Thar's a Tour a comin'! Take Cover!

Yes there is. Yarrrrr!
Pirate's anyone?
No?
Fine.

Wednesday starts a tour for Julien  Michaud and I in Barrie Ontario. Kenznigton has just put in a new Stage. Looking forward to testing it out.
We've been practicing some covers and going over each others originals.
Looks like it's going to be a good time I'll be doing some percussion withe tambourine shaker and and suitcase for a few of Julien's tracks.

Julien in the Richmond Switch Jam Space

-I was just on the phone with Julien and google mapped Ottawa to Miramichi, NB
Good God it's 11 hours!

Friday's alcohol intake must be regulated. Back to the blog-

A few weeks ago I discovered a band called The Famines. www.thefamines.ca 

and they are helping out DIY (Do It Yourself) bands. I fall under this banner, now don't I.

THey have made a pamphlet with a whole bunch of do's and don'ts to booking a tour and touring in general. I was curious so I ordered a copy. It was only 1.50 so it's not really a money maker for them just a helpful little thing. It's a quick infromative read. I've done most of what they said already from both common sense and doing the wrong thing first, realizing it was wrong and correcting for the future. 

I recomend anyone doing there own touring to get one and if nothing else be reminded on Tour etiquette.

The Mighty Pamphlet from The Famines. Thanks fellas!

I've discovered I am quite disapointed with the beer in Barrie. A few spots I know has a pint I'm into ( A Killkenny Smithwick's or a Kraft Brewery beer) I just can't drink Coors or Budweiser anymore. Not that I really did. but I went to the LCBO (that's the Liquor store in Ontario governed by, well, our government. and discovered these.

Yup Newcastle Brown and Spitfire. 

These little friends of mine followed me back from the UK. Not the same as getting it out of the cask mind you but it's doing the trick.

I've decided that my suitcase will be an ever changing canvas for art. 

For every tour I want it repainted by me or someone else. and Even if there are fans or friends who want to repaint it mid tour ( as long as there is sufficient drying time) I am all for it. 

Here is the first incarnation painted by me mr. Eyeswide himself.

Now that I look at it. It looks like a jellyfish and sperm.

Odd.

I'm listening to The New Pornographers right now. nothing to do with the mention of sperm. 

It's the name of the band A popular Canadian Indie band. 

I've been getting into making some different art pieces for T-Shirts or Stickers or something. I don't know yet but here's one of them. What do you think, miscellaneous readers? Yah or ney?

I've given my live recordings from London a good listen and I will be eventually making that into a CD. 

I thinking of either get it pressed proper or burn them to CD's myself and have different artists paint or draw on them making each unique. I really like that idea. but I also want a good quality sounding CD. that the Pressing company can provide. Again what say you in the world? Unique art CD's or Quality pressed?

Mayhap I can think of a way to do both....

So last blog before the tour. 

Wish me luck of good performances and many sales!

Cheers!

-Neil

One last thing I've been updating the Website www.eyeswide.ca still having trouble with audio. The trouble being there is no audio. But check it out for me. Pretty Please?

  

Flip flop. Rhymes with Hip hop.

It's true. It does.
I flip flop.
Fret about paying off my credit card in time.
Or don't worry about bad credit and they get it when they get it.
It's like a daily thing with me back and forth.
Didn't help that when I was in the UK I racked up a $500 dollar phone bill.
I'm a sucker for convenience and not looking for  cheaper way... for example spending $20 and 5 min to buy a phone card.
I've got to do a photo shoot  for an artist  because the girlfriend is sick. I'm the fill in guy.
So I will beer up before I head off.
I don't have much to say today i just figure I should write something to not have a once a month post.

Blog Phlog Mlog

I just took my dog to the vet, he is now doped up.

Coming home from work I let the dogs out. When Trail came in his nail was crooked and bleeding. Off to the vet we go.
The Doctor gave him as hot to lessen the pain and then takes some scissors and cuts it off and then cauterized the end. I'm pretty sure the shot had no effect on my dog. I had to hold him while the doc did that. but an hour later at home he is loopy and  sleepy. Ah well.

So let's get rid of the UK tour. I have not read what I wrote last but I think it was the very end. I was to go to Belfast and hang out in Northern Ireland, another place I've never been. but when I showed up for my flight I had booked it the day before. They would not give me a discount or let me on the flight. I didn't have money to buy another ticket so I was stuck in London. not really stuck because I had a place to stay. But I was upset for about 10 min. A nice blend of angry and sad. So last 4 days I hung out in London had some more pints hung out with my friend Pete and that was that. I must say I was disappointed in not getting a Guinness in Ireland. and of course upon return my guitar did not arrive. Everytime I travel Air Canada with my guitar, it goes missing, I guess air personnel like my shit.

Fast Forward!
Back in Canada
Threw a CD release party with Future History, www.myspace.com/futurehistorymusic , my closing act. I wanted a full band to close the show since, although I did have another guitarist and a keyboardist out for some songs, I was mainly acoustic. I like ending a show with a full rock band! But alas, everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. It was still a fun night, with great music, but...
We started well over an hour late, i noticed posters were not in the windows, people refused to pay cover, the manager was not there to pay us.
So what happens was me getting all night "When does the music start?", followed by people leaving early because nothing started yet, and when people refused to pay, we need them in there to make up for people who had to leave, followed by me having to pay the sound guy and the other acts. Also it was a snow day in Barrie  so the streets were horrible.
Not a well oiled machine, plus good ol' bad luck.
But we made it through and the people that lasted to the end of Future History's set had a great time.

Future History

Sometimes you drop it low

Me and the boys.

Correct grammar version: The boys and I.

The Next night I played after a Fashion show for IMAGO http://www.myspace.com/imagozine It was interesting.
There were models coming out lookin' nice.
then a couple of little girls (5 years old?) walk out and it's all cute.
then they walk off, and a girl comes out with a glasss dildo.
huh, I think.
Just a straight transition from kids to didldo's.
then kids come out again, Awwww, cute.
next up a guy with a butt plug.
Hey-O!
Followed by a girl with her tits sneaking out of the scarf she had wrapped around.
That was a mixed bag if there ever was one.

some models.

Kickin' it

Still kickin' it.

After that was up north!

Thunder Bay, ON to be exact, a show opening for Wax Philosophic www.waxontheweb.ca 

I burned some CD's 

Here is what I say about my music selection

Mumford and Sons and Dan Mangan really good stuff

P Diddy- He is a guest star on his own CD, plus not a very good guest star. It did have 2 or 3 songs that had good beats.

Kanye West- The new CD is really good. As much as I thought I wouldn't like it (mainly because I think he is a dick, but I realize that that has no impact on him being a great artist and producer) so check it out.

THe Black Keys have made a great driving record, Brothers is fantastic.

Smashing Pumpkins-Hve not listened to that double disc in a long time. some great songs but two discs was too much pumpkin, could have easily been paired down to one disc. 

Louis Armstrong-Idon't know what it is but I'm on a big Sachmo fix, especially the slow ones. He does a cover of Baby it's cold out side that's pretty cool but I have only heard it on Youtube.

T Bay was ok I hit my favourite eatery's and hiked with the dog visited the family and what not.

Very low key.

but here's some show pics.

Derek and Jarret of Wax Philosophic

Right now nursing the dog and doing finishing touches on Feb tour. to the East Coast of Canada. Opening for The Junction www.thejunction.ca in Fredericton!

Packing up the last of the discs that are going to College radio stations in Canada.

Fun stuff!

If you listen to college radio in Canada request Eyeswide. Although the only provinces that have it at this moment (Feb 7) are Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI, the others will be out in a few weeks.

Here's the tour poster.

I keep coming up with little thoughts for these blogs but I tend to forget them minutes later. I may try shorter blogs in the future. 

I still hate the word blog

-Neil