Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Lee Rocker Hits Town
If you got the email and didn't go too bad for you! What a great time even for a Sunday.
Lee Rocker is a long time bass player that we all first heard about when the Stray Cats hit the scene. That's not where it started though, if you check this link you will see Carl Perkins using Lee up front for one of his shows back in the day, and also in his back up band were heavy hitters like Dave Edmunds, George Harrison and some dude name Ringo. (They tell me him and that Geo guy are pretty famous.) What I find funny is while Carl Perkins uses Lee Rocker for his "Big Show" bassist, he has his son in the back ground playing an electric standard Precision Bass....why bother?? Maybe it was a make work project for the lad, but then with the hair cut he was sporting for the day I guess he would have needed all the help he could get.
Look for Carl Perkins & Friends, pay no attention to the suspicious looking hair on Carl....that's just natural for a guy who is somewhere between 70 and death...
O.K. I am being smart....sorry
So Lee rocker has been impressing people for some time now, and it turns out they are a great bunch of guys full of wisdom and advice.
Here is a shot of Lee giving Clem some tips on the business. He said "Clem you are going to go far....you can start tonight by heading down the street to the bus depot......." Actually they both have something in common besides chiseled good looks, they both play King Basses.
Here the band is hanging around in the management office. That's our buddy Darren between Lee Rocker and Clem. Notice Clem is the only one drinking.....well it is Sunday after all.
Darren has been promoting bands ever since I have known him and currently runs the "Roxy on Broadway" in Saskatoon. He always treats us great, and we love him for it.
We were really fortunate to meet such a great bunch of guys who put on a super show. Don't miss them if they get any where close to your town! ....
...And what were the rest of us YOBBS doing while Clem was talking business.....
Labels: Clem, Drinking, hot rod hullabaloo, King Bass, king Doublebass, Lee Rocker, Monty P Marshall, Stray Cats, The Roxy on Broadway
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Music Stores....That's where all the want -to- be's go to practise
There was a time years ago when I recall walking into H.E.L music on Broadway hoping that some hot guitar player travelling through town would be hanging out trying out one of the many, and now very collectable guitars hanging on the wall. This way I could catch a glimpse of how he played a cool riff and pick up a pointer or two then run home to practise. There was no You Tube back then so if you wanted a lesson you had to go and pay for it, then hope that the guy teaching you was hip enough to actually show you something of value.
H.E.L. was a place that always hired the pros. They had the staff that knew the scene and could understand what you were after even when you didn't know yourself.
It was simple.......you wanted to be cool like them.
As music styles changed you could hear the trends blasting out of the amps in the middle of the show room floor. Eddy Van Halen had every one talking and swiftly put to death those over played blues style Johnny B Good melodies and so on and so forth until now the young aspiring players can be heard showing off the latest "sweeping" technique (like Zak Wylde).
Still the scourge of the music store, no matter what the era remains the "Want -to- be- cool- too" guy who just has to use the show room of a store as his own personal practise spot. You know the one I mean, and he can always been found cranking out poorly rehearsed licks as loud as he can, rubbing his grimy greasy little sausage fingers on every high end instrument he can reach. He doesn't care which guitar or amp he is using, he only cares that you notice him.
When the Les Paul has a "Do Not Touch" sign on it, he will look for the closest holy mother of metal guitar, usually shaped like some futuristic dragon slaying sword and start jamming something until his fingers bleed. The same guy who NEVER buys anything.
I have come to believe that this is a time honoured tradition pass from generation of looser to the next, all the time looking for that little bit of recognition or acceptance from the musical community. Things have even got to the point where I saw a guy bring his OWN acoustic guitar to L&M Music, sit in the middle of the room to SING AND PLAY A Set.
The one thing that has changed is the demeanor of the staff. The guys today seem to be more tolerant and for the most part ignore the noise or just sneak out for a smoke.
I still fondly recall back in the days of HEL music on particular Saturday when two salesmen stopped the jam head with one taking the guitar out of his grasp while the other threw his lame ass noise making crap right out of the store........those were the good old days.
Remember Mike Myers "Wayne's World" where the music store had the sign "No Stairway"?
The moral of the story is: A music store you would rule if you had a room (a sound proof as possible) where people could go and "test" the stuff out. These guys could start there own community and meet every Saturday in your store showing each other how much they suck......
For those that break the sound room rule I would say "When in doubt, throw them out"
Some times humiliation is the best lesson of all.
H.E.L. was a place that always hired the pros. They had the staff that knew the scene and could understand what you were after even when you didn't know yourself.
It was simple.......you wanted to be cool like them.
As music styles changed you could hear the trends blasting out of the amps in the middle of the show room floor. Eddy Van Halen had every one talking and swiftly put to death those over played blues style Johnny B Good melodies and so on and so forth until now the young aspiring players can be heard showing off the latest "sweeping" technique (like Zak Wylde).
Still the scourge of the music store, no matter what the era remains the "Want -to- be- cool- too" guy who just has to use the show room of a store as his own personal practise spot. You know the one I mean, and he can always been found cranking out poorly rehearsed licks as loud as he can, rubbing his grimy greasy little sausage fingers on every high end instrument he can reach. He doesn't care which guitar or amp he is using, he only cares that you notice him.
When the Les Paul has a "Do Not Touch" sign on it, he will look for the closest holy mother of metal guitar, usually shaped like some futuristic dragon slaying sword and start jamming something until his fingers bleed. The same guy who NEVER buys anything.
I have come to believe that this is a time honoured tradition pass from generation of looser to the next, all the time looking for that little bit of recognition or acceptance from the musical community. Things have even got to the point where I saw a guy bring his OWN acoustic guitar to L&M Music, sit in the middle of the room to SING AND PLAY A Set.
The one thing that has changed is the demeanor of the staff. The guys today seem to be more tolerant and for the most part ignore the noise or just sneak out for a smoke.
I still fondly recall back in the days of HEL music on particular Saturday when two salesmen stopped the jam head with one taking the guitar out of his grasp while the other threw his lame ass noise making crap right out of the store........those were the good old days.
Remember Mike Myers "Wayne's World" where the music store had the sign "No Stairway"?
The moral of the story is: A music store you would rule if you had a room (a sound proof as possible) where people could go and "test" the stuff out. These guys could start there own community and meet every Saturday in your store showing each other how much they suck......
For those that break the sound room rule I would say "When in doubt, throw them out"
Some times humiliation is the best lesson of all.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
No one reads my Blog...
So I have been writing about current events for a while now and the only comment I have ever got was from Scott Boy, that's only cause I slammed his girl friend (Joni Mitchell). I am trying to figure out what I need to do to attract more attention to my blog, I mean comments make for great conversation right?
One of my buddies said I need to post more pics of "BooB" shots.
I don't think this is what he had in mind....
So now I am on a quest for some one to send me a pic that I can post, comment on or maybe just make fun of.
Like this one here of our keyboard playing buddy when we were in Mexico.....He's not red cause of a sun burn.
So I do a search and type in Hot Rod with starteling results;
I didn't realize how close Hot Rod is to Hard Rod, Meat Rod, Hot sex, Hot woman, Hot .....you get it....
Here was a nice little sumary from another guy who doesn't think people read his blog
If no one reads your post, does it exist?
What do most people get out of blogging? After all, most blogs are virtually unread by outsiders...
The act of writing a blog changes people, especially business people. The first thing it does is change posture. Once you realize that no one HAS to read your blog, that you can't MAKE them read your blog, you approach writing with humility and view readers with gratitude. The second thing it does is force you to be clear. If you write something that's confusing or in shorthand, you fail.
Respectful and clear. That's a lot to get out of something that doesn't take much time.
So thanks to some guy named Seth who realizes that no one reads his Blog.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/02/if_no_one_reads.html
(p.s. it turns out this is a guy who has written a number of business / marketing books that are really cool. Check out his site http://www.squidoo.com/seth )
I think I will send him a comment.
Finally Carolyn said today that reading a blog is like snooping through or firends diary. Everyone is always tempted to do it, but if you did you would NEVER say anything about it.
Maybe she is right and that the electronic diary of our generation is still viewd as personal, even though you post it for the world to see.
So when your reading some one's Blog, do you feel a bit like a voyeur peeping into the window of some one elses life? If you do then you are looking for the boob shots right?
Labels: boobs, breast, Clem, head, hot rod hullabaloo, Lou, mexico, Monty P Marshall
Night off in Saskatoon
Couple of shots from a shift at the Yard & Flaggin on Broadway in Saskatoon. We started about 5 PM and stumbled home around 1:00AM
Here is my good friend Greg from "Ricasso" getting a hug from every one's favorite sound man Craig Jarvis, or "Jarv" as we like to call him.
http://www.ricasso.ca/ or http://www.ricassolink.com/design/
Here is Greg (Ricasso) with Eileen Laverty and our drummer friend Geoff Hilderbrand
When 1:00 rolled around we had to determine who was going to pay the tab....
looks like we have a winner!
The old "just getting comfy" excuse to chat up a good looking young gal.
Labels: beer, Eileen Laverty, Monty P Marshall, Ricasso, the Yard
Who Stole the Ash Tray Lamp?
Note the lamp on the leftAny one who has seen us live may have noticed our unique light show. It is no accident that we posses some of the coolest vintage lights from some of the better basements of Western Canada. Some of these gems we have found stopping at garage sales along the way to a gig, others just came from friends or foes or the landlady from the last tenants. Some Clem has found at the dump while looking for building material for his trailer.
But occasionally we carry a treasure that has deep sentimental value, or a sortied story.
The Ash Tray Lamp is one of those.
As legend goes, a young Lou Fontaine came across a Grand Master circus announcer one day while looking for empties along the side of the road. This fellow looked kinda creepy, and had a smell of smoked meat and day old liquor. He introduced himself as Ebru Labadon of the Shrine Circus, then said his friends all called him Eb. Eb was concerned that he did not have an Heir to teach the ropes of show bizz to. All his skills and abilities would end with him if he couldn't find a young squire to follow in the ways of the RiNG MaStER.
As a young man Lou was always egar to see what happens behind the curtain, so he said "Youz got thems Monkeys too?" To which wise old Eb said "driven away from Tobit's fiancee bit, by bit ye the stink of burning fish hangs around yer neck." Lou: HUH whaat?
EB: Err...never mind.. then punched him in the nose. Blood shot out like a water cannon and old EB laughed like the sound of thunder. He said to Lou, " squires always sign in blood....that makes it forever....." "But if you stop crying I'll let you spank thoses darn monkeys!"
So from that day forth Lou became the student of Eb the ring Master. Things were great for the first few months. Lou got to eat all the snow cones he could and at night try to peek into the trailer of the bearded lady.....but then one day it all came crashing down.
It seemed Eb had a lot of Friends that would come around at all hours of the night and they all seemed real interested in helping old Eb dig this real deep pit they kept calling
"Angel of deepness the Archfiend" Lou thought meant "Those NDP tax collectors can rot in the bottomless pits of hell" which makes sense to all of us...but it must have been a big hole to hide all the money they made so the government wouldn't find it.
"Angel of deepness the Archfiend" Lou thought meant "Those NDP tax collectors can rot in the bottomless pits of hell" which makes sense to all of us...but it must have been a big hole to hide all the money they made so the government wouldn't find it.
As curiosity got the better of him, Lou crept to the edge of the tent covered pit that strangely glowed with the embers of something exciting yet scary. The sound of laughter, crying, moaning and groaning mixed with the occasional clank of empty bottles, the sound young Lou knew too well . He stumbled upon "The After Hours Party." Lou may have been young, but he knew this was no ordinary party. The cries of pleasure sounded like the cries of agony Lou would hear when he was tasked with the deed of spanking the monkeys night after night.
Ever so softly he crept not to disturb the sleepy however watchful eye of De moine, the half man half goat that worked the freak show tent during the adult shows.
Then it happened, Tiny, the little circus monkey that Lou liked to spank jumped up in front of him and let out a harrowing cry, no doubt a warning to the others that Lou, YES LOU, the Monkey Spanker himself was stumbling into a forbidden event that would scar a young man for the rest of his life. The jig was up, Lou was caught. The girls were emberrased and the carnies were pissed.
Wise old Eb, (who's friends sometimes called him Bell zee k Bub ba.....cause he was from the south...the deep south.....) knew that Lou's time would come but he was just too young. Eb gave Lou his walking papers with a special parting gift. You guessed it, the red glowing Ash Tray Light. Eb left him with the instructions that when ever you feel like spanking the monkeys again, just chant the magic words.....
So if the lamp were to fall into the wrong hands, say the hands of a lamp thief, then I emplore you for your own good bring it back and let us kick the shit out of you.
As of right now your desteny is old Eb himself waiting to deal with you. One night in the near future at three a.m. you will be waked by the sounds of four legged beasts scratching at your door and you will know it is the 'wisht hounds' of the circus sent by Eb to hunt you down.
The only way to stop the onslaught of the hounds is that before you go to bed every night you must start by standing in front of your livingroom window with the lights on and the blinds wide open. In your mom's thong, with a small hand miorror look deep into your own eyes and yell the words
" Ladies and Gentlemen, children off all ages, in the centre ring I give you ME, THE Lamp Stealing MONKEY SPANKER. "....and I hope for your sake it works.
Labels: Clem, hot rod hullabaloo, Lou, Lucifer, Monkey, Monty P Marshall, spank
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Lee Rocker Here??? No Way??!!?!?!?
Lee Rocker, bass player from the legendary “Stray Cats”, is playing at the Roxy on Broadway on Sunday, March 25th. Tickets are just $15 (advance) and available through ticketmaster.
This will be one of the coolest shows that rolls through town in a while. Lee is supporting his latest album entitled “Racin’ the Devil”, which features twelve songs of scorching rockabilly, roadhouse romps and straight-ahead, old-school rock ‘n’ roll. Opening the show will be Saskatoon’s own “Hot Rod Hullabaloo”.
This will be one of the coolest shows that rolls through town in a while. Lee is supporting his latest album entitled “Racin’ the Devil”, which features twelve songs of scorching rockabilly, roadhouse romps and straight-ahead, old-school rock ‘n’ roll. Opening the show will be Saskatoon’s own “Hot Rod Hullabaloo”.
Labels: Clem, hot rod hullabaloo, Lou, Monty P Marshall
Jokes from Cristie and Nancy
We always welcome comments or submitions for blog material so I want to thank our good friends Crystal & Nancy who forwarded a couple of jokes to post.
A girl came skipping home from school one day. "Mummy, Mummy," she yelled.
"We were counting today, and all the other kids could only count to four, but I counted to 10. See? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10!"
"Very good," said her mother. "Is it because I'm blond, Mummy?" "Yes, it's because you're blonde," her mother replied.
The next day, the girl came skipping home from school. "Mummy, Mummy," she yelled,
"we were saying the alphabet today, and all the other kids could only say it to D, but I said it to G. See? A, B, C, D, E, F, G!"
"Very good," said her mother. "Is it because I'm blond, Mummy?" Yes, pumpkin, it's because you're blonde."
The next day the girl came skipping home from school. "Mummy, Mummy," she yelled,
"we were in gym class today, and when we showered, all the other girls had flat chests, but I have these!"
And she lifted her tank top to reveal a pair of 36Cs. "Very good," said her embarrassed mother.
"Is it because I'm blonde, Mummy?" "No... it's because you're 25."
Who doesn't like blonde jokes?!?
A little boy was lost at a large shopping mall.He approached a uniformed security guard and said, "I've lost my grandpa!"The cop asked, "What's he like?"The little boy replied, "Jack Daniels and women with big boobs."
....I didn't know our friend Rob was a grandfather....
Thanks Girls!
A girl came skipping home from school one day. "Mummy, Mummy," she yelled.
"We were counting today, and all the other kids could only count to four, but I counted to 10. See? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10!"
"Very good," said her mother. "Is it because I'm blond, Mummy?" "Yes, it's because you're blonde," her mother replied.
The next day, the girl came skipping home from school. "Mummy, Mummy," she yelled,
"we were saying the alphabet today, and all the other kids could only say it to D, but I said it to G. See? A, B, C, D, E, F, G!"
"Very good," said her mother. "Is it because I'm blond, Mummy?" Yes, pumpkin, it's because you're blonde."
The next day the girl came skipping home from school. "Mummy, Mummy," she yelled,
"we were in gym class today, and when we showered, all the other girls had flat chests, but I have these!"
And she lifted her tank top to reveal a pair of 36Cs. "Very good," said her embarrassed mother.
"Is it because I'm blonde, Mummy?" "No... it's because you're 25."
Who doesn't like blonde jokes?!?
A little boy was lost at a large shopping mall.He approached a uniformed security guard and said, "I've lost my grandpa!"The cop asked, "What's he like?"The little boy replied, "Jack Daniels and women with big boobs."
....I didn't know our friend Rob was a grandfather....
Thanks Girls!
Labels: blonde, hot rod hullabaloo, joke, Monty P Marshall, tank top
Monday, March 05, 2007
It sometimes seems like the snow will never go away
Well here are two guys really excited about traveling on those prairie winter roads from gig to gig, moving gear in and out from one club after another......
Needless to say were just sick of this Sh%t, so I thought why not throw a party to get everyone in a better mood....
Not to mention that the bar food was really catching up to us...
So I thought a post Mexican type party was in order. Everybody brought their dates and some other friends showed up to blow whistles and down shooters on Saturday or just hang around and drink...
Here our good buddy Rob has found a new friend......
(The beer or the fridge?)
You know when things have gone stir crazy when your friends start doing the "BirD DaNcE"
Hey isn't that ....
http://www.eileenlaverty.com/sets/tour_set.html
Every one knows that
It AiN't A pARty uNtiL thE KaraOkE KiCks Up
She's a Brick House
Alice?? "Who the F%ck is Alice??"
Things were going great until Clem noticed a picture of me in Mexico a few years back with someone he thought was his sister......umm hem well....reaaallllly???
Would you believe that of all the places in the world I happen to run into a girl that looks exactly like his sister...(who was attending bible camp that month.....HU??$#%)
So some fast thinking I got out the whip cream Jagger mister shooters and all was quickly forgotten..
Maybe should have been forgotten the next day .....but whenever some one has a camera things happen....
I bet your wondering where you can get a job like that?
