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

UK Journey Continued.

I went out last night for a Movember Finale party last night.
I do not feel top form today.
So seems like a good time for the sordid tale of my UK excursion.

Let's see... left off with travel partner.
basically just wandered London, saw the inspection of the guards, (pretty boring), went to the Canadian bar called the Maple Leaf. They had hockey stuff on the wall and served Sleeman and Moosehead. (nothing to crazy) and I kareokeed while drunk. An asian fellow shook my hand mid song. So I must have been alright.

Then to Edinburgh. I took a train for 120 pounds. I found out I could have flown for way less than that. Lesson learned.
Edinburgh is very hilly. Ups and downs carrying a giant backpack and guitar is not recommended for this city. But it's beautiful. old buildings, a castle right outside the hostel window. Fantastic jacket potatoes.

I have found that Scottish girls really like curse words. Fuck, cunt and twat seemed to be the preferred terms. usually blended together in the same sentence. "You tell that cunt fuckin' twat that I don't want to talk to her!"
I have not stayed in a hostel in a while. i forgot about a few things.
Sex. People having sex across from you, as quiet as they try to be, you hear it all.
Germans. I love Germans, good looking, kind, fun. But they are horrible hostel goers. They come in from the Disco and either talk very loud, turn on the lights, or both, when everyone else is sleeping. Oh the Germans....
Co-ed toilets. I'm just not a fan of going in to the same room and having a shower while a strange girl is trying not to fart to loud.
I played at the Wee Red Bar an on campus bar, pretty cool place. Green Day and the Proclaimers have graced the stage. as well as Eyeswide!
The show was ok but all of the acts were touring acts so we didn't really have a draw. But some people did come out, and I had some good conversations.

Off to Bristol again by train. I joined up to Couchsurfers.com and found a place to crash. A nice little place in yet another hilly city up and down. Despite my trusty map. I kept getting lost. I saw a fair bit of Banksy art and perhaps some copies of Banksy.
Let us look at some street art.

This one was in a museum.


I played at Mr. Wolf's here and the crowd was decent but since I was unknown did not get too much attention, or maybe I just didn't play well...




From Bristol to Liverpool. I'm just cutting right through these cities.
I went straight to from the station to the Cavern Quarter, to.....

Yes The Cavern, where the Beatles kicked it off. I went down for a drink and ended up on stage playing my version of Come together.
It's kind of tourist but it still has a vibe in there.

On stage at the Cavern!














So again I am going to leave this tale of excitement for later. part 3 will conclude the journey.
Where i will tell of how I wanted to cry in the airport.

but as for some current news.

Eyeswide is a feature artist on www.sonicbids.com I am gracing the main page!
Sonic Box Radio has featured a 30 min segment on Eyeswide.
That can be found at www.canadianartistrecords.ca
Let's go nurse this hangover shall we?
-Neil

I was warned. A tale of woe.

It's not really a tale of Woe.
I used that for dramatic effects.
It worked, didn't it?
I was warned that if I didn't tour the UK right I would lose my shirt.
Well jokes on you sir, I kept my shirt. I just came back with no money.
Ha, ha...oh.
Well I tend to jump right in to things whether they are going to go smoothly or not and going the UK was something I wanted to do for a few years. So I was quite willing to travel on this bumpy road.
If you've ver been to the UK, you've probably been been hit with that sad feeling when you go to the bank to exchange your hard earned Canadian dollars (or whatever currency you use) into the British pound. It's like some one stealing your toys as a kid.
I went with $1000 dollars I ended up with 575 pounds.
I know it's a different currency and you can get drinks for 2-3 pounds meals for 4 pounds etc.... but I didn't know that when I got the exchange done. All I notice is that 500 is half of 1000 and it saddens my heart.
By the way my attention span for writing today is low this may take 2 or three parts to write about.
Hey, I've got other things to do!
Another thing I tend not to think about. how much my luggage weighs.
I brought a large backpack and my guitar. the pack had all my clothes and merch in it. Jammed as full as I could get it. It was quite heavy. A little too heavy according to the older gentleman at Thomas Cook airline. about $100 to heavy. I was 5 kg over and it's $20 for each kg over.
The only bright side to that was that they said I could upgrade to first class for the same amount and that 1st class allows the extra baggage weight. So I got my first time in the front of the plane, Rosa Parks would be proud!
That's a horrible joke.
I show up to a pillow blanket water, free booze, and a decent meal. the chairs were more comfy but didn't seem to stretch out anymore than the coach seats. Maybe I was only in mediocre first class.

I arrive in London at 645am, and have to wait until my friends get off work at 7pm until I can get to their place and relax. So I got to wander London exhausted from little sleep on the plane (I just can't sleep sitting up) I saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the guards with the q-tip hats, but I didn't really care so much as I was dead on my feet.

 Luckily my friend got of at 3 instead of 7 and I was able to get a nap and shower.
my friends live in Brixton, it's very cultural there I liked it a lot. It hosts Electric Ave. The one from that Eddie Grant Song. Loads of Jamaicans. My friends likened it to the Harlem of London. I learned later that I was ignorant to the constant attempts at drug sales, the clicking noises people make are the signal for narcotic purchases.

I had a show that night I was recording 5 songs at The Abbey. The Abbey is a cool venue, I ended up going there twice, with really good musicians.
I'll be posting a song or two at www.eyeswide.ca in the near future.....
Met a fellow Canadian who just arrived a few days earlier so a got a touring partner for the next day.
HOw about that horrible cliffhanger? I really have to get to some other things right now hopefully it will not take me a month to get to it. Scotland, the oddities of Liverpool, my failure to book plane tickets......

Travelling Ontario

Good day!

How are you?

Ah, that's great.

What have I been up to?

Well let see...

I'm on a two day break from the Ontario Tour I'm on with Bob Charters. 

We've played Barrie, Brantford, Ottawa, and Bracebridge. If only Ottawa started with a B.

THe tour was to have 3 acts but we the third act dropped out last minute so Bob and I just altered the show a bit. 

We each play a set of our originals then the third we jam together and play some covers. 

Usually by the end everyone is drunk and just want to her stuff they know anyways.

Barrie was a good turn out.

Brantford was nothing crazy plus some guy tried to get me to take my shirt off. 

No Gord, No. just buy my CD. Which he did.

Gord stopped me on the way to the bar.

He gave me compliments on my music which I thanked him for.

Then he talked about my physique. 

"you must work out." says Gord touching my arm. 

"A bit." I respond

I think this guy I can get to buy a CD. 

after the last set I come by with CD's and he is willing to buy one. He asks me about the T-shirts.

"Any of them make me look like you?"

"Sure!" I said, "What size are you Large or Medium?"

Gord is somewhere around 45, kinda old lookin 45, too.

But Gord says "Really I'd rather see you with your shirt off."

"Sorry Gord shirts stay on."

"But you can buy this one and take it on and off your self."

Gord didn't buy a shirt that day. 

And Sure the thought did cross my mind, If I take off my shirt for a second, he's going to buy a shirt. 

But I stand on the moral high ground of staying clothed while making (or not making) sales.

Ottawa was pretty dead. 3 floors to this bar, and they put us on the one that did not have a bar, thus had no people. 

Great move.

Bracebridge was packed... but paid us the least. 

This tour is very educational. I'm learning what to do and not to do, by doing the exact opposite. But I am learning.

Posters if you want to have your poster up in a bar. DO NOT email it to them. They will not print it off. Mail an actual copy to the bar or bring your own and put it up your self. 

Also some places won't post your show on there websites (facebook, myspace etc) you've got to do it your self. 

I thought the bars would help out at their end to promote the show. Turns out, many do not.

When we showed up to Brantford, there was no poster plus they had some other band written on the chalkboard instead of  An evening With Lovers & Thieves Tour. Ah Well.

Also Being unknown people do not come to your merch area, no matter how much you talk about it during the sets.

It's almost like the one part of the bar people won't come around to.

So the best thing to do is grab some CD's and walk up to the groups of people and ask. 

Sure I get those uncomfortable looks and excuses "Uh I don't know if I can afford it."

I understand no one really wants to buy CD's. But if I can guilt them into it, I've done a good job.

I've also learned that I need to demand more money. Many bars when booking this tour, either agreed to my price which was probably cheaper than what they usually charge, or came back at me with a lower price, because they don't pay much at all. Which I accepted because I just think of the experience more than the money for the moment. But I can definitely say that next tour I will not be pushing for more be it  a larger bar tab, more cash, or a place to stay.

Finding a place to stay is hard when you do not want to pay for a hotel. 

We are relying on friends or people to take us in, which hasn't been lucky for us. at our Ottawa gig we had very few people come through the bar and no chance of some one letting us crash so we hopped in the car and drove towards the next city we made it about an hour and pulled over on a side road and tried to sleep.

The seats would not go back so we sat upright twisting back and forth getting colder and colder. 

Not the best experience.

We've got two more shows left one in Ottawa again at The Rainbow and in Collingwood at The Huron Club.

Shortly after that I will fly over to the UK and play some shows and travel around. 

Again I'm not going to be getting much compensation from the venues, some drink something to eat. I'm relying on finding generous people with couches and selling CD's and T-shirts to be able to survive my 2 and a half weeks. 

I've got a little bit of wiggle room on a credit card so worst comes to worst I'll get some room in Bristol or Edinburgh.

 

When I get back It's going to be day time work mode. I'll have to supply teach as much as I can to start paying off bills. What a horrible thought. Horrible indeed. But at least I have a Art Gallery showing in November. With Luck I will make some sales from my artwork. 

here's a little sample of some art in the gallery.

Now I've got to find someone who will let me eat their Thanksgiving dinner with them. 

Wish Me Luck!

-Neil

Hey I was unemployed!

...and I didn't know it.
turns out when I resigned from my 0.2 the school board took me off the supply list.
I had to call and see why I have not ben getting calls. Turns out it was because I didn't work for them anymore.
Neat.
I did get reinstated wasn't to hard but being a little skint and realizing I could have been working is a little frustrating.

Other than that

I received my CD's did I mention that last time? I can't remember and refuse to look at the previous post.

Anyway, I've got a problem with the company. They did not put on the bar codes. They also refuse to reprint them. It's an ongoing process.
Ooooh a cliffhanger! What will be the result?

I've been playing Friday through Monday.
In Toronto With The band Kangaroo Box Thief First time in a month It was a good show

Then had a cool gig in a Brewery in Barrie where  we played in the brewery amongst the equipment.

And An Evening With Lovers & Thieves Tour Kick off with Bob Charters at At The Five It was a really good turn out for a late night Monday gig. It was even better than some weekend gigs I've played.

It was a fun time and people were in a buying mood!

Honestly I'm trying to watch The Office Season 6 right now, so I am distracted.
And my writing is not so entertaining I will end this so I can focus on the television show.
At Least you have some pics with this one!
blah blah blah
-Neil