Roadbed with Brock ?
Sunday, September 14 2003
Posted by brockp

Shockk and Super have invited me to sit in with Roadbed at the Backstage Lounge tonight, Sept. 14th. They played yesterday with a new drummer named Sam, who, at 22 could be the best drummer I have seen since Berklee.

I warned Super that I will be a little less jazzy and more rocky than him but it should be fun anyway. I have never played with them and don't know any of the songs. Perhaps I will have a listen to Knockout Hits this afternoon.

Don't touch my snare drum
Sunday, September 14 2003
Posted by brockp

This could be a public apology to the drummer of Hope Against for my brevity on Thursday night. I made the mistake of drinking some too harsh coffee on an empty stomach while dining at the Havana with some friends from Seattle. Steve Ball in Vancouver folks - a first to be sure. He and Tobin and Kim were on their way up to Whistler to play at a wedding or some such event, and so we had about 30 minutes to hang out before I needed to load, pick up Shocker, and head to the Pic for the Mongoose gig. Somehow when I am working outdoors all day in the hot sun I can manage to stay hydrated but while just meandering about town doing various errands like dropping kids at school and such, I forgot to drink enough or eat enough. Sleeping more than four hours the night before helps too.

So I am thinking I better not eat cause I have no time and so I order coffee and by the time I pick up Shockk, I am not feeling too well. By the time we get to the Pic I am feeling extremely poorly. By the time we are loaded in about all I want to do is stay in the back of the club with my head down. It is difficult to set up drums this way. Thanks for the help, Clay.

Before too long the lavatory feels like where I wanna be and I am wondering if something I have eaten (what have I eaten today ?) was amiss. I wander back to the drums remembering my snare drum is still out of comission due to head changing in process from the previous night. I get to the pool table where stuff is being assembled and there is Shockk with the Hope Against drummer (sorry dude, I forgot your name) with my snare case open, drum in hand, and old snares and new snares loose on table.

"Don't touch my drum," I grumble, "it's older than I am and very delicate". Shock tells me a few minutes later I have prolly scared the guy. Hope Against are using our gear but did not get the message about bringing their own snare and cymbals. Normally I am ok with this but I know how hard this guy plays and am feeling really really bad by now.

Just about the time Hope Against starts up their hardcore musical lunging I am emptying the contents of the stomach back in the Gents. Yech. Clay is monitoring my situation and I am verbally instructing him in tuning my drum in stages, "Put two full turns on the bottom head, a quarter turn at a time," etc.

Somehow we got the drum to a reasonable state of use and I continued to just rest my head on the pool table until time to go on. I remember hearing Clay explain to someone that this guy is our drummer, and no, we don't need you to play drums for us, he'll be ok. By the time I have got the drums on stage and am under the pars, I feel oddly stable and am just focussing on the 6x6 area of the stage where I sit. We begin our set and I am helped through with some second wind out of somewhere. Not only do I succeed in making it through every song, but by about halfway through I am starting to tear it up and a smile arrives. The show must go on. Super told me there is a review at Difficult Music online. Oh yeah, I got a $40 parking ticket and we didn't get paid.

La Majeure on national charts
Tuesday, September 9 2003
Posted by brockp

Shocker left a message on my voicemail today about Hope Against with whom we are playing at the Pic this Thursday. He said something about their van breaking down and can they use my drum kit (of course they can but I hope they've got a cymbal or two 'cause mine are a bit tender). He also mentioned that the Doughboys 7"/CDEP, La Majeure 1987 was on the national college charts for September. So I had a look and sure enough it sits at #33. Have a look.

Years and Years
Friday, September 5 2003
Posted by brockp

It has probably been that long since I've blogged anything here and since my mom-in-law is not visiting any more, I'd better add a new entry. She is probably the only one who is still reading this page and God dammit, that's reason enough to Blog !

I was very tempted to write about all the odd experiences I had working the last few shows of the summer at Thunderbird Stadium this year and if you talked to me at all during that time you'll remember how much I was blathering on about actually being gainfully employed for a time. To be honest though, I was just too damned exhausted after hefting plywood and moving around barricades all day long to stay up until 2:51 am writng a weblog.

Yes, I am at the very bottom of the food chain, when it comes to concert production, which means I seldom go on the stage except to bring somebody a vaccuum cleaner or help rig lights for an hour while being paid $4 an hour less than all the other stagehands are. I am good at sucking it up however. Humility is a good thing, I am learning. Its also hard to whine about getting cut from show call when most people have to fork over pretty serious money for "zone" tickets to Radiohead. OK I am gloating a bit, but I really was pissed because I was supposed to work 8am to midnight on that day and ended up finishing at 4pm, an hour before doors open. Silver lining= I have a pass...so the problem is...

Yes, I also saw REM the previous night and worked the Jack Johnson/Ben Harper show, although I didn't really see that one as much because I actually did work 'til midnight that time. Things get pretty silly after 12-14 hours of baking in the sun and thank god the sun does go down and cool everything off. When it does finally set the sky looks like a storybook in that venue - pink and orange and dusky blue, geese flying overhead to roars from the crowd, mars and a sickle moon hanging low in the sky.

I must admit it was a bit sad to see the stage come down sunday, although I would have been glad for it to come down a little faster after a while. Can you say another 14 hour day ?

Two final unrelated comments:

1) The Detroit Cobras are an amazing band and I recommend you listen to them if you haven't already, and

2) Will those of you who consume recreational narcotic substances, please PLEASE label your custom baked goods if you're going to leave them around - someone who accidently eats them may actually not want to get fried.

More Mongoose dates
Friday, September 5 2003
Posted by brockp

Thanks to all who made it out to the Cobalt on a Wednesday night last night ! Mongoose also had a surprise last minute gig at the Underwear Factory beforehand - sadly we had to dash before getting to hear the other bands on the bill. We will have another opportunity to see Hope Against, however, next Thursday the 11th at the Pic Pub (620 W Pender St.) along with Lonesome Pine. Be forewarned, I think these guys are of the hardcore variety...

I realise the Weakerthans are playing the Commodore that night and will forgive you if you'd rather go see them considering their new disc Reconstruction Site is a fine one. Nevertheless, do remember they are also playing an all-ages show at Mesa Luna on the 10th (can you guess who is going to that one ?)

Mongoose is also playing Friday the 12th at the Railway Club (579 Dunsmuir) along with a band called Agriculture Club. Don't worry, I haven't heard of them either. The more astute reader may notice I said below we were going to play at the Royal on that day. Sadly, the odd coincidence of getting a gig at a Vancouver club only to have it shut down continues, as the Royal had its last event on the 30th of August. Well at least the building didn't burn down a la Ms. T's Cabaret.

Before I forget, I should also mention Mongoose will be on Co op Radio (102.7 fm) in Vancouver tomorrow at 9:30 pm - so I am told. I have a feeling we will be asked to play sans loud amps and drumkit so it might be embarassingly acoustic punk rock fusion. Hmmm.