Bionic, Warped, Broken
Wednesday, July 24 2002
Posted by brockp

It was a busy week last week what with Mr. Kastner in town mixing the new All Systems Go! disc at the Warehouse, Jonathan and Ian coming through with Bionic, and Jill visiting on escape from the Warped Tour.

Somehow all of that made it tough to get my own mixing of Big Strong Love done but it is at last and on the way to Boss. I am not too sure when the Boss Sampler #3 is due but Aston is putting it together now, so I am guessing before the end of summer or at the latest October.

Boss is also responsible for putting out the first Bionic record on LP vinyl, which I just had a look at, and I must say, that is one heavy piece of plastic. Opaque blue too. Vinyl lovers go get it.

For the CD lovers, the new Bionic disc "Deliverance" is just back from pressing and is on sale exclusively at live gigs from the current tour. Check www.bionicland.com for dates accross Canada with Nashville Pussy, unless you are on the west coast, in which case you are bummin'.

There are not too many bands I have seen that can deliver the goods like Bionic, so do go if you get a chance to see them. Believe me. I spent a long sixteen hour day working the Warped Tour on friday and heard many bands. None were better. Most were weak compared to the onslought at the Pic Thursday.

While I am talking about thursday, let me take this opportunity to thank whoever smashed my van window with a broom handle and stole the hardware bag and Kelly's channel switcher and stuff. Not that it does any good, because I am a fool for having cymbal stands in a hardware bag stolen from the same van twice. OK so the first time the van was stolen too, but I still want to moan about it because its pretty damn hard to explain to a four year old kid why there is no window and glass shatterred all over the interior of your car. Its violent. Its also a damn good thing I unloaded my snare drum, cymbals and Kelly's guitar and amp before heading to the gig. I remember thinking, "Who is going to try and run off with a bag full of cymbal stands."

I mean usually everyone complains about carrying hardware. Oh well. I am an idiot. Actually I am an idiot who needs some cymbal stands and a new bass drum pedal.

Oh, a few words about the ASG! record. It is damn fine what I have heard of it. There is a guest appearance by Pete Stahl of Scream notoriety, and some solid performances and good songs. Bad Taste is doing Europe, or at least part of it, and John tells me there will be a domestic release this time. No import prices...A tour is supposed to be in the works and a new video production as well.

Spanish Banks
Tuesday, July 2 2002
Posted by brockp

Canada Day here in Vancouver today. That means fourth of July with maple leafs for those of you down south. Fourth of July a notch down. Canadians can be patriotic but only seem to go all out after the whole day of beer drinking.

I myself did not spend the whole day drinking Molson Canadian, but rather hanging out on the beach near some guys who were. On one side of us were the all male testosterone charged boys, and on the other side were the make-up applying, 7-11 slurpee sipping teenage girls. It was an interesting crossfire of conversation eavesdropping but I enjoyed playing frisbee with Clem much more.

The real fun began when we went out onto the flats (it was low tide) and rode the skimboards. It got pretty silly after a while once the tide started rolling back in. It wastes no time once it makes up its mind to come in, and though skimboarding is really for shallow water, once the tide comes in, I just had to try riding out into the deeper stuff just to see what would happen. Clue: splash !

Nevertheless, I must admit that Vancouver is a damn fine place if you are into board sports. Also seen today were a pair of bald eagles and their nest (yeah, I'd want to live high above Spanish Banks too), a big blue heron, and some other odd bird with a big gullet.

The most amazing thing though, is that there was only a moderate amount of people around. There is so much beach, especially at low tide, that you pretty much have the whole thing to yourself. And this on Canada Day. Where do all the monied people go ? Kits Beach, I am told. Well, enjoy, all you monied peeps. To quote miss Kim, "Its a little slice of heaven". Oh yeah, the other good thing about skimboarding is that you fall on sand and water, not concrete like the skatepark. Skating is another great thing altogether, but my hippers need to mend now and then or I will never do a frontside bert again.

And while I am on the subject of skatepark, I'd like to make a suggestion to all you young spraypaint wielding kids: Stickman pornography with four letter words and the name of some girl you know at junior high does not make the nine foot bowl a better place. If you are going to empty your red spraypaint can, come on. You can do a lot better than that. Please try a little harder. Come to think of it, I'd better do something about that nine foot bowl because I know those little fluorescent pink painted skateshoe boys will never read this page or heed my advice if they did. Oh well. I'm going tomorrow so maybe someone will have taken care of the situation already. Who wants to hip-slam on some lame stickman graffiti...