Alan's FTRs

Alan's Current Online Journal Entries

This is the full text of Alan Doyle's online journal entries as they appear on the Alan From The Road page of the official GBS site. This full text is accessible there to those who opt to sign up for gbs.com membership, along with other information included on the gbs.com "Members Only" page.

Because there are always those who, for whatever their personal reasons might be, will not opt to sign up, and because I believe what Alan writes deserves to be read by as many people as have the desire to do so, here is that full text.

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Friday December 22 2006
Tour Diary - December 21, 2006 - Home

I finished my Christmas shopping today…I think.

Just a quick note to say ‘Thanks’ to all hands for putting Courage and Patience and Grit on your Christmas Lists. It’s been in the top 5 DVD sales for a few weeks now.

Thanks as well to everyone who jumped to buy the tickets for Great Big Christmas. This year, its all for the kids as all proceeds go to the Janeway Hospital. Should be a blast.

Stay tuned for that announcement of the dates around St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S.

This is the time of year we all should sit back and count our blessings. Mine are too great to count in one sitting.

Happy Season to you all. Hope to see you soon in the New Year.

Cheers,

Alan

Monday November 27 2006

Tour Diary - November 24, 2006 - AC Flights 8830 & 692 YXE-YYZ-YYT

Courage and Patience and Grit hit the stores a few days ago. I feel I can brag about this DVD more than any of our CD’s because I had so little to do with the making of it. I know your thinking I’m being falsely modest as I sing, play, or talk, or all three, in just about every moment of the DVD, but trust me that’ all I did. We’ve done TV shows and DVDs and live CDs in the past and in invariably our performance was somehow altered or compromised or compressed or edited in some unnatural fashion.

You would not believe how many times I’ve stood a mic for a TV shoot when some production assistant or director would ask me if I could lower the stand for the sake of the camera angle or lighting. I always protest explaining that if the mic is lower than usual, I will have to stand and sing differently and politely ask if they couldn’t just move the camera or light instead. Or, my particular favorite; when taping an episode of Rita for CBC TV, a floor director asked if I had to use my usual orange guitar picks and if I would mind if they had the props department die them black so they would not clash with the set. On the same day, another man, who shall remain nameless, asked me if I could look in to camera 3 while singing verse 2.

In my Newfoundland accent, I remember saying;

“Man, you must think playing in this band in some friggin easy. I can barely remember the words to verse two and it use every inch of my brain just to sing on time and in key, while playing an eight string bouzouki that I just bought. So, no, I don’t think I’ll be able to find camera 3 and address it with a wink and a nod and a quarter turn during verse two.”

He hates me to this day.

No such trauma with the making of Courage and Patience and Grit.

Pierre and Francois from Fogo (the company, not the Island where Gideon lived; coincidence eh?), captured the sights and sounds of a GBS show without asking us to do so much as iron our shirts. We had one production meeting, over pints I might add, where they explained that they wanted us to alter nothing, and that they would be as invisible as possible during the shooting days. The result is the most honest portrait of a night out with GBS that I have ever seen. Full of foolish banter and more mistakes than I care to confess, C&P&G could have been filmed on any one of the zillion dates on the Hard and the Easy Tour. Well done Gents.

I will take a moment to smell the Roses and pat myself and the GBS cast on the back for another major release; our third in as many years, I believe. I think that means we have released ten major projects in 13 years.

Does that sound like a lot? It sure didn’t feel like it.

Home for a few weeks to finish producing the Irish Descendants CD then a welcome Christmas break that includes a big charity concert in December. Great Big Christmas is back and this year it is all for the Janeway Children’s Hospital. Every song and drink helps a sick kid.

Guilt free celebration. Gotta like it.

Cheers

Alan

Monday November 06 2006
Tour Diary - November 4, 2006 - Home

Currently enjoying a quiet Saturday; a rarity if you play in a band for a living. The Prince is four months old today. Trust me, time does fly.

I just wanted to let all hands know about a few things. As I mentioned here a short while ago, I’ll be in Toronto in a few days for a fundraiser with a bunch of Newfoundland songwriters. Between now and then I’ll be producing the new Irish Descendants CD at Great Big Studio in St. John’s. Myself, Sean, Bob and Darrell played our first gig opening for the ID’s in 1993, so its a thrill to work with Con and the guys on their next project. It’s due out early in the New Year.

Bob just finished working on the new Shanneygannock CD. I’ve heard a bunch of the tunes and Bob did a grand job harnessing the lads’ energy and talents. His playing is all over the CD as well. Very cool. The Shanney CD will be out in a few weeks.

Don’t forget Murray’s band, Great Atomic Power, and the gig at Hugh’s Room in Toronto on November 16th.

Myself and Sean entertained one another a few nights back. The soundtrack for a portion of our soiree was Chris Trapper’s new CD. Chris, as many of you know, was/is the lead singer of the Push Stars who opened for GBS on a number of US Tours. We loved his songs so much that we recorded "Everything Shines" for the Road Rage CD and asked him to come to St. John’s to write with us for the "Sea of No Cares" CD. Together, we wrote the title track, as well as "Clearest Indication" and a few others.

Chris’s new solo CD is grand. It includes a song, "In from the Outside", on which you can hear Sean, Bob, and I, singing and playing our hearts out. Like all Chris’s tunes, it has wonderful lyrics and the most sing-able chorus. What a pleasure to be asked to contribute to his music. Check it out if you get a chance. There just may be another tune for GBS to cover lurking somewhere amongst the tunes.

An early November wind scared the leaves from the trees on my little street in St. John’s.

Love the Fall.

Cheers

Alan

Wednesday October 25 2006
Tour Diary - October 25, 2006 - John’s, Newfoundland - Home

Fulfilled a bit of a lifelong goal last night and officially performed onstage with my favorite songwriter, Ron Hynes. Ron was the leader of the Wonderful Grand Band, a Provincial Super group in the 1970’s and 80’s. They had a weekly Music and Comedy TV show that we watched religiously. None of us knew it at the time, but every episode of this show reminded us that the great songs, drama, comedy, and art came from our own tiny backyards. Quite a lesson.

Ron has gone on to record several full length albums, won Juno Awards, ECMA’s and a million other songwriting awards. There’s a lot of great songwriters in the world, but no one can capture the heart of a moment; the tiniest moment at that, like Ron Hynes.

We were asked to do the benefit for the Artists Emergency Fund, which is made availale to local artists who find themselves I a tough spot. I told Ron I wanted to sing one of his tunes, "No Kathleen". He explained that he loved "Boston and St. John’s", and we were off to the races.

It went well and I’m not sure how to explain the rush hearing the voice of one f of my songwriting heroes singing one of my songs. Very cool.

For those of you in the Toronto area, I’m doing another benefit night in November. The Company Theatre is owned by my longtime friend, Allan Hawco. Some of you might know him as the actor dude in the "Clearest Indication" video. His theatre company, like most, does one big fundraiser each year and I’m very excited to be hosting a buffet of Newfoundland entertainment. The details are below. Hope some of you can make it.

Lots of leaves in St. John’s. My favorite season is upon us.

Cheers

Alan

Tuesday October 17 2006
Tour Diary October 15, 2006 Concord, New Hampshire On the bus

So it turns out that in all my previous visits to Portland, I had somehow managed to miss the most beautiful section of the city. I’ve wandered the cool hilly streets of the harbour town for hours in the past and assumed I had the place covered. So I was surprised and delighted yesterday to find myself strolling in the old port, roaming in and out of the shops in the preserved brick buildings.

We played the Merrill Auditorium which may be the most beautiful theatre I’ve ever seen. After the show we went to an Irish Pub near the waterfront and had a grand night.

Tonight’s show is the last night of a short five day run. I would not be surprised if the future held more tours like this as it is tough to leave home for three or four weeks at a time.

All hands are looking forward to the release of the new GBS DVD, Courage & Patience & Grit. It hits the stores in November and features two full sets of music on DVD, an audio only CD, and four music videos. Hope y’all like it.

An overnight drive to Montreal and we should be on the Rock by lunch time.

Thanks to everyone for coming out this week.

Cheers

Alan

Monday October 16 2006
Tour Diary - October 13, 2006 - Lebanon, New Hampshire - On the Bus

I was sound asleep when the bus rolled from Providence at about 5am and we stopped a few hours later at a truck stop. The Men’s Room at this particular rest stop was not unlike a million other public washrooms we’ve all seen a million times. I can’t speak for the Ladies Rooms as I’ve rarely spent any time in them. Though I confess I have a recurring habit of absentmindedly strolling into the wrong washroom and coming face to face with mothers and daughters as they exit the stalls causing all involved to jump with horror sending me running red faced back to the hall and into my appropriate gender assigned pee spot.

These Men’s Rooms all have long rows of urinals and sinks with bored and sleepy looking travelers and truckers sidled up to them doing number ones and splashing water on their faces while inspecting the bags under their eyes in the long fingerprinted mirrors. The stalls in these places are always covered in graffiti. I’ve never understood this phenomenon. I understand the Urban notion of making personal, political rebellious statements on brick walls. "Van Halen Rules!!" on the side of an overpass may not increase civic beauty, but as an ardent fan I can see why someone under the right influence might grab a can of spray paint and pay homage to Ed. But I cannot for the life of me figure out why someone would write on the wall of a bathroom stall.

Ever since University this has puzzled me. I recall long lines of statements and responses on some philosophical or existential debate. Who does this? Who needs a bathroom wall as a platform for discussion? Moreover, if you wanted the world to know that Rhonda or Betty or Charles enjoys odd sexual habits, why use the Men’s Room wall to announce it?

These are the mysteries of my life.

Grand night in Providence as Lupo’s has moved from the old K-Mart-ish building into a cool old theatre.

Lebanon looks lovely in the Fall.

Cheers

Alan

Thursday October 12 2006
Tour Diary - October 12, 2006 - Providence, RI - The Bus

Mom on the Road! Yes, I picked up Mom at four am and we made our way to St. John’s Airport. She confessed that she could not sleep as the excitement kept her awake all night. It was not her first time on a plane as she’s flown a half dozen times before, but this her first time on a trip with the band.

I used my AC Upgrade Certificates and got Mom her first jaunt in Business Class. She asked if she had to pay for the tea and was thrilled to find out that she could have all she wanted for nothing.

We dashed trough US Customs at Pearson Airport and made it just in time to catch our flight to Albany. We boarded the Beechcraft 10-seater plane and I saw my Mom’s eyes bulge. I had taken her from first class on one of Air Canada’s biggest planes to what I suspect is the smallest aircraft in the airline’s fleet. We both settled in and enjoyed the rattle and hum, the swaying and bouncing of the chirper little flight across the border.

Mom’s sister Maude lives in Saratoga, near Albany and we surprised her with an early visit. Aunt Maude is a grand gal who loves a song and a laugh and despite her decades away from the Rock has not lost her Newfoundland accent or attitude.

Quite a thrill to re-unite two sisters for the first time in a few years, I must say.

Last nights crowd did not fill the theatre but at 700 strong, was over triple the attendance of our last visit to Albany a few years back. It was a bit of a feat of memory, but I think I remembered all the words. The room was filled with enthusiastic singers, so I probably would have got away with a few more mistakes.

Grand review in the local paper to boot.

Not a bad start.

Cheers for now.

Alan

Monday September 18 2006
Tour Diary - September 17, 2006 - AC Flight 1198 YYZ-YYT

They say good things come in small packages. I'm from a small package, well, a small town any way. I have always loved small towns and cities as a result. There is a charm that exists as a traveler, in the ability to visit a town for a day, or even just for a number of hours and feel like you've actually gotten to know someplace new. I've mentioned here before that I love New York and especially Lower Manhattan. But after a hundred visits, I still can't claim to have gotten to know the place. On the other hand, I feel, after less than twenty four hours in Sioux Lookout, that I've got a pretty good sense of the place. And I couldn't be happier about it.

Now, before I go all aglow praising up the place, let me first admit the obvious. Being a GBS member in Sioux Lookout on Saturday was like being a Beatle in 1965. It is a town of just over 5000 people and there were almost 4000 tickets sold for the concert. We were basically handed the town on a silver plate as it seemed every one within a hundred kilometer radius was either working at, had donated wares to, had volunteered for, or finally, was going to the show. From the moment we stepped out of the van and were greeted by friendly folks like Sherry and Craig awaiting our arrival at the hotel, we were treated like Kings. I got the sense that the people we met all throughout the day, would have been as friendly to us if we had been visiting salesmen or someone passing through on one of the many hunting and fishing holidays that Sioux Lookout accommodates.

Friendly folks are the town's biggest asset, for sure, but the sight of the place in the Fall is spectacular. It seems to be in a valley that is surrounded by sloping tree covered hills that were putting on a fireworks show in their fall splendor. One of the many lakes in the area is called Pelican Lake or Lake Pelican or something Pelican related. I strolled along the beach of this lake and as I took in the views of the beautiful homes on the waters edge and the seaplanes breaking the mirrored image of the white birches scattered throughout the woody hills. I felt like I was in a ‘Group of Seven" painting.

We had a great gig and great food backstage and an all around grand time. Well done Sioux Lookout.

Thunder Bay deserves mention here as well. We were lucky enough to play for a sold out crowd and had a grand night in the pub afterwards. The Western Fair was a blast as well, though we never got to enjoy our usual romp through the London night. Next time, I hope.

I can see the lights of St Pierre et Miquelon out the window of the plane. A quick flight up the Burin Peninsula across the isthmus, over the lights of Hollyrood and down into Torbay Airport.

Home again.

Cheers

Alan

Thursday September 14 2006
Tour Diary - September 14, 2006 - AC Flight 1197 YYT-YYZ

This Air Canada plane has those new groovy in seat personal interactive tv’s. By manipulating the sleek touch screen display, you can choose between a variety of movies, TV channels, games, even a detailed moving map of the flight’s route. It is definitely a grand way to pass the time on a long flight. All around me, passengers are flicking through news items, choosing between current Hollywood favorites and classics, deciding to enjoy Friends or the Family Guy.

But not me. My groovy in seat personal interactive tv is not working.

I have flown form St. John’s to Toronto a zillion times and never once had a GISPITV. So why then, do I feel so gypped that I don’t have one now? If my GISPITV were operating, this diary entry would not get done and my Bill Bryson book would go unread, but still I feel left out because I cannot watch the Davinci Code (despite the fact that I’ve already seen it and did not enjoy it).

This makes two diary entries that begin with a complaint. Am I turning into a grumpy old man?

On the bright side, it should be a fun night in London as the Western Fair has always been good to us. The theatre in Thunder Bay has given us fine nights in the past.

I confess that I have never been to Sioux Lookout. I have no idea where it is and know nothing about the town what so ever. I don’t know anyone who’s been there or anyone who would hazard a guess about the place. It’s quite refreshing to have absolutely no preconceived notion about a town that I’m about to see first hand.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Cheers
Alan

Monday September 11 2006
Tour Diary - September 11, 2006 - AC Flight 185 - St. John’s – Halifax

Its early. Really early. For many of my teenage years, I fantasized about a career in music. I imagined a life where alarm clocks had no place. I would travel carelessly from gig to gig and never have to suffer an early morning rise or the startling blare of the alarm clocks toll. How foolish.

I have slept in more than my share for the average adult male, but as touring musicians who live in Newfoundland, the GBS cast are well used to fisherman’s hours. From St. John’s on Air Canada, you can fly direct non stop to Halifax, Toronto and Montreal (sometimes Ottawa). So, in order to fly just about anywhere else in North America, we need to get to Toronto as early as possible to make connecting flights. We almost always take the first flight out in the morning when we travel as it just makes the most sense to do so.

This morning start was not so drastic as we are only going as far as Halifax and the flight left at 6:30. That means getting to the airport at 5:30, which means up at 5am. The first flight to Toronto leaves at 5:20 which means at the airport by 4:20; awake at 3:50! Now come on. No reasonable Rock Star fantasy starts with a digital alarm clock reading beginning with a 3! Shouldn’t I be selecting which of the six eager Supermodels to take home with me to my Penthouse or Private Jet at 3am?

I am beginning to think that the Def Leppard and White Snake videos of my formative teenage years may have been less than an accurate portrayal of life on the Road.

Anyway, enough whining. Sorry.

We’re off to Saint John for the Canadian Country Music Awards. We’ve not been to this event, so I’m looking forward to the whole deal. We are singing only one accapella tune, "River Driver", as we thought a true, blue Atlantic Canadian Folk song might be appropriate. Should be fun.

Everyone knows where they were on the morning of the September 11. I was in Halifax and myself and Cory Tetford from Crush had just finished playing nine holes of golf. It was no the best round ever shot by either of us, but it was a pleasant morning strolling through the woods with your buddy. He dropped me off at the hotel at around 9:30 am. I threw my clubs on the hotel room floor and flicked on the TV. About two minutes later the second plane hit the second tower. Life has really not been the same since.

Looking forward to a few shows in Ontario this weekend, as well. First, though, I must venture to not suck on Live National TV.

Cheers
Alan

Wednesday September 06 2006
Tour Diary - September 5, 2006 - Flights East

Currently on a West Jet flight from Calgary to Toronto in a dash to make it all the way home from Victoria in one day. We had an easy schedule planned on Air Canada that should have taken us from Victoria to Montreal and on to St. John's. Grand plan but, all the Air Canada planes were grounded due to a computer glitch. So, we jumped on a West Jet plane to Calgary and Toronto and hope to catch the late flight home tonight. Could be worse, I suppose.

I've pretty much developed a ‘Travel Zen'. I have somehow convinced myself to not be excited or upset about any aspect of airline travel. I've learned to expect the unexpected. I fully accept that so much of this is out of my hands, that to worry about arrival times, connecting flights, etc. is completely futile. Many would agree with my ‘zen' but few manage to adopt it. It is tough to remain optimistic and content in seat 58Q on a flight that is none hours late, but if you fly as often as I do, adopting an unbreakable pleasant demeanor is a self defense mechanism.

Had four fun gigs over the past days. The Malkin Bowl is beautiful. I spent less than twelve hours in Seattle and was on stage for two of those. At the Bumbershoot Festival we probably played to our biggest audience ever in Western USA. Victoria was blast as usual. Me, Sean, and Murray spent the wee hours in a Caribbean restaurant called Reef that served spicy Jamaican Tapas and frosty Red Stripes. Very civilized.

Sad news from Australia yesterday as the tragic death of the "Crocodile Hunter", Steve Irwin made its way around the world. I met him a few times while touring in Australia. He was as large a personality as I've ever come across. The impression that many in the public have of him, as a daring, crazy risk taker does not truly reflect the man he was. He was honestly driven to these close encounters with the wild animals out of a desire to educate himself and others about some of the most misunderstood creatures on earth.

I am drawn to those with a lust for life and I've not met a soul who made the most of a day like Steve Irwin. I've never met anyone who felt as blessed to have the opportunity to do exactly what he loved for a living. He loved his job and his passing is a terrible loss to the conservation community all around the world. He was a great friend to his friends, a great husband to his wife and a great Dad to his kids.

He will be sadly missed and fondly remembered. Cheers to Steve.

Back home for a few days before we dart to Saint John to sing a song at the CCMA show, then a few days in Western Ontario in the middle of September.

Another Summer's come and gone, but Fall can be so lovely.

Cheers

Alan

Tuesday September 05 2006
Tour Diary - September 1, 2006 - Vancouver, BC - Hotel Room

You only get so many summers. It's true. Since I was a kid I've marked the passing of each summer with one or two highlights of the season. I recall, for example when I was in my early teens, the summer of the great Petty Harbour Softball victory over the powerful Kilbride squad in the Moss Tournament in St. John's. Then there was the summer when M***** B*** (name concealed to protect the innocent), who was two years my senior at 13 , gave me a big wet smooch on the Stand. My first real kiss.

As we approach the last days of Summer 2006, I'm sure that I've got my defining moment figured out for this year. The arrival of the Prince won't be topped any event occurring between now and Monday midnight. What about you? You've still got this weekend to make it special if you've not found that one grand event by which Summer 2007 will be forever defined.

Had a grand gig a few weeks back. I played with a bunch of other Doyles at a fundraiser for a Writers Conference. Damhnait sang a few tunes, John and Marjorie read from their latest works, but the showstopper was a few tunes with Tom. I call him Dad.

Dad has always been a grand singer and a good performer, and he was on the top of his game at the packed Masonic Temple in St. John's. We sang "The Dutchman" and "Berry Picking Time" and he rocked the house. Really cool night. Maybe we should do a CD.

We are just putting the finishing touches on the new DVD. It will feature the two full sets from "The Hard and the Easy" Tour making over two hours of live concert footage, as well as three or four music videos, and some behind the scenes foolishness that will amuse us all. Look for it to drop in the middle of the Fall.

I am currently looking over the buildings of downtown Van, and onto the hills and mountains that surround the beautiful harbour. Lovely.

Can't wait for the gig.

Cheers

Alan

Wednesday July 12 2006
Tour Diary July 11, 2006 - Home

Glad to be home during theses lovely summer days in St. John's. More glad than usual considering the recent acquisition.

I just wanted to let everyone know about the re-runs of Hatching, Matching, & Dispatching happening this summer on CBC TV. I scored just about all the music for the pilot and the six episodes of this truly bizarre comedy. If you missed it last season, this is your chance to catch up.

Check out the episodes as they roll trough the summer and pass your comments on to the CBC at:

http://www.cbc.ca/hatching

They love to hear feedback in the summer months.

Here is the official press release.

July 10^th/2006

Hatching, Matching, & Dispatching Returns this Summer !!

Gemini award-winning Hatching, Matching & Dispatching Season 1 returns to CBC TV Tuesday, July 18th/2006 @ 8:30 pm (9 pm NL).

Six weeks ... Six fabulous half hours...

The Furey family run a funeral parlour (Dispatch), ambulance service (Hatch), and wedding hall (Match) in the uproariously funny CBC comedy. Starring, created and produced by Mary Walsh Hatching, Matching & Dispatching follows the adventures of the Furey family and their daily dealings with the lovesick, the plain sick, the old, the infirm, the newborn, the automotively challenged, the bereaved, the heartbroken, the dead and the dead drunk.

The winner of the Get Hatched, Matched or Dispatched in Style contest will be announced during its summer season going to air July 18th/2006. The lucky winner will receive $5,000 towards a funeral, wedding, or baby shower of their choice. Keep watching Hatching, Matching & Dispatching for the upcoming announcement.

Over 2,500,000 viewers in its first season !!!

Hatching, Matching & Dispatching

Summer Schedule 2006

Tuesday, July 18th : 8:30 pm ( 9pm NL)

Tuesday, July 25th : 8:30 pm ( 9pm NL)

Tuesday, August 1st : 8:30 pm ( 9pm NL)

Tuesday, August 8th : 8:30 pm ( 9pm NL)

Tuesday, August 15th : 8:30 pm ( 9pm NL)

Tuesday, August 22nd : 8:30 pm ( 9pm NL)

is written by Mary Walsh with Ed Macdonald, and directed by Henry Sarwer-Foner and Stephen Reynolds. The series is co-produced by Insight Productions and 2M Innovative in association with CBC Television.

I think you'll really like it.

Cheers

Alan

Sunday July 09 2006
Tour Diary July 9, 2006 AC Flight 690 Toronto to St. John's

Big night in the Big Smoke last night. Effectively the last night of the Hard and the Easy Tour, last evening's gig was the final hoorah for the tour that began way back in late January. It has been our most successful stint in our 13 year career. Its amazing that over a decade into this crazy run, that our stock is somehow still rising.

Last night was our fourth time playing the Molson Amphitheatre and featured our biggest paid audience ever in Toronto at close to ten thousand. Quite a feat for a wee folk band.

Many thanks for all who came and made the night special. Special thanks to Mom and Dad who came up for the show. It was the first time they've ever seen GBS outside of Newfoundland. They saw little Sis Michelle play Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" at Stage West on Friday night as well.

I'm going to lay low for a number of weeks. GBS has only a couple of private gigs between now and September and I hope to disappear for the duration of the summer. With the GBS recording and touring, producing CD's for other artists and composing for "Hatching Matching and Dispatching" as well as the recent film project, I've packed a lot in the last 14 to 16 months. My brother pointed out that I have not had five days off in a row since January of 2005. I have not had a summer off since I was thirteen years old. Perhaps its time for few weeks off the beaten path.

I hope you all have a grand summer.

Cheers

Alan

Friday July 07 2006
Tour Diary July 7, 2006 Calgary, Alberta Hotel Room

We kicked off the Stampede last night as the mystery band at the big Nashville North Tent. I am always nervous about these mystery band gigs because they are often so over-hyped that the crowd invariably expects to see the Stones or Springsteen. I always fear that when the announcer screams, "Get ready for your exclusive night with...Great Big Sea!," that there will be more moans of disappointment than cheers of approval.

We fared pretty well last night. The crowd was great fun and the beer tent was well lubed by the time we hit the stage.

It was a very Mardi Gras-like vibe in the room as revelers raised glasses and offered beads for boobs. We even got flashed a few times; a rare event at GBS concerts. I think Tommy Lee and the Motley Crue dudes are more accustomed to such displays of appreciation. I confess that on the few occasions that lasses have ‘put it all out there' during GBS shows, that I've been struck with a serious ‘deer in the headlights' feeling. I am never sure what to do. It seems a bit lecherous to stare and scream "Oh Yeah, Shake ‘em". So I don't. Yet it seems rude to ignore such an offering. So I don't. I usually try to hide the fact that I'm surprised and I act all Rock Star cool and casually wink one eye and say ‘lovely'. Does this sound about right?

We dashed from the gig back to the hotel and snuck out a fire escape door onto a roof patio and drank a beer or two as the fireworks danced around the silhouetted high rise buildings of Downtown Calgary. It was just the five of us. We chatted and caught up on the happening of the real lives of the guys we share the stage with every night. Highlight of our stolen few moments was a toast for the newest member of the clan.

Born on the 4th of July. Henry Thomas Doyle

I guess soon to be born wee ones' don't read tour schedules. I thought I had a great plan. Do a few gigs in early July and get home with plenty of time to spare for the arrival of the Prince. Henry had other ideas. He could not wait to get started. At around 2am he decided he was ready and at 2pm on the dot he kicked off what I hope is an amazing life.

I only got to see him for a few hours on Tuesday and Wednesday as I had to get on the plane yesterday morning to fly to Calgary. It was the hardest trip to the airport ever.

Henry and his star of a Mom are doing well and are at home with a team of helpers. Thanks for all he well wishes and

donations to the Janeway Childrens Hospital

in St John's. It means a lot.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more to offer about this blessed event and my newest and biggest hat as Dad, but for now I'll just say this. No matter how happy you are, having a child instantly makes you 100 times happier. As soon as the child arrives, you instantly have 100 times more Love to give than you ever imagined possible.

Lucky Me.
Cheers,
Alan

Monday June 12 2006
June 12, 2006

Tour Diary
Belleville, Ontario
Hotel Room

After a few weeks off the GBS bus, the cast and crew have re-gathered in Belleville for two nights at the beautiful Empire Theatre. A very poorly kept secret is that we are here to shoot a concert DVD for the Hard and the Easy Tour. We thought it would be a shame to not capture this two set concert as it has been well received and folks seem to enjoy the format. I would not be surprised if we did not have our next tour in a very similar style.

The DVD should consist of behind the scenes footage that we filmed on the tour in cities like Boston, Washington, and New York, along with the main concert itself that will be cut between last night’s and tonight’s performances in the Theatre here in Belleville. We hope to have it edited and mixed by the end of the summer for a fall release.

Since the tour ended a few weeks back, I’ve been working like crazy, scoring a full length feature film. "Young Triffie’s been Made away With" is a black comedy about a murder mystery in the late 1940’s in Rural Newfoundland. It stars Fred Ewanuick, from ’Corner Gas’, as a young Newfoundland Ranger (NL’s police force from 1935-1950) and he carries the movie as the loveable unlikely hero. There are great performances by Mary Walsh (CODCO, 22 Minutes, Hatching, Matching, and Dispatching), who also makes her first effort as a film director. It won’t be her last. YTBMAW also stars Andrea Martin (SCTV), Colin Mochrie (22 Minutes, Who’s Line), Andy Jones (CODCO), and Quebecois film legend Remy Girard (Barbarian Invasions).

The musical score has everything from 1940’s big band stuff like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, to NL/Bluegrass versions of hymns like "Blood of the Lamb" and traditional jigs and reels. There is a new GBS tune on there, a couple of offerings from little Sis Michelle, and an amazing orchestral score I did with Keith Power, and superstar film composer in the making who just happens to be from my neck of the woods. He graduated St. Kevin’s High School as did Michelle and I and has been working in Toronto and LA for the past few years. I spent a week in Santa Monica learning the trade while looking over his shoulder. It was a great crash course.

In any case, I would not be surprised if you heard a lot about the film in the late summer, early Fall of this year. Check it out if you get a chance.

Almost camera-check time. Big show tonight.

Happy Summer.

Cheers
Alan

Alan's FTR Archives

As long as these can be accessed in a sensible format on the Official Great Big Sea site I'll leave this as links to the FTR archive pages on that site. If those pages are removed or if these entries wind up being hidden behind another silly point-and-click map, I'll edit in the text of the entries here:

Alan's FTR Archive - 2006

Alan's FTR Archive - 2004

Alan's FTR Archive - 2003

For anyone wondering about 2005, that was the year of the Long Break, although Alan kept himself quite busy and has promised to one day tell his tale of that year's events. Still waiting somewhat patiently for him to find the time to do so, without a doubt he'll be well worth the wait.

************************************************************************************************************************

Editing in on September 6, 2006: It looks as if Alan's 2002 FTRs have disappeared from the official GBS site, at least there is no current link for them that I can find. Until/if they return to the official site, here they are in their entirety:

ARCHIVE: Entries from 2002 shows

December 1, 2002
Home, 4pm

Well, dear reader, it has come to this. Forty odd shows and ten provinces later, GBS cast and crew have survived another one.

When asked about our favorite places to play, we almost always answer "home". But here's a little confession; it is also the hardest. There is not a single audience in the world whose opinion means as much to us as the opinion of those from the city in which we live. It follows then, that the hours leading up to a hometown show are difficult, filled with nervous energy, fright, anticipation, and most of all, worry. Worry about the rink, the seats for the guests, the sound, the lights, the set list, all things that I consider everyday but second-guess and fret about every time we play at home.

I guess it stems form performing in front of your friends and family and the boys from the hockey team and the lady from the drug store, etc. These are the people that we see the most and are most keen to impress.

As often happens, the crowd last evening reminded me that I need not have worried at all. All hands up and singing when prompted and the cheers were easily the loudest of the tour. I got the sense that everyone understood how special the evening was for the band and were eager to participate in the celebration.

But that's not enough to say. Fortunately and thankfully, many audiences clap and sing along. More special last night was the undeniable feeling we were in a room filled with people who are proud of us. Imagine that. What a feeling. Lucky us.

Had several jars at the pub after the show and were surrounded by family and friends who are happy for our travels and successes, but even happier to have us near them for a while. What a feeling. Lucky us.

Since the start of the tour and the inception of the journal entries, I have wondered what to say in conclusion.

I can say this. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the chance to do what I have done. Thanks to Louis, Tony, Danny and Jaye, and the rest of the crew for their tireless efforts. I am eternally indebted to Bob, Darrell, Kris, and Sean for sharing the stage, covering my ass when I screwed up, and mostly for making me laugh a lot more in three months than most men get to do in a lifetime.

Much to remember from Victoria to St. John's. Far too many moments to list highlights here. I'll just offer a "thanks" to all of you for being a part of this journey.

Much to plan for the holiday season and for the New Year. I'm not sure what lies ahead, but who is? Rest assured you have not seen the last of us. There are many more songs to sing.

Thanks for reading these little windows over the past few months. I have enjoyed writing and have learned lots along the way.

Wahoo! Christmas is coming.

Currently sitting in the kitchen watching the wintry wind take the last of the stubborn leaves. Home.

Alan

November 29, 2002
Halifax Airport, 7:30am

Crazy night in Moncton. Some things never change. Drove to Antigonish with Sean in the Ford Explorer and passed through the snow dusted Nova Scotia countryside. Just like a post card.

Arrived at the cool new St. FX Rink just in time for sound check. As I walked back to the dressing room after the usual barrage of "check one, two" and "turn me up Danny". Waiting for me are three or four attractive college ladies. "You're coming with us", they insist. Hmm. But not what you might think.

Ten minutes later, I'm in full goalie gear taking shots in the workout with the Ladies Varsity Hockey Team. You'd think they'd have eased up considering these university athletes were shooting on an out-of-shape rural Newfoundland folk singer. No such luck. The girls have brought their "A" game. Here's a quick summary of my performance. Shot, Goal x 10 - Lucky Save - Shot, Goal x 10 - repeat. Thanks for the fun all the same.

Sat with the Slainte Mhaith(sp?) guys last night after the gig. Shared tales of victories and defeats while on the road. They are great fellas. Hope to hook up again soon.

Just said goodbye to Mikey and Glenn, the two bus drivers who won't be making the long trip to the Rock. Bands and crew fly in today so the busses are done. We have had the green Prevost rented since January. I have slept on that bus three times as much as in my own bed in that time period. It has been at every promo tour date, every GBS American stop in the spring, every Uprooted show and all but the last of the shows on the "No Cares Tour". Mikey or Glen got us there safely each time. Champion job lads.

Waiting for the flight home.
Alan

November 27, 2002
Moncton Dressing Room, 12:45pm

Just drove across the Confederation Bridge. Quite an amazing view from high up in the bus. GBS and the Rankins performed at the grand opening of the bridge some years ago and I recall the hesitation many locals had to connecting the Island with the mainland. Many feared it would end Island culture and make PEI less distinct. I wonder how they feel about it now.

Great response from the sparse crowd at the rink last night. It's tough to sell tickets in Charlottetown in the winter, especially on a weeknight. We would not hear of skipping a province on this tour, though, and we insisted on playing PEI. Those in attendance rose to the occasion, and made for a respectable showing. Thanks for singing loud.

Paul from Crush rode on our bus last night and sat with us this morning as we rolled to Moncton. Man, it's good to have a different person around to listen to the same old stories that GBS cast and crew have long since exhausted. Poor bugger hardly got a word in as Bob, Danny and I littered him with "Remember when's" and "Sure, one time's".

Currently sitting in a concrete dressing room that smells of hockey equipment. I must be a Canadian Rock Star.

Three to go.
Alan

November 26, 2002
Charlottetown Hotel Room, 12:30pm

Man, it felt good to sing with a somewhat healthy throat last night. We were quite charmed by the hospitality of the Bathurst crowd. Please ask us back — maybe in the summer time!

Currently overlooking the Pier in downtown Charlottetown. Our first trip to "the island" was in February of 1995, I believe. We played at the Old Dublin Pub and made friends instantly with the owners and staff. Many great stories form playing PEI.

A little known story is that we played as a three piece here one day as Sean missed the plane form Newfoundland. Myself, Darrell and Bob scrambled to learn Sean's songs and we got through the show. To make it all the more surreal, the gig was at a place called Woodly(sp?) Replicas, an amusement park with three-foot miniature models of the White House, Big Ben, the Pyramids etc. So there we were skishing our way through tunes on a 4x8 platform next to a bus load of American and Japanese tourists taking photos of tiny Eiffel Towers. Truly bizarre.

Expecting a small but noisy crowd at the rink tonight.

We are in the home stretch, now. Only three gigs till home.

Not sure what to think.
Alan

November 21, 2002
A Day in the Life...

7:45am

NST — Wake.
8:00am — Walk dog on Signal Hill.
8:45am — Return to house, feed dog, watch Sports Center, shower.
9:30am — Pack. You'd think I'd be getting better at this by now, but still have no clue what to stuff into the knapsack.
10:15am — Return overnight phone calls and e-mails.
10:45am — Running late, stuff bags (including computer this time) into SUV and bolt for airport.
10:49am — Pass a green van with "Nova Recycling" tattooed to its side panels. Realize I forgot to put out the recycling, say "@#%%!" a few times, and pull a U-Turn in the SUV.
10:50am — Arrive back at house, put out recycling. Cat gets out.
10:53am — After several coaxing techniques, complemented by passers by laughing at my plight (not that I blame them), the cat returns. I do not feel like a Rock Star.
10:54am — Now really late, bolt once again for airport.
11:10am — Arrive at airport, check in and run to security.
11:11am — Pass digital cloak in airport hallway and notice the four "ones" side by each. This happens to me at least ten times a week. Weird.
11:35am — Board flight. The kind lady at the desks seats me in First Class. Starting to feel like a Rock Star again.
12:00 noon — Depart St. John's over Bell Island.
12:35pm — Chat to Bob about upcoming gigs. Try to avoid planning for New Year. No easy task.
12:40pm — Push chicken breast around the rectangular plate. Eat cheese and grapes.
12:45pm — Try unsuccessfully to convince Bob to surrender his carrot cake.
1:10pm — Begin descent into Halifax.
1:35pm — Pile into old Mini van driven by Yarmouth driver.
1:37pm — Driver confesses that the horrible screeching sound is body of the mini van scraping off the wheels as the shocks and springs are in desperate need of repair.
1:38pm — We insist that he drop us off at the airport car rental area and we unpack the mini van and load up a Ford Explorer. We'll drive ourselves. Feeling less like a Rock Star, again.
2:00pm — On the road to Yarmouth. Music provided by Jimmy Rankin's solo record. I have always been a Rankins fan and Jimmy's writing is one of the biggest reasons why. All hands should enjoy his solo effort as he has managed to keep all the touching, down-home, maritime sentiment in very worldly songs. "Midnight Angel" is a standout.
2:53pm — Foolish conversation about high-school girlfriends. I wonder if they talk and think about us as much as we do about them.
5:15pm — Arrive at Mariners Center in Yarmouth an hour late.
5:30pm — Catering (delayed from 4:30).
5:45pm — Sound check (delayed from 4:00).
6:15pm — Media interviews.
7:00pm — Finally load bags and stuff on to the bus.
7:30pm — Shower.
7:45pm — Try to phone home, but no answer.
8:15pm — Meet and greet contest winners.
8:45pm — Change into stage clothes, warm up.
9:00pm — Showtime.
11:00pm — Shower.
11:30pm — Meet and greet more contest winners.
12:15am — On the bus. Check Sports Center. Habs lost. Boo.
1:20am — In the bunk, bus rolls to Fredericton.

Alan

November 11, 2002
AC Flight 8656 to Halifax, 2:30pm

As a touring musician, I find the passage of time difficult to measure. Events from long ago seem like yesterday while yesterday's events take embarrassing effort to recall. Playing our first gig at the Lower Deck in Halifax in 1993 seems like something we did only three or four years ago. I could describe in great detail, the recording of "Lukey" with the Chieftains. Though I know it was done several years ago, it feels much more recent. Yet I cannot believe the whole scare of losing my laptop occurred just 19 or 20 days ago at the beginning of this tour. It feels like at least a few moths have past since we played two shows at Massey Hall. Surely, I think, the wedding I attended in Kitchener, was last summer, not last Friday.

I can offer no explanation for this phenomenon. I wonder if it's like that for everyone, or just me.

As the Dash 8, flown by the capable hands of our friend Captain Kreiger, takes us to Halifax, I think of the recent happenings on this leg of the tour. So much gets jammed into the days on the road that it's hard to keep it all in order. There have been 19 concerts in 15 different cities, 34 media appearances or interviews, three flights, and about 4500 kilometers traveled in a bus or SUV, all in the past 20 days. Perhaps that explains the disorder of memory and time.

Quebec City was a great city in which to wind up the tour. We hooked up with some of the lads from Tea Party last night as they were prepping in the big theatre at Le Capitol for their symphony shows that start tonight. Remarkable coincidence that we should find each other at that venue. As some of you may recall, the same night in 1999 that GBS played the Cabaret at Le Capitol, Tea Party played big theatre. We all gathered at one of the coolest music clubs in Canada called "Bar Chez son Pere". It's a simple little place where primarily Quebec singers and songwriters perform solo acoustic versions of original and traditional Quebec songs. Lots of singing along and call and answer stuff made for a fun "fin de la tour".

Home is only a flight away. I've got to take it easy this week and regroup after three nights of living like a rock star in La Belle Province. The plane home brings us back down to earth. In more ways than one.

Thanks to all hands who made the central leg of the "No Cares Tour" so successful.

Till Yarmouth,
Alan

November 10, 2002
Ford Explorer, Road to Quebec City, 1:20pm

Last night turned into an over-the-top rock show, with tossed guitars, jumps from risers, soaked stage clothes, etc. I loved it. The last two verses of Mari Mac turned into a frenetic race for the finish. Each player on stage trying to go faster than the other, resulting in little collective accuracy but a pile of energy.

All hands to Hurley's after the show. Our friend Jonathan Mooreman was playing at the pub and he and his mate were very quick to offer up the mics for the like of us. Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity to sing a few tunes. Through the haze, I recall singing "Lovers in a Dangerous Time", "Molly Malone", "and Drunken Sailor", and playing guitar while Jonathan ripped out a few fiddle tunes. Man, he can play. Check him out anytime you can.

Currently rolling to Quebec City with the new La Bottine Souriante CD proving the perfect soundtrack for our journey to the heartland of French Canada. Some of the LBS lads were at the Friday night show. We've shared the stage together several times and I admit that they have smoked us more than once. Without question, LBS are the most imaginative, progressive, dynamic, and therefore the best folk band in the world. Their live CD "en Spectacle" is a great place to start if your interest is peeked.

Also at the Friday show were the lads from Gearbox, an up and coming rock band from St. John's. Great lads, with some very versatile styles from acoustic to heavy rock and folk. One of my favorite fusion pieces of theirs is a collaboration with Fergus O'Byrne, the Shanty Master, on the tune "War Like Lads of Russia". They are playing at Zaphod's in Ottawa and Clinton's in Toronto this week.

If Montreal is one of the best cities in North America, Quebec City is the prettiest. The walk along the hillside park, the Plains of Abraham has to hold the most breathtaking view in any urban center on the continent. I could, and have, walked the streets of la Vieux Ville for days. Soaking up the culture, enjoying the food and local folk music is a holiday in itself.

Wish I could stay longer than a day, but this is the last day of this leg of the tour and home calls.

Alan

November 8, 2002
Road to Montreal, 11am

It is ten degrees warmer than yesterday, but through the windows of the eastbound Ford Explorer, it looks much more like the early days of winter. Yellow grass and leafless trees line the 401 joined by traces of stubborn snow.

Quite a pleasant trip to Brockville yesterday. The folks at the Point radio station went above and beyond the call of duty promoting last night's and Kingston's shows. Despite what she thinks, Aly the afternoon DJ there has quite lovely pants. Thanks to all hands who brought the cool signs.

The highway signs have suddenly changed languages. There is a point driving east when Thousand Islands becomes Mille Isles and names like Brockville make way for names like St-Zotique. The McDonalds on the highway has a smoking section. The garbage cans read Merci instead of Thank you. The bright menu sign behind the smiling cashiers lists things like "Quart de Livre avec bacon ou frommage". Vive la difference.

La Belle Ville draws ever closer. Montreal is on the short list for the best city in North America. It has all the accolades of Kingston discussed earlier, along with high fashion, worldly theatre, metropolitan high society, unique art and museums, the best comedy and jazz festivals on the continent, F1 racing, probably the best cooks in the world, smoked meat and bagels, shopping, cathedrals, fabulous French folk music in Old Montreal, and of course, the Habs.

We could easily be doing one night in a bigger venue than the Spectrum, but the only thing better than one night in Montreal is two nights in Montreal.

Alan

November 7, 2002
Road to Brockville, 12:30pm

Last night was quite a treat for me. Playing to a packed house in the Jock Harty Arena would be enough to make for a memorable evening. Having the chance to share a song with Baby Sis in the encore was the icing on the cake.

For those of you who missed it, my sister Michelle was in town last night and she joined me for a version of "Time After Time", one of our favorite songs to sing together. She's on a week-long hiatus from her song and dance gig on the Holland America Cruise ship, "The Amsterdam". All brotherly biases aside, that girl has serious pipes.

Off we go to Brockville. We have played in Brockville a couple of times - once or twice at the theatre and one more memorable gig at an outdoor festival called "Riverfest" or "Waterfest", or something like that. We shared the stage with Leahy that evening and were thrilled by how well each of the nine or ten of them played their own instruments as well as everybody else's. Truly gifted people.

Most notable about that gig, though, was the fact that our tour manager Tony had to receive some emergency dental work. We thought we would have to bail on the show. But generosity and hospitality prevailed once again. Some friendly dentist squeezed Tony into his clinic and fixed him up proper and saved the day.

Nice to be heading back.
Alan

November 6, 2002
Kingston Hotel Room, noon

Today, I am participating in a "phoner blitz". I'll explain. Most of the advance press for a tour or record is done over the phone with radio stations and print media. Instead of doing one or two a day for a number of weeks, it easier to organize these phoners in blocks to get them all done before deadlines pass. Today is my phoner day. By 2pm today I will have done 13 interviews with various writers and radio hosts. All from the same hotel room chair that I now sit in as I type.

These days can go quickly and smoothly or drag on like a root canal. It totally depends on the interviewers. If they've done their homework, they keep you interested and engaged by asking questions that are new and thought provoking. Other, more unprepared interviewers, just ask you to re-tell the history of the band or ask desperate, generic questions like, "So how did you guys meet?"

So far today, I've only talked to the good ones. Some of whom I've spoken to often, (you know who you are), who still find new things to ask and actually make me think about the answers. The best interviewers don't really even ask questions, they just carry on a conversation that encourages the interviewee to say something he did not expect to say or reveal some opinion or thought by accident. These chats make the time move quickly and can even teach me things about myself or the band that I had not previously realized.

Not all press days go as good as this one.

Currently in Kingston, having driven overnight from Brantford where I was happy to be reacquainted with the love of my life. She looked down on me for the whole concert. I have always argued that Kingston is one of the nicest towns in the country. Beautiful waterfront, amazing old stone buildings that have been kept up or restored, a wonderfully diverse university, excellent pubs and restaurants, loads of live music and a great sports scene, are all within walking distance of the main street. Now that's a town.

Can't wait for the show at the rink tonight. It was in that rink that we opened for Spirit of the West about eight years ago. One of the coolest gigs ever. I expect nothing less tonight.

Alan

November 4, 2002
Stratford, Ontario
Hotel Room, 4:15pm

I have to congratulate those responsible for the construction of the new rink in London. Indeed inside it is a first rate facility for sports and concerts, but my praise is primarily meant for the building's exterior. All too often these days, cities and architects cheap out on the exterior of these new sports-plexes much to the demise of the cityscape of downtowns. The rink in London has such a beautiful and unobtrusive exterior that I almost walked right past it, as I was expecting the standard ugly square box that usually houses hockey rinks everywhere. Way to go, whoever!

Great gig in London, too. Sold out to the doors.

Made our way to Sarnia yesterday for a good showing at the home of the Sting. Bob rocked the house with "Recruiting Sergeant", I thought.

Kris MacFarlane has now publicly smooched two ladies in the audience on this tour. Once in Guelph, once in Sarnia. They are sisters. Hmm.

Currently in Stratford for the day off. Hoping to recharge the batteries for a rowdy week to come.

Alan

November 3, 2002
Road to Sarnia, 1pm

A few days away from the computer have resulted in the lack of entries here. Thanks for your patience. Here's a review.

Peterborough was as eventful as ever. Now I remember why we argued to spend two nights there instead of one. Night one featured a good show and an even better after-show gathering at the little pub next to the Red Dog. Many songs and stories were exchanged as Terry, the house singer, was very generous with his guitar. Many thanks to the Peterborough Police for their role in the whole evening.

On the second day, I got to fulfill a childhood fascination of attending a Peterborough Petes hockey game. As I explained earlier in this journal, the Petes and the Brandon Wheat Kings were the only two major junior franchises that I had heard of as a kid. I always held the notion that every player on those two teams eventually became hockey stars. Thanks to Carry and all hands from The Wolf for being wonderful hosts.

I had a wild couple of days following Peterborough. I drove overnight on the bus and arrived in Hamilton at around eight am. I was then whisked off to Kitchener where I was reunited with family and friends, all gathering for a wedding. Myself and my sister Michelle, fresh off the plane from down South somewhere on her cruise ship gig, learned three songs and played at the wedding mass shortly thereafter. Not much rehearsal time, but I think our tunes were well received and moved the ceremony along nicely.

Then the day got interesting. I had to drive myself back to the gig in Hamilton. In ten years on the road with GBS, after countless kilometers of North American and European traveling, I have driven the band vehicle exactly 0 times. There is good reason for this. I am in the discussion of the world's most directionally challenged people. I could get lost in a fish bowl. So the prospect of getting myself up and down parts of the 401 was shaky at best.

I managed, after a few wrong turns that left me facing the CN Tower instead of looking at it in the rear view mirror, to get myself to the convention center on time for the gig. The guys applauded. Tony was relieved. Danny lost ten bucks.

The trouble really began when I attempted to drive back to Kitchener to the last few dances at the wedding reception. I received ample info about the easy route north that passes next to Guelph. I was doing quite well despite the snowy conditions. The signs to Guelph were easy to follow, actually. Then I had the feeling that the highway was getting a little too well lit. Streetlights and sidewalks were now lining the sides of the road. I was no longer on the road to Guelph. I was in downtown Guleph, and hopelessly lost.

After several attempts to get myself back to the highway, I finally gave up and spotted a taxi on a street corner. I pulled in behind the taxi and left the car running as I approached the rear doors. He must have had a fare or something because he pulled away just as I was about to knock on his window and ask for directions. As his rear lights, and the hopes of me making it to the reception became smaller and more distant, I heard the voice of a young woman say, "Hey it's the Great Big Sea guy".

About six minutes later, I'm getting photos taken in the entrance of a dance bar with several friendly people, all of whom refuse to listen to my pleas for directions to Kitchener. After refusals of offers for drinks, I finally find a doorman who knows the proper route to take. I arrived safely at the wedding, an hour and ten minutes late.

Never a dull moment.
Alan

October 30, 2002
401 East to Peterborough, 3pm

With such clarity I remember the first time I drove on this highway. It was the fall of 1994 and GBS were doing our first ever college tour of Southern Ontario. The gigs were primarily lunch-time cafeteria concerts, pubs, rallies, and the odd opening slot for bands like the Barstool Prophets and Spirit of the West. We drove over night a lot and slept in a rented station wagon along with our six or seven instruments and a couple of boxes of the indie GBS CD's and tapes.

On this highway, almost ten years ago, I saw for the first time the densely populated heart of Canada. I remember being amazed that in a two-hour drive east or west of downtown Toronto, you passed through little or no unsettled areas. When you grow up on the Eastern edge of Newfoundland, it takes a 13 hour drive, an 8 hour ferry, and another 5 hour drive to reach the closest city with more than 50 or 60 thousand people. I just stared out the window in 1994 and wondered how different it must be to grow up in one of those houses in Pickering or Ajax, compared to a house in Petty Harbour.

I had never seen such seemingly endless highway exits, transport trucks, and lanes of aggressive drivers going way too fast. To be honest I am not sure that I had ever really seen what most North Americans call traffic before that tour on the 401. The busiest street I had ever driven on previous would have been Kenmount Road in St. John's. A street that, I have since come to learn, exists in every town that has MacDonald's and Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken stores. I recall my father cursing the slow progress up or down the Kenmount Road. A pace that most city dwelling motorists could only dream of attaining. Our friend Danny Greenspoon, the Torontonian producer for the Up and Play records, would jokingly refer to the sparse downtown St. John's traffic by saying things like, "C'mon fellas. We don't want to get stuck in rush minute.

Having traveled to many more large urban centers and driven on much crazier highways since the 1994 401 Tour, the feelings of awe and displacement have long since left me. What remains however, is the same feeling I had during that first tour. The feeling that driving on this road between gigs in Toronto and Kingston or Guelph or where ever, meant that, to some degree, we had made it. This is what a Canadian Band does, and we were doing it.

Almost ten years later, with a nicer station wagon, two tour buses and a transport truck, we are still doing it. We are a Canadian Band.

Alan

October 29, 2002
Toronto Hotel Room, Noon

I think I'm catching a cold. Sniffles and coughing is the enemy of the singer. I'll load up on the OJ and hope for the best.

Saw Allan Hawco's play "The Shape Of Things" last night. It is an interesting discussion of how far one might go in the pursuit of art and truth. Allan and Amy Redford and the rest of the cast give fantastic performances as twenty-something romantically involved Arts students. Great ending, too. I recommend you check it out at the theatre at the corner of Berkley and Front Street in downtown Toronto.

Tonight we play what's known in the biz as a corporate gig. We do about a half dozen or so of them each year. In a nutshell, we get hired to entertain at the social event of some conference or convention or whatever. As you are being asked to perform for people who may or may not be fans, and may or may not want to be listening to music, they can be stuffy and kind of cold. Most bands hate them, but we always manage to engage those in attendance and make the best of it for all concerned. Some of them have even turned out to be great gigs. We shared the stage with Leahy and Rawlins Cross as well as Natalie Macmaster and The Barra MacNeils on two separate occasions at a grocer's convention in Halifax. We all encored together then continued the celebrations throughout the night. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Toronto Island looks beautiful from here. I remember playing the Mariposa Folk Festival there in 1995, I think. I often wonder what it would be like to live there on one of those boats. It seems like an oasis in an urban desert. Tranquil, peaceful house boating on a tiny Island, under the constant shade of the biggest city in the country. What a difference a boat ride can make.

Alan

October 28, 2002
Toronto Hotel Room, 4pm

Currently overlooking Lake Ontario from my 23rd floor room. Just arrived from North Bay after an adventurous night on the town. Last night's show was a good cap to the first week.

Too bad we got to North Bay on a Sunday and Omer's was closed. Perhaps it for the best. I may have saved some money.

Kris, still reeling from his smooch in Guelph, suffered the loss of his headphone amplifier during Everything Shines. This results in the complete inability to hear any of the other players on stage, rendering attempts to play together futile. We had to stop and regroup as Danny, Fixer-of-all-things-broken, came to rescue the day. Kris was mortified but no one seemed to mind.

Very cool was the young lady who was kind enough to bring us flowers early in the show. Also cool were the singers to my left who know more GBS lyrics than me. Thanks a lot for singing.

Going to see my buddy Allan Hawco and Amy Redford's show tonight in Toronto. Allan and I go way back, as they say. We went to the same high school and then he went on to graduate from National Theatre School. His brother Greg is also a gifted fella who played with me in my first high school band "First Attempt". Sorry about the name. The more discerning GBS fans out there will recognize Greg as the percussionist on the first GBS album. Anyway, Allan is a great actor and you'll get to see him apply his trade in the "Clearest Indication" video.

I think the first Peterborough show is the halfway mark of the tour. The bus rolls ever east.

Alan

October 27, 2002
North Bay, Ontario
Dressing room, Noon

Drove overnight to North Bay and just arrived at the theatre. Walked through the back door and did the ususal, "Oh Yeah, I remember this place."

I have fond memories of North Bay. I bought my favorite guitar here, at Omer's Vacuum Repair, Used Guitars and Pet Grooming. Yes, believe it. Truly one of the most bizarre collections of completely unrelated products and services for sale under one roof - a must see. I cannot believe Wayne Rostad has not done an "On the Road" show at Omer's.

I bought my Gibson J00 there in 1997, I think. It has been on every GBS record since then and on recordings by the Fables, Corey Tetford and many others. For any guitar heads, there is a cool picture of it in the GBS Tourbook in the studio photo section.

Well, I am looking forward to tonight as I can finally do a show and not worry about the gig the next day. I have been so paranoid of my voice depleting in the cold weather, and with the volume of shows and press, that I have not caroused at all on this tour.

Hope there's a good Sunday spot in North Bay.

More later,
Alan

October 26, 2002
Toronto Hotel Room, 11am

Sorry for the tardy restart, dear reader. It's because I'm a scatterbrain. And it's only because I'm a scatterbrain that lives in St. John's, that this text is possible at all. I'll explain.

On Tuesday morning I awoke at around 7:30 and walked the dog up the back of Signal Hill as a parting glance at the town I call home. I scooted back to the house and packed my knapsack and prepped my golf bag for the last trip of the year. I dropped those two bags behind my SUV and went back in the house to grab my computer bag, which I placed on the sidewalk of my busy downtown street.

I was running late and had to pick up my fair one who was to drive me to the airport to catch my flight to Ottawa. In my haste, I threw the golf bag and suitcase in rear of the truck and sped off to Jo's workplace. Get the picture?

I arrived at the airport to discover that, 45 minutes previous, I had left my computer bag on one of the most active sidewalks in Newfoundland.

We raced back to my house to discover, of course, that the bag was gone. I began to review the contents of the bag. Laptop containing audio demos, songs, stories, addresses of the rich and famous, financial reports, and many other personal photos of family friends etc., all lying in some strangers hands. The bag also contains my wallet, passport, some cash and house keys. Quite a find for anyone.

I was a wreck. I cancelled my credit cards and phoned the police. "Where was your bag stolen from, Mr. Doyle?" the polite officer asked. "From the sidewalk in front of my house" I explained. "I left it there and drove to the airport and back."

There was a pause. I'm sure the officer covered the receiver to laugh. Rightly so.

I returned to the airport a broken man. I just made the flight and slumped in my chair and for an hour and a half fretted and woed the loss of the bag. How would I ever remember all the half written songs? How would I explain to the several public figures that I know, that their private phone numbers and addresses were now in someone else's hands?

I confess, dear reader, that I conjugated the verb to @#$%^&! several times on that flight.

In Halifax airport during a stop over, I phoned Jo to whine some more about how difficult it is living as an occasional idiot. "Don't worry," she said "the postman picked up your bag about a half hour after you left it and gave it to our neighbors down the street. I'll courier it tomorrow, you'll have it in Toronto by Friday night."

Now I wonder how many people passed that bag lying there in those thirty minutes. An honest guess would be around one hundred. And no one stole it. What a town.

I don't know if my postman wants his name broadcasted across the web so I won't offer it here. I can only say thanks to him for being so considerate and thanks to the other 99 who passed up an opportunity for a quick buck. I am, and I guess any readers out there who wanted the Tour Diaries to continue are, in your debt.

Lucky me once again.
Alan

October 7, 2002
Home

After a whirlwind spin through the Thunder Bay nightlife, we have all made it home safe. Saw a great band called the Dust Rhinos (sp?) at a pub after the GBS show. They come from the Peg and play a cool variety of up-tempo Celtic stuff.

Stayed up way too late and barely made the airport call. Nothing new for the last day of the tour.

Coming home is an odd mix of emotions. It's easy to long for the familiar hand of a loved one and the thought of a night in your own bed could make you weep. But I confess to dreading the return to normalcy, at times. The road can be pretty carefree. Tony tells me when to wake up and the bus takes me to the next gig. The publicist brings me to the interviews and the caterer cooks all the food. At home I have to make all those decisions, and a million more, on my own. Things like oil bills and home repair can be easily put off while on the road. Touring is an easy escape from responsibility of real life. I know these are the thoughts of a spoiled man. But, somewhat shamefully, I confess to their existence.

Ah well, confused again. Nothing new there, either.

Thanks for reading these little windows into the tour. Thanks to all who came to any or all of the shows from Victoria to Thunder Bay.

Till the tour resumes, be good.

See you in Ontario.
Alan

October 5, 2002
Thunder Bay Hotel Room, 5:15pm

Winnipeg never disappoints. We have played the Peg six times in the last four years so we were worried that we had over stayed our welcome. How silly of us.

Did anybody else see the little kid dancing on his Dad's shoulders all the way through the show? He knows more GBS lyrics than I do! I met them back stage after the gig and, Aidan who's about four I guess, was still lively well passed his bed time. He's going to be a star.

Thanks to those who attended the after show function. Especially those who respond so well to Shakespearean prompts.

Currently overlooking the lake in Thunder Bay. The theatre here is one of the best in the country, so it should look and sound great.

Last night of the Western Leg. Some foolishness in store, no doubt.

Home tomorrow.
Alan

October 3, 2002
Brandon, Dressing Room, 3:48pm

Got to play nine hole of golf yesterday with Jason Plum, former lead singer with the Waltons. He's a great singer/songwriter who's about to finish a solo record with Ed Robertson from BNL. Looking forward to hearing it in the New Year.

Woke up in Brandon next to the Wheatkings rink. Now this IS a Canadian Tour! No game tonight, though. I was hoping to see the lads play. I have always held this romantic notion that Brandon was the center of the hockey world. Perhaps it's because, as a kid, the Wheatkings and the Peterborough Petes were the only two major junior hockey teams I knew.

Just discovered that turning on the hot water in our dressing room cuts the hot water in Crush's dressing room. I discovered this by recognizing the correspondence between my turning the tap on our sink and Cory's screams from the Crush shower next door. It's going to be a fun day! I will confess sometime tomorrow.

Three gigs till home.
Alan

September 30, 2002
Saskatoon Hotel Room, 12:15pm

Ft. Mac showed up in large numbers last night. Almost 2400 people. That's huge for us. They brought their voices as well. The old rink shook by the end of Ordinary Day. We were thrilled to see a 'Mary Brown's' and had to order post gig Big Mary's and Taters. Hardly health food, but what are ya' gonna do?

Just arrived in Saskatoon and am currently overlooking the River (sorry, still don't know the name of it). This city has done a great job developing the walkways and green areas around the river so that we all can run, walk, or just hang out near the river's edge. Too bad it's cold and rainy.

Currently reading Wayne Johnson's new book, 'The Navigator of New York'. Like his award winning 'Colony of Unrequited Dreams', 'Navigator' is a work of historical fiction about a young St. John's lad who discovers he is the illegitimate son of polar explorer Dr. Frederick Cook. His journey from turn of the century St. John's to Manhattan to meet his father makes up the early part of the book. Very cool idea. I hope the two of them journey to the pole in the remainder.

Got to find some spicy food tonight, and lay low. I think I'm on TV with Blue Rodeo tonight, but I'm always the last to know.

Hope I don't suck.
Alan

September 29, 2002
Ft. Mac Hockey Rink, 12:48pm

The Black Dog wins again.

September 28, 2002
Highway to Edmonton, 2:27pm

The Ford Explorer rolls North containing Darrell, Bob, Sean, our manager Louis, and our agent Jack. We just stopped at Fay's Diner about 80 kilometers south of Edmonton. With all due respect to Leo's in St. John's and the Five Bay's in Goobies, I think I just had the best chips in the world. Spectacular. Little Mom and Pop shops always have the best food. Check out Fay's.

Last night was as close to a perfect night as we've had in a while. We were so pumped that I consciously encouraged the lads to take it easy off the top. The reviewer in the Sun is right, I over did it and the first few songs were a little calmer than usual. Other than that, the room looked great, the fans sang from the first note, and I thought we played and sang as well as we can. No easy task considering the nervous energy of facing an NHL hockey rink full of people. Trying for the same or better tonight.

Speaking of NHL, Harold Druken, from Shea Heights NF, scored twice for the Canucks last night. Good on ya. I hope the Oiler's are in town tonight. I'd like to meet Dan Cleary. He's from Sean's neck of the woods, near Harbour Grace.

Man this place is flat.
Alan

September 26, 2002
Banff Hotel Room, 10:30am

Just leaving Banff after a fairly civilized night out. Band and crew got together for Alberta beef and after a few glasses of wine, I hit the hay. Got to save my pipes for the four day run coming up.

Calgary and Edmonton are all but sold out. Wow. Ten years in and we still sell more concert tickets each tour. Lucky us.

Leithbridge tonight and another game of golf tomorrow.

Then, the Saddledome!
Alan

September 26, 2002 — Part 2
Road to Leithbridge
Tour Bus

Driving through the mountains is always a humbling experience. I've heard people speak of the ocean as the one thing that makes them feel small. The mountains do that for me. Riding below the hills that took millions, or billions, of years to create makes all my worries, defeats, and all my ambitions and accomplishments seem so timely, so trivial. What a strange sense of place.

The boys are in the front lounge continuing their Soprano's marathon while I have fled to the back of the bus to seek the most elusive commodity; a moment alone. As we roll through nameless towns, past those exiting grocery stores, children playing in school yards, it's tough not to be envious of the people outside this bus. So often we are envied, and rightly so. We are lucky. But during these drives it's easy to wish for a normal day, a friend who has nothing to do with GBS, a walk with your dog, a trip to the movies with your gal. It's the classical dilemma of the touring musician. The only thing worse than touring is not touring.

Enough reflection. Darrell has just announced that Tony Soprano is about to 'off' someone else. Gotta go. Can't wait to finally get on stage tonight.

Alan

September 24, 2002
Grand Prairie
Hockey Rink, 5:15am

Quickly rolled out of PG last night in lieu of the long North Passage to Grand Prairie. Arrived around 8am and managed to scam free golf, thanks to Jane at the venue and the good folks at the Grand Prairie Golf and Country Club.

Myself and Darrell and Cory from Crush played 18 holes on a great course on a sunny fall day. Now it's not all bad, is it?

Bob and I did a couple of interviews at the Sun FM building. We spoke on SUN and then scampered to the adjoining studio to record an interview for the am station and to do a few PA announcements. While there, we watched through the common studio window as Cory and Paul entered the Sun Studio. As we finished our PA's, they began performing live on the air. I could not resist the temptation for devilish behavior. I made faces and rude gestures and pressed unmentionable body parts to the glass as Paul tried to complete his singing. He could not. He laughed so hard they almost had to stop the tune.

Boys will be boys. Sorry Paul.
Alan

September 23, 2002
Prince George
Hockey Rink, Noon

Friday night in Vancouver was one of the top 10 concerts I can remember. Great room, great crowd. Bob stole the show with U2's 'Party Girl'. MacFarlane makes GBS guitar debut. That @#$%^&#! can play anything. Thanks to all for singing and dancing.

Left right after the show and went to the Hip show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. They were having an awesome show. Hit after Hit. Hung with the Hip and Sam Roberts lads till the wee hours. Always a good laugh to get a few like-minded people together. Thanks to the Hip for being so hospitable.

Had a good couple of days in Kelowna playing golf with Darrell, brother Bernie and buddy Doug. What a play land Kelowna is. Golf, water skiing, house boating, etc. Had sore pipes at the concert, though. Five over-the-top two-hour rock shows is a stretch for my voice.

After a day off though, we are ready to go again. Currently sitting in Prince George. I am considering trying out my new 'Spud Gun' or 'Potato Launcher'. My buddy Dave in Kelowna made one for me out of PVC Pipe and BBQ lighter. It can launch a potato about a thousand feet. Stupid, but great fun.

Toys for boys.
Alan

September 20, 2002
Vancouver hotel room, 10:32am

Very interesting show last night. Darrell Rocks! Many thought he was down and out for the count with a stumble and fall early in the match, but he roared back with a powerful regulation time set and stole the show with "I don't like Mondays" in the overtime frame.

Bolted after the show to see Wide Mouth Mason at the Rage. Shawn Verrault is a superstar — no question. Easily in the top ten guitarists I have ever seen. He sings like a bird with the soul of Stevie Wonder. They play Victoria tonight. Check it out with Holly MacNarland on the bill as well.

The Orpheum is a beautiful Theatre. Can't wait for tonight. Sold out shows are always the best.

Out the 33rd floor hotel room window, tankers, pleasure crafts and cruise ships come and go, in and out of the harbour. I have always thought that Vancouver and St. John's are the two most amazing places in the country to put cities. Harbour towns are my favorite.

Wahoo! My brother joins the team today. Hoping to catch the Hip set and then it's over the mountains to Kelowna.

I need coffee.
Alan

September 19, 2002
8:41am, hotel room

Last night we made leaps and bounds, I thought. Finally had the guts to play French Perfume after rehearsing it for six months. It's tough to play with as there are several switches from Latin grooves in the verses to straight 4/4 in the choruses. Kris slayed the place with his congas. Shite, he's a talented young fella.

I bought new sneakers yesterday!

Just finished reading Motley Crue, The Dirt. Definitely the best Rock and Roll autobiography I have ever read. Also an amazing story of how groups of people can succeed in spite of themselves. Very interesting story of how bands can interact and self destruct. From the murders, sexual assault, drug addiction, violence, near death experiences, loss of children and having sex with everyone, it's hard to believe that so many things could happen to four people who work together. I recommend it. So do critics, by the way.

Gotta go catch the Ferry. We are traveling east. We are heading home!
Alan

September 17, 2002
Just after midnight, hotel room

Wow. I had forgotten how beautiful Victoria is. Walked around the harbour this morning as yachts and ferries came and went, crafts persons set up their stalls, and the streets slowly came to life with hurried, yet pleasant, people eager to get somewhere. Truly one of the nicest walks I've had in many years.

Spent most of today scrambling to get ready for the show. Tony is not feeling well and could not make the trip so we all had to pitch in to do his stuff. Holy Shite, he has got a lot to do! Thanks to Carl for stepping in and doing sound, otherwise we would have had to cancel. Hope to see Tony back tomorrow or in Vancouver. Not the same without him.

Spent most of the show remembering subtleties of the tunes and desperately trying not to forget the words. All things that never happen except during show number one. The fans were great listeners and singers. Very forgiving of my numerous errors. Thanks to all.

Hope to golf early tomorrow and rehearse in the afternoon.

So far, no casualties.
Alan

September 16, 2002
Toronto Airport, Executive Lounge

The first day is always a day of mixed emotions. Never easy saying ‘see ya later, be good' to the cats and dog. Even harder leaving the ones you love to carry on without you, again. And again. But, then again, we are about to start our biggest tour ever. It's almost overwhelming to see all the cities and venues on our itinerary. This is what I've wanted to do since I was old enough to want anything. So, it's go boys go.

I will try to keep you, most faithful and dedicated of fans, in the loop by dropping in with stories and tales from the tour across the greatest country in the world. First gig in Victoria, last gig in St. John's. The long journey home.

Cool things have happened already! I sat on the plane with the golden voice of Hockey Night in Canada, Bob Cole. It's always cool to hear that famous voice, that I heard every Saturday in my childhood, talk about the weather and golf.

Hope to get to Victoria tonight in time to hook up with the Hip after their show. They are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Proud of where they're from and glad that I am as well. Should be fun.

Till later,
Alan

Alan's FTRs 2006 - From The Hard And The Easy Tour

What follows is the full text of the FTRs Alan made from the last tour, except for the ones he made during tour breaks which have been put into the Off The Road journal. Since those have not yet been hidden behind a silly map, a link will suffice for now.

February 1, 2006
Tour Diary
Stratford, Ontario Dressing Room

Whew! One down; perhaps the hardest one of all. Yesterday afternoon and last evening, I felt more anxious about the performance than ever. This anxiety was not completely unfounded. I cannot remember starting a tour with so many new elements. As I noted yesterday, we have new music to consider, but on this tour, we have new sets, new formats, new gear, new instruments, and completely different arrangements of tunes that we've been playing for years. Tough to teach old dogs new tricks.

We got through last nights performance with no major train-crashes and a long sound-check/rehearsal today will go a long ways. Thanks to the Brantford crowd whose energy and excitement buoyed us along the ride.

I've been to Stratford before, but I think this is the band's first time playing here. It is one of the most picturesque little towns in Canada. Living proof that you need not be in a metropolis like Manhattan or Paris to find great food, architecture, theatre, music, book stores, coffee shops, etc. There's a lot to choose from in a small area.

Indeed there are many grand boutiques and restaurants and craft shop with many arty and cultural items available. Alas, I am a Rock Pig. With all this respectable stuff available to me, on a tour promoting a folk CD with only one or two electric guitar songs in the show; what do I buy? I stroll into a used music store and buy a used vintage Marshall JCM 800 amplifier. It's the guitar amp of choice for every metal band since 1960. Can't help but sound like Slash when you plug into it. Now, if I could only play like him.

Rock on.

Cheers
Alan
Old Dog/Rock Pig

February 4, 2006
Tour Diary
Winnipeg, Mondragon Coffeehouse

Border Crossings. There’ll be lots of them on this tour as we zigzag back and forth across the 49th . I’ve heard many people complain about being stopped and questioned at the Canada/US border. This whining has always puzzled me. I certainly welcome strangers into my house, but not without a referral or some concept of who the person is and what their intentions are, once they cross the threshold. Why should countries be any different?

I have always accepted that when entering someone else’s country, I will have to explain what I plan to do, where I plan to go and if I’ll be conducting business or enjoying a vacation while walking in someone else's backyard. It just seems reasonable to me, but not everyone, apparently, as complaints about ’getting grilled’ at the airport or border are hardly scarce.

I’m not sure if I’ve spoke about this before in this forum, but I am constantly amazed at how easy we have it at the US Border. Here we are, nine long haired freaky people in a massive bus with a huge trailer, with enough space to carry God knows what from country to country, and a pile of unmarked cases filled with wires and cables and radio transmitters. And still we rarely get asked for more than a photo ID and our work Visa’s.

We had a couple of border crossings in the last couple of days. On the way to Chicago, we crossed the border and had to have our new work permits processed, which meant we had to rise from our bus sleeps at 4:30am and have our prints and stuff done at US Customs. Nine sleepy eyed, longhaired freaky people squinting and mumbling ’yes’ and ’no’ answers under the florescent lights in the massive customs hall built for a thousand, must have been some sight to see for the nightshift crew.

No calamities and no rubber gloves later, we rolled to Chicago for the show.

Last night we were re-entering the land of the True North Strong and Free somewhere south of the Peg. We were all sleeping in our three high bunks, hidden behind our curtains enjoying the sleep afforded by the long, straight, flat prairie highway. Our most excellent bus driver, Robert, offered our passports to the Canadian Customs officer and explained who was asleep in the back, hoping that he would just let the bus roll on through. No Luck. Quite reasonably, the officer explained that he did not want to get everyone out their bunks, but really needed to match the faces with the pictures on the passports. So he came aboard and asked us all to stick our head out through the curtains for inspection.

Now picture that. One very friendly but burly and heavily armed officer standing in the narrow hallway of the bus with the sleepy heads of nine longhaired freaky people poking out between the curtains of bunks stacked three on top of each-other.

"Who’s Doyle?" He asks sternly.

"Me, right here." I cough

"Foster?"

"He’s on the bottom." Someone points.

"McCann?"

"Which one?" We all say together as Sean and Glenn both raise their hands.

Very odd moment for all of us, I’m sure.

After he left, we were all wide awake talking and joking across the narrow hall from top bunk to middle bunk and back and forth. Just as we slowly started to fall back to silence and sleep, someone made a fake fart noise obviously by blowing hard into their tightly cupped hand. We all burst into laughter and the bunk to bunk banter continued for another half hour. It was like being at some summer camp for grown men who refuse to grow up.

Hmm.

Cheers
Alan

February 8, 2006
Tour Diary
Calgary, Alberta
Hotel Room


Great show in Minneapolis. Thanks to the kind ladies for the Mexican food that sustained us across the prairies.

Saskatoon never disappoints. Played to our biggest crowd ever in the big theatre and had a grand night. Bob got through the show despite his bout with the flu. He did not look good around the supper hour but thanks to a backstage visit from Dr. Tom, he made it through with flying colours. (&*&%% you spell check!! "colours has a ’U’!!")

The Black Duck never disappoints either. 'Nuff said.

Rolled to Edmonton for the first day off of the tour and the kind folks at the Oilers let us sit in the press box to watch the game against the Ducks. Very cool for a hockey fan like me. Got to stroll through the dressing room and said hello to a couple of the players who had not dressed for the game. I checked out Ty Conklin's new regulation goalie gear. Holy Shite is it ever small and light. I should treat myself to new gear, I suppose. In any case, we had a grand experience thanks to all hands with the Oilers. For the record, the Oil won in a shootout.

Had a busy day yesterday as we did one of a few "Fantasy Kitchen Parties", where we go to a contest winner's house and sing a few songs the way we might do back in Newfoundland. Amy and Ted were spectacular hosts and we had a very nice time singing a few tunes and sharing a few laughs. All good.

The theatre in Edmonton is as schmancy as we've played. Reminds me of the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall. All went well at the show and we rolled to Calgary to do it all again.

A few more shows in the Canadian West and we're off to America.

Feeling a wee bit flu-ish today. It's always tough to avoid the bugs when touring Canada in the winter.

Need Mom's chicken soup.

Cheers
Alan

February 10, 2006
February 10, 2006
Tour Diary
Ferry to Victoria


Not sure how to begin.

"Almost died yesterday." Sounds too dramatic.

"Had a wee incident with the bus." Too understated.

I’ll tell my story and you can make up your own minds.

I woke I the bunk about 9 AM and spent my usual 10 minutes trying to convince myself that I could go back to sleep till the moving bus came to it’s final stop of the day, at the gig. By 9:15 I was up and wandered to the front lounge and saw that the entire traveling party except light guy Shawn, was sitting in the front lounge chatting and comparing notes on last evenings show, the hockey scores, the girl with the green top, the odd dude waiting by the bus all day; the usual morning chat on the bus. All hands could lie down no longer and were impatiently watching the kilometers drop on the Vancouver road signs.

I learned that we were only thirty something kilometers from Vancouver and should be able to make the scheduled load in time. All systems go.

I sat on the drivers side couch between Murray and Danny, across from Kris and Steve the audio guy, while Bob went into the washroom and Andy stood at the counter prepping his tea. Robert and Glenn were up front driving and photographing, respectively.

One second all things seemed normal and I was defending team Canada's goaltending choices, or something, when the whole day took a dark turn.

Robert slammed on the breaks as hard as I've ever felt on a tour bus, and immediately swerved to the left. This caused everything that was not nailed down, including the recently boiled kettle to fly forward. The kettle hit Danny in the side of the head, spilling the hot water right next to him. I don't know how he was not burned. The lurch to the left sent all of us flying to the right, where I almost kneed Kris in the forehead and did spill my coffee on his lap. I heard Bob smash against the walls of the washroom and watched Andy slide across the floor.

Then we started tipping.

It was slow at first, but when she went, she went hard. We were just about stopped and resting safely on the curb when the bus gently leaned to the left. Then a little more. Then the roof lurched down hard and all hands who had just been across from me were now above me and falling fast. Kris sped past my face and landed on me and Murray and braced himself on the glass. Andy crashed into Murray's legs and held on. Bob went hard against the door of the washroom which was now like an upside-down coffin with the door doing double duty as the floor and the only way out. Steve and Glenn went flying the hardest. The brakes sent Glenn flying to the windshield and the tip sent him and Steve crashing to the drivers side and right on top of Robert who was knocked out, most likely from the impact with the lads.

Shawn the light guy was the only one in the bunks and he was on the driver's side so he did not get tossed very far. His fright was from all the opposite bunks falling on top of him and potentially trapping him with no visible escape. He, unlike the rest of us, had no clue where we were, what was happening, or how much danger we were or were not in.

We scraped along the ground for a few seconds till the bus finally halted.

Quiet.

The first sound were not screams of ‘get me out of here’ or ‘what the f&*% is happening’ rather they were simultaneous questions of "is everyone OK" and answers of "I'm alright"

We did a general roll call and everyone spoke up and seemed unharmed. Except Robert, who had passed out but quickly came around after a few nudges and a few shouts of his name.

I could not get up. I kept putting my feet on the floor and trying to stand, but could not bring myself perpendicular to the floor. It took a few seconds of disorientation before I realized that the floor was no longer the bottom and was now really a wall. The glass window behind my head which had always been a wall was now the floor. Danny pointed this out to me and I stood up fairly quickly. Weird.

Moments later, a couple of guys who saw the whole thing climbed up to the door, which was now on the ceiling, and asked if everyone was OK. Another moment later, a fireman replaced that guy and came with a ladder to get all hands out.

It was not till we were all gathered on the grassy hill dividing the four lanes that I found out what had just happened. We were traveling up a hill and when the bus came to the crest, there were several lanes of stopped traffic only a few hundred feet ahead. That might have been barely enough space to stop a regular vehicle, but a forty-five foot bus and a sixteen foot trailer loaded with gear had no chance. Robert hit the brakes once and realized he had no chance of stopping before he ran over one or two of the cars in front, killing everyone inside instantly. So, he swerved to the left and hoped to stop the bus on the shoulder to keep everyone safe. He almost did it. Just before we could completely stop, the narrow shoulder gave way and the bus tipped. He was beside himself despite our insistence that he had most likely just saved a bunch of lives; ours included.

Robert went to the hospital for a check up. Glenn had a serious knock on the forehead, but swore he was all right. Steve hurt his thumb in the fall. Bob, Andy, Kris, Danny, Murray and I were all shaky and stiff but otherwise fine. Shawn, the light guy, had come out of the overturned bunk area, which must have been a claustrophobic's nightmare, like a guy coming from a day at the spa. He looked like perfectly calm and relaxed, as if a song bird had gently stirred him from his rest. "That was quite a ride" he casually mentioned as the ambulance guy checked us out. "Trailer should be OK, let's hitch it up and get to the gig."

And that was the focus from there on. We all wanted to do the gig. We probably would have gotten away with phoning in sick for the Vancouver show, but all hands insisted the show must go on.

I guess it was partly macho bravado that drove us to tow the trailer to the back of the theatre, set up the gear in record time, and play as hard as we could for three hours. As well, it was probably a grand way to blow of steam and to concentrate on anything other than the fact that we had almost died in a fiery crash, miles away from home. But mostly we did it because it made the horrible events of the morning seem worth the effort. Getting to play concerts, after all, is why we do what we do.

It's a bit too recent an event to draw any major conclusions from it, but I will say this. The lads on that bus did everything right. I am proud of them and pleased to be one of them. We all showed genuine concern for each-other's welfare, acted completely responsibly given the circumstances and got the show up and running for all the paying public. The curtain rose at exactly 7:30.

Well done lads.

Alan

February 10, 2006
Seattle to Portland
Amtrack Train

Planes, trains, and automobiles.

We’ve used all of them since the bus has been out of commission for the past few days. Itrsquo;s funny how the bus becomes the center of your existence on the road. It is the only constant in an ever changing landscape. It houses your food, your clothes, your entertainment facilities, your office and, small as it may be, your precious bunk; the single small space that is only for you and is your respite for sleep, solitude, and silence. We get our refurbished bus back today in Portland, so since Thursday wersquo;ve traveled by just about every means available.

Mini-Van

We all drove from Vancouver to the Ferry terminal in a mini van that later carried some of us to Seattle.

Ferry

We took the ferry to Victoria and some took it back, as well.

Sea Plane

Myself and Sean took a small six seat seaplane from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle. It turned out to be a very beautiful ride and a great way to see the coast while avoiding cabs and airports. Pretty cheap too. I'd recommend it.

Train

Instead of renting a mini van and having a one-way rental drop off fee in Portland, the band and Glenn, the merchandise dude, are presently on a four hour train ride from Seattle to Portland.

Taxi

There have been several of them and will be a couple more before we get back on the bus in a couple of hours.

This does not count the various tow trucks and cube vans the crew have had to endure since the bus went out of commission. All the above means of transportation were required to replace one tour bus in just three days. An organizational nightmare for the bands manager and tour manager.

Even with the apprehension of getting back into the vehicle that almost crushed us to death, all hands are eager to get back on the bus. Touring on a bus affords less privacy than the alternatives and requires you to sleep in a metal tube hurtling down the highway, but in the end it is just easier. No lobby calls to coordinate, no rental car check-in counters, no maps for us to consider, and no airports. I repeat, no f**0ing airports.

The train ride is peaceful, as they most always are. Though we are currently stopped on the tracks and have been for about thirty minutes. There goes the two pm arrival. Hope we make it for sound-check in Portland.

Cheers
Alan

February 16, 2006
Highway to Tucson
On the Bus


Robert got the bus repaired and met us all in Portland. All hands glad to see him and the big green and blue Newfoundland and Labrador bus parked behind the Alladin Theatre.

We unpacked our bag, put our coffee mugs in their respective nooks, and personalized our bunks as we all do in our own way. Bob loads his with novels and magazines, Kris has a CD player and his iPod, while Danny's is by far the most tricked out; with video players, laptop, mood-lighting, various headphone configurations with A/V hookups to the front and back satellite receivers. He even had a small cooler in there once, earning his bunk the nickname of ‘Danny's Deli’.

Had a grand show in Portland and rolled to San Fran. Myself and Sean ran along Fisherman‘s Wharf and watched the cool seals for a while before heading to the club. We played Bimbos which, looks like a set from the God Father. All late 50’s décor, with big velvet pleated drapes everywhere, huge paintings, fountains and chandaliers and a coat check bigger than my first apartment. Sexy. The mascot for the club is a beautiful big busted, completely naked lady riding a gold fish. Very Sexy.

We did well adjusting the theatre show for the club in San Fran and managed to get the quieter ballads out over the din of the crowd. Many thanks to the kind gals from the Rock. Curses on the idiot who decided it was a good idea to Frisbee toss a license plate onto the stage. It missed Murray's head by about four inches. Not very sexy.

We bussed overnight to LA and my buddy Mike took me and Sean to Venice Beach and Santa Monica. We tossed the ball on the beach and had grand afternoon in the sunshine and salt air. The show was probably our best ever in Los Angeles, a city that has shagged us more times than not. It’s tough to sell tickets there and there are so many entertainment options that putting your stamp on the LA evening is a tough chore. I felt like we finally did it last night.

Los Angeles has a reputation for wild Hollywood parties and late nights. I’ve never seen evidence of this, and I’ve had few nights out with a few big names in that town. You can have a drink backstage and make your own party, but it is virtually impossible to play a gig and get drunk in a public bar in Los Angeles after the show. The pubs, if you can find them, are miles apart, and require three drivers and a personal valet to get to them. The rules, once inside are so strict that it reminds me of being at a high-school dance. You can't stand here or there, a waitress will or won'’t serve you if you are at a table with a blue tablecloth, and the bars generally seem to be staffed by people who don't want to be bartenders. My LA buddies tell me that they are all frustrated actors. I don’t get it. Bars are noble places. Houses of group conversation and celebration. I cannot fathom any opinion to the contrary. I understand the need for these bars to eventually close and while "Last Call" is my evil nemesis, I accept its inevitability. It comes way too early and often for a world class entertainment capital like Los Angeles. Me and a bunch of friends managed to beg as dude to give us a drink at 1:20. We were on the sidewalk by 1:36.

LA.great town to get a salad or a smoothie. Tough spot to get a proper drink.

Last Call scores another one in its ongoing battle with Alan Doyle. But keep your head up, Last Call. GBS has a day off in Vegas tomorrow.

The war is far from won.

Cheers
Alan

February 18, 2006
Tour Diary Park City, Utah
High school Hallway

I’m sitting on the grey industrial carpet of a long hallway with orange cinderblocks down one side while the opposite side is lined with six foot high lockers with beige doors and brown trim. I have not sat in a hallway like this for a long time. Major déjà vu. I recall talking my way into and out of many trips to the principal’s office in corridors just like this one.

I remember the day in Grade 7 or 8 when we had just started our "Our Bodies, Ourselves" course, and the teacher, who should thank me for keeping him nameless, gave us a big speech about being mature and acting like adults in these discussions of the intimate parts of our ever changing bodies. He started with a biology lesson on the names of the sex organs and their individual parts. A vagina, a penis, a uterus.that sort of thing, when the fool asked us to use these new vocab words in sentences. Now come on. He asked me to put ‘vas deferns’ (sp?) in a sentence, despite being fully aware of my reputation for being the class clown. What was I to do?

"There's a 'vas deferns' between the size of Roger's penis and mine." I said as seriously as possible.

Not five seconds later, amid howls of teenage laughter, I was thrust into a hallway just like the one I’m sitting in right now. The teacher sent me to see the principal to who came very near to cracking his thin façade of the consummate disciplinarian when, under the teacher’s firm instruction, I explained what I had said, verbatim.

There are many more tales from high school halls that I could share, as I’m sure we all could. The reason, by the way that I’m sitting in this hallway is because the theatre we play tonight in Park City is attached to a High School. I’ve been wandering in and out of the lab, the band room, and each one of them brings back a flood of reminiscences. Most of them are very positive. I liked high school as I enjoy being in big groups of people; a great trait to have if you want to play in a touring band for a living.

Vegas was a blast yesterday as we got off the bus for about twelve hours in Sin City. What a foolish place. No confessions here, though. What goes on in Vegas.

Cheers
Alan

February 19, 2006
Tour Diary Denver, Colorado
Dressing Room

I woke at 8am and could not get back to sleep. We still had an hour or so to go.

I needed coffee. So I went at the coffee maker. This is always a mistake. Coffee makers and I do not agree. I don‘t like coffee makers and they don‘t like me. I find making coffee a fairly coordinated and complicated procedure. I need my wits about me and I need to be fully awake to attempt these types of jobs. In other words, I need coffee to make coffee. There‘s the hitch.

I generally avoid making coffee. I live in the city because I HAVE to be able to walk to a coffee shop in the morning. A job as important as coffee making should only be undertaken by seasoned professionals. The ladies and gents at Hava Java in St. John‘s take care of me daily when I'm home, but traveling as I am I had to look after myself.

I am fairly level headed. I have not punched a wall in a long, long time. I do not swear at my computer, I don't throw phones or alarm clocks, and I don’t give other drivers the finger. I don't think I have become a Prima Donna Rock Star. I don't require the red M&M‘s to be separated from the other colours, I don't require Turkish rugs or a certain flavor incense backstage, and I don't cause a fit if the water is one degree too cold onstage.

But here‘s the sad truth. I beat up coffee makers.

Yes, that is the one crack in my attempted Zen. They bug the shite out of me. They mock me. They seem to work fine for everyone else, but not me. Even when I follow the instructions exactly, the water flows over the filter or the coffee is way too weak or strong. F*%$ coffee makers.

I smashed one with a mag-lite outside the bus in Rochester a few years ago. I tossed one from the moving bus somewhere between Phoenix and Vegas on a recent tour. I am generally given a free ride when it comes to coffee making on tour, but as no one else was in the front lounge, I had to give it a go.

I had just begun to survey the coffee, filters and the machine when a few of the crew lads drifted sleepily to the front. A few of them had taken their seats eyeing the US vs. Sweden game this morning before they realized what I was attempting. A couple of the lads are new so they would not be fully aware of my checkered past. Still they must have heard something as they became very nervous when they saw me approach the new, apparently "state of the art" coffee system on the bus.

I forged ahead, convinced this day I would break the coffee make curse. I put the ground coffee in the filter. I poured the bottled water in the back and none spilled on the counter. I closed the front and pushed the red button, and waited. Moments later coffee started to appear in the pot below. I did not rush and trust the 'pour and go' spout that has so often shagged me, sending hot coffee up my sleeve or down my pants. I waited and poured coffee from the full pot into my "City of Brantford" Travel mug (compliments of the Mayor) and replaced on it's stand. I poured in the tiniest drop of milk and the coffee went white. Too weak to drink.

I did not swear, but bowed my head and tried convince myself that this was not a big deal. It was not working. I stared with rage at the beast that had once again made a coffee making fool of me. Just then, Sean walked through the door and entered the front lounge rubbed his eyes and looked startled when he realized what was happening.

"What's going on here? Who let Doyle at the coffee maker?" He asked the crew guys who pointed at each other.

"It‘s too weak." I was ashamed. Foiled again.

"It's alright, dude. Dump it out and we'll make another one." He calmed me.

I went in to the washroom to dump it and through the closed door behind me I heard Sean whispering, informing the new lads of "Keep Alan from the Coffee Maker" rule.

Sean made a good pot, by apparently used five tablespoons, not teaspoons of ground coffee. Who can remember such details before they have caffeine? The day has been great ever since.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

Looking forward to a big gig in Denver tonight.

Cheers
Alan

March 10, 2006
Tour Diary Glenside, PA
Village Diner

I think I’m getting old. I’ve been waking up with pains in places that I’ve never even knew could pain. Like the space in between your knee and you thigh. What is that called? Upper knee? Lower thigh? Not pain, like go to the doctor pain, but odd, stiff, old-guy pains that are really just mildly noticeable and annoying in AM and are gone an hour later.

Had a couple of good shows to start off the second leg. We had our biggest showing ever in Hamilton, with a totally sold out theatre. It was a long day as I woke at 4:30 AM to catch the early flight from St. John’s to Toronto, then drove to Hamilton, did three hours of press and a photo shoot, sound check, more press and finally the gig. It was a grand night and a great crowd.

I might have jinxed our border crossing ease by explaining, a few posts back, that we never have any trouble entering America. On our way to Rochester, we got yanked off the bus and into the customs office one at a time and asked tricky questions that I was way to sleepy to answer properly.

"Tell me Mr. Doyle, have you stopped reconsidering your intentions to delay your terrorist activities?"

Just kidding. That would be a tough one though. The actual conversation went like this.

"What is the purpose of your trip to the US, Mr. Doyle?", asked the not-too-happy-to be-working-nightshift customs officer.

"Play music sir". I whisper.

"What is the name of your band?"

"Great Big Sea."

"Great Big 'C'? You guys a Rap Band."

"No we play folk music. Its ‘sea’, like the ocean. We're from Newfoundland"

"Is that where you kill those baby seals?""

He must be a Larry King Live viewer. Here's where I sort of woke up a bit and became somewhat witty and my internal and external dialogue could, thankfully, separate.

Internal:

"Yep. You got it Sherlock. Killing seals. That’s what we do there. Every frickin’ day. Wake up in downtown St. John’s, throw open the front door, run out in the middle of Duckworth Street and kill a seal. Yeha!"

Thanks a bunch Sir Paul.

External:

"I am a folk singer, we play Rochester tonight"

"Thanks sir, have a good gig."

I figure we still get off easy.

I went to two radio stations in Rochester. I was a guest on a radio talk show hosted by called the Wese. A big biker looking dude, he was surrounded by a few people lounging on couches and tossing in off-colour comments and racy jokes. It looked a bit Stern-esque. Hmm. I was made even more nervous when the host piped up and without apprehension says, "I hate Celtic Music." Oh Dear. But it turned out to be a cool experience. The host was a real cool man whose charm comes from his unexpected worldliness and his brutal honesty. One of those guys who can’t help but say every single thought or question that occurs to him. No internal editing what so ever. It was a treat to meet someone so genuine.

Kat from WBER picked me up a little later and we made our third trip to the radio station. We sat in the studio and chatted about tunes and Newfoundland and whatever occurred to us, and I sang a few tunes with the GTR. Lovely time, as always.

I am sitting in the Village Diner. The pretty waitress has just convinced me to try ‘scrapple’. It appears to be some combination of mixed meat by-products coated with some breading and deep fried. It is a Philly tradition, apparently. I had one bite. I gave it a go.

I don‘t think the Cheese Steak has anything to worry about.

MacFarlane just swung in and announced that there is to be a soccer game behind the theatre. Time to work out the ‘old guy’ kinks.

Cheers
Alan

March 11, 2006
Tour Diary Cleveland, Ohio
On the Bus

Yeah, we are 13 years old today. For those of you who don't know, the first time Sean, Bob, Darrell, and I played together was March 11, 1993. We opened for the Irish Descendants at the Thompson Student Center at Memorial University. I broke three strings on three different guitars. It was amazing.

Much water under the bridge since then. We’ve probably done close to two thousand shows, recorded 8 CDs and two DVDs, played in more than a dozen countries and all but three States, I think, and at last count sold well over a million records. I guess its going well, so far.

Progress for us has always been slow but steady. We’ve never been the talk of the town, but have never fallen out of the conversation, completely. Never had a number one hit, but never really had a record that flopped. The GBS career so far is not the fast track to riches and fame, but is a great way to get to play music for a lifetime. I’d much rather have 20 years on stage as opposed to having the biggest song on Earth for three weeks and never again seeing the light of day.

So here we are a touring band celebrating its 13th birthday in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Trying to .resist typing.can’t help it.

Hello Cleveland!

Happy Day Cast and Crew of Great Big Sea. You're a good bunch of lads.

Here's to 13 more years.
Cheers
Alan

March 14, 2006
Tour Diary Ann Arbor
Hotel Room

A quick peek at the schedule reveals that we have 15 shows and several TV commitments in the next 17days. Even by GBS touring standards, that's a heavy load. Paddy's day is right in the middle of it, too. Tough to squeeze a pint in this year.

Had a grand night in Madison. We were really loose and casual at the show. Apologies if we lost the plot a couple of times in our excitement. I hope the audience had as much fun as we did. We were even more loose and casual after the show. Apologies if we lost the plot a couple of times in our excitement. Days off are scarce as hens teeth on this tour so you've got to make the most of them when they rare their heads.

Last night all hands had the opportunity to sleep in a real bed; one that was, get this, stationary. Yeah, a bed in a room all to yourself that was not contained in a metal tube hurtling down the highway. I went to bed at 11:00 and got up at 11:00.

That said, we are creatures of habit. At 8:30 last night there were seven of us jammed on the bus draped around the front lounge watching the Habs/Bolts game on the digital satellite TV. The Habs came up short, but we had a cool few hours gabbing and watching the game. It is one of the less spoken of fringe benefits of playing in a touring band. Having the facility to get six or seven buddies on a flash bus parked in the middle of a foreign city, lying on the floor watching a hockey game. Most hockey fans I know would save for a year for such a trip and it happens to us incidentally. Great laugh.

Tough to arrange such a scenario if you do anything else for a living.

Big week ahead.

Cheers
Alan

March 15, 2006
Tour Diary London, Ontario
Hockey Dressing Room


I'm sitting in the home of the reigning Memorial Cup Champs, the London Knights. Remember? They won a zillion games in a row off the top of the season last year and then went on to win the Cup as the host team. It was the talk of the hockey world as the NHL was on strike for a year. Very cool.

Ann Arbor definitely does not suck. I made a comment in the show last night that there exists in my mind a list of places that is divided into two distinct groups; those that suck and those that do not suck. Ann Arbor is firmly in the 'does not suck' category. It is a beautiful college town with historic buildings, many restaurants, coffee shops, and book stores etc. It is a great spot to walk around on a day off. As a traveling musician, it is an oasis in the Folk world, where traditional and folk songs do not take their usual backseat to Pop and Rock tunes of the day.

Please forgive my political correctness as I refrain from naming towns that lie firmly in the 'those that suck' category. My Mom says that if I've got nothing good to say, I should say nothing at all. I am not about to start pissing off Mom.

On a tour of mostly theatres and clubs, tonight is our only foray in Rink Rock. The second set should be particularly over the top tonight. I plan on watching the Queen set from Live Aid, along with excerpts of U2's show from the Fleet Center in Boston a couple of tours ago, and at least two AC/DC live videos, in the hour before the show tonight.

Channeling Freddie, Bono, and Angus. Rink Rock.

Beware the ides of March.

Cheers
Alan

March 19, 2006
Tour Diary Montreal, Quebec
Hotel Room

Whew. What a flurry of activity since the grand night in the Rink in London. The bus rolled to Toronto for the double header at the Carlu Theatre. We arrived at around noon and started doing press. This continued till just before our scheduled 6pm sound-check. We got our first look at the ’theatre‘ as we walked onto the stage. As it turns out, the Carlu is not a theater at all, but rather a ballroom with a balcony. As the staff laid out metal chairs for apparently the first time, the place started to look and sound more and more like a high school gym.

I did not dig it at all.

We got to the hotel at Midnight and I got to sleep at about 2am. We had to play Canada AM in the morning. The alarm went off at 5:45am. I jumped up and ran to the shower. Just as the water came around to the right temperature, the cell phone started ringing. Shite! I jumped out and ran dripping across the hotel room, grabbed the phone and it slipped out of my wet hand and fell down behind the bed. I pulled the bed out and got the phone open just before the fifth ring.

"Hello"

No answer.

"Hello"

Shite. Forgot that I set my cell phone alarm clock.

By now I'm pretty cold and run back to the hot shower. I put some shampoo in my hair and I hear the hotel room phone start to ring. That will be the wake up call. I try to put it out of my mind but I suffer from the same ailment as many others that cannot ignore a ringing phone. I run to the phone and listen as some really pleasant sounding man is telling me the forecasted temperature.

My eyes covered in shampoo, I run to the door and throw it open to continue my shower. But something is not right. I can't see anything clearly, but it is the temperature that has changed so dramatically that causes me the greatest concern. As the blur quickly clears I realize that I am not in bathroom at all, but actually standing in the hallway of the hotel, about six feet from the elevator doors. Naked.

I spin round and get my hand in the room door just before it closes and just before the elevator door opens. Jesus. What a start to a day.

We were picked up at the hotel and taken to the CTV Canada AM house party. Turned out to be a great time. The hosts were great and the party was in full gear by the time we arrived. Jeff from the TV show was a star. He Celtic Rapped the weather as Sean laid down a fat bodhran beat. Well done Jeff.

Went back to the hotel and slept for a few hours and slept till early afternoon. A few changes were made to the seating arrangement at the gig during the afternoon which made the Friday show much better for all concerned.

Had a quick drink with Little Sis and few friends and hit the bunk later than I should have, but much earlier than I wanted to on a Paddy's Night. Had to save some pipes for Montreal.

The Olympia was a great theatre with a great crowd. There was a great Habs/Pens game on TV so I arranged the set so Kris could nip off every now and again to check the score. Great result at the theatre. We rocked the house. Not so for the Habs. They lost to Crosby et al 5-4

We went directly from the stage to Hurley's. The best pub in Montreal. I can give no further details of the evening in this forum.

As I type, the Paddy's Day Parade is rolling past the outside the hotel. It is the biggest I've ever seen, running the whole length of St. Catherine St.

Weary now. Must rest today. 10 shows in the next 11 days.

Cheers
Alan

March 26, 2006
Tour Diary Saint John, NB
Cora's Restaurant

The bus rolls ever East on this leg. Had a couple of good nights in Moncton and Fredericton, which included a return visit to El Loco Burrito, easily the best Mexican food in Canada. Carlos, the owner and chef is from Puerto Vallarta and married a lady from Fredericton and I guess he followed her home to set up shop. It is a must-do.

We definitely made a mistake planning the schedule on this run. I somehow forgot to insist on a day off after Halifax. As a result, I could not go for a pint in one of the best pub towns in the world. It nearly drove me crazy. I had to ask Sean to nail my hotel room door shut from the outside so I would not sneak out during the night. I could hear people reveling in the streets outside the hotel. I am in Hell!!

But with three or four gigs in a row after the Halifax dates, there is no room for a night out. The pipes just would not take the abuse. I’ll know better next time. Must have day off after Halifax.

It’s been a while since we played the Confederation Center in Charlottetown. I forgot what a great sounding room it is.

We had two completely different crowds in one room in Sydney. We had a great crowd of listeners who wanted to sit and enjoy a quiet theatre show, and another group of excited partiers who wanted us to blow their Saturday night minds. We were happy to have them both, but I got the impression each of them wished the other would go home.

We play the Imperial Theatre for the first time tonight. It might be the most beautiful theatre in Canada, and despite having played every other club, festival, and arena in this town, somehow we've never stepped on the stage at the Imperial.

Day off tomorrow. Well sort of. We roll after the show tonight and head to Halifax Airport for an early flight to Newfoundland. I know there’ll be chores awaiting.

Tried to go to my fav Saint John haunt, Reggie's, but it was full to the doors, so I strolled across the street to Cora’s, a breakfast chain that just moved into Atlantic Canada. There is one at home, but I have not checked it out yet. Turns out to be OK, but it is no Reggie's.
Cheers
Alan

April 20, 2006
Somewhere near Burlington
On the Bus

This bus ride is now entering its 12th hour. Everyone is awake and trying to occupy the front lounge of the bus. That’s nine guys trying to sit in eight seats. I am sitting in the middle of the worst game of grown up musical chairs. Those with seats are being seriously eyeballed by the dude who’s forced to stand up. I’ve had to pee for about 25 minutes, but there’s no way I’m giving up this seat. I do not feel like a Rock Star.

We are traveling through some beautiful country towns in Vermont, though. I suppose it could be way worse.

We spent the day yesterday on the campus of the State University of New York at Buffalo. It’s has beautiful campus buildings with parks and lawns surrounding a couple of lakes. There are groomed walking trails wandering through the endless academic, sports and arts facilities and the fit, well dressed students chat on cell phones and adjust their iPods as they wait for the Chai Soy Lattes at Starbucks. Wow, this is not what I remember from going to Memorial University of Newfoundland. Most of my friends were flat broke and stayed in beat up rental houses with nine guys fighting for eight seats. How far I’ve come.

In retrospect I really did not have much of a typical college experience. I had a great time during my university years but most of my fun was had in downtown St. John’s. I did not stay on campus, I did not go to a pile of frat type parties, and I hated the campus bar, the Breezeway, as it rarely had live music. I went to MUN from 9am till midnight, Monday to Thursday and 9 to noon on Fridays. With the possible exception of exams and the odd paper, I never cracked a book from end of class on Friday till Monday morning.

I worked Saturdays and Sundays and the odd Thursday night at the Newfoundland Museum and played in a band or solo in the pubs almost every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. It was grand and ultimately the environment where I met Sean, Bob, and Darrell and GBS was born.

I wonder what I would have been like at Beta Phi Beta or one of those fraternity houses? Would I have left the dorm every night to go to the local pub and hang with the moody English profs? That’s what I did at MUN. Or would I have been the leader of the freshman hazing?

Just pulled into the parking lot by the gig in Burlington. Across the street there’s a sign that says "Al’s French Fries".

That’s got to be good karma.

Cheers

Alan

April 21, 2006
North Hampton, Mass. Tour Bus

Another day, another beautiful university campus. This must be my tenth trip to North Hampton, and I’ve somehow managed to miss the best part of the town till today. Sean and I went strolling up around the campus of Smith College, a liberal arts college for women. It has a lake and a park in the middle of the university campus which is surrounded by mature trees and old house that look like they should be featured in Better Homes and Gardens. I am starting to get bitter.

North Hampton is a great town to map the career path of GBS. We played at the Iron Horse a small folk club here in the late 90’s for about 60 people. We played that room at least four times till we sold out the 250 or so capacity. We fought and clawed our way to the bigger Rock club called Pearl Street. We played the small room downstairs till we stuffed the place and then we played upstairs till we stuffed that. Now after ten or eleven plays in this town we finally get to play the premiere venue, the Calvin Theatre. The long way to success.

Let’s hope slow and steady wins the race.

New York tomorrow. Yeha.

Cheers

Alan

April 24, 2006
Atlanta Hotel Room

Yes, that’s right! A hotel room! We’ve been on the bus since early Wednesday morning of last week and we finally have the opportunity to sleep in a real bed. It’s a fancy one, too, in downtown Atlanta. I’ve never really been here. GBS has played on a neighborhood of Atlanta known as the Little Five points four or five times and we’ve never managed to get downtown. I’m looking forward to a stroll around.

Well the sky must be going to fall or hell must have frozen over. On this tour GBS has played killer shows in Los Angeles and New York. Having slayed the El Ray Theatre in LA a few weeks back, we trumped ourselves with our best showing ever in Manhattan. (Cue the bragging music) The Town Hall is one of the premiere show rooms on Earth. The list of acts who have recently played sold out shows in this room include KD Lang, Elvis Costello, and Great Big Sea. Not bad company to be in, I suppose. We played as good as we know how on Saturday night in New York City. A performance like this is usually more likely to happen on a Tuesday night in Nowheresville, in front of 80 people at the two foot high corner stage of the Brew pub, while 60 other people eat wings and play pool and periodically glance at the stage between shots. On Saturday, we finally played our best in the best city in the world.

In true "Elvis has left the building" form, we loaded the bus right after the show and were driving out of New York while the applause was still ringing in the hall. We were all having a post gig high on the bus as we made our way through the streets with no names and our euphoria stayed with us into the next day.

The buzz was just starting to wear off when we rolled into Charlotte. We were in serious danger of losing the rush completely until we walked in the venue. The McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square seems to be a former church. It is a beautiful building with huge stained glass windows with images of f holy dudes decorating the high brick walls. The stage sits where an altar once did, I assume, and it sticks right out into the congregation or audience in this case. It is easily one of the nicest places we've ever had the pleasure of singing.

Mike and Jared, two new friends from the area, took me and Bob golfing in the afternoon. I tried out a demo of a new TaylorMade driver. Holy shite. The head on it was as big as a paint can. Thanks to lads for letting a couple of Canadian hackers tag along.

We play the gig tonight and have tomorrow off. The band flies to Columbus on Wednesday, so we actually have two nights in a bed that does not move at 110 kilometers an hour. This room is really a suite with a kitchen and separate bedroom with nicer furniture than I will ever own. Whirlpool Jacuzzi, king size bed, 24 hour room service and all the bells and whistles.

Cheers

Alan

April 26, 2006
Delta Flight 805 Atlanta to Columbus

This is playoff hockey season. We have a digital satellite dish with a full NHL package on our tour bus. I am not just telling you this to give you a peek through the tour bus window. I am not telling you this to further portray the GBS cast as good Canuck puck crazy lads. I am telling you this because I feel obliged to warn those of you who plan to attend GBS shows in the next couple of weeks that your evening of Newfoundland song and dance may be affected by the playoff schedule.

Truth be told, some of you already have been affected by the post season excellence that is the NHL this year. We were ten minutes late getting back on stage in Atlanta as the Habs/Canes game was at a critical point. On another evening, an unnamed member of our band, was so angry at the progress of a game just previous to our second set, that he played his kick drum so hard that he broke the head or skin on drum. This unnamed cast member swears it is the first bass drum head he’s broken in over 15 years. OK it was Kris.

I am a hockey fan and have been for as long as I can remember. The rule changes in the NHL this year, (with the possible exception of the rule that limits the goalies’ playing of the puck and the automatic delay of game penalty when a defender shoots the puck and it goes over the glass, but I won’t go into the minutia of that discussion here) have made for the most exciting hockey I've ever seen. Not since I was a kid would I stay up to take in a regular season game on a Tuesday night in February, but this year the games have been great fun to watch. The rule changes have made for piles of lightning fast skating, great scoring chances, wicked hits, big saves; all the reasons why hockey is so awesome. I had a seven hour orgy of hockey watching in my hotel room last night. Saw every play from the drop of the puck in the Ottawa game to the final goal in overtime in the Oiler’s big win.

Two nights ago, in Atlanta we ran to the bus following our sets to watch Bonavista’s own Michael Ryder score the overtime winner to put the Habs up by two games over the Carolina Hurricanes. Joy. Oh Joy. Myself and MacFarlane actually wept. It’s been quite an amazing few days.

Oh yeah, the gigs were good too.

Alan

April 28, 2006
On the bus

Not off to a great start so far. When the bus came to a halt, I assumed we were parked near the gig in DC. I got dressed and came to the front of the bus to find nine dejected faces staring out across an asphalt ocean. There was no Nations Capital outside the window. Only tow trucks and semi’s met our sad gazes. We blew a tire this morning which caused a two hour delay and a trip to a repair yard. No chance for a stroll around the Whitehouse today. Bush will have to come to me I suppose.

We opened for Robert Earl Keen last night. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. My brother Bern saw him a few months back in a songwriters circle with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clarke. I would have loved to have joined him. Robert is a songwriter’s songwriter. He seems completely unafraid to write about the tiniest or most sweeping topic. Very brave. We only got to hear a couple of tunes though, as we had to roll to DC.

Right now, we are stuck in traffic just outside Washington. Looks like we’ll be late for the 1pm load in. The crew guys are restless; the tour manager looks nervous; the band look just plain bored.

Yeha. Just pulled off the highway. The Lincoln monument appears out the passenger side window. There are Stately government buildings on the left, and a statue of Jose Somebody. Washington monument on the right, now, with the Whitehouse on the left.

No doubt about it, I am in the USA.

Big gig tonight. Rock on.

Alan

Oops, spoke too soon. Just got stopped by the cops. In the new security addicted world, it appears you are not allowed to tow a trailer in front of the Whitehouse. I hope we are not about to be searched in a most personal way. Our big blue and green bus, decorated with Newfoundland Tourism pictures of whales and icebergs is apparently a potential threat to National safety. I am the face of evil.

May 5th, 2006
AC Flight 690
Toronto-St. John’s

Habs lost a heart breaker in the extra period and were eliminated on Tuesday night. Other than the moment of disappointment for the GBS cast and crew who were rooting for the home team, when the Carolina's fluky OT goal banked in off the cross bar, we had a grand day and night out in Montreal. Before and after the game we went to Hurley’s for pints and predictions and post game analysis. Our old friend Liam was singing there. I have not seen him in quite some time and he still has the chops. I was yanked away and never got to say Hello, so I’ll do so here. Cheers Liam. Well sung as always.

Spoke to Chuck from Simple Plan for a while and he and the lads are getting ready to do their next CD with rock legend Bob Rock. Jaye, our light guy and Tony, our old tour manager work with Simple Plan and as Montreal is their home base, we all hooked up after the game to wallow. I met a couple Chuck’s band mates at the Junos. They seem like the finest kind of guys; all eager to make a career, not a weekend, playing music. Bonne Chance, lads.

Last three gigs went off without a hitch really. Great crowds in the halls and raving reviews from the press. Can’t do much better than that.

We all raised a jar after the last show on Friday night and had a little review of the tour. It turns out, that the run across North America since January has been our most successful tour to date.

Several quick facts

•highest percentage of attendance for GBS, over 95%.
•most sell-outs ever for GBS
•most tickets ever sold in one tour in the US for GBS

This would be an amazing result and these would be impressive numbers from a young hot band with a breaking single on Pop Radio. GBS is over 13 years old and we were touring a Traditional CD with no singles and no radio play in either country.

All I can say is, Thank You.

The tour is over and I'm off the road, but I'm not ready to stop writing here. I've been enjoying the release this forum gives me. I would like to change the title of this forum, as I'd like to write in it whenever I get the urge. Hope that's OK.

Stay tuned.

Cheers
Alan

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All of these entries can be found, with a bit of effort, "Behind The Maps" on the official GBS site here: The Hard And The Easy Tour Map/Journal Entries