Some Choice Photos From the Benefit

Wanted to add, the shirt I'm wearing, all but concealed by my hair, is an old 'Awake By Sunday' shirt that Donnie sent me when I lived in Vancouver. He had got a hold of me after years of not being in touch, as I hadn't probably seen him since we had played some shows together, with his band back then and Dreamkick. But he was in this "wicked new band called 'Awake By Sunday'" and he was telling them all about them and then asked for my address and sent me out a shirt. I've always been wearing it through the years and got to see them play when I was back for a visit. Galbraith and I saw them at Mama's Pub on the city's North side. But yeah, it's been one of my favorite shirts, mostly because I really love the band name.

Chris Galbraith, he's the man. I'm telling ya, since Dreamkick into the Wasteland Zombies, Chris was always like a 5th or 6th member (depending on how many were in the band) has always been there as support, as help, as roadie, as 'tour' manager, babysitter, Photographer, videographer, director and most of all a valued friend.
Chris and I, we've seen some things... Chris, Peter and I, we've seen some more things!

So it was actually really special that Chris was at the benefit because he introduced for the first time, his son to the World of live Rock music! It was pretty cool that he got to see us, sounded like he liked it, but from what Chris says, it seems he's more into DJing club mixes than Rock right now. And ain't nothing wrong with that, I feel if children are exposed to all kinds of music and books, it can't possibly harm them (Just please, don't let your kids watch music videos... Some of them are really nasty).

Anyhow! Chris got some great shots of all the bands (though I only have ours), but we'll start out here..

 Jaime Rockin' out with the Marshall's

 Jake as always, shattering ribcages!

 Hate those instrument mics...

 Standard look on my face on stage

 Ray probably waiting for me to shut my mouth

 Good thing I can become a human tripod

 Otherwise I wouildn't be doing this..

 And then a violent wind came up upon the stage!

 Was like walking in a hurricane!

 Jake hammering his bass whilst Jamie shreds

 Said it before, but it was great to have Ray join us...

 Ray soloin'

 After show interview...

 LOL, we're all kinda lookin at Glen like, "What's he talking about??"

Good 'ol Glenny always with the faces!

All pix by Chris Galbraith

Thanks bud! You always do an awesome job!

A Resounding Success

Heyyyyy looks like someone got it into their thick skull to sleep some place where it's dark over cramming their face into the corner of something....

[Another update]: Global news coverage: https://globalnews.ca/news/4546183/fredericton-shooting-rock-marathon/amp/


[Update - Nancy just sent me this C.tv link: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1513977 ] - Albeit Peter did only two songs, the rocked the place hard and he said some great words


I'll probably be adding onto this entry as I begin to recall things I wanted to say about last night.
I have to say that nearly everyone you talked to spoke of some story, time, moment they had with Donnie. I know people say it of just everyone of their friends, but Donnie really was a great guy.

Oh and they had multiple camera's there last night and captured the audio on the board and by the sounds of it they are going to be editing it into a DVD and I'm not sure, maybe the bands can choose their 'best' tracks and put them out as single to send more money to Donnie's son's trust accounts.

Well what a day and night. I don't even know where to start.

We had a great set, was awesome to have Ray join us on stage. The event was amazing, every single band was tight and sounded perfect. Seriously, I was there for just about every band, I think I only missed two bands..... I always, always feel bad for having to bow out early, but I had been there from the start of the show and although I told myself not to let loose in our set because I'd pay for it... I can't help it. I can't... It's impossible to be on stage and not let it take possession of your soul... Maybe for others, but not for me. Music moves me.... Even genres I dislike....

A couple of years ago I remember driving with Ciaron and Grant from Neighbourhood Watch and Ciaron's a big Reggae fan and that's one genre of music I thoroughly dislike, Ska and Reggae I have no use for, but as we're driving along I couldn't help but be moving to the beat, either by taping my feet or keeping time with my hands, I cursed Ciaron for it lol... Music movies me, it always has and always will.

Again our set was really really good, I even sounded better than I thought I would... The stage sound was excellent. The guys did amazing, Ray had a great time. Here's some photo's courtesy of our bassist's wife, Kate Taylor:

We didn't have the biggest of crowds, but that was kinda part of my strategy. I wanted to play early because I didn't know how long I'd last through the day and I had wanted to be there for my cousin Todd Obe's band and also to see my good friend Scott Wild's band 'Brass Knuckle Heads play. We had a great little crowd and Donnie's ex wife Melissa and the boys were in the audience. So that was an honor to play for them.

Now, the rest of the day and evening.... Unbelievable the people who showed up. People I had not seen in over 25 years. Everyone was blown away by who came out of the woodwork to come and be part of a celebration of Donnie's life in music.
It did occur to me and I'm so glad it did, all the members of Dreamkick, except Mike Dunn were there.
Pat who's usually always playing actually wasn't playing in a band last night, but Peter Gillies did a two song set and Doug Gibbon's band 'The South Bound Sinners' played.... So I said to Nancy, 'We've GOT to get a picture of the Dreamkick guys together, it's rare we're actually all in the same place... So I managed to round everyone up and we went out back of the club for a couple of shots, which turned into a photo shoot with around 5-6  capturing the moment. I have to admit there was a couple of moments where I almost broke down, to see all of my friends together like this was absolutely moving. As it was mentioned several times that evening, it's sad that it takes something like this tragedy to bring us all out together and we should do it more often than when someone passes on.
Here's a couple of photo's courtesy of Nancy Brown, I'm sure some more will surface.

Even freakin Bradley Palmer showed up! And again, every band was absolutely giving it. The stage gear was top notch and everyone played it like they owned it. 

Talking to Larry Hall, one of the benefits organizers, they just about made their goal of ten grand. There were no incidents, no egos, no primadonnas, but excellent musicianship abound.

Once I get some more photo's I'll post 'em up.

There were some interesting moments. While outside talking with Peter Gillies (bassist for Dreamkick), a guy was talking to us about the Dreamkick years... It's flattering, it's humbling when someone is telling you that Dreamkick was the best Rock'n'Roll/Metal band the area had scene. But this guy had a question for us and he kinda said it like it was a secret, like not many people knew and he asked Peter and I, "Were you guys signed?", at first I wasn't too sure what he had asked and said, 'What's that?' and he said again, "Were you guys signed... to a label?" and Peter and I looked at each other, 'Nope we both said,'... Never heard that rumor about us before, heard all kinds of other's lol...

There were a lot of the old Dreamkick crowd there and a lot of Wasteland Zombies fans too, a lot of them sad they missed us play, but not everyone of course could get there for our set at 5PM.

Both Dreamkick and WZ friend Chris Galbraith was there with his son and it was his son's first live 'Rock show. I'm not sure how old he is... 10ish? But he had a blast, Chris is almost always around for these kinds of events and is a great photographer. So he'll have some pictures coming sooner or later as well.

Another interesting conversation was with Daniel Monteith. I love the Monteith guys. truly great musicians, they have a refreshing and voracious drive for music. I've tried any chance I could to help them and to spread word about their band.

Daniel was saying, "Chris, you know, sometimes my Brother and I sit and talk, debate stuff and you actually come up quite a lot, I guess it's the integrity you have, you know, we feel like there should be the 'Chris Waddell award'" lol... Daniel's awesome and it was great to see him. I had not seen so many of the the local musicians because I'd not been part of the scene for a good year.

I wish I had had that integrity back in the day, I'm sure I had the drive, I'm sure I had the ego, but integrity is something that comes with experience and we had some great experiences, but it takes time. I feel bad these days because I can't do more for the scene... But in some ways it seems that this scene peaked maybe a year or so ago and is now heading into or in a lull and it'll come back, it just goes in cycles. I think this last cycle made great strides in lashing out as far as it could. Showing people that there's real fucking talent in this province and city. Tim Rayne's 'The Capital Project', Jay Chetwyns 'Maritime Metal 'fest' has allowed local bands to reach out into scenes they may never have thought of or thought they could get to.

But anyhow, back to the Rock For Donnie benefit. I'm so glad we were able to be part of it. It was a moment, a moment in time and one of history for our scene that I think people will be talking about for a long time.

Again, we're truly thankful to have been part of it.

Got The Pre Show 'Heebees'

Not 'Heebeejeebees', because I'm not nervous, I'm excited. Although I do end up taking what I call 'The nervous shit'..also know by me as, 'The pre-show shit'... Too much info? If yer a musician, you know what I'm talking about! Or maybe you've had to speak in front of a ton of people. Stomach goes to knots, maybe a day, maybe an hour or two before you have to be onstage.

And I love this, this is what I always have wanted to do is be on stage, maybe wish I had my pre-arthritis body, to really be able to put on a show but I'll work with what I got. It's all painful, standing still, banging my head, moving to the music, but this is totally worth it and this show in particular. It's sad we  have to do this for our friend, but more than ever he needs our help and we're going to give it to him, in spades. 12 hours of it. I really hope you, the reader, obviously if you're in  the Fredericton area, should come help, Rock out and be among the best of friends.

And we got, what I think is a great surprise for long time friends and 'fans' of the band. I'm really, looking forward to this. Can you tell?

No pix, but just spent some time with 'Buddy', seeing as we were so rudely interrupted by that damn tree rat! Fucking tree rats!
It's amazing when you pet them, they feel so delicate, like they are made of nothing, but that's probably why the can move so quickly and when you watch them, they sometimes move in spurts, like abrupt starts and stops, almost looks like they are teleporting (Oh come on! The 'spell checker' isn't recognizing 'teleporting' as a word...)
Anyhow, it's good to see my most tame (and I think appreciative) 'munk is back.

He looks like a cross between a baby chick and a chipmunk....

This is a great love story and it's not often I talk about maternity photo's!... 

This guy wanted to get a beautiful Fall live, pumpkin patch shoot with his beloved and his soon to be born child....

Ahhhh that's just truly truly awesome.

This Nanaimo couple, well the gentleman Todd wanted to pay homage to Ridely Scott's 'Alien', obviously the most famous scene in the movie. That's a great sense of humor there. 

Next blog will be post show! (Oh rumor has it they may be making a 'DVD' of this show).

Have a great Friday night peeps.

And just the reminder, benefit starts at 2 with Mad Mary (my cousin Todd Aube plays bass and they are fantastic!). We play at 6 and LOADS of great bands before and after us, some one time and first reunions there!

Oh jkeez, this happened last night... Again with burrying the face... Just go some place dark in the house!

What An Ugly Day Out! Oh yeah! [Updated]

Look at this cat! Why the heck wouldn't she just get under my blankets away from the light, instead of cramming her face into the corner of the chair to keep it out??.... Cats are such strange ones

As I say, 'I thought I was ugly until I stepped outside'!

Rained from last night and has barely stopped. Temperatures been no higher than +10.

But compared to what happened down south where the hurricane hit... Man, talk about decimation, that hurricane tore that coast up! Places flattened...
And this, this is the most ridiculous thing, I was watching coverage of the hurricane and one of the anchors commented that most of the areas along the coast had been wiped out by a major hurricane back in the '30's and I think maybe it was the 50's. And since that time the places population and housing had swelled like 70%..... So....

This place, along the coasts had been "wiped out"... Yet people still chose to inhabit those coastal areas... Should there be some laws to stop this from happening? I mean, either way hurricanes are gonna happen. What did these people think, "Well, those hurricanes happened decades ago, there haven't been any real major ones, so I guess it's safe to be here!"..... But I guess it's somewhat the same as earthquakes and coastlines. Since the dawn of civilization people have lived along coasts and waterways because it has food and water, but, these areas flood, tsunami's happen.... What can ya do eh?

Saturdays the big day! Pretty excited about it. Kinda wish we coulda got in a practice this week but Jake works nights so it was out of the question... We'll do fine, I just don't mind getting in a rehearsal a couple days before a show. I don't know about the guys, but a week before we play, I kinda live and breath our music. When I get up and get ready, shower, I'm listening to our songs, using a playlist that's in order of our setlist. At night when I'm getting ready for bed, same thing, listening to the songs... When I go for a walk, listening to our stuff... Glen, our drummer says, "If we don't know the songs by now...".... But for me it's not about knowing them, it's about being confident, KNOWING with every fibre that you know the songs inside and out, forward and backwards. In Dreamkick we practiced the songs until we were blue in the face. No matter how well we knew them, we'd practice them faster than we play live and slower, we'd try anything to get the music into our souls.

It's gonna be cold Saturday, but at least it's supposed to be nice out. Hoping a lot of people make it out for the show. I know Donnie's gonna be proud and I hope his kid's will too.

'Buddy' Is BACK!!

So, yeah, much to my dismay, Buddy the chipmunk has been MIA for many days now. The 'other' chipmunks ain't no 'Buddy'.... Monday I was sitting at the picnic table and was waiting for the chipmunks to come and get sunflower seeds and one came at me so quick, all I saw was this thing dart up my leg, which startled me, it zipped across my lap, onto the table and took off, because it gave me such a start!
None of them would really let me pet them like Buddy and even Buddy's 'brother', would sometimes be quite skittish around me.

Today I did not see one chipmunk, not a sign of them. Around 5 pm I went out to my 'Shack Out Back' for a puff and shelter from the rain. I was standing there and looked out and saw a chipmunk sitting on the back of one of the chairs for the sun table. I wondered, 'Is this Buddy?'... I called to it and put down some sunflower seeds at my feet in the shack... After a few moments the chipmunk came over and seemed quite comfortable with me... I wondered again... Then this chipmunk, having filled it's cheeks with seeds, took off.... Now, all the 'other' chipmunks went either under the garage or they quickly went under the fence and have homes on the bank behind the house... This one actually went straight out to where Buddy had his dens in my backyard... Except, it went down a different... new hole I had not seen or known of.... Could this be Buddy???

I waited... then up came the chipmunk from the hole and it went back up onto the back of the lawn chairs.... What this chipmunk did next, I knew without a doubt that it was Buddy!

So happy to see Buddy's alive and well! Hopefully see him again soon before they settle down for Winter sleepies.

My apologies about the profanities.... Hate those damn tree rats!

Sweet Emotion

It's not too often that I run across a song by one of my favorite bands that I've never heard before...

Well such an instance happened not too very long ago when I was filling my Faith No More collection and found this song, 'Sweet Emotion'.... I thought to myself, 'What the?? FNM did a cover of Aerosmith's 'Sweet Emotion'... but as the song began to play I noted two things: 1. It was certainly not, Aerosmoth's version 2. I knew this song... But the lyrics were totally different than what I knew them as.. How could this be???

This song, 'Sweet Emotion' had been recorded around the time that the 'Real Thing' (the bands 'bust out' album) was being recorded, it would later have it's lyrics totally overhauled and renamed as 'The Perfect Crime', which appeared on the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack.... 

I love the 'Sweet Emotion' version as much as I love the 'Perfect Crime'... Patton is just sheer genius. 

'Sweet Emotion'

'The Perfect Crime'

Another favorite 'B-Side' track from FNM, one I found years ago is 'The Cowboy Song'

Man, the Gulf is getting bitch slapped... I have a friend who lives in Lakeland Florida with her family and at least they are safe and sound (they got hit bad last season).... Crazy hurricane! AND, rumor has it, we may get bits and pieces of this hurricane this coming Saturday or Sunday.. Hopefully Sunday, as Saturday is the benefit....

Body's going through the ringer, but I got out to get some provisions so I can rest as much as I can this week... I'm going to try and give it my all on Saturday, after that, who cares what happens to my body.... 

Been watching horror flick after horror flick.. Fearless Vampire Killers, Halloween, 1 & 2, Friday the 13th 1 & 2, Blood for Dracula, Jess Frano's 'Dracula'.... Still got tons of movies left to watch.... This hurricanes been sidetracking me though.. Hard to watch horror flicks when there's real life horror happening...

That's It!

Last practice tonight went great! We're ready as we'll ever be, this is for Donnie so we'll do our very best to rock it as hard as we possibly can!
NEXT Saturday, Oct 13th, 12 bands, 12 hours.
It's gonna be a fantastic day. So many of the area's best musicians coming together. I know we'll make Donnie & Bobbie proud and we'll hopefully raise some greats funds for Donnie's kids.

You can get one of these kick ass 'Rock For Donnie' T's at Long & McQuade on Prospect St.

They are going super fast! So get 'em while ya can! Rumor has it there MAY be more available at the show... But don't wait until then!

We've got a special surprise when we play... I MIGHT be able to keep the secret for the week... We'll see...
Here's the line up and times bands are playing. - ALL AGES from 2-6PM!
2pm Mad Mary
3pm Vinyl Tap
4pm Brass Knucklehead
5pm Wasteland Zombies
6pm Southbound Sinnerz - All Ages Ends at 6PM!
7pm Brother
7:30 Pete Gillies/Ryan Munn
8pm Appetite 4 Destruct
9pm Run for your lives
10pmSheltered
11pm Awake By Sunday
12am Hero’s Last Rite

Here's some pix from tonight's rehearsal.... Yes, even a horrible photo of me...

In other news....

Still no sign of buddy today.. Think he's gone... And his 'brother' freakin bit me today. It wasn't out of defence... I just figure that to chipmunks sometimes our fingers look like big juicy morsels of food... And Buddy had 'bit' me before, but this little fucker CHOMPED onto my finger... Just about broke the skin... So I've dubbed Buddy's brother 'Chompy'... I think they are just a little wound up because they are in full on food hunt mode. They gotta supply up! Winter is coming....