Well the tour is over now and I'm glad and sad about it coming to an end.
I've compiled a list of all the things I love about tour that I can compare to the list of things that I don't love about tour. Lets see how it measures up.
I love...
Traveling and seeing new places
I don't love...
Traveling but not getting the chance to really experience the places we go because we are on a strict tour schedule.
I love...
Living like a gypsy
I don't love...
Living like a gypsy with 4 people in a van that can't comfortably sleep 4 people. Also, wondering when the next shower/clothes washing machine opportunity is going to arise.
I love...
Spending lots of time with the boys in my band and living as a single unit
I don't love...
Spending too much time with the boys in my band so that everyone can't stand each other. Living in a 12' x 6' box together for 3 weeks is pretty trying sometimes. I do believe though with more touring we will learn how to cope better with those frustrations.
I love...
Meeting new people... and there is nothing I don't love about that :) I also love seeing old friends which I did plenty of this tour.
I love...
Playing shows everyday
I don't love...
How my body feels now after playing shows everyday. Ever see that movie The Rocker where the drummer is practically disabled when he returns from tour just from playing... yeah, that's how I feel right now...ouch! I have bruises I don't remember getting and yesterday my bass drum attacked my knee and now I walk with a limp... WTF?
I love...
To have a minimal amount of things. Its really easy to get dressed in the morning when I have very little choice or when I wake up and I'm still dressed. That's super handy.
I don't love...
To have everyone's minimal amount of things in our 12'x6' living area. Doesn't seem so minimal in this space.
I love...
To hang out and party
I don't love...
Hanging out and partying every day. I just can't do it anymore.
I love...
Sleeping and...
I don't love...
That on tour you don't get to sleep.
I love...
That our van, with over 800 000kms on it did the whole tour beautifully
I don't love....
That after our first west tour show in Thunder Bay we realized that the only way we could start the van is by popping the hood and yanking on the positive terminal battery cable but...
I love...
That we didn't have to worry about the van being stolen because the car thief wouldn't be able to start it.
I love...
Sleeping in the van
I don't love...
Sleeping in the van when its below zero outside. Its one of those cases where you sleep fully clothed with a hoodie, toque and as many blankets you can pile on. Then you still wake up with a cold nose. Also, with all 4 of us in the van its too crowded to get a good sleep. I didn't realize until this tour how important it was to be able to stretch my legs out so they are straight. Sleeping cramped up in the van really hurt my knees... and this was before my bass drum attacked my knee.
I love...
Seeing the wildlife on the side of the highway like deer and foxes.
I don't love...
That I didn't see a freaking moose... @$%*@^#*!!!
I love...
Pizza normally but
I don't love...
Pizza everyday. However the spinach and feta pizza we got in Regina was the most delicious pizza I have ever had.
All in all the tour was amazing and an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. There were good times and bad times. The shows were great. The people were awesome and I look very forward to our next tour!!!
Oh and....
I don't love....
Driving a million hours at a time and paying outrageous amounts of money for gas. That sucks.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
April 23 Kenora and April 24 Sault Ste Marie
This will be my final blog while on tour. Well actually we are at Brando's place in Toronto right now (10am) after driving all night... AGAIN... We are trying to muster up the energy to get back into the van and drive our asses home to Kitchener. The last 48 hours to me are a total blur. All we did was drive with a few short break in different small towns to play shows. We drove 10 hours from Regina to Kenora to play the Rideout Community Center with 1971 and We Built This City (I think their name is something like that but as I said before... its a blur). The show was cool. I really liked the venue which was this very small community center on the top of a hill in small town Kenora. There were deer grazing in the street on our way up to the venue. This place reminded me... felt like when I was 16 or so and we were doing shows at the Button Factory. Really awesome!
Immediately after that show we hoped in the van and started the 16 hours drive to Sault Ste Marie. Will took driving duty first and I was navigator then we switched part way through our shift (which happened at Thunder Bay). I saw about a million deer that night but NO FUCKING MOOSE!
In Thunder Bay we were stopped by the same OPP officer that pulled us over on our way house. He came up with some bogus story that he mis-typed our plate in and it came up as a stolen vehicle... yeah right. He came up to the van and said "hey, wait a second... aren't you guys in a band?"
We reply "yup"
"Oh I think I pulled you guys over about 3 weeks ago"
"ah, yeah"
"oh, so how was the tour?"
Ha ha ha... we're thinking, if you wanted to hang out with us and live vicariously through us and our band you could have just asked.
Then when we pulled away he was right behind us and then poof he was gone. We are wondering if he might be an OPP ghost caught in the mouth of madness. Weird. Anybody else meet this cop on your travels?
At around 8am in Thunder Bay Jan and Brando took over driving duty. When we finally arrived in Sault Ste Marie it was 4pm and we were exhausted. We all hunkered down in the van in a BDO parking lot and slept until 7:30pm. We got up and waited at the venue with Greg Rekus until after 9pm when Foggy Notions finally opened and we were allowed in. The bar is really cool but being that it was Easter Sunday the whole place was a ghost town. A few people showed up and it was great to meet the other musicians. The first band was called Redd Monkey. Instead of a bass they had a cello player who played really intense cello with a bow. Really cool. They will be touring this summer and we are going to booked them a Kitchener show... So everyone come and see them. We played after Redd Monkey and we had to play ultra quiet because the bar was getting a lot of noise complaints recently. Its really awkward playing quietly... and it sounds dumb but its actually more work. It was alright though. The final act was a solo dude named Greg Rekus (former Hi Five Drive). It was an awesome and entertaining set. He's touring now too and we're trying to put together a Kitchener show for him. Come out to that show too!
Well, we're heading home now.
Happy Birthday to Brando today! And I'm sorry he had to spend the first part of his birthday driving.
I'm so glad to be home but I'm gonna miss the road.
Immediately after that show we hoped in the van and started the 16 hours drive to Sault Ste Marie. Will took driving duty first and I was navigator then we switched part way through our shift (which happened at Thunder Bay). I saw about a million deer that night but NO FUCKING MOOSE!
In Thunder Bay we were stopped by the same OPP officer that pulled us over on our way house. He came up with some bogus story that he mis-typed our plate in and it came up as a stolen vehicle... yeah right. He came up to the van and said "hey, wait a second... aren't you guys in a band?"
We reply "yup"
"Oh I think I pulled you guys over about 3 weeks ago"
"ah, yeah"
"oh, so how was the tour?"
Ha ha ha... we're thinking, if you wanted to hang out with us and live vicariously through us and our band you could have just asked.
Then when we pulled away he was right behind us and then poof he was gone. We are wondering if he might be an OPP ghost caught in the mouth of madness. Weird. Anybody else meet this cop on your travels?
At around 8am in Thunder Bay Jan and Brando took over driving duty. When we finally arrived in Sault Ste Marie it was 4pm and we were exhausted. We all hunkered down in the van in a BDO parking lot and slept until 7:30pm. We got up and waited at the venue with Greg Rekus until after 9pm when Foggy Notions finally opened and we were allowed in. The bar is really cool but being that it was Easter Sunday the whole place was a ghost town. A few people showed up and it was great to meet the other musicians. The first band was called Redd Monkey. Instead of a bass they had a cello player who played really intense cello with a bow. Really cool. They will be touring this summer and we are going to booked them a Kitchener show... So everyone come and see them. We played after Redd Monkey and we had to play ultra quiet because the bar was getting a lot of noise complaints recently. Its really awkward playing quietly... and it sounds dumb but its actually more work. It was alright though. The final act was a solo dude named Greg Rekus (former Hi Five Drive). It was an awesome and entertaining set. He's touring now too and we're trying to put together a Kitchener show for him. Come out to that show too!
Well, we're heading home now.
Happy Birthday to Brando today! And I'm sorry he had to spend the first part of his birthday driving.
I'm so glad to be home but I'm gonna miss the road.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
April 21 - Red Deer
Red Deer, Red Deer, Red, Deer... apparently the place to be if you are a touring punk band.
We played Red deer last night at an Irish pub called O'Mally's and it was super kick ass!!
First off... we arrived and shown to our hotel room! Woah!! Then they prepared our homemade pizzas that we enjoyed in our room while we waited for the promoter to show up. The first band was called Midwest Mindset and they were a full band hip-hop act and holy crap were they ever good. Personally I think hip-hop and punk mix really well at shows and I wish that more promoters would do that. The second band was called Uncultured and they were some cool punk rock. The third band was called Shotty Out! And they were awesome also. Despite the fact that it was pretty late by the time we hit the stage (and by stage I mean corner of the floor that the bands played on) the crowd was 110% pumped. They were moshing and slam dancing and crowd surfing... everything. And because we were on the floor Jan, Will and Brando got the mic in the teeth a few times... ouch! Today though, everyone has all their teeth :) It was crazy and awesome! I suggest that every touring punk band make a stop in Red Deer.
I also got the chance to see my friend Kirsten whom I haven't seen since high school. She is living in Red Deer working at a radio station there. It was awesome to catch up.
I've been really lucky on this tour to have had the chance to see old friends and meet tons of new friends. We all have been. Will was able to catch up with an old friend in Calgary that he hasn't seen in over 5 years. Despite all the bitching and whining and fighting int he band I think we're all having one hell of a good time.
I just got off the stage in Regina and thought what a great time to blog. We played at a venue called O'Hanlons (another Irish pub I think but it reminds me of The Huether in Waterloo). We played first which was a welcomed change to the headlining slot we have had most of the tour. The bar was full of regulars but we had our own crowd that were digging our sound. It was a little awkward at first but we rocked the hell out of the bar.
The second band is just about done so we are gonna load out and head to Dillan's place to sleep. Another long day of driving tomorrow so we've gotta get some serious sleep tonight... for real.
We played Red deer last night at an Irish pub called O'Mally's and it was super kick ass!!
First off... we arrived and shown to our hotel room! Woah!! Then they prepared our homemade pizzas that we enjoyed in our room while we waited for the promoter to show up. The first band was called Midwest Mindset and they were a full band hip-hop act and holy crap were they ever good. Personally I think hip-hop and punk mix really well at shows and I wish that more promoters would do that. The second band was called Uncultured and they were some cool punk rock. The third band was called Shotty Out! And they were awesome also. Despite the fact that it was pretty late by the time we hit the stage (and by stage I mean corner of the floor that the bands played on) the crowd was 110% pumped. They were moshing and slam dancing and crowd surfing... everything. And because we were on the floor Jan, Will and Brando got the mic in the teeth a few times... ouch! Today though, everyone has all their teeth :) It was crazy and awesome! I suggest that every touring punk band make a stop in Red Deer.
I also got the chance to see my friend Kirsten whom I haven't seen since high school. She is living in Red Deer working at a radio station there. It was awesome to catch up.
I've been really lucky on this tour to have had the chance to see old friends and meet tons of new friends. We all have been. Will was able to catch up with an old friend in Calgary that he hasn't seen in over 5 years. Despite all the bitching and whining and fighting int he band I think we're all having one hell of a good time.
I just got off the stage in Regina and thought what a great time to blog. We played at a venue called O'Hanlons (another Irish pub I think but it reminds me of The Huether in Waterloo). We played first which was a welcomed change to the headlining slot we have had most of the tour. The bar was full of regulars but we had our own crowd that were digging our sound. It was a little awkward at first but we rocked the hell out of the bar.
The second band is just about done so we are gonna load out and head to Dillan's place to sleep. Another long day of driving tomorrow so we've gotta get some serious sleep tonight... for real.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 20 - Calgary
Calgary was meh... and I don't like saying that about shows but its really was a meh show. We were on last and there were not too many people there. We were all really tired and just not digging the vibe. The best part about the show was that Missy (highschool friend and guitar player for Rassinet) came out to hang out. Haven't seen Missy in a couple years and never in her (new) hometown. We spent the night at this really cool punk house (in the sense that punks live there) but its was really nice and lots of places to sleep. Matty and Jo own the house and made us feel right at home. We had a good sleep, showers and even got to use their washer and dryer to clean our clothes. It was really great meeting them and I hope that we can cross paths again soon. They had a zoo of reptiles... snakes, gecko, chameleon, turtle and a rabbit. So... they weren't dogs but at least I got to fill a little bit of my pet void. I miss my doggies.
It was a short jaunt today to Red Deer and now I'm sitting in our promoter-supplied hotel room (above the venue) and waiting for our promoter-supplied pizza to arrive!
Looking forward to seeing some old friends that I haven't seen since high school tonight. Should be a good time.
It was a short jaunt today to Red Deer and now I'm sitting in our promoter-supplied hotel room (above the venue) and waiting for our promoter-supplied pizza to arrive!
Looking forward to seeing some old friends that I haven't seen since high school tonight. Should be a good time.
April 19 - Edmonton
We were at the DV8 again last night. It was awesome! If anyone is planning on being/playing in Edmonton visit the DV8. Rod, who promotes there, is really cool. Pop in and say hi!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 16th and 17th - Vancouver
We were lucky to have the chance to hang out in Vancouver for 3 days and play 3 shows! I fell in love with Vancouver when I was there. I just love everything about it, especially the people.
On Saturday we played at Pat's Pub with Loose Tooth and Raised by Apes. This was a full-out skater crowd and included some pro long-boarders. It was crazy fun! Loose Tooth and Raised by Apes put on an awesome show... they were hilarious! We were supposed to play a house keg party before the Pat's Pub show but everything got screwed up with that and the time-line. We opted to stay at Pat's Pub rather then risk missing our set time. After the Pat's Pub show just about everyone who was there went to the keg party... we of course went too. We were hoping to catch up with our good friend from back home, Cam, because his band Real Problems was playing at the party but we arrived too late to catch him. In fact we were so late that the kegs were empty when we got there. Dennis who lives at the house, let us stay over... People are so nice to touring bands :) Brando and Will stayed in the house and Jan and I stayed in the van... I'm really getting used to my gypsy lifestyle and I'm going to be sad to give it up when I get home. Brando said that just as they were trying to get to sleep there was this super drunk guy at the party and Dennis thought this guy might barf so he lead him to the toilet. Once at the toilet the guy pulled down his pants and starting pooping... in front of everyone... farting all slumped over. Brando said it was hilarious. Gonna be a while before that guy lives that one down. Jan and I woke up to banging on the van window... it was Dennis waking us up because there was a guy trying to give us a ticket for not parking on the right part of the street. Luckily Dennis talked him out of the ticket... and for the record I don't think there was anything wrong with where we parked. Dennis said that guy shows up every Sunday morning just to write tickets... GET A LIFE!
Our Sunday night show that was booked at a venue called Bully's was canceled... well it wasn't canceled but the venue backed out. Noelle, the promoter for that show, worked crazy hard trying to hook up another venue but nothing really panned out. Luckily Todd (The Rebel Spell) was able to hook us up with an existing bill at a place called The Railway Club. I was a little unsure about this show at first but since we were already in Vancouver might as well play as much as possible. We were on first at 8:15pm but surprisingly there were quite a few people there and people were really into it... I didn't think they were going to be into it at all, just a different kind of music and when we showed up there was an open jam going on full out blues. But our set was awesome and the show was awesome! Actually it was really cool... Loads of friends came out too. Noelle, Todd, Cam and Zack came out to show their support (Thanks guys!) but we also saw some old friends we haven't seen in as much as 8 years. The most surprising was the band Mongoose... We played with these guys about 8 years ago at this tiny venue at the University of Waterloo. The promoter was friends with Mongoose so when we were added to the bill she sent out a message that we were now playing. He said his jaw hit the floor when he figured out we were The Rotten from Ontario, the same Rotten from 8 years ago!!! It was really cool catching up with them... and learning that they opened, TWICE, for Steel Panther... I'm jealous
We stayed at Noelle's place in Surrey for the night. We spent all day today driving to Banff and right now I'm sitting in our hotel room with free wi-fi!! We opted not to stay in the van tonight as its -10 tonight! Oh, just as we were parking we were driving around the block to our spot and we saw about 5 deer grazing on the sidewalk! Can't wait to check out Banff tomorrow.
On Saturday we played at Pat's Pub with Loose Tooth and Raised by Apes. This was a full-out skater crowd and included some pro long-boarders. It was crazy fun! Loose Tooth and Raised by Apes put on an awesome show... they were hilarious! We were supposed to play a house keg party before the Pat's Pub show but everything got screwed up with that and the time-line. We opted to stay at Pat's Pub rather then risk missing our set time. After the Pat's Pub show just about everyone who was there went to the keg party... we of course went too. We were hoping to catch up with our good friend from back home, Cam, because his band Real Problems was playing at the party but we arrived too late to catch him. In fact we were so late that the kegs were empty when we got there. Dennis who lives at the house, let us stay over... People are so nice to touring bands :) Brando and Will stayed in the house and Jan and I stayed in the van... I'm really getting used to my gypsy lifestyle and I'm going to be sad to give it up when I get home. Brando said that just as they were trying to get to sleep there was this super drunk guy at the party and Dennis thought this guy might barf so he lead him to the toilet. Once at the toilet the guy pulled down his pants and starting pooping... in front of everyone... farting all slumped over. Brando said it was hilarious. Gonna be a while before that guy lives that one down. Jan and I woke up to banging on the van window... it was Dennis waking us up because there was a guy trying to give us a ticket for not parking on the right part of the street. Luckily Dennis talked him out of the ticket... and for the record I don't think there was anything wrong with where we parked. Dennis said that guy shows up every Sunday morning just to write tickets... GET A LIFE!
Our Sunday night show that was booked at a venue called Bully's was canceled... well it wasn't canceled but the venue backed out. Noelle, the promoter for that show, worked crazy hard trying to hook up another venue but nothing really panned out. Luckily Todd (The Rebel Spell) was able to hook us up with an existing bill at a place called The Railway Club. I was a little unsure about this show at first but since we were already in Vancouver might as well play as much as possible. We were on first at 8:15pm but surprisingly there were quite a few people there and people were really into it... I didn't think they were going to be into it at all, just a different kind of music and when we showed up there was an open jam going on full out blues. But our set was awesome and the show was awesome! Actually it was really cool... Loads of friends came out too. Noelle, Todd, Cam and Zack came out to show their support (Thanks guys!) but we also saw some old friends we haven't seen in as much as 8 years. The most surprising was the band Mongoose... We played with these guys about 8 years ago at this tiny venue at the University of Waterloo. The promoter was friends with Mongoose so when we were added to the bill she sent out a message that we were now playing. He said his jaw hit the floor when he figured out we were The Rotten from Ontario, the same Rotten from 8 years ago!!! It was really cool catching up with them... and learning that they opened, TWICE, for Steel Panther... I'm jealous
We stayed at Noelle's place in Surrey for the night. We spent all day today driving to Banff and right now I'm sitting in our hotel room with free wi-fi!! We opted not to stay in the van tonight as its -10 tonight! Oh, just as we were parking we were driving around the block to our spot and we saw about 5 deer grazing on the sidewalk! Can't wait to check out Banff tomorrow.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
April 14 - Victoria and April 15 - Vancouver
We arrived on the island at about 3pm (I think). That morning was foggy... I mean I was foggy. We had driven from Prince George the day before and made it as far as a town called Hope (about an hour from Vancouver) and decided to crash for the night. Thinking that even if we did get to Vancouver that night it would be too late to find a place to sleep so we'd be staying in the van anyway. Hope is a very small town and appeared to be a safe place to stay over. In Hope, we popped in for a pint at a local pub. The waitress asked us if we were a touring band (its that obvious eh that we don't come from Hope). We told her “yeah” and that we were called The Rotten. When she left the woman sitting by herself having a coffee at the table next to us asked us again what our band was called. Turns out that a show we played in Montreal a few years ago was actually a benefit show for her son. It was to raise money to send his remains back to Hope after he died of an overdose. She was so happy to see us and share some stories about Tom (her son). She said it was like all the starts aligned and sent us to that tiny pub in Hope, BC as a gift to her from Tom. I can see that. We sat with her for a couple hours then went to a truck stop for the night.
Although our van is equipped to sleep 4 people that does not mean that it sleeps 4 people comfortably. The weather was crap and raining and the bed were cramped. We all didn't sleep much that night and were super tired.
We woke up at 7am and decided to just start driving to warm up the van and ourselves. We caught a morning ferry to Victoria and were arrived at Hoon's place (Lesbian Fist Magnet) early afternoon. Hoon we met while he was on tour with Dayglo Abortions and have been friends ever since. It was really great to see him and catch up. We hung out for the day with Hoon and friends... and lots of dogs that helped me fill my doggy void. I miss my little munchkins. Everyone we met in Victoria was really awesome and we had a great time. The show was at Logan's pub. Awesome venue but not a great turn out. There was some confusion with this show and almost had it cancelled a few days before we left for tour so the fact that the show still happened, regardless of attendance, was cool. We played with two bands, Gastric Acid and Smoked Out Brainzzz. Really cool guys and good bands.
We went back to Hoon's place after the show and got to sleep in beds!! Yay!! We were so, so, so tired by that point and slept until 11am. We hung our for a bit in the morning then wandered Victoria for about an hour and then headed back to the ferry. I was excited on the ferry this time because they were doing a overboard rescue drill that was got to watch. Also, I watched the waters for any kind of sea life but didn't see anything aside from birds. That reminds, I still need to touch the ocean before we leave.
We arrived at Funky Winker Beans a little ahead of schedule and walked Hastings street for something to do. It is insanely depressing on Hastings with all the homeless addicts collecting bottles and asking for change. It is like nothing I've ever seen before (aside from on Hastings street as a kid).
The show we played was a 5 band bill (we got added to the bill last minute because we couldn't nail down a Vancouver date for Friday. Wendy13 and Hoon put us on last nights bill. Originally we thought we would have to play last and as a first time touring band its not always the best spot but one of the bands was late for their set so we played 2nd instead. It was really cool. There were lots of people there including our Rebel Spell friends, Cam and Marco (in Vancouver for a week vacation). I really like that bar.
We slept in the van last night again but Will was not with us because he stayed with a friend. The van is 1000000000 times more comfortable with just 3 people and we slept parked on the street by Stepha's house until 11am.
I wish I had more interesting things to blog about but its been pretty low key today. Just resting up for the long haul home... 8 shows in 9 days.
Although our van is equipped to sleep 4 people that does not mean that it sleeps 4 people comfortably. The weather was crap and raining and the bed were cramped. We all didn't sleep much that night and were super tired.
We woke up at 7am and decided to just start driving to warm up the van and ourselves. We caught a morning ferry to Victoria and were arrived at Hoon's place (Lesbian Fist Magnet) early afternoon. Hoon we met while he was on tour with Dayglo Abortions and have been friends ever since. It was really great to see him and catch up. We hung out for the day with Hoon and friends... and lots of dogs that helped me fill my doggy void. I miss my little munchkins. Everyone we met in Victoria was really awesome and we had a great time. The show was at Logan's pub. Awesome venue but not a great turn out. There was some confusion with this show and almost had it cancelled a few days before we left for tour so the fact that the show still happened, regardless of attendance, was cool. We played with two bands, Gastric Acid and Smoked Out Brainzzz. Really cool guys and good bands.
We went back to Hoon's place after the show and got to sleep in beds!! Yay!! We were so, so, so tired by that point and slept until 11am. We hung our for a bit in the morning then wandered Victoria for about an hour and then headed back to the ferry. I was excited on the ferry this time because they were doing a overboard rescue drill that was got to watch. Also, I watched the waters for any kind of sea life but didn't see anything aside from birds. That reminds, I still need to touch the ocean before we leave.
We arrived at Funky Winker Beans a little ahead of schedule and walked Hastings street for something to do. It is insanely depressing on Hastings with all the homeless addicts collecting bottles and asking for change. It is like nothing I've ever seen before (aside from on Hastings street as a kid).
The show we played was a 5 band bill (we got added to the bill last minute because we couldn't nail down a Vancouver date for Friday. Wendy13 and Hoon put us on last nights bill. Originally we thought we would have to play last and as a first time touring band its not always the best spot but one of the bands was late for their set so we played 2nd instead. It was really cool. There were lots of people there including our Rebel Spell friends, Cam and Marco (in Vancouver for a week vacation). I really like that bar.
We slept in the van last night again but Will was not with us because he stayed with a friend. The van is 1000000000 times more comfortable with just 3 people and we slept parked on the street by Stepha's house until 11am.
I wish I had more interesting things to blog about but its been pretty low key today. Just resting up for the long haul home... 8 shows in 9 days.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 12 - Prince George
Its 10am and we are still in Prince George. We better hit the road soon if we hope to be in Vancouver by tonight. We have another day off so the plan is to find one of the ancient forests they have here in BC and explore a little bit. I would like to see one of those giant redwood trees.
The show last night was killer! It was at a place called Third on 3rd. It is an anarchist collective run by an awesome bunch of anarchist punks. The place is set up really cool. There is a single entrance with doors to the right and to the left. The door to the right leads into a lounge area with books and supplies to make tea and coffee. It was a nice and relaxed environment to hang out in. The door to the left led to the venue... a really cool venue. I was noticing that when a venue is set up by musicians everything is exactly the way it should be. The stage is the right size, the PA has plenty of power, everyone gets a monitor, there are lights on the stage, etc. When a musician gets to set up a venue its easy because they just think about how they would want the venue to be and make it just like that. Its not like that when a non-musician sets up a venue... at all. This place was really kick-ass though. There was even a green room in the back for the bands. There was a back load in door, no stairs and actual parking behind the venue. Its the little things that make the evening flow a little easier.
Before the doors open Jeff (the promoter for the night) supplied us with loads of delicious homemade pizza. There was so much of it that we will be enjoying the left overs on our travels today. Until you are on the road you don't really realize how incredibly important feeding the band is. We really appreciate it.
It was a three band bill. In my opinion three bands is a perfect show. Just short enough to not get bored but long enough to get your moneys worth. Three bands is the way to go. The first band called Nonshalant was a punk/ska sort of Leftover Crack sound. They were really cool and it was their first real show (they said they played New Years somewhere but where too drunk to play well or even remember). They ruled though! They did covers of NOFX and really got the crowd pumped. They said they played in lots of different bands but think that they finally found that winning combination with this trio... I totally agree! The second band up was called Illicit Dissent and they were also really wicked. Sometimes you play a show and you don't always dig all the bands but last night wasn't one of those nights. Actually, the whole tour has been pretty good. I can't think of any bands we've played with that I didn't dig. Awesome! We played after Illicit Dissent. The crowd response was great. When we were booking this tour everyone told us to play Prince George even though its a little outta the way its worth it.... and they weren't lying. For a town of only 80 000 or so there was a big crowd and everyone was really into it. And we played a killer set!
After the show we packed up our gear and headed out to Jay's place for a chill, wind down night. We've been going strong for a week now so it was nice to have a chill night for a change.
I just want to say this about Prince George. I've never seen so many second hand stores in one area in my whole life. I would need a few days to go through all of them (too bad I don't have that kind of time). We went into a few when we first arrived and Brando picked up 6 or so classic books for 50 cents each like To Kill a Mockingbird and Huck Finn. Great deal! Other notable things about PG... Jan, Will and Brando walked to the liquor store before the show started and they said that everyone on their walk was really friendly smiling at them and saying hello. One well dressed guy, they said, nodded at them and simply said “yeah, beer!” As they were on their way back to the venue. Lol. Even this morning at Tim Hortons people were going out of the way to hold the door for us. Amazing!
If you are a touring band and are going through BC I would recommend looking up Third on 3rd and booking a show with them.
The show last night was killer! It was at a place called Third on 3rd. It is an anarchist collective run by an awesome bunch of anarchist punks. The place is set up really cool. There is a single entrance with doors to the right and to the left. The door to the right leads into a lounge area with books and supplies to make tea and coffee. It was a nice and relaxed environment to hang out in. The door to the left led to the venue... a really cool venue. I was noticing that when a venue is set up by musicians everything is exactly the way it should be. The stage is the right size, the PA has plenty of power, everyone gets a monitor, there are lights on the stage, etc. When a musician gets to set up a venue its easy because they just think about how they would want the venue to be and make it just like that. Its not like that when a non-musician sets up a venue... at all. This place was really kick-ass though. There was even a green room in the back for the bands. There was a back load in door, no stairs and actual parking behind the venue. Its the little things that make the evening flow a little easier.
Before the doors open Jeff (the promoter for the night) supplied us with loads of delicious homemade pizza. There was so much of it that we will be enjoying the left overs on our travels today. Until you are on the road you don't really realize how incredibly important feeding the band is. We really appreciate it.
It was a three band bill. In my opinion three bands is a perfect show. Just short enough to not get bored but long enough to get your moneys worth. Three bands is the way to go. The first band called Nonshalant was a punk/ska sort of Leftover Crack sound. They were really cool and it was their first real show (they said they played New Years somewhere but where too drunk to play well or even remember). They ruled though! They did covers of NOFX and really got the crowd pumped. They said they played in lots of different bands but think that they finally found that winning combination with this trio... I totally agree! The second band up was called Illicit Dissent and they were also really wicked. Sometimes you play a show and you don't always dig all the bands but last night wasn't one of those nights. Actually, the whole tour has been pretty good. I can't think of any bands we've played with that I didn't dig. Awesome! We played after Illicit Dissent. The crowd response was great. When we were booking this tour everyone told us to play Prince George even though its a little outta the way its worth it.... and they weren't lying. For a town of only 80 000 or so there was a big crowd and everyone was really into it. And we played a killer set!
After the show we packed up our gear and headed out to Jay's place for a chill, wind down night. We've been going strong for a week now so it was nice to have a chill night for a change.
I just want to say this about Prince George. I've never seen so many second hand stores in one area in my whole life. I would need a few days to go through all of them (too bad I don't have that kind of time). We went into a few when we first arrived and Brando picked up 6 or so classic books for 50 cents each like To Kill a Mockingbird and Huck Finn. Great deal! Other notable things about PG... Jan, Will and Brando walked to the liquor store before the show started and they said that everyone on their walk was really friendly smiling at them and saying hello. One well dressed guy, they said, nodded at them and simply said “yeah, beer!” As they were on their way back to the venue. Lol. Even this morning at Tim Hortons people were going out of the way to hold the door for us. Amazing!
If you are a touring band and are going through BC I would recommend looking up Third on 3rd and booking a show with them.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
April 11 - Jasper
We spent last night in Jasper... what an amazing place. Since we didn't have a show I was sure we didn't have a place to stay when we got to Jasper but held on to the idea that maybe we would meet someone that might give us a place to stay.
Approaching Jasper was amazing. I have been through the mountains before but never really appreciated them like I do now. They are huge and incredible! When we got to the Jasper National Park border we had to pay $20 to get in for the night. I was unaware of this fee and at first like “WTF? Why do we have to pay to get in” but as we drove towards Jasper it became more and more apparent why it might cost to visit. Within 5 minutes of being in the park we saw a herd of elk. Its hard to describe the reaction you have seeing something like that. Like you want to stop and make friends with the animals. Brando said “I just want to get out and hug them”. Its exactly the kind of reaction I'm talking about. We saw another herd about 10 minutes up the road. I'd pay $20 just for that!
We also saw a bunch of deer but ye ole moose still eludes me :( Not even today during our drive out of Jasper to Prince George... Where there are constant moose warnings did I see one. I just wanna see a moose.
Anyway, when we got to Jasper we did a short tour of the town... I mean its really, really a tiny town so the tour is very short and ended up at a pub called The Whistle Stop. It was nice to just sit down and share a pitcher without worrying about when we are playing, where is the promoter, who is watching the merch. Also, we could have a conversation without loud music drowning us out.... Don't get me wrong, we love loud music but a break from it is sometimes a nice change.
I love the idea of Jasper. It seems like a really laid back town where no one is in a great rush. There also seems like there should be a lot of interesting people there. I mean we have all heard the stories about how people have left to visit a place like Jasper and got a job there and never went home. I figured we might meet some people like that. First guy that sat at our table was not one of those people however he was an interesting dude. He was a train conductor and has been for the last 31 years but he was also D-R-U-N-K!! He offered for us to stay at his place but we were a little reluctant about that. Shortly after Jan met a guy our age at the bar named Jeff. He was really awesome and offered to have us stay at his place. OF COURSE!!! As the temperatures were dropping to -6 last night in Jasper we weren't really looking forward to sleeping in the van and we were a little worried about getting caught by the RCMP. I'm not sure if you are allowed to sleep in your van or not.. we obviously do anyway but we have no idea the laws on that. We went back to Jeff's place and hung out a little. We listened to some of his records on vinyl then we all crashed. Another nice and warm sleep on a bed. We are spoiled. I slept almost the whole night through and only woke up to Brando saying “stop fucking snoring!” and pushing Will around. I also watched him move to sleeping on the floor rather than the love seat he was on. I wanna add that I offered him my bed and I could have the love seat but he declined. I learned also in the morning that not only did he tell Will to shut the fuck up and throw pillows and blankets at him but he punched him a few times.... And the punches made Will stop snoring. Hahahaha
We woke up to fresh coffee brewing! Thanks a million Jeff. And again I will say, you meet the most amazing people on the road. We had a quick breakfast in a little Jasper cafe and wandered around a little bit before we hit the road again.
We took our time driving today... basically looking for Moose the whole time and arrived in Prince George at around 3pm and we've been here at the venue since. Its called Third on 3rd and its an anarchist center with a really cool venue attached to it. The first band is about to go on so I think I will post this and get inside.
Approaching Jasper was amazing. I have been through the mountains before but never really appreciated them like I do now. They are huge and incredible! When we got to the Jasper National Park border we had to pay $20 to get in for the night. I was unaware of this fee and at first like “WTF? Why do we have to pay to get in” but as we drove towards Jasper it became more and more apparent why it might cost to visit. Within 5 minutes of being in the park we saw a herd of elk. Its hard to describe the reaction you have seeing something like that. Like you want to stop and make friends with the animals. Brando said “I just want to get out and hug them”. Its exactly the kind of reaction I'm talking about. We saw another herd about 10 minutes up the road. I'd pay $20 just for that!
We also saw a bunch of deer but ye ole moose still eludes me :( Not even today during our drive out of Jasper to Prince George... Where there are constant moose warnings did I see one. I just wanna see a moose.
Anyway, when we got to Jasper we did a short tour of the town... I mean its really, really a tiny town so the tour is very short and ended up at a pub called The Whistle Stop. It was nice to just sit down and share a pitcher without worrying about when we are playing, where is the promoter, who is watching the merch. Also, we could have a conversation without loud music drowning us out.... Don't get me wrong, we love loud music but a break from it is sometimes a nice change.
I love the idea of Jasper. It seems like a really laid back town where no one is in a great rush. There also seems like there should be a lot of interesting people there. I mean we have all heard the stories about how people have left to visit a place like Jasper and got a job there and never went home. I figured we might meet some people like that. First guy that sat at our table was not one of those people however he was an interesting dude. He was a train conductor and has been for the last 31 years but he was also D-R-U-N-K!! He offered for us to stay at his place but we were a little reluctant about that. Shortly after Jan met a guy our age at the bar named Jeff. He was really awesome and offered to have us stay at his place. OF COURSE!!! As the temperatures were dropping to -6 last night in Jasper we weren't really looking forward to sleeping in the van and we were a little worried about getting caught by the RCMP. I'm not sure if you are allowed to sleep in your van or not.. we obviously do anyway but we have no idea the laws on that. We went back to Jeff's place and hung out a little. We listened to some of his records on vinyl then we all crashed. Another nice and warm sleep on a bed. We are spoiled. I slept almost the whole night through and only woke up to Brando saying “stop fucking snoring!” and pushing Will around. I also watched him move to sleeping on the floor rather than the love seat he was on. I wanna add that I offered him my bed and I could have the love seat but he declined. I learned also in the morning that not only did he tell Will to shut the fuck up and throw pillows and blankets at him but he punched him a few times.... And the punches made Will stop snoring. Hahahaha
We woke up to fresh coffee brewing! Thanks a million Jeff. And again I will say, you meet the most amazing people on the road. We had a quick breakfast in a little Jasper cafe and wandered around a little bit before we hit the road again.
We took our time driving today... basically looking for Moose the whole time and arrived in Prince George at around 3pm and we've been here at the venue since. Its called Third on 3rd and its an anarchist center with a really cool venue attached to it. The first band is about to go on so I think I will post this and get inside.
Monday, April 11, 2011
April 10 - Edmonton
We are about 200 kms from Jasper and we have a night off!. Our intention was to head to Jasper for our night off and hit up some hot springs. The hot water would feel so nice on my hurting rocker arms and shoulders... but I don't think they are open :( Damn! We will see when we get there though... maybe if we stop in at a hostel they will give us the DL on where we can visit a hot spring thats actually open and preferably free... but thats tomorrows blog.
Last night we played at the DV8 Tavern and holy cow, it was awesome!!! Edmonton, and more specifially the DV8 really know how to treat a band. Like they treated us so nice that it felt like we were swindling them somehow. Rod, who does the show promotion among many other things, is a wealth of knowledge and experience on the punk scene. He could talk for hours about all the cool punk legends he knows and he's got an entertaining story about all of them. Rod also plays in a band called Kroovy Rookers. They opened up the night. They play a cool punk/oi mix. I would definitely recommend checking them out. Second up, our friends from Calgary (whom we played with in Saskatoon) Off The Rails. The third band, Bastards Son (Edmonton locals) ruled! In fact they rocked so hard the drummer passed out... totally unconscious... during the last song. It was crazy! But these guys play a sort of early Metallica/punk loads of technical fills and time changes... They also take no breaks during their set. I think I would have passed out too. He came to shortly after though and was feeling better. We later found out that (from the mouth of the lead singer Morgan),
“we are the laziest band in the world. Like we only practice when we have a show coming up. I guess we should practice more so the drummer doesn't tire so easily.” Hahaha.
Morgan was awesome!
We went up and played our set. The crowd was awesome! The other bands were awesome! The staff was awesome! The venue was awesome!
After the show Morgan (Bastards Son) offered us a place to stay. He said he and his room mates share an old group home. They had loads of spare beds and lots of extra space. We made a quick stop at the liquor store (open until 2am in Edmonton!!) and headed to his place. He wasn't lying, it was this massive house with a million bedrooms and livingrooms. We each got a bed (or futon couch bed) to sleep on and we all slept like babies through the whole night.
We LOVE Edmonton! In fact we love it so much we are going to play the DV8 again on our way back through on April 19th. Can't wait to hang out with that crew again.
Since we have the day off today we took this opportunity to sleep in even though Morgan had to be up and out of the house by 6:30am... ouch! We met up with Rod again and went out for breakfast at a greasy spoon close to the venue called Route 99. Yummy egg, homefries and toast breakfast.
After breakfast we stopped off at a music store to pick up an input jack for Will's bass since his is only working now when its reefed over and taped down to the bass body. I thought since I was at a music store I would also try to get my bass pedal fixed.. finally! The problem was that the wing-nut bolt thing was too short so I could never tighten my pedal to the bass drum. The guys at the music store fixed it by epoxy gluing a nickel to reduce he size of the gap. Genius! I don't know why I never thought of doing something like that.
Our last stop before heading out of town was The West Edmonton Mall. It was pretty cool and gigantic. We got some video and pics of it. They have a full size pirate ship right in the mall! And a huge wave pool! Crazy. There is also a roller coaster that we were going to ride but decided to skip it when we found out it costs $10.50 each. Geez, we are a punk band on tour... We don't have that kind of money! We didn't go in any stores but we did make a wish at the wishing well. Lets hope they all come true! Oh yeah! Also there is a shooting range in the mall but it was too expensive to try. But seriously... a shooting range?
I am really looking forward to spending the night chilling out in Jasper then off to Prince George in the morning!
Last night we played at the DV8 Tavern and holy cow, it was awesome!!! Edmonton, and more specifially the DV8 really know how to treat a band. Like they treated us so nice that it felt like we were swindling them somehow. Rod, who does the show promotion among many other things, is a wealth of knowledge and experience on the punk scene. He could talk for hours about all the cool punk legends he knows and he's got an entertaining story about all of them. Rod also plays in a band called Kroovy Rookers. They opened up the night. They play a cool punk/oi mix. I would definitely recommend checking them out. Second up, our friends from Calgary (whom we played with in Saskatoon) Off The Rails. The third band, Bastards Son (Edmonton locals) ruled! In fact they rocked so hard the drummer passed out... totally unconscious... during the last song. It was crazy! But these guys play a sort of early Metallica/punk loads of technical fills and time changes... They also take no breaks during their set. I think I would have passed out too. He came to shortly after though and was feeling better. We later found out that (from the mouth of the lead singer Morgan),
“we are the laziest band in the world. Like we only practice when we have a show coming up. I guess we should practice more so the drummer doesn't tire so easily.” Hahaha.
Morgan was awesome!
We went up and played our set. The crowd was awesome! The other bands were awesome! The staff was awesome! The venue was awesome!
After the show Morgan (Bastards Son) offered us a place to stay. He said he and his room mates share an old group home. They had loads of spare beds and lots of extra space. We made a quick stop at the liquor store (open until 2am in Edmonton!!) and headed to his place. He wasn't lying, it was this massive house with a million bedrooms and livingrooms. We each got a bed (or futon couch bed) to sleep on and we all slept like babies through the whole night.
We LOVE Edmonton! In fact we love it so much we are going to play the DV8 again on our way back through on April 19th. Can't wait to hang out with that crew again.
Since we have the day off today we took this opportunity to sleep in even though Morgan had to be up and out of the house by 6:30am... ouch! We met up with Rod again and went out for breakfast at a greasy spoon close to the venue called Route 99. Yummy egg, homefries and toast breakfast.
After breakfast we stopped off at a music store to pick up an input jack for Will's bass since his is only working now when its reefed over and taped down to the bass body. I thought since I was at a music store I would also try to get my bass pedal fixed.. finally! The problem was that the wing-nut bolt thing was too short so I could never tighten my pedal to the bass drum. The guys at the music store fixed it by epoxy gluing a nickel to reduce he size of the gap. Genius! I don't know why I never thought of doing something like that.
Our last stop before heading out of town was The West Edmonton Mall. It was pretty cool and gigantic. We got some video and pics of it. They have a full size pirate ship right in the mall! And a huge wave pool! Crazy. There is also a roller coaster that we were going to ride but decided to skip it when we found out it costs $10.50 each. Geez, we are a punk band on tour... We don't have that kind of money! We didn't go in any stores but we did make a wish at the wishing well. Lets hope they all come true! Oh yeah! Also there is a shooting range in the mall but it was too expensive to try. But seriously... a shooting range?
I am really looking forward to spending the night chilling out in Jasper then off to Prince George in the morning!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
April 8 - Winnipeg and April 9 - Saskatoon
I'm so far behind in my blogging because I figured that since I have so many hours in the car I could write my blog in the car... NOPE! Seriously, the roads out here are so freaking bumpy you can't do anything in the van. And being that we spend about 8 hours driving a day it leaves little time for blogging.
So here it is... two in one.
Winnipeg - So amazing! We arrived a head of schedule (around 4pm) so had some time to chill before we had to head to the venue. We have some friends in Winnipeg (formerly The Crackdown, currently High Class Low Lifes). When they toured as The Crackdown a few years back we gave them a place to stay at the farm and it was an awesome week of hanging out and making some really good friends. They figured this time as we were passing through their neck of the woods they would return the favour. We arrived at Dan's place and he had chili cooking in the crockpot for us. YES! Hot meail!! He handed us a beer as we walked in. This is awesome! He told us we have just a few minutes before we head to the university for a radio interview they had set up. COOL!! We did our interview first and then he ande Scott did an acoustic live performance of some High Class Low Lifes songs.
We got back to Dan's and ate chili... that was SOOO delicious! We have been talking about it ever since then. Thanks again for the delicious hot mail you guys!
The show was at an all ages venue called Death Trap. It was a dingy basement but was totally awesome. We played with Animalistics and High Class Low Lifes... more great bands you should check out if you have a chance. Although it was a no alcohol event everyone at the venue brought some beer and were drinking. It was hilarious listening to Dan (HCLL) sarcastically thanking the audience, his friends, for obeying the no alcohol rule... while everyone in the crowd was enjoying a beer. We went back to Rob's (drummer from HCLL) place to sleep... in a bed! Woo Hoo! They also got us some pizza and more beer. These guys are truly amazing and I miss them already. Hopefully we can pop by and visit with them on our way back through Winnipeg. Before we left Winnipeg we also visited with my sister, Catharine, and her family. They made us some breakfast and coffee and we had a nice visit for about an hour. What an awesome time was had in Winnipeg.....
10 hours drive later....... *sigh*
We arrive in Saskatoon.... oh wait... on the drive we saw tons and tons of live deer which was exciting however we also passed what looked like the deer massacre of 2011 on highway 1 in Manitoba. We figure they were hit in the winter and as the snow melts it reveals more and more deer carcasses. EWWWW!!! But the live deer were awesome!
Saskatoon... once again we arrive at the venue and its not open. We walk around and blow off some steam... tension can arise when there are 4 people in close quarters for 10+ hours. We need a little alone time sometimes. Also, all the batteries for all my gadgets are dead at this point. I hate that! Can't go on my computer, cell phone, play DS, nothing....ERRR!! I was ultimately looking for an internet cafe or something but the area of Saskatoon that we were in was like a ghost town... I had my doubts about the show. Finally we found a parking lot with block heater plugs so my intention was to hang out there and charge every one of my gadgets and then head to the venue since it still wasn't open but just as we were heading to the plug we saw the venue was open. Finally! I got to charge my laptop in the venue... I was a little less of a bitch when I was able to do that. We played at a venue called Walkers. It was a really cool basement venue that reminded me of volcano crossed with Phils. It was the perfect punk venue. We played with 4 other bands - Off the Rails, Chimp Change, The Chuds and Later Day Saints. All very awesome! We were offered a place to stay with Lacey, Blake, their little girl and two pit bulls. Much to my liking Lacey is a clothing designer and had all the tools I needed to fix up the hole that ripped in the crotch of my pants the other day. Phew! Thanks again Lacey. We also got a really great original painting of Duane Peters that Blake did. Those two were really awesome! Its great to meet people like that on the road.
The next morning we made a quick stop at the Superstore and went on our way to Edmonton. Now I'm sitting in the DV8 lounge waiting for the show to start and thankfully they have WI-FI!!!
So here it is... two in one.
Winnipeg - So amazing! We arrived a head of schedule (around 4pm) so had some time to chill before we had to head to the venue. We have some friends in Winnipeg (formerly The Crackdown, currently High Class Low Lifes). When they toured as The Crackdown a few years back we gave them a place to stay at the farm and it was an awesome week of hanging out and making some really good friends. They figured this time as we were passing through their neck of the woods they would return the favour. We arrived at Dan's place and he had chili cooking in the crockpot for us. YES! Hot meail!! He handed us a beer as we walked in. This is awesome! He told us we have just a few minutes before we head to the university for a radio interview they had set up. COOL!! We did our interview first and then he ande Scott did an acoustic live performance of some High Class Low Lifes songs.
We got back to Dan's and ate chili... that was SOOO delicious! We have been talking about it ever since then. Thanks again for the delicious hot mail you guys!
The show was at an all ages venue called Death Trap. It was a dingy basement but was totally awesome. We played with Animalistics and High Class Low Lifes... more great bands you should check out if you have a chance. Although it was a no alcohol event everyone at the venue brought some beer and were drinking. It was hilarious listening to Dan (HCLL) sarcastically thanking the audience, his friends, for obeying the no alcohol rule... while everyone in the crowd was enjoying a beer. We went back to Rob's (drummer from HCLL) place to sleep... in a bed! Woo Hoo! They also got us some pizza and more beer. These guys are truly amazing and I miss them already. Hopefully we can pop by and visit with them on our way back through Winnipeg. Before we left Winnipeg we also visited with my sister, Catharine, and her family. They made us some breakfast and coffee and we had a nice visit for about an hour. What an awesome time was had in Winnipeg.....
10 hours drive later....... *sigh*
We arrive in Saskatoon.... oh wait... on the drive we saw tons and tons of live deer which was exciting however we also passed what looked like the deer massacre of 2011 on highway 1 in Manitoba. We figure they were hit in the winter and as the snow melts it reveals more and more deer carcasses. EWWWW!!! But the live deer were awesome!
Saskatoon... once again we arrive at the venue and its not open. We walk around and blow off some steam... tension can arise when there are 4 people in close quarters for 10+ hours. We need a little alone time sometimes. Also, all the batteries for all my gadgets are dead at this point. I hate that! Can't go on my computer, cell phone, play DS, nothing....ERRR!! I was ultimately looking for an internet cafe or something but the area of Saskatoon that we were in was like a ghost town... I had my doubts about the show. Finally we found a parking lot with block heater plugs so my intention was to hang out there and charge every one of my gadgets and then head to the venue since it still wasn't open but just as we were heading to the plug we saw the venue was open. Finally! I got to charge my laptop in the venue... I was a little less of a bitch when I was able to do that. We played at a venue called Walkers. It was a really cool basement venue that reminded me of volcano crossed with Phils. It was the perfect punk venue. We played with 4 other bands - Off the Rails, Chimp Change, The Chuds and Later Day Saints. All very awesome! We were offered a place to stay with Lacey, Blake, their little girl and two pit bulls. Much to my liking Lacey is a clothing designer and had all the tools I needed to fix up the hole that ripped in the crotch of my pants the other day. Phew! Thanks again Lacey. We also got a really great original painting of Duane Peters that Blake did. Those two were really awesome! Its great to meet people like that on the road.
The next morning we made a quick stop at the Superstore and went on our way to Edmonton. Now I'm sitting in the DV8 lounge waiting for the show to start and thankfully they have WI-FI!!!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
April 7 - Thunder Bay
I started to write this sitting in the van in Thunder Bay waiting for the Black Pirate pub to open. We arrived in Thunder Bay at about 11am this morning. We drove straight for the full 18 and a half hours with just a few pit stop and driver changes. In retrospect I guess we didn't need to leave so early but I just had no idea what it was going to like on the road. We left ourselves enough time to stop on the way and sleep for a good 6 hours. None of us got much sleep last night though. The roads were really bumpy and the van suspension, super stiff. I was a little worried I might catch some air on our top bunk and hit the roof. Didn't happen though. The drive was great, no traffic anywhere (not even on the way to pick up Brando in Toronto) but holy hell... its a long freakin drive! BUT... the only other vehicles on that particular stretch of highway are logging trucks filled with timber. Jan was driving and I was navigator and we were driving through a pretty mountainous area about 1.5 hours from Thunder Bay. Gas prices are insane so we are trying to drive in a manner that puts as little strain on the van as possible so we can save some money on gas... So on this particular stretch of highway we were heading up a long incline and although the speed limit is 90 we allow the van to drop down to about 70 as its climbing so we don't waste gas. As we were heading up the hill an OPP car passed us going the other way. Oh great... its a natural response to seeing a cop on the road. He u-turns around and follows us. Wonderful... but I have no idea what his problem might be with us. He followed us for about 2 minutes then the cherries come on. WTF?! Will and Brando were sleeping in the back, Brando on the bunk and Will on the seat. We turn around and say “guys, cop!”... no movement... louder this time “COPS!”. Will sits up and Brando, tangled in his blankets rolls off the bunk and joins Will in the seat. Words cannot describe how funny that looked but there was no laughing then, this was serious business... Freaking COPS! Up he comes to the window and says “License and insurance” we hand it over. He asks where we were going. We explain that we are a band on tour and drove all night... we were trying to get to Thunder Bay. His next question, “you been drinking alcohol or smoking marajuana” we reply “no”
“Well you were driving really slow” he says
“We are trying to save gas. Flooring it up a hill burns off tons of gas”
“Take your glasses off” he says to Jan. Jan does
“now look at me, close your eyes then open them” Jan obliges
“Get out of the van please” the officer says
Jan gets out of the van and they move to behind the van to do a sobriety test that included more blinking to checking for pupil dilation. We don't use any kind of drugs so the pupil not dilating at a normal rate was certainly due to a lack of sleep.
“off you go and get some sleep” the cop says. And thats exactly what we did. Off we went on our merry way. We later learned from the locals of Thunder Bay that that particular stretch of highway is crawling with OPP because it is sort of the bottle neck area for trafficking drugs. Makes sense now why we might have gotten pulled over.
Thunder Bay show was cool. It was at a venue called Black Pirate Pub. Owner (the owner of the pub... yeah thats his actual name) was a really awesome dude and was familiar with our neck of the woods. We shot the shit and talked about old days at the Trash in Guelph and Phils in Waterloo. I would recommend making a stop in at this pub if you ever visit Thunder Bay. We played with a Montreal band called The Hangers. They did this very Sublime-ish funk ska. I picked up their albums too. Thunder Bay happened to be their last stop on their tour that went all the way to Jasper and back. Funny how their last show was our first. Check em out if you have a chance.
In Thunder Bay is where we first encountered our van starting problem. Now to start the van you have to pop the hood and jiggle the starter cable in order to make contact with the starter. Its actually genius... its about the best anti-theft system we could get.
We spent that night in the van in a Tim Hortons parking lot. Though it was wicked to be that close to Timmy's coffee first thing in the morning we didn't consider the rush of traffic that would be at the Tims starting super early in the morning. Aside from a much needed hang out in Tim Hortons pit stop close to Kenora we drove straight to Winnipeg.
I'm actually posting this en route to Saskatoon but the Winnipeg stop deserves a separate blog. I'll hopefully get to that tonight.
“Well you were driving really slow” he says
“We are trying to save gas. Flooring it up a hill burns off tons of gas”
“Take your glasses off” he says to Jan. Jan does
“now look at me, close your eyes then open them” Jan obliges
“Get out of the van please” the officer says
Jan gets out of the van and they move to behind the van to do a sobriety test that included more blinking to checking for pupil dilation. We don't use any kind of drugs so the pupil not dilating at a normal rate was certainly due to a lack of sleep.
“off you go and get some sleep” the cop says. And thats exactly what we did. Off we went on our merry way. We later learned from the locals of Thunder Bay that that particular stretch of highway is crawling with OPP because it is sort of the bottle neck area for trafficking drugs. Makes sense now why we might have gotten pulled over.
Thunder Bay show was cool. It was at a venue called Black Pirate Pub. Owner (the owner of the pub... yeah thats his actual name) was a really awesome dude and was familiar with our neck of the woods. We shot the shit and talked about old days at the Trash in Guelph and Phils in Waterloo. I would recommend making a stop in at this pub if you ever visit Thunder Bay. We played with a Montreal band called The Hangers. They did this very Sublime-ish funk ska. I picked up their albums too. Thunder Bay happened to be their last stop on their tour that went all the way to Jasper and back. Funny how their last show was our first. Check em out if you have a chance.
In Thunder Bay is where we first encountered our van starting problem. Now to start the van you have to pop the hood and jiggle the starter cable in order to make contact with the starter. Its actually genius... its about the best anti-theft system we could get.
We spent that night in the van in a Tim Hortons parking lot. Though it was wicked to be that close to Timmy's coffee first thing in the morning we didn't consider the rush of traffic that would be at the Tims starting super early in the morning. Aside from a much needed hang out in Tim Hortons pit stop close to Kenora we drove straight to Winnipeg.
I'm actually posting this en route to Saskatoon but the Winnipeg stop deserves a separate blog. I'll hopefully get to that tonight.
Monday, April 4, 2011
April 3 - Sherbrooke
What a pretty city... It reminded me of Stratford with old buildings and an actual interest in the arts but it was super hilly. Something like a hilly UK town with little streets. It was nice to be in a smaller town (than Montreal and Ottawa). We found Bar Le Magog without too much trouble and the first bonus was free parking just outside the venue. That is a total luxury that is not afforded in cities like Ottawa and Montreal.
For those of you that have been at Bar Le Magog you can skip this next part but seriously... It really is the coolest venue I have ever played in. Country esc bar upfront and then a big awesome venue in the back... three tiered stage, green room in the back, beer tickets, 6000 watts of PA power, awesome staff and sound guy. The place is awesome! Oh, a ramp to easily load gear in.
I guess Sherbrooke shows are hit or miss and this one, being a Sunday night, wasn't packed by any means but the crowd that was there was really diggin' it. A band called Meat played first. Amazing musicians played some crazy technical, vocal free music. It was one of those bands that you just can't look away from because they are just really, really talented. They featured a stuffed cock (rooster!.. get yer mind outta the gutter) on stage with them during their set.
Crooked Jacks were next. They are Sherbrooke locals. They played this really cool sort of celtic-ish-but-not-really-punk-rock that seemed like you could add some bagpipes in and it would fit right in. They reminded me of Loaded Dice. They played awesome and came up with some pretty funny stage banter mostly about the stuffed cock (the rooster still... geeez). They were super entertaining.
We went up last and blasted through an almost-hour long set. We are working on tightening up some of our older songs that we don't play very often. Sherbrooke received us well. We got outta there at around 1:30am (that is a total guess because apparently when I'm on tour I have no interest in knowing the time ever so I don't bother checking). We drove all night to get home this morning. Let me re-phrase that.... Brando drove the first 5 hours and Will drove the last 4 hours to get home today. Though I would have totally dug spending the night in Sherbrooke, everyone was pretty anxious to get home as we have loads of stuff to do before we leave for the west on Wednesday.
4 days together and the band is still intact...
I'm at work now procrastinating as per usual so I'm gonna say cheers and get the hell back to work.
For those of you that have been at Bar Le Magog you can skip this next part but seriously... It really is the coolest venue I have ever played in. Country esc bar upfront and then a big awesome venue in the back... three tiered stage, green room in the back, beer tickets, 6000 watts of PA power, awesome staff and sound guy. The place is awesome! Oh, a ramp to easily load gear in.
I guess Sherbrooke shows are hit or miss and this one, being a Sunday night, wasn't packed by any means but the crowd that was there was really diggin' it. A band called Meat played first. Amazing musicians played some crazy technical, vocal free music. It was one of those bands that you just can't look away from because they are just really, really talented. They featured a stuffed cock (rooster!.. get yer mind outta the gutter) on stage with them during their set.
Crooked Jacks were next. They are Sherbrooke locals. They played this really cool sort of celtic-ish-but-not-really-punk-rock that seemed like you could add some bagpipes in and it would fit right in. They reminded me of Loaded Dice. They played awesome and came up with some pretty funny stage banter mostly about the stuffed cock (the rooster still... geeez). They were super entertaining.
We went up last and blasted through an almost-hour long set. We are working on tightening up some of our older songs that we don't play very often. Sherbrooke received us well. We got outta there at around 1:30am (that is a total guess because apparently when I'm on tour I have no interest in knowing the time ever so I don't bother checking). We drove all night to get home this morning. Let me re-phrase that.... Brando drove the first 5 hours and Will drove the last 4 hours to get home today. Though I would have totally dug spending the night in Sherbrooke, everyone was pretty anxious to get home as we have loads of stuff to do before we leave for the west on Wednesday.
4 days together and the band is still intact...
I'm at work now procrastinating as per usual so I'm gonna say cheers and get the hell back to work.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April 2 - Montreal
The Crobar... what an awesome bar! Right in the heart of downtown Montreal (I think, seemed like a pretty happening place) on this street packed with little bars. What a cool scene, a little like Hess Village in Hamilton.
We made it to Montreal from Ottawa in one go (no pit stops!). The traffic was flowing well and we hit just a small jam just as we were heading through the tunnel in Montreal. They have lights over each lane indicating which lanes are open and which are closed so people had ample opportunity to get into the open lanes before the last minute. Take a hint from Montreal Ontario-401... maybe we can have something like that to ease the congestion on our highways. Seems like a no-brainer.
Anyway, the Crobar was like the Circus Room... in fact a whole lot like the Circus Room. There was a small-ish bar on the main floor and then upstairs there was another little bar, a pool table and pretty kick-ass patio. I love patios :)
The first band, Troma Lisa, was awesome! They played a rockabilly-ish punk. It was really kick-ass! I recommend catching these guys if they swing by your town, you'll like em! Then we were up, The Hellbats and Subsistance. It was cool seeing Subsistance in Montreal. This is the first time we have played their home town with them.
We loaded out and went to the Subsistance hall to load all the gear in. Now, the MGD hall was awesome - In a really nice building that was clean. The Subsistance jam hall was amazing. Heated loading dock that you can pull the van in, rolling gear movers, a freight elevator, security guard, snack hang out room, heat! This place was amazing! Its no wonder Montreal has so many great bands... even if I didn't play in a band I would start one so I could have a jam hall there. I was also informed that the huge building full of bands was only one of 3 or 4 that are in town! WHA! We need something like that in Kitchener. Geez, compare it to our dirty dingy shit-hole jam halls, that reek of mold and piss and have leaking water constantly on the floor... and no heat or very little heat. I'm jealous!
Well my coffee is done so this blog is also. I walked a marathon this morning to find a cup of crap coffee (I wasn't seeking CRAP coffee but that's what I finally got).
Got some friends to see and a road to hit.... Sherbrooke, here we come!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The Rotten on Tour 2011 - April 1st - Ottawa
In Montreal now and I have access to a wifi connection... This is a good time to blog about last night in Ottawa. The show was awesome!
It was at a venue called Cafe Dekcuf on Rideau Street in Ottawa. The venue is cool - all ages bar and upstairs from a venue called Mavericks.... where Comeback Kid was playing last night too. Our crowds didn't intermingle too much but we shared the same smoking sidewalk (for those Comeback Kid fans that actually do smoke... I mean they aren't wearing a hoodie with a giganitic X on it).
First up at the show was a band called The Scally Cap Brats. They were a cool Dropkick Murphy's type oi-ish celtic punk. They actually covered some Dropkick which was cool. They really got the crowd going and pumped for the rest of the night. Next up were the Hellbats, from France. They ruled as always but during the last song singer Ellie got the mic in the teeth *ouch*.... as a precaution today we stopped at Steve's Music in Ottawa and got some 'Rotten' mic covers/teeth protectors for our microphones. We don't wanna lose any teeth. We were up third and it was fun... Ottawa punk rockers are amazing. They totally dig the music and rock out the whole time. I love that! Our set went well and as we play each night I hope we are getting re-accustomed to working out. Phew! we are outta shape!
Machine Gun Dolly were up next and of course blew the crowd away. I love those guys.
Finally Subsistance rounded out the night and as always they were awesome!... I also love those guys. Much thanks to Subsistance for supplying most of the gear we, and the other bands, used all night. Special thanks to Scott for letting me use his ride cymbal, yet again, because mine is broken and still not replaced. Thanks Scott!
Because last time we came to Ottawa we almost cost Jesse (MGD) his apartment (I guess we were a bit loud and pissed his landlords off) we were invited to after-party and sleep at their jam hall... The coolest jam hall I've ever seen
We had a mini show with MGD at the jam hall switching members and just jamming. It was a helluva lotta fun. Jean (lead vocal MGD) passed out first so he got the ass-in-the-face (haha... a MGD/TR tradition). I hope I never get the ass-in-the-face... I'm not sure anyone would dare.
Now we are in Montreal hanging out at Scott's place and chilling until we can head to the venue. I'm sure Montreal is gonna show us a good time tonight!
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