(Alright, all done now, finally. I'll stop farting around and editing it, maybe....Well, I guess I fibbed. Really truly done now because I need to go get some supper before the show. So - done for real this time.)
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Once we got into the theatres we loved them, we loved the vibe in there. The show evolved and became more about the music and less about the lights, and more about what we say and less about how much we jump," he said. "Sometimes you can't get away from your past but you don't have to use all of it. We tend to say to the audience, 'Here's what you want but here's what we like right now, and you're going to like it too, trust us. - Sean McCann, Canadian Press interview (full text below)
I hate 5 am flights. I always wind up scrambling to get everything done and packed because I always make the mistake of thinking 5 am is Early Tomorrow when it's really just Late Today. I've got videos (YouTubes and Megauploads) from Saturday night's kinda sorta private GBS show at Club One in St. John's and a few thoughts to add about what that show was like, but no frigging time to put any of it here yet. But there is one thing that is too important to me not to make time for. Utter, absolute Beauty is forever timeless:
Alan always looks wonderful to me, has always and always will, but on this night, he was absolutely breathtaking, irresistibly and touchably gorgeous, so much so that I spent most of the evening in a state of delight, pure and impure combined. It's been a long time since I've seen him in that lovely shirt and he looks wonderful in it; the only way that shirt could look any better than it does on Alan would be if it were off Alan.
I'll edit in more when I've got a bit of time and a reliable connection, probably from Pearson. Time to scramble. Did I say how much I hate 5 am flights?
ETA: Now at Pearson, with just enough time for a few YouTubes from Saturday's Club One show. Be sure to notice the gorgeous man in the lovely shirt.
Here & Now
Dream To Live
Straight To Hell
Gallows Pole
Good Girls Don't
General Taylor
When I Am King
England
Ferryland Sealer
The downloadable versions (with a whole lot better quality than how they wind up on YouTube) aren't quite done yet; if I have a decent connection in Kingston, I'll get them added in here when I get there.
Just a couple of quick comments about the Club One show before I head downstairs to catch my connecting puddle-jumper flight to Kingston. Even after having been at this show, I'm still not quite sure what was on the go. It was mostly a straight-up private/corporate-type show, but for some reason the sponsoring company, Lamb's Rum/Corby Distilleries, decided to include a certain percentage of contest winners too. It made for a bit of different sort of mix, with many of the Guests doing a lot of socialising and chattering (and drinking) during the show and quite a few of the Winners congregating up by the stage for the singing and dancing (and drinking) part of the show.
Kudos to the cute little dancing lady who got a smooch with the most charming one of all - the "first kiss of the evening," he called it, one that "felt a bit dirty" - who knew that was all you had to do to make it happen? Kudos to Lamb's for the cool plastic cups with the flashing lights too - a few of those came home with us, and in one of the videos you can see Alan snagging one of his own. After GBS left the stage, The Novaks came out to play a (blistering) set, and if I am not mistaken, they opened the doors to the public at that point, which made for an even more intriguing crowd mix.
If I were being honest here, I'd have to confess that I didn't spend much of this show paying any attention at all to hardly anything other than the Brightest and the Best, standing there right smack dab in front of me, sounding great and looking even greater. It was not easy missing that last run of shows and I was very glad to be exactly where I was at Club One. I did manage to notice that the lights seemed really good this time, a full spectrum of colours and changes. Club One's sound is always abysmal, but I did manage to notice a bit of some new layers that Kris has added to Dream To Live; I'm looking forward to hearing more when we get to the venues where I can hear more. I'm looking forward to hearing more. Seeing more, too.
Most of all, it was just good to be able to hear the music again, to see them getting ready to take that music back out where it belongs to be heard by as many people as possible. And to take lingering and endless pleasure in that spectacular view - most beautiful belly in the house, with all the rest to go with it - dressed up in his lovely shirt. Not a bit of complaining from me about the pants, either.
Time to go, again.
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One last ETA: Now that I'mn checked in and well-connected, I've had a chance to finish up the last of the Megauploads for those who prefer to download the video files, with full quality. YouTube is handy for easy viewing, but you do pay a price in quality.
Video Download Links
Good Girls Don't, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (175 MB)
Straight To Hell, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (220 MB)
Dream To Live, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (270 MB)
Gallows Pole, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (155 MB)
England, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (205 MB)
Here & Now, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (180 MB)
General Taylor, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (200 MB)
When I Am King, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (155 MB)
Ferryland Sealer, Great Big Sea @ Club One, St. John's, November 2008 (160 MB)
That's all the videos from the Semi-Private Show at Club One. There are a few wobbles in one or two of them, but considering the wobble that was in the videographer at the time (this was, after all, a Lamb's Rum gig, and I did my best at offering up corporate support, along with tossing any and all impulse control over the side, and good riddance to it), I think they turned out surprisingly well, even more so when you add in the significant Bedazzled By The Bonfire Burning Through The Night factor.
Photos from this show (and the next few) are going to have to wait a bit. I' m having a very hard time figuring out how to use the new Vista-chummy photediting program and since the effort is pissing me off mightily, it's going to have to wait till I have some leisure learning-curve time. I am going back to St. John''s during the short break between Oshawa and Thunder Bay, real reasons being to check back in with the doctor and to go to the Folk Awards show, but I'm also going to try to use some of that tine there for a bit of quick photoediting on the old program that's still on a non'-Vista (I am calling it Fist Ya these days) laptop there. Or maybe I'll have a sudden breakthrough and quickly become proficient with the new program. Not impossible, though rather unlikely.
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As for GBS's being The Band With Balls, this utterly refreshing Canadian Press article found on the online Telegram site :
Sun Nov. 16 2008 1:33:13 PM
Great Big Sea hasn't given up on big dreams
Toronto
MICHAEL OLIVEIRA
The Canadian Press
Great Big Sea no longer wants to be the party band known mostly for jumping up and down onstage with boundless energy.
Nor is the folk-rock band happy to just play the biggest hits from its 15-year career and back catalogue of 12 CDs.
Even though band members are a household name in Canada and continue to build their fan base elsewhere, Great Big Sea still wants to be huge.
"We're not interested in just reaping what we've sown, we want to keep growing," said band member Sean McCann during a telephone interview from his hometown of St. John's, as the group enjoyed a brief break between touring the United States and getting back on the road in Canada.
"We want to be huge, big stars, as big as we can be. We're not satisfied yet."
The band built loyal audiences across the country with a number of memorable singles over the years, starting with their cover of the Slade song, "Run Runaway," in 1995, and then songs like "Mari-Mac," "Goin' Up," "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)," "Ordinary Day," and "Consequence Free."
They still play most of those songs live, but after releasing a folk album in 2005 they decided to move away from bars, rowdy clubs and arenas and have elected to play in more sit-down theatres, McCann said.
"Once we got into the theatres we loved them, we loved the vibe in there. The show evolved and became more about the music and less about the lights and more about what we say and less about how much we jump," he said.
"Sometimes you can't get away from your past, but you don't have to use all of it. We tend to say to the audience, 'Here's what you want, but here's what we like right now and you're going to like it too, trust us.' Our fans want to sing along, so we have to give them something they know the words to - and we do - then we give them something they don't know, and they'll learn it for the next show."
While that evolution has turned off some of their longtime supporters who've come to expect a certain vibe at a Great Big Sea concert, the excitement and challenge of playing to new, growing audiences in the U.S. helped the band develop their act.
"You kind of got used to your front row knowing exactly what's going to happen and what they're supposed to do - because we're kind of an audience participation band - but we went out there (in the U.S.) many nights and most people had never seen us before," he said.
Still, the band has acquired at least one high-profile non-Canadian fan.
Movie star Russell Crowe has been known to join Great Big Sea onstage whenever he's in the same town the band is touring in, and has co-writing credits on their latest album, "Fortune's Favour."
"He's a great guy to be around, very entertaining and he's a great songwriter and lyricist," McCann said.
Great Big Sea is playing in Kingston, Ont., tonight; Barrie, Ont., Tuesday; Hamilton Wednesday; Kitchener, Ont., Thursday; Oshawa, Ont. Saturday; Thunder Bay, Ont., Nov. 26; Winnipeg Nov. 27; Saskatoon Nov. 28; Regina Nov. 29; Edmonton Nov. 30; Calgary Dec. 1; and Vancouver Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.
Note: There are several longer versions of this syndicated article to be found online, but I liked this edit the best of the lot, though I wish it had included Sean's closing comment about Russell: "It's usually a great surprise when he shows up at shows and the fans love it, he doesn't come in making small noises, he comes big, he's awesome."
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This upcoming tour leg is a very important one, quite the play for the making - a matter of taking GBS Today to some of the folks who are the most invested in, as well as the most fond of, GBS Yesterday. Persuasive performances, compelling music, hearts and souls, hard work and acts of artistic seduction. I believe the fellows up there on the stage are going to win the day, victory in the Present and faith in the Future. I believe in them, believe most of all in the dear fellow who is looking so wonderful in that lovely shirt. Or out of it, either way...I'm easily pleased.
Evolution, growth, being more about what they have to say. Still sowing brand new seeds instead of settling for an old harvest. All these things are as worthy of cheering for and applauding as is the music that is created from those very attitudes; this is my kind of "GBS Happy Fix," for exactly as long as it makes them happy.
Here and Nnw, Great Big Sea Today is about as far removed from being (or becoming) a Tim Horton's Band as it is possible to be. I am so proud of them, of all of them. Courage for sure, in abundant measure, right there where it belongs, alongside the Patience and the Grit.
Dream to live, live to dream. Equally as true for challenging tour legs and new music as it is for beautiful bellies and lovely shirts.
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