new songs and stay up later than I should trying to put together a song. I always have a note pad around because when I go to bed, sometime lyrics will pop into my brain. I have to write it down. If I don’t I will lay in bed awake thinking of more lines. If I let it go till morning, it is gone and for people who know me, I don’t like to throw anything away.
In case you are wondering about the title. True story.
The lights were on. I think the soundman was gone home. The drum kit was half put away. Tony’s gear was packed and off the stage. Steven was finishing putting his guitars in the cases and this lady staggers over and says
“Bla bla bla, one more song. Bla bla bla, I’m not gonna beg. Bla bla bla, oh come on.” So Steven in his kindhearted ways politely explained that we were finished and the bar would not let us play anymore. Not that we would anyway. I think she was getting mad at him. Imagine, mad at Steve.
Even though I suggested some more “to the point words”, in his wisdom would not say such things because you can attract more bees with honey than vinegar. But unfortunately when the bees have been flying three sheets to the wind, no amount of honey will make them happy. And so Steven in his gentle ways takes the brunt of it and she finally wanders away. I don’t think she will remember any of it, but we will.
At least, that is how I will remember it.
Dec. 3-04
Musical Instrument Digital Interface Bullshit.
Midi for short. For those of you that do not know what midi is, I’m sorry I don’t have time to explain it now. Quickly though, it’s the info electronic musical instruments use to send back and forth.
So on Friday, I thought I would use my Roland SPD-8 drum pad and trigger some cool sounds from the keyboard. It was a quick setup and I had not worked out all the midi settings and the drum pad was causing errors in the keyboard. The keyboard then would not respond the sequencer and caused no sounds to be played.
It was a slower Friday but the people that showed up had a great time. We couldn’t wait for Saturday.
In the third set, we started “Freeze Frame” which is a count of four, then a big punch and then the keyboard plays its part. Well because of the midi screw up, there was no keyboard and it sounded like this.
Me counting. “1, 2, 3, 4” everyone hits the first note “Crash”, then silence. There was nothing I could do.
The set was cooking until then. I felt like crawling under my drums. “Fucking technology”, I think was the words I used.
Well then. What can you do?
Can’t blame the drum tech, don’t have one.
Can’t blame the road crew, don’t have one.
Can’t blame the soundman, it’s not his equipment.
Can’t blame the equipment, it only does what you tell or do not tell it to do. So now “Fucking technology” turns into human error.
And of course, MINE.
Nov. 27-04
Ho Ho Ho, Xmas party for M.A.
This gig reminded me of a reception. Everybody was dressed up, there was wine and a buffet table. We were only missing the bride and groom. I guess that’s because it was a Christmas party.
We relaxed the set a little and slowly eased our way to the heavy stuff.
One good thing about company parties is that the place is full when you start and stays full until the end.
To even out the set list, Rob decide to do a few acoustic numbers and they went over very well. Rob does a great version of Blue Bayou and I thought to myself, “I think we could do an awesome cover of that with the full band”, lay it back and have some nice harmony in there. Rob and Steve cover it when they do their duo gigs but it was the first I heard Rob do it. Good job.
Because of the nature of the beast, the sound was laid back a bit as well, at least until everyone got juiced up. I’m sure the volume slowly made its way to earsplitting by the end.
It was a fun gig. I was glad to see everyone enjoyed the band because these ones are tricky. A dj can play whatever the hell you want. We are however, a rock band with a specific set list. We do know more songs than the set, but we pretty much stick to the list.
We did pull out a few that we do not play and they worked.
In the third set we did a little acapella version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.
The boys really have their shit together. Another successful gig, everyone left happy and we scored some free beer and a deli plate.
Once again, it’s my turn.
Nov. 20-04
Communication breakdown leads to adlib failure.
We had a great night at Daniels. It turned out to be a typical gig.
First set, there were a few people around, enough to make some noise as we played the songs that they enjoyed.
Second set, more people rolled in and made for a real enjoyable set.
Third set, full house and we had a great time. The crowd really warmed up to the band.
On my first break I sat alone near where the stairs leads to the lower level and took in the sights. Doing my usual analyzing of humanity that I sometimes do.
While I was sitting there, I noticed a group of people wearing these little flashing lights.
I was guessing that they were having some kind of party and the lights symbolized something but I did not know what.
Everybody was into the dj and the dance floor bounced with every song.
Then a particular song came on and I noticed how everybody knew the words and could not help but clap, move their feet and dance. I looked around the room and it was the same reaction for this song.
The tune was “Feel the Same Way To” by The Rankins.
As I listened and watched, everyone was mesmerized by the song, singing all the lyrics.
It made me happy that some Cape Breton musicians could move people this way.
I couldn’t help but think that they must have made a million dollars off that song or at least someone did.
In the end it’s all about the song.
Now, back to the gig.
Everything went well for the whole night. Then it happened. I don’t even like to talk about it. I wanted to do an unrehearsed thing and it backfired. As a matter of fact I didn’t even tell anybody that I wanted to try something different. Lesson learned.
For the intro of “Shook me all Night” I wanted Tony to hold his last chord before we all kicked in, just to try to arouse the crowd a bit more. Usually it’s a four count and we go but I didn’t start and I thought everyone in the band would catch on. The only time I adlib anything is in a drum solo. Next time I’m sticking to the plan.
Anytime Rob gets an idea for something on the spot, he tells us on the break, “let’s try this guys” and we talk about it. My problem was that I had only thought of it when Tony ripped into the intro. I should have said, “fuck it” and stuck to the agenda.
I guess that is the reason why we “REHEARSE”
Nov. 13-04
Happy Birthday Mr. President.
November 13 1970, I was born and my life was changed forever.
It’s cool to do a gig on your birthday. I don’t know why. It would have been great to spend the evening with my family and relax, but the boys are my extended family now so it’s almost the same. I still did the family thing in the daytime, I had the best of both worlds. I got to blow out candles and eat cake, that’s the main thing.
Saturday and Herman’s’ always rocks. We do four sets instead of three. If I remember correctly, our second set starts at around 1:20am and the place was happening then. I knew it was gonna be a smoker. I felt better physically for this night. I figured that we would probably do solos near the end so I held off a bit. That’s a hard thing to do cause I like to go full tilt right from the beginning. One has to take care though cause you can burn yourself out before the night if over. There are a lot of vocalists that do that. Scream your face of at the start and have not voice left for the last set.
For the first time in a long time I decided to warm up before we went on. It’s something I don’t usually do for lack of time mostly. I took my sticks down to the dressing room and whacked the shit out of a soft chair. This way it’s not too loud to annoy anyone and I don’t get the shock going up my arms. It is still a good work out though. Not much bounce, but I only want to warm up the muscles so I wouldn’t feel like the night before.
If you want a good example of what I go though, get up right now, go jog for about 3 minutes then stop for ten or twenty seconds then run as fast as you can and then stop again and then walk then stop then jog then stop then run then stop then run again and stop and maybe walk for a bit, depends if Rob jumps over the next song or not then run again. Do this for a 45min period. Oh yea, don’t forget to have a drink during the ten second stops. That’s usually where the black lines are. (Don’t ask)
So I hope you get my point. What I just described to you, I could not do myself, but when I’m behind the drum set there seems to be an inner power I have to be able to keep this up for the entire set. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in perfect physical condition. Far from it I’m sure. And when we finish the fast ones, I’m breathing heavy to catch my breath. The whole jogging thing comes into play. It’s really the only way I can describe it to people.
The warm up helped. Usually the first set is the warm up, but then you break and cool off.
Forty-five minutes is a long time to cool off.
I really had a great time at this show. The big crowd made up for Friday and it was a birthday for the books. I was so into it that I really poured on the ham for my drum solo.
I did some fills and then just stopped, stood up and said “COME ON!!!!!” just to get them screaming. It worked. And then I started pounding again. I was still not 100% so I eased up a bit and used some brainpower to reroute auxiliary power to the warp engines and I made through.
Everyone seems to like when I solo. I think they just like to see how far I can go before my little arms break off. Well folks, they don’t. Sorry to disappoint anybody.
I guess it’s like going to a hockey game and not seeing any fights.
Thanks to everyone who shared my birthday and thanks to Rob, Tony and Steven for taking the time so we could put together an awesome band.
Nov. 12-04
Don’t get too close, he has fleas!
How is that for a title? I crack me up sometime.
Friday, Friday, Friday…at Smooth Herman’s…gives us time to go over songs and practice for the next gig. That’s not to say that we can be sloppy or anything. We are still getting paid. There were a few people there and they did pay a cover charge to get in, so I guess it’s a night like any. You know the story of course. The more people, the more fun we have and so on. On nights like these, where there are very few people, the band really has to bounce off each other. Sometimes we have just as much fun as if there were a million people there. Not that I will ever know what it’s like to play for a million people. That really doesn’t matter. I think Friday was an off night for me. I didn’t feel up to it physically. I had hell day at work, so my body didn’t wanna work any more after 5 pm. By the time 3:30am rolled around, my brain and body weren’t communicating anymore.
Keep an eye out for Live at Five on Thursday, cause they were doing there bar tour. I hope we made it.
We did our typical breaks there. Sat around for 45mins and talked shop and whatever other bullshit we could dig up. We talked about another band we know and how they are folding at the end of the year. I can’t picture it. Are they folding and all forming different bands? Are only some of them going to do new bands? How do you stop playing music? I don’t know that I will ever understand. Music is the reason I didn’t got to college and become a lawyer or doctor or airplane pilot and is the reason I never had to get a student loan. Maybe music has been a curse for me. Maybe today I could have been a doctor or lawyer or pilot and maybe I would be a lot unhappier. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved music. Even before I played drums. I remember being a little kid and we had a little Bontempi Organ. I think everyone had one at the time. All the keys were numbered and the chord buttons on the side were labeled with their proper letter. So to follow along in the music book, you just played the number it showed. I used to play songs like, “The Saints Go Marching In” and “On Top of Old Smokey”. That’s before I even knew what a drum set was.
I have an uncle who plays guitar and was amazed at how he could play songs and sing the words. I used to love music classes in elementary school and how the teacher would play the piano and sing the lyrics to the kids’ songs. I can’t imagine which direction my life would have taken if not music. I can’t even begin to think where I would be.
This may be a crazy comparison but it will give you an idea of what I mean.
When I talk to people who smoke, I ask them, “Why don’t you just quit?” They tell me that the addiction it too strong and they have tried many times but it’s just too hard.
( I know this sounds weird, cause I'm not trying to quit music. You will see where I going in a second)
Then I say, “I’m so glad I’m not addition to anything.” To me, music is my addiction. Does that even make sense? Some people will say it’s a passion, but I don’t know. I think it would be very hard for me to give it up. That sounds more like an addition to me.
I love bashing the shit out of my drums, I love writing songs, I love creating music on my pc, I love hearing other music, I love hearing people scream when we finish a song, it’s a great feeling when you know people are truly moved by what you do. That sounds more like a drug addition.
I get high on music.
I think it’s time for another hit.
Nov. 6-04
“What have we learned from this gig?”- Robert Barrie
Here is a list of things I discovered and want to share with you.
1. Four-liter jugs of water cannot be dropped from a height of 3 feet.
2. A large bag of All Dressed Ruffles cost almost four fucking dollars.
3. Steven’s CD player in his van hates burned cds.
4. The boys don’t like Phil Collins as much as me.
5. Coors Light beer is not too bad.
6. Apparently I’m hyper.
7. Steven’s van is not high enough to park on a wellhead.
8. Cordon usually doesn’t move personal gear but did us a favor.
9. Descousse Hall made the stage bigger.
10. Steven changes his phone ringer to go with the seasons.
11. Do not drink the water. Sorry for any inconvenience.
12. Steven’s van has a vibration when you drive. Maybe a balance problem?
13. The break room is ten times warmer than the storage room.
14. Beer is only $2.75 at the hall and the pop is free.
15. Our set list is running smoother thanks to some black lines. Don’t ask.
16. The marker that made the black lines really stinks.
17. Twenty people do not make a crowd.
18. Apparently after a show I’m still hyper.
19. Tim Horton’s in St. Peters is open late.
20. It only takes an hour and a half to get from Descousse to Sydney.
This concludes our broadcast.
Oct. 30-04
Preoccupied with 1985.
What a blast. What a great gig. I would have been disappointed if a good crowd did not show for this one. No worries of that. Some people really put thought into their costume.
Let’s rewind a bit.
I had to set up in the afternoon for this one cause like most people I have to little ones who do not want to miss out on the free treats. So I did my thing around 2:00 and was able to be home to gear up for the evening. My children are only small so I don’t go too far. They did however get enough goodies to last a year, just in time for next year. After we got back, my family was going to do the fireworks and I had to go to the gig.
So I got ready and head to the club. All black clothes with a long blonde wig. What a riot. I looked even funnier cause I have big black eye brows. Time to do those roots. HA.
It’s was 80’s rocker night for us. The boys went all out as you can see from the pic. Tony had about 50 pounds of extra clothes, Rob had about 50 pounds of extra eye shadow, Steve with his exploding pants and me with my golden locks. Still, very funny. I think maybe I’ll use the wig for all the gigs.
On one break I sat with my 2 uncles, one who I didn’t even know it was him. He had talked to me earlier and asked “I hope you guys play good music”. I didn’t know him until my other uncle told me. It was a laugh.
The costumes always blow me away. Like most clubs, they gave prizes for best dressed.
These two people, one as a 12 foot tall mummy and the other a 12 foot tall headless guy.
I’m guessing they were both guys cause I don’t think a woman is stupid enough to put themselves through that kind of torture. The mummy looked like he had milk crated tied to his feet to give him the height. Great costumes, but too hard to dance.
They won the prizes.
There were only a few not dressed up. That’s OK. Some people feel silly I guess and the rest of us never grow up. You are only as old as you feel.
I will leave you with some funny stuff for Halloween.
THINGS THAT SOUND DIRTY ON HALLOWEEN
10. She's a goblin!
9. I'd like to get a little something
in the sack tonight.
8. Just get on your hands and
knees and bob your head.
7. She's got a couple of nice
pumpkins on her porch.
6. If you just lick it,
it will last longer.
5. Let me see your big sack.
4. Can I eat your zagnuts?
3. Have your mom check it
before you put it in your mouth.
2. You scared me stiff!
And the dirtiest sounding but not-dirty Halloween saying is...
He's got candy spread out on the living room floor!
Oct. 23-04
Its Dollarama night at the Blue Mist…A buck a suck!
Let me go back to Friday for a moment. Riding home from work, there was a clunking sound from the front wheel of my van. It scared the shit out of me cause it pulled to one side. I thought for sure it was a brake problem. Turns out the wheel bearings disintegrated and finally was letting me know. I spent Friday evening covered in grease.
So on to gig night. Once again I’ll say I’m not a big fan of small clubs. The thought of setting up knowing that we will all be tripping over each other just kills me. It happens all the time. No room for anything and you have to keep the area clear for people having their supper and stuff. It doesn’t take long to get over it once all the empty cases are put away and I hide behind my sea of drums. I consider there my own little space. I guess I’m lucky that way. My kit takes up five feet front to back and the widest part is six feet. That’s it. I just sit in the middle. This is my space and that’s that. The rest of the boys have to watch out for each other and for mic stands and cables and people that wander on the stage. Steven has hooked himself several times on cables attached to the drum mics.
The smaller the stage, the easier it is to do. The boys always have to have an eye open to their environment. That’s the part that makes me lucky. I just have to worry about what’s in my space. Some times I lose control and a stick gets caught in something and flings out of my hand like a rubber band. It can become dangerous to people who don’t see it coming.
Those are several reasons why I like the bigger clubs.
We started off the night knowing about birthdays and a stagette party. That info there tells me it’s gonna be a blast. I get over the whole small club thing in a hurry. I get into my zone and away I go. I usually pound out the tunes the same whether there are two people or two hundred. Although, a big crowd always makes for a quick night. I guess that could be positive or negative. Doesn’t matter to me at this point. The crowd was very responsive and the band put on a remarkable show.
For my breaks I bought some of those silly little pull tab tickets that you don’t win on and wasted about a buck fifty. That’s one stop at Tim Hortons. You know something though, I lost, but Johnny won big time on two different tickets. I said, “I can’t believe you won”. He showed me. One dollar! On each one! That’s two dollars! That’s the price of four tickets! Shit! There had to be about one thousand of those little pull tab bastards in there and I won shit and Johnny wins two bucks. That sucked. Thank the Lord up above that this was not the highlight of my evening. There is a good reason why I don’t buy that crap. It would have been better to take my money to the dollar store and buy myself something nice.
Rob had planned an opening for the third set that we didn’t know about. He told us right before we went on. It was a tribute to Doug Bennett from Doug and the Slugs. I never heard the song before and neither did Tony or Steven. Rob started playing the song on his guitar. He told us he would just play a couple of lines and then we will kick into the first song. The crowd loved it and Steven and Tony started to follow along and I supplied what I thought would be a fitting drumbeat. The whole thing worked out well. Rob was surprised and impressed. So much that I think he wants to add it to the set. I even saw people in the crowd singing along, so that tells me that it must have been popular at some time. The tune was called “Chinatown Calculation”. I liked it.
Doug Bennett died about two weeks ago on a Saturday, and I heard the news the following Monday when my alarm clock went off. The news was just on and it said,
“Canadian Rocker Doug Bennett of Doug and the Slugs died Saturday in hospital”.
I actually gasp. I couldn’t believe it. I never got to see them in concert. I was a big fan in the 80’s. “Making it Work, Who knows how to make love stay, Tomcat prowl” were all great songs.
The part that I found funny was my response when I heard about it. I never met him, but yet I found it kind of chilling.
Doug and the Slugs played Halifax about a month ago and I saw the preview of the show on the news. He looked a lot older that 53. I remember commenting on how I wish they had of came to Sydney so I could have got to see them.
Once again life throws a curve ball and it’s seems weird to me. Maybe cause he was one of ours.
If you get a chance, check out the history. Doug And The Slugs
I have nothing more to say…
Oct. 15-04
I feel like I'm gonna throw-up or pass out.
There were a lot of out-of-towners at Daniels. One group had about twenty, not sure where they were from and another little group was from the USA. They had a shit load of American money and wanted to change it at the bar. The bar keep was not too obliging. I didn’t catch the whole conversation but it ended in “that’s the American way”. The bartender said without hesitation ”The American way, you’re in Canada now buddy”. That was fucking priceless. I love a quick wit.
Poor Steven. What a fucking trooper. A lesser man would have quit the band. He showed up sick, played sick, drove home sick and went to bed sick. I thought for sure he was gonna lose it and vomit. “Please just not on the drums, not on the drums!” I really don’t know what kept him going. Think about it. When you are feeling ill, you do shit all. You don’t want to do shit all. You definitely don’t wanna stand up for three hours and bounce around. You are thinking, “if he was sick he’s not gonna bounce”. You're right. But Steve likes to tap his foot to the beat and he was doing just that and that tap has a bit of leg movement and that causes a person to sway back and forth, which turns into a bounce.
Do you see the weird shit that I notice? I’ll never figure it out.
If you read Steve’s last blog he talks about inspiration and motivation so I kept telling him at the gig, “one pole at a time Steven, one pole at a time”. He survived the gig, somewhat. I hope he doesn’t have to go through that again.
I thought it was cool that Bruce Guthro showed up at the gig. I don’t know him well but Rob does. I’m always happy for Capers who do well in the music industry. If only something would kick my ass and make me record a damn CD. I don’t care if anybody buys it, I just want to do it and maybe ten more after that. I always say that having a CD to your credit puts you on a level above everyone else whether people like it or not. You go from being a cover artist to a recording artist and people have more respect for you. I like that part.
Nobody caused any shit for us and I had fun. I got to talk to some musician friends of mine. I like talking to La, La, La, Lloyd H. He’s a great guy any really funny. In case you don’t know, I like funny stuff. Lloyd is usually around at the Herman’s gigs and he always has a backstage pass so I get to talk to him there. Did I mention I like humor? Nothing makes the breaks go better than a good joke or funny story. Rob always reels us in with one of his tall tales and he always has us hooked until the end. “It’s all in the delivery,” he would say. He’s right.
I think the band applies that same philosophy to the music we play and how we deliver it. It’s a good philosophy and the formula is working for us.
Don’t you just love MUSIC?
Oct. 2-04
I’ll take Shakespeare for $1000 Alex.
The band survived Friday, but I wasn’t sure how Saturday would go. I figured everyone would even be more tired, but the second night of a 2-night show, there is less to setup. That always takes a load off. You can go there, do 5 minutes of work and then relax before the show. That is usually the case.
There was an auction to raise money for the old town hall I believe and it was supposed to run until 8 o’clock. So I got there at eight so I could do my thing and be ready for start time. I was shocked to see very little people there and found out it ended at 7 and it didn’t look like they needed the space that my drums would have taken up.
Not too impressed was I. Think that fucked over I got. Next time, there will not be, for I will be a Jedi and use mind control to make them believe that I do not need to move my drums because they will not be using the stage. “USE THE FORCE LUKE”
As we started, again I thought, “I guess everyone is burned out and this will a slow show”. I was proven wrong. We had a great show and everyone was on a reserve of energy. Big Saturday crowd sure helps kick our asses and we have a good time in the end.
For all who witnessed “Road House Blues”, it is not on our set list and we don’t play it all the time. I think this time was the first one. Some guy asked for us to play it. We should have just said, “Sorry never heard of it and the only doors I know are the exits”. Do you think that may be rude? Maybe we’ll play “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Taking care of business” instead. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! FUCK THAT!
Don’t get me wrong, I like the tunes, it’s just that I’ve played them since 1989, non-stop until about a year ago.
Those are the kind of songs I like at house parties with acoustic guitars and beer.
I wouldn’t want someone to pay me to play those songs.
Oct. 1-04
You know, I taught Elvis to dance.
Friday at the MainEvent. I got there before everyone else and notice the production company hung 20 lights. I figured that would keep us all warm.
I don't know if it's the change of season or the long road but everyone seems to be wearing down. We were all a bit under the weather or tired from the past week. Regardless we had a good night. Not a bad crowd. They were into it. That part always makes the night go smoother.
I was not impressed that I had to move my drum kit to supply room for the next afternoon. I don't think they even needed it. Oh well, I survived.
Sept. 25-04
Yes, but how many beer does he buy you?
What a day. I guess summer is trying to hang on. It wasn’t raining for a change. I forgot a piece of my gear at Herman’s, so it made me a little late for this gig. Late to set up that is. I like to be there at a certain time and that was not the case. No big deal.
This of course was not a practice show but the real thing. What a great time I had. The audience was really into us and they had a blast as well. We always receive a great response from New Waterford. The bigger the crowd the better, just stay off the stage. Rob said they threw out that lady who would not go away. I thought for sure she spilled her drink on Tony’s stuff. Steve will tell you that electricity and liquid does not mix. She was definitely looking “thru beer goggles”.
Quote-"There is enough current there to blow your ass off"-RB
What a riot.
I got to see some of my former band mates and buddies. They were have a stag party for my friend Jim F. They were feeling no pain. I wish I could have been blasted wish them, but work comes first. It was still great to chat with them.
I guess you could say we blew off the roof. They did not want us to stop, so we played one encore and then it was time to go. Thanks NW for the great time.
I stopped at the local Tango Hotel and got myself a large tea for the ride home. Did anyone get to see that moon? It was freaking eerie, but cool. I would have posted a pic here but by the time I got home it was out of my sight. I have to remember to bring my camera.
I’m already looking forward to the next gig.
Sept. 24-04
What can I say?
Every once in a while our management calls up and says "OK boys, its time to practice again". And we always bitch and complain. This time though they said they booked Hermans for us and we'll get paid for it. I love paid rehearsals. We just have to go in and pretend it's a live show and if anybody shows up then all the better.
It was a good practice!
Sept. 18-04
If the lights come on, shut it down!
What a day. Rain, rain, rain. I guess I don’t have to tell you. I couldn’t wait to get on the road. I had made a joke with the boys about leaving at 10 in the morning so we could take in the sites. That of course didn’t happen. We did get on the road around supper time and Steve and Tony tried to trick me into believing they were going to be late, but I didn’t bite. They picked me up around 5ish and we got Rob at 6. Then, the long road to the NHL. That’s “Neil’s Harbor Legion” for those who don’t know. Once again I forgot my camera, so there are no road pics. The four of us together in the van for two hours makes for quite a bit of humor, wise cracks and bullshit. I’m glad we all have a sense of humor. We burned out a Trooper disk and a Police disk for the trip up. That’s all we had and you can’t get a radio station up on the hill. We sang along, played air drums and commented about what parts we loved in the songs.
The gig went as any other gig. We played, they enjoyed, and everyone was happy. Then a few decided they wanted to fight. They did take it out side, but the crowd went with them. I think being cooped up in a little community, they get a bit crazy and want to kill each other. I’m not sure really, but it does not leave a great feeling with the band. It may be our last gig there. We’ll have to wait and see. I thought for sure a big hug and slug was gonna take place at the end, so I stayed behind the sound board with Alex. I didn’t think anyone would try to fuck with him so that seemed like a safe place. It calmed down and they took that one outside as well. Nothing worse than when a fight breaks out and property get damaged. I remember a fight years ago that almost knocked over one side of the PA. That would not have been pretty.
After the gig it was still raining. I knew the ride home was going to be tough. It always is when you’re tired. I stayed awake with Steve while he drove. Tony had worked the night before so he was in and out. Rob worked that day so he was in and out as well. Steve was OK to drive so we chatted all the way. Then on the way back to the ferry, the lights were flashing on the sign. We had to drive around the long way. What a fucking twisted road. Steve told us how he just got the brakes done on his van. Well they sure got a work out on that damn road. We burned out The Police again. You know a cd will play several times over a 2-hour period. Rob was the first one dropped off and Tony took shotgun. We always let Rob sit in the front cause he is the tallest. I think that is the reason. Anyway, from then on I was starting to lose it in the back seat and I blacked out a couple of times. Tony was awake by this time so at least Steven wasn’t alone.
It’s funny. The NHL gig was 9to1 so we finished early, packed up quick and left. I got home the same time from there as I would from Sydney Mines. WOW! I must be too slow at the local gigs.
I will have to time myself next time and see.
Sept. 11-04
“It’s 1,2,3, dum, dum, dum”
What a fucking way to start a night. While the rest of the band was at the Blue Mist, I was apparently in Florida somewhere. No wait, they just got bashed with a hurricane didn’t they? I guess it was “never never” land. The opening drum fill was nowhere in my brain. Oh well. Water under the bridge at this point. I had a great time after that.
Small clubs are funny to me. The do not have a stage and they cram as many people they can into them. Because of said “lack of stage”, the dance floor squeezes into the band area and the boys have to be careful where they swing their guitars because they can easily hit someone. Because people are so close to the band and the equipment, they think it gives them the right to sing in the mics. Guess what. WRONG! I thought Rob was gonna wrap a mic stand around some lady’s neck. “Death by micstand” it would have read in the paper.
Come on people.
Regardless of that, the band had a great time.
I spent the breaks by myself hiding behind the soundboard. I just sat there and kept quiet and analyzed the crowd while the break music shook my chair. I’m always looking for themes and ideas for songs. I have about a million things going on in my brain at one time. Some of the best songs in the world have been written because of something said or something witnessed. I don’t read books much but I watch out for everything. Most of my reading I do on the internet. It’s the world biggest encyclopedia. That’s what I like to call it. Sometimes one word can give me an idea for a song. I like those ones. In others I look for themes and then write a song around that. I notice things because I’m always looking around. I guess I like to be aware of my environment. I like to take my camera on long drives just incase I see something out of the blue.
I remember one time going to a fire station and I noticed right away that where the men have their coats hung and boots stored are all numbered. 1,2,3…etc for every fireman. I then asked the chief, “How come there is no number thirteen?” He commented on how observant I was. I guess they were superstitious. I’m not saying I’m a genius…oh wait. Yes I am. I’m a genius. I’m a friggin genius. “Allan the genius” they call me.
Isn’t there a saying that goes “there is a fine line between genius and insane”.
I guess a genius would know that answer.
Once again I noticed while on break, it doesn’t matter how small the club, everyone will still come in and be uncomfortable, just to be around a lot people.
I even seen people at other clubs get in fights because they are crowded on the dance floor and keep getting bumped by other people. Fueled by alcohol, it makes for a very funny picture. I just sit back and laugh. I find it hard to believe that I used to do the same thing. Go to the club, wait in line, get loaded, stumble through the crowd and then complain that it was too packed.
I guess that’s why I sat alone at this one. I personally like to be in a back room somewhere away from the crowd and the noise. We make enough noise when we play. I know not too many people know this but drums are really loud and so is Steven. Yes Steven, you’re too fucking loud.
Most people don’t know that I have a sense of humor either. I’m so lifeless and quiet that it’s hard to tell. I really do enjoy a good joke or funny saying. Johnny was telling the crowd to get out at the end of the gig. You know, the way the staff yell, “TIME TO GO FOLKS” and I said, “I hope you get paid for that” I thought it was funny. Then he came out with a whopper “If you wanna hang around here, you gotta bring your own rope”. That was a riot. I never heard that one before.
I once heard a bouncer say to the public, and I’m not making this up “WE GOT YOUR FUCKING MONEY, NOW GET OUT”. Can you believe that? True story.
We were able to store our equipment on the sound truck until the next gig. Thanks Alex.
Next week we are off to the “NHL” as Alex has called it. He also says that he will be making the same phone call as last week after the gig, but this time he’s gonna pass the phone around. Way too funny.
Aug. 27-04
Arizona never looked so good.
It was a dark and rainy night. You know, the kind after Hurricane Frances blows through.
It was chilling to the bone. Summer had seemed to pack its bags and skipped town.
I was getting ready for my gig the same way as I do every other night. Shave, shower, iron my suit and then get dressed. I top it all off with a little splash of Drakar. The ladies seem to like that stuff.
As I check myself in the mirror one last time, I pick up my violin case and head out the door. Just before I leave, she stops me, straightens my tie, kisses my cheek and says, “go get’em Tiger”. Just before I turn out the door, I look at her and say, “I always do”.
I pull the rim of my fedora down and shut the door behind me.
My taxi was late as usual so I lit a cigarette and pondered for a moment. Then I thought, “What the hell am I doing, I don’t smoke” and I crushed it out under my shoe without a second thought.
I arrived a minute behind Tony. “Tony Da no no”. That’s what we used to call him. I was never really sure if he liked that name. I guess it doesn’t matter. We didn’t speak much, just kind of complained back and forth about the rain. “Always seems to rain…” he said. I agreed. While we set up, there were only a few people around. One guy asked if we were playing tonight. I still don’t get it why people ask the obvious. It’s like asking a guy wearing a mask if he’s gonna rob a bank. Regardless, I told him yes.
The time seemed to pass at a snails pace. It was hard to see the eyes of the strangers walking by until the next pair. I knew them right away. It was Steven. “Smooth fingers” he’s know by in some parts. The name alone puts a shiver up my spine. I was glad to be on his side. He is the silent deadly type. You know, the kind like a sleeping volcano just waiting to explode and devourer some pour Pompeii soul.
The night progressed on and finally the big boss man arrived. I always like when Robert shows up and gives us the night’s itinerary. Then he will tell us about the deals that went down that week. It’s a risky business, but you have to make a living.
Just before I sat down to play, I placed my violin case on a nearby table and flipped it open. Right there before my eyes, a brand new shinny pair of Vic Firth drum sticks. Not the cheap kind. You know, the kind you would see while window-shopping on Christmas Eve with your best girl. I knew they would last me the night.
We started the night out with our version of Accidentally in Love. The audience was there but only in first gear. Song after song they got more in tune and I knew it was gonna be a good night. Somewhere along the way a blast rang out and we all jumped. Was it the boys from the Barnacle gang to pay us a visit? I thought for sure there was gonna be bloodshed. I looked around and saw nothing. Then again, another blast. Were they here to pay their respects? Again I looked around to make sure everyone way all right. Apparently it was just a loose wire on the PA system. It was definitely a close call.
The second set was going as smooth as the first. About half way through appearing out of nowhere, a tall thin figure with long dark hair. You know, the kind you would meet while walking home after a night of playing pool with the boys. The conversation was directed at Rob first. I wasn’t sure where this was gonna go, but kept a close eye. As Rob leaned over to hear, I could hear the voice from where I was. “I know what you drink Rob, but what about the rest of the boys?” We all perked up, gave our order and said, “Hey man, thanks” That guy bought a round for the band.
We ripped into the third set and I had to loosen my tie. With the expanding crowd the temperature was also going up. The night flew by and all had a good time. We ended with Copperhead Road and that seemed to satisfy all the musical hunger.
Tear down time took forever. All the boys were gone except for the crew and staff. I don’t mix words with the crew. Alex aka “The Big Bald Angry Sound Guy” will get very mad if you “piss” him off. He has quite the gun collection I hear. I don’t want to find out. I knew of a guy who “pissed” him off and almost took a dirt nap. You do not want to “piss” in this guys corn flakes. You definitely do not want to “piss” on anything he owns. That’s another story.
Alex is really attached to his belongings. It had to be 3:00 in the morning and he called a guy looking for some of his missing stuff. That’s a phone call I don’t wanna get. You know, the kind when you’re snuggled under your comforter, it’s the middle of winter and you don’t want to put your bare feet on the floor cause it’s too cold. That guy got off with a warning. He’s lucky.
I finished my drink, said good night to the boys, grabbed my hat and went outside to wait for my cab. The rain had stopped, just a little mist now. The wind still chilled me though. It was time to start wearing my overcoat. I thought about the night and how happy I was how the show went. I was already looking forward to the next one. With my violin case rested neatly on the sidewalk, I lit a cigarette and pondered. Then I said out loud with a laugh…”Where the hell did I get these things”.
Aug. 20-04
Is Evis alive?
This was the last summer gig for the Buzz. Once Sept hits, summer is down hill from there.
The Rack and Roll club is huge. It must sit 500 easily. Most of that night, that was the case. Asses planted firmly in chairs. About 500 I'd say. Anyway, the show was blast just the same. Even though they sat, you could see hands clapping and arms waving to the tunes. I figured out one problem. I noticed that a lot of people sit way down the back of the room. By the time they get to the dance floor, the song is over. You only got three minutes people. Sit closer next time.
Got to see some familiar faces and friends. That's alway a good thing
It wasn't a good night for stick throwing. The lights were directly above my head right in the path of where a drumstick would fly if I throw it in the air. The first one hit a light, and then shot out passed the drums. Can't catch them out there. That stuff is only for show, it is not a part of the song...unless of course I mount a drum or cymbal to the roof. I have to design some sort of clamp for that and then practice the timing of the hit. I may be on to something here. Bring back the 80's baby! Then I will turn the whole kit upside-down while I play a solo. FUCK! I'm gonna need another van.
Robert said something interesting as the night went on. He told the audience he was at Graceland last year and believed Elvis is dead. Otherwise he would have come back and kicked Micheal Jacksons ass. That was fucking hilarious.
I have always been an Elvis fan, and since he said that I starting to think...imagine if Elvis was still alive.
He would have done a duo with everybody, I'm not even sure if he did. I'll ask Rob.
He may have went on to produce other people.
He probably would have started his own record label.
He would have guess starred on every TV show out there and comercials.
You have to say the following lines with an Elvis voice.
"Excuse me little mama, can you tell me how to get Sesame Street."
"I'll take "KINGS OF ROCK AND ROLL" for a thousand Alex."
Elvis"Hello Jerry" Sienfeld"Hello Elvis"
Elvis would have been a cool Fonzie "Thankyou very muchamundo"
"Get Mikey to try it, he'll eat anything gosh darn it"
"We gotta get those Duke boys little mama"
Image Cheers, Elvis walks in and everyone yells "E"
You know he would be on every talk show across the country.
It's funny how his estate probably makes more money while he is dead that while he was alive. It's a crazy world. Like giving a highest honour metal to a soldier who lost his live in battle. The ultimate sacrifice.
I sometimes feel cheated that we will never get to see or meet the big stars who have passed on for one reason or another. It's almost like they were invented, like a tv show and then canceled. There will be nothing new from these people and yet the record company can release a greatest hits and make a fortune
Elvis, Buddy Holy, Hendrix, John Lennon to name a few.
All that is left is the reruns.
Aug. 14-04
Why are there more horses asses than...?
Smooth Hermans with the roof blown off. I mean shit, what a show. I think the combined energy level of the four of us had to be about 26 bazillion, give or take.
From start to finish it felt like the stage was going to lift off. Now that is power.
Back stage and down the stairs are alway interesting. You see, our breaks are 45mins long. That is a lot of time to kill when you just came off a 45min high of adrenalin.
The general public is not allowed in this area. You have to purchase a backstage pass for $50bucks or if you are lucky you can win one in a radio contest. Either way it is band only and others who sneak passed the staff.
Then once you enter the forbidden lair, you must duck your head so you won't smack your scull off the doorway. I, of course have no trouble in this department because I am only three apples tall.
Inside you will find the band engrossed in all kinds of discussions. You would not believe some of the topics. "UFO's, are they real? Did America really go to the moon? A death metal band with a parrot for a lead singer. What the fuck?
It's true, I heard it with my own ears. Sound tek Trevor had it on his palm pilot.
I always enjoy cracking open Trevors brain on topics. To me he is very intelligent and I always like to listen to his take on things. He seems to know just about everything and is a wiz at electronics. Even if I may have an apposing view, I enjoy the coversasion just the same. Robert is the same way. Knows everything about everything. It's really cool just to sit and listen to intelligent people tell you things you never heard before or heard very little of and they know so much about it. I find you really want to listen and use your brain for a change and think, instead of just sitting on it all day. In my case it makes me want to research stuff on the net and learn more about it.
I know it sounds like I'm a wind bag, but remember, we have three 45min breaks to kill. I would rather talk about weird and unusual interesting things for 45mins then talk to some drunk dough head who wants to sing with band or to know who single in the band or waste my fucking time blowing shit up my nose.
Food for thought?
Aug. 10-04
Welcome to the Rob Barrie And The Buzz Family Fun Day Show.
AKA "The Johnny Miles Festival"
I like the first title better.
Without the family and friends there, it would have been pretty empty. I mean come on Sydney Mines. This was a free public performance to bring the community together and it was even held indoors out of the rain and still people did not support this thing. So be it. I sure hope the compititions the next day went over better.
Regardless, we had a blast. So did our children. They took over the place. Not too crowed and lots of room to run.
Thanks to our special guest, the gig was even more fun. Check out these pics.
Meet Tony's son Tanner on rhythm guitar. No no, not on the left, the other little guy with the guitar. I don't know too many nine year olds with a Fender Strat "50th Anniversary Model", do you?
This gig was a short one for us, only three hours, so we did two sets with a short break. We got to hear Evolution while setting up. Great Band.
I figured it was a good gig to try out my new headset I got from The Shack. My regular ear piece is a single for one ear only and sticks right in your ear which is good because I hear it very well. The down side is that it plugs your ear and you don't hear outside noise. My new headset is for both ears and loops over the top of your ear and just sits by the outside of the ear and doesn't block out the sound. It worked out great and I can wear them for the whole set whereas the single I would only wear it when I needed it.
If you are even wondering what the hell I need a headset for, I'll tell you.
When you come to see the band, we are not really playing. We are just pretending to play and sing to music on CDs. I use the headset to hear the music and make it look like I'm playing it. In fact I can't play drums at all and Steven only uses one string on the bass. Tony can play two chords on the guitar and I think Rob knows the lyrics to four songs. So as you can see it would take us a long time to learn how to play and then learn the songs, so it's just easier to have the sound man play the CD.
Just kidding. I use a headset because I don't like people looking at my ears.
Just kidding. I use a headset because my ears get cold at the gigs and ear muffs would look too silly.
Just kidding. I use a headset to hear the radio so I know what the weather will be when I'm driving home.
Just kidding. I use a headset...you figure it out because I forget now.
The boys helped me pack my gear "thanks guys" and we all got out early. I mean real early. I was home by 10pm, on a Saturday. As I was leaving the rink I said to one of the guys working there, "I'm so used to playing at night that it feels like it's four in the morning". He agreed. He was glad to be going home early as well. It doesn't matter what time the gig ends, you will always be tired
The big difference I noticed was all the traffic on the 125 highway. At four in the morning I may see a few cars, a taxi or two and that's it. But because it was still early, there was regular traffic and it was a kind of uneasy feeling.
I don't mind the 125 where it is twinned, but I can't stand the parts where the lanes are together. Too many crashes happen in those sections. That's the part that scares me.
I'm looking forward to the next gig already.
See you there.
July 31-04
"hey man, I'll play harmonica for you"
Another beautiful day. It's hard to shake a cold with this weather. So I'm told. Don't worry, I'm not complaining.
Welcome to Daniels on a Saturday night. First set...good practice. There was a show on the Sydney Board walk tonight and I figure it was packed. It was to kick off Action Week. I guess it's hard to see the band at the boardwalk if you're sitting in Daniels.
Shit happens. We still had a good set. Nothing better than a 45minute sound check. It really gives you time to work out monitors
I'm not a fan of the little clubs. I find the stage in this room "there is no stage really, more like a dog pen" sounds like shit. I didn't like how some of my drums were sounding. I couldn't hear the big thump from my kick. When that happens I usually hit it harder and my leg gets tired faster. From where I sit, it doesn't sound like it's in the mix, so I crank on to the peddle. It's just a mind game I play with myself.
The crowd started to show up and we got the place moving. It's a good feeling to have people jump up from there chair and run to the dance floor. That's the job of a bar band. Bring them in and keep them thirsty. And don't forget happy.
What does that mean really? How far do we go to make the audience happy?
Do we play music? Yes.
Do we play music people want to hear? Yes.
Do we play requested songs? Yes, if we know the song.
Do we let people jam with the band? Honestly, no. There are a few rare times we do. Mostly if they are friends or family of the band. And that is not too often,
and they have to be a musician. We have thousands of dollars of equiment just on the stage alone, we can't let every person who thinks they can play get on the stage no matter how good they are. If this person is drunk and falls and breaks something, who do you think is gonna pay for it? The club? Nope. We let the person on stage so the bill is ours. The drunk is not gonna pay, they don't know that they broke something in the first place.
So it really pisses me off when we turn someone away and they get all fucking bent out of shape. If you were there you would have seen the size of this man. He wanted to play his hamonica with us and got crazy when Rob turned him down. What a way to FUCK a night. I didn't hear all of what he said, but it didn't sound at all nice. And the best of all, not one fucking staff came over to see what the problem was. I don't care how big he was. There is no need of the band going throught that kind of harassment.
If he wants to be on stage that bad, put together a band and see how much fucking work it takes to keep a band like ours together. We are a well oiled machine that doesn't need a wrench thrown in. We are happy the way we play.
When I go to see another band play I don't want to get up and jam with the band and I really don't want to see anyone else jam with the band. I came to see the band. Some people just don't get it.
I think the lack of staff support bothered me most. Is Robert supposed to take a shot to the face just cause this guy wasn't happy? Fuck no. That one is not on the list to make people happy.
When fucking crap happens like that, I'd rather just not go back...
Zero stars out of four
July 30-04
"And we would also like to thank our sponsor..."
What a day. The sun was splitting the trees. I remember when we would get this kind of weather for weeks at a time. Not this year. I don't have to tell you that.
So I figure my little electric fan I use was going to take a beating at this gig. Even Steve bought a new fan because we all thought it was going to be hot. Not at all. The AC was on full blast at the Rack and it was actually cold in there. Hot is ok, cool is ok, but cold is not. Even under the lights I didn't warm up as much as I usually do. At least with hot you can towel off and your muscles stay warmed up for the night. With cold you have to warm up again for every set. Hey, we survived.
There was the big Labatt Blue give away, the one you may have heard about on the radio. It was kind of funny that the winner picked, was from the North side. The people of NewWaterford didn't think so. The "Blue" people spotted us with some cold ones as well. Free beer is good beer.
I really liked the way my drums sounded for this gig. We were using the same PA as the one from our last gig at the MainEvent and Steven was warned not to go near it with his drinks. No cracks from the system but my drums thundered. When you put in the rest of the band it was an amazing wall of sound. Great job Danny C, and thanks Dale for trying to keep us warm.
I think the crowd was having a hard time with the AC as well. It was taking them a long time "as a whole" to warm up. Of course you always have the people who just wanna party from start to finish. The show is only four hours long. That sounds like a long time but it goes by in a flash. If you show up and then start to have a few drinks, the party is just about over by the time you get the beer goggles on. When were done, were done. The late people just get going then and think we should play another hour or two or... Sorry folks, it doesn't work that way. Next time start shakin' your ass earlier.
July 23-04
I once read that somewhere. I think it's true.
Playing benefit shows have always been a double edge sword for me. "Again folks this is my own thoughts here, I speak for no one else." I have played many of these types of shows and always have been glad to do so. As time goes on you see exactly who really gets the benefit.
First of all, we do not get paid. We gladly volunteer our time to support the cause and help our fellow human being in their time of need.
While not getting paid, we still set up the same equipment and perform the same show as if we were getting paid, so it really upsets me when it takes no effort for people to come out and support these things and no one shows up.
The other edge. I've so many times clubs seen gladly put on these shows and "reap" the benefit. People don't realize that it's the club that really benefits from these shows. They get free entertainment and they know that the public will usually support the cause. And if no one shows up, it didn't cost them anything.
These are the same people who expect us to play for peanuts on regular nights and then come in and play for free because it's a benefit. I would like to see the club match what the door takes in. Once again, it's not about me getting paid, it's about raising as much money to support the cause.
As far as this night was concerned, I had a great time as did the whole band and the crowd loved our show. I think we even got to benefit from this one because there were a lot of new faces. For the venue, "The Farmers Exhibition" I think in this case the money the bar made will probably benefit the grounds.
As for me blowing off steam, big deal. That's not important.
I don't know you Glen...
PS. Hey Rob, Maybe you can pass on the last line for the band.
July 17-04
What a day, sunshine, patio, I love it.
Thanks to a glass of high quality H2O, the PA was thundering. Not in a good way.
It was snap crackle pop. I thought it was fried. I guess snakes don't like water.
Hey guys, it's my turn.
July 16-04
I unloaded what ever gear was on my van in the afternoon and the rest later.
I forgot something at home. If you have ever seen me play, you will notice that I raise my drum kit up on a little stage. Reason? I'm an arrogant prick. No just kidding. In doing this it keeps me eye level with the rest of the band even though I'm sitting down. I have always done this.
I'm always told that Friday is the slower of the two nights at the Main Event.
I think in our case, that rule doesn't apply.
NOTICE FROM THE EDITOR
The crowd warmed up early and we had a great time. What a show. I find we keep them comming back for more.
July 2-04 July 1-04
Some things strike me as weird. I booked this one months ago and was told this year we will have to not be vulgar. Here is a part of the conversation as close as I can remember.
I was blown away. I really don't remember any vulgar stuff.
"Meanwhile back in Kansas" Me and Toto made our way to the gig and I stopped to get water at the Irving and then it took me a good 15 minutes to get to the tent.
It was cool in the FOG but in the tent was ok. PA was setup before I got there so I was able to mount the stage right away.
Hey bud, Here's your sign.
How this show works. When the main stage is done, we start. So at that time the six million people who were out side the tent try to get in. I'm glad to be on the stage.
We survived that crazy fucking night and not one vulgar fucking word.
Happy Canada Day, 2004
June 26-04
I love the big stage at Smooth Hermans. Not sure why. I guess it gives me the feeling of it being a bigger gig than it really is. I don't know the capacity of the place but it had to be close. We play four 45min sets and we get three 45min breaks. The breaks take forever. You just get groovin and the set it over.
Before you know it thought, the night is over.
At one time in this club I would know the odd face, but things change in ten years. I can't tell how old half these people are. It makes me think back to one night I showed up to watch Trooper, I think it was the first time I saw them, around 1990 and I was only 19. This guy who hung around with one of my highschool teachers came up to me and said "what the fuck are you doing in here?". I feel that way now. Half these kids look like they should be delivering my newspaper.
Mike did a great job on the sound. Stereo PA is so cool compared to Mono. My toms were panned from right to left and when I did a fill, the sound thundered from one side to the other. I could tell by the way Mike was looking at me it must have sounded really cool.
The end of the night rolls around, you're tired and all you can think about is another hour to pack up. Just when you think it was all in vain because no one cares if you are on stage or not, you start to walk off stage, towel around your neck, catching your breath, someone yells, June 19-04
About ten years ago I decided to go set up in the afternoon for a gig I had, and as I was doing so, I noticed that the club consisted of a few drunken old men who had nothing better to do in the middle of a summer afternoon. I recall one of them even being asleep in his chair. I hoped one day that I didn't end up like that. Now the same feeling was coming back for this gig as I looked around the "Rack" and only seen a few people tucked into the corners almost hiding from the light so that the rest of the world would not see them. Thank God for the sound crew showing up. I didn't have to talk to myself anymore.
This weekend was prom night for BEC and some of us wondered about the crowd. I don't think about it much anymore. My motto "if they don't show up it's their loss". I'm in my own world most of the time. I just kind of focus on the music and absorb what everyone else is playing, that way I have a good time whether there is a crowd or not. I find that once you get a good groove on, the whole band locks together and it's like a big wall of sound that you can't stop.
I often zone out and think to myself,"it's hard to believe that four individual people are connecting together to make this amazing sound" I love when things GELL. Favorite quote of the night - "Hey look what time it is, it's beer oclock" Robert Barrie. I love that one.
For some reason I couldn't work out any stiff muscles. I had to grin and bare it. The more I thought about it, the worse off I felt. I keep smiling though.
By the end of the night the whole "wondering about the crowd thing" was long over, because it was a big one.
June 5-04 I thought I heard someone yell "the drummer sucks" or maybe it was "Florida sucks". I'm leaning toward the latter.
As I am writing this, the cup game is on and Tampa is leading by 1.(10:00ish)
It's not that I don't like sports, I just don't follow sports. I still like to watch hockey and baseball. I kinda wished the tv could have been set up next to the drums. At least then it would have looked like everyone was watching the band.
Hey you know something, Rob's mother-in-law is a killer cook. Sorry I didn't order one, but the bit that Tony couldn't eat, I thought was excellent. I'm pretty sure Steve couldn't eat a whole one either. (wimp)
I know I don't speak for everone on the hockey subject, but I still had a great time, I alway do. Unless I'm in severe pain. Then it's just a good time. May 29-04
I'd say we blew the roof off. The dance floor was packed and the band rocked the Rack. It was really warm and we are not even having nice weather yet. I'm glad I take my small electric fan.
May 28-04
I was happy to see the large turn out.
It seemed like a certain club in New Waterford "no names, but the letters are J.D. and it rhyms with Black Guggans", used to have a different benefit every month. Most of these were multiple bands so they got the best of everybody and made a fortune. After a while we started to turn them down. It got out of hand.
I'm just glad to know that in my spare time I am able to use my God given talent and help someone else when they need help.
I wish you best of luck and God Bless you.
Main Event Part 2
I decided to go a little early even though I was set up from last night.
You see, I took my damn boards to prop up my stage. So I have to dismantle my kit somewhat and put it back together. I guess I'm my own pain in the ass. So be it.
The crown drifted in slowly and we kicked in. I think they were asleep.
There were these two guys who bounced around the dance floor. Really! Just kept jumping back and forth. Ahh, the power of alcohol.
The crowd didn't really warm up until half way through the second set.
Just so you know, water and electronics don't mix. Unless it's a flow valve. Then you need water to make it work. But that's another story.
That poor PA cracked all night so we just kept playing and the band drowned out the noise. "drowned out" you get it.
The third set rocked the roof off and again I wore pants and was too warm.
I do think that we are picking up more and more fans every gig. It's just keeps getting better.
Summer arrived today.
Got off early from work and sat on the patio. I so wanted to drink a beer.
Went with the Pepsi instead.
What should I wear to the Main Event, pants or shorts. That was my big delema. I went with pants. I paid for it. It was freaking hot all day.
So I forgot the boards that prop up the little stage. There was no time to go get them so I set up at floor level. What a drag. I was so dissappointed. Over fucking wood of all things. Figure that one out.
While on a break, Rob and I were sitting at the sound board when all of a sudden out of nowhere appeared, of all people "Captain CapeBreton". If I heard correct. I will have to doulble check that with Rob.
He was complimenting Rob on his stage presence and how impressed he was with him. I thought that was really cool.
Hey what about the rest of us. I mean I know Steve just stands there like a tree, and you can't see me behind the big drums and Tony hides in the corner, but give us some credit.
Can you see the flames of envy in my eyes. Captain CapeBreton. I bet he doesn't even have any super powers. "Can drink a beer in a single bound".
I crack me up.
We do not condone or encourage what Mr Allan MacEachern writes, who ever you are, you will probably never see this, but if you do, don't take him too serious.
Worked all day with the hope of getting off early so I could catch forty winks before Montys. Not a chance. Didn't get home until 7:30. Eat, shower, put some equipment in the van and take off.
I knew I was going to be very tired at this one. I was right.
A big crowd may have boosted the rush but that didn't happen either. The only thing I could think of was the roof falling in again. Shit that was funny.
This one couldn't end fast enough. I love playing and I love hanging with the boys, but when your brain is not funtioning it's hard to get into it. I get worried about my limbs not responding to my brain waves, not just on the drums but also driving home. When I think of that stuff I lose my concentration on the music.
I do as always keep smiling through it all.
CANADA DAY
Started off beautiful and then the F.O.G. rolled in.
If you are wondering "Fucking Outside Gig"
Them "You guys wanna do the beer tent again?"
Me "Sure I think that would be great"
Them "OK but there just a few complaints about last year"
Me (surprized) "Alright then"
Them "You guys were a little vulgar last year and some of the older members complained."
Me (even more surprized) "What the fuck are you talking about?" That's a joke.
I really said,"Are you sure you have the right band cause I don't remember a whole lot of cursing going on?"
Them "Oh yes, just watch the language this year"
So many people.
I got to enjoy The Blues Merchants while setting up. What a great band.
Picture this now. A stage, big speakers, a big set of drums, me in the middle of it working my ass off to set up the big drums and I hear,
"Hey buddy, is there a band gonna play in here?"
"hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha" I said to myself. I wish I could see the look on my face. I really didn't know what to say, I kinda swung both arms and pointed at the drums in the way you would present something and said "well yea"
It's a two hour gig (11 to 1am) and as the night went on the crowd got closer and bigger. I would say we blew the top off the tent. Fun was had by all.
We all had to work the next day from what I can remember and then try to rest up for Montys on Friday.
Kinda rainy.
It seemed like it used to rain every Wed I had a gig at the MainStreet Lounge in North Sydney. Every time it rains on a gig night I think of that.
I made a joke with Tony, "I like this gig because we always have such intellectual coversations". Funny but kind of true. On the regular three set gigs, the breaks are shorter and not much time to talk.
During the intro for Highway to Hell, Mike panned Tony's guitar back and forth from side to side as Tony ripped through the licks. That I could hear on stage and it sounded great. I think that the only people who would notice all this would be anyone who really paid attention to the band.
Steve hit the nail when he said that this gig is not the greatest for the simple fact that most people are not there to see the band. It's true. Too bad for the them. You can tell the people who are into the band and who are not.
I'm still glad to do it though. Even if they are not listening, they can still hear.
"You guys ROCK!"
It rained to and from the gig.
I was the first one to get to the Rack and Roll that night. Even before the sound crew, which is a pain sometime because I have to wait to get on the stage until they are ready. I usually just set up my drums on the dance floor and move them later. It always seems to take longer, but I think it's just in my head.
Thanks NewWaterford.
Canada's favorite past time. Go Flames go.
Just like a hockey game the Blue Mist was split down the middle. Live music on one side, hockey on the other. Thanks to everyone who pretended the game wasn't on and danced for the band. But once the game ended the whole crowd focused their attention on The Buzz. So be it. You win some, you lose some. That goes for Calgary as well.
In the end, I hope Calgary wins the world series.
Rack and Roll NW. Started off slow but the crowd filled in like running water.
You look and see a bit, turn away and look back and there is a bit more and you didn't even seen them come in untill the place was full.
Our set list seems to be worked out well now. We've tuned it to where it may stay for a while, untill we ad some new stuff.
We played Montys and I thought it was a good crowd. Put it this way, there were enough people to have a good time. At least the roof didn't fall in. Video coming soon.
