Alan Doyle rocking the MTS Centre, Winnipeg, October 2010
I was thinking of a Trappers photo where I am jammed between the one gambling machine and the schooner in a fish-tank.- Alan Doyle, Twitter January 18th
Alan's Twitter conversation with a few of his longtime musician friends about the performance travails and indignities they all suffered in Days Gone By (circa 1990 or so in this instance - Trapper's was, and is, a somewhat cheesy George Street pub - yes, that's probably redundant - still the kind of place where the tourists go to be screeched-in and the musicians go to be paid little while being listened to less) really got me thinking.
My first thought was of how impressively far Alan's remarkable talents and indefatigable efforts have taken him from that narrow spot between the gambling machine and the schooner, of all the times I have seen him blazing brilliantly in the spotlights on so many significant stages: thrilling tens of thousands (and a Future King, whom Alan brought to his obedient feet) on Paliament Hill for Canada Day, the same numbers again at Halifax's Confederation Games, Ottawa's Bluesfest and Canberra's Australia Day. Molson Amphitheatre, Malkin Bowl, New York's Times Square, Hollywood's House Of Blues. An Olympics Gold Medal Ceremony, a Junos Songwriters Circle, a gala premiere in Cannes, the steps in Rome's Piazza di Spagna.
By Land and by Sea, across continents and upon oceans...a Wide World Outside away from that fish-tank schooner. That was my first thought.
My second thought was of how much I would have loved to see Alan performing back then, even if it meant I had to spend my evenings in Trapper's. No matter that he was jammed into such an inopportune position, offering up his Ozzie Osbourne covers with fingers sore from his having played till they bled - the show he put on then would have been much of what his shows are now: compelling, persuasive, moving, irresistible. It would have been an Alan Doyle Show - somewhat less expert, assured, and well-practised than are his present-day shows, to be sure, and perhaps even more endearing for that difference - but his show nonetheless. It would have been wonderful, incipiently wonderful with the tantalising promise of so much more wonderful to come. He would have made it so.
Alan's desire, his determination, his drive - his need - to cause each and every audience to love him, along with his willingness (his courage) to let that need show were, are, and will always be the heart and soul - the Secret Power, if anything so palpably and beautifully apparent could possibly be called "secret"- of each and all of his performances, whenever those performances happen, with whomever they happen. The sweet, awkward Boy, the dynamic Front Man, the incendiary Rock Star, the unparalleled Solo Artist (with his own unforgettable songs - that's how I first saw him, how I can't wait to see him again on his Solo Tour)...the eminently lovable Man.
Lovable - and gorgeous too.
Awesome and unparalleled, loved yesterday and today. And even more so Tomorrow.
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