Monday, July 21, 2008

July 2008 Part 1






After my stint with Chilliwack I returned home to carry on work with the BC150 celebrations. The BC150 Spirit Train (which was produced by Randall and Tracey Prescott) was an event I was involved with which started June 10 and was to end July 6. It was an old steam engine which towed along a museum and a stage among other cars. It stopped in 33 communities across the province of BC. I rejoined the train on June 25 after finishing off the music and final touches for the Celebration Of Light fireworks finale (which is to be performed on Aug. 2nd in English Bay - Vancouver). As is always the case in my life... I get booked up work wise - and then something big comes down the pipe that I HAVE to fit in. See if you can figure out what those big events were:

July 1 - BC 150 train performance in Cloverdale BC
July 2/3 - Finish final historical tracks for BC 150 train including narrative for museum car, Steam Train song and demo for Olympic Spirit Train (more on that later) - gig both nights at Boulevard Casino
July 4 - BC 150 Train performance in New Westminster BC - sub gig at River Rock Casino
July 5 - BC 150 Train performance in North Vancouver BC - hop a BC ferry and do a "casual" in Port Alberni BC
July 6 - Ferry back and do a BC 150 Train performance (the final one) in Vancouver BC
July 7 - Catalogue all BC 150 materials and ship to Ottawa. Send off all invoices. Gig at the Yale hotel with Jerry Adolphe.
July 8 - Rehearse with Govinda and Vesou Clayton - The Ghost Brothers for Saturday gig. Gig in North Vancouver with Mick Dalla Vee.
July 9/ 10 - DAYS OFF!! Go to Vancouver Island to see my Nana who turns 97(!!!) today. She still lives in her house and is in exceptional health for a woman her age. We go for fish and chips with my Aunt Louise. What a wonderful couple of days.
July 11 - Back to the mainland. Session for producer Rick Welin (whom I've never met face to face - he sends me the tracks and I play on them - nice guy!). Gig with Angela Kelman that night. After the gig guitarist Tim Porter comes to my house to play on a session for me.
July 12 - Session for artist Jose Cardenas (whom I've also never met - he too sends me his tracks and I play on them - also a nice guy!). Gig at Thunderbird Stadium with the Ghost Brothers (5:00PM). Drive home - drop my gear off (7:00PM) - drive to GM Place to see one hour on Stevie Wonder (8:00PM). He is 20 minutes late (8:20PM). I only see 40 minutes:( but what a GREAT 40 minutes!! I am happy and sad at the same time. Drive to my gig with Angela Kelman (9:30PM).
July 13 - Finish the gig(1:00AM). Pack up and drive home. (2:00AM). Pack clothes and gear, consolidate session files, burn DVDs and stuff in mailers and address them. Jump in car (4:00AM). Arrive at airport and go to Air Canada counter to check in for 6:00AM flight. Flight is cancelled!! Rescheduled for 7:00AM flight. Arrive in Toronto (2:30PM). Shuttle to Trenton Ontario for rehearsal for show tour to an "undisclosed location" in the Persian Gulf where we will be entertaining military personal (as I have done three other times in the past. Arrive in Trenton (5:00PM). Do the show (7:30PM). Finish the show (10:00PM). Go to bed (1:00AM)
July 14 - Fly overseas. I can't say where as part of my contract... however it was a 14 hour flight.
July 15 - We arrive at our destination (6:30PM). Customs, drive to hotel, get rooms, briefing (10:00AM). Bed (12:30AM)
July 16 - Show day. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control the equipment shows up very late. I pitch in as do others helping set up the PA with the sound crew and well meaning (but inexperienced) helpers. We barely get it up in time and the show goes off without a hitch. It was fun to work with Carmen And Camille, Patricia Conroy, David Gogo, Taylor James, comedian Pete Zedlacher and our house band (Rod Salloum, John Dymond, Brent Howard, Ian Cameron and Sean O Grady). Sound crew Dave Coe & Eric Agur and escort officer Mark Larose. Up at 7:30AM and in bed at 12:30AM)
July 17 - 7:30AM -up. 9:00AM - leave to go play an unplugged show for the personal who could not attend last night's show. Great gig - nice guys. Back to hotel at 2:30PM. CRASH! Out like a light. Up at 8:00PM. Go to airport.
July 18 - Undisclosed location to Frankfurt (1:30 AM). 7 hour layover. Frankfurt to Vancouver (1:00PM). Arrive home (4:30PM). Go to James Taylor concert!!! (8:00PM) Nod off only ONCE during "You've Got A Friend" (8:45- 8:48PM).
July 19 - BC Ferry to Victoria to ROCK with David Gogo. I feel surprisingly good!
July 20 - Back home - play the Blue Mountain Festival in Coquitlam with Kenny Hess(7:30PM). Back home to do sundry chores etc (laundry, email etc.)
July 21 - Finish Sundry Chores and prep for upcoming trips.... see Part 2.