Category: drumming
0 Quebec Tour March, 2011
Well; here we are. Yet another successful tour under our belt. This was a great one! Sold out shows(almost all of them), great staff at all the venues, appreciative crowds, wicked dressing rooms stocked with all sorts of yummy treats, and Cash got to learn a new lots of new things, especially the french word “loge” which means dressing room.
He learned that on the first evening of the tour in Rimouski. This was an absolutely incredible venue as evidenced by the following shot:
We even got to drive through one of the worst winter storms the region has had all year when we drove to Matane from Carleton. They weren’t lying. We had some slippery moments and weren’t quite sure what was going to happen but we got to the venue. A little stressed, hungry, but glad to be safe and sound.
After making it to Matane we discovered that it is one of the quaintest towns we have seen in a long time. The venue is run by some great artists and it attracts a thriving artists community. We even met a waitress from Wisconsin that decided to stay.
Then we got to cross the St. Lawrence on a ferry. Took us 2 hours and was pretty good. We didnt even hit any rough weather! That evening we were in Port Cartier at one of the most amazing venues. In fact, all the venues were spectacular. Full of character, and great sound. Quite a nice side of Quebec to see. Here are just a few examples.
After Port Cartier we drove back down to Montreal. There were so many amazing sights, incredible vistas, and we got to cross the Saguenay river.
Through it all Cash was a trooper. He had fun, he ate all of the riders, watched his movies, chased the band, tickled his mum and giggled like a mad man, thoroughly enjoying himself and all that he had offered. Plus he got to see a whole lot of this province and met all the great people in it.
0 Rock N Roll parenting in the winter. . .
So; alot of time in winter in Montreal has to do with thinking about going outside, getting dressed to go outside, clearing the walkway, warming up the car, then getting to where we have to go as quickly as possible.
When you have a 2 year old son, this process gets very tricky. Especially if he doesn’t want to leave the house. Couple that with being 2 parents who tour most days of the year, and you can get a good idea of what it takes.
Here we are in March. The days are supposed to be getting warmer, the birds are supposed to be returning, and we just got another huge dump of snow. My backyard is starting to resemble the Russian north and I cant find my doormat through 3 inches of ice.
All my friends out west ask why I would do such a thing like move to Montreal. “But its so beautiful here. Why would you move there???”. Well, to be blunt, because Quebec is the best province to raise a family as far as the government goes, and its the best place to be a musician because of the government’s love and support for the arts.
So. . . .this province may be buried under snow, and sometimes I look outside with dread and fear about hauling my drums through snow or driving for hundreds of kilometers for the next tour, but then I remember why I live here.
I figure 4 months of cold snow and frigid temperatures is a fairly decent trade off for and economy that allows me to get by as a musician. I’m not driving a new car or living that sex, drugs, and rock n roll life, but I am able to have a roof over my head and spend more time with my family than 99% of the world does. Not bad Quebec. Not bad.
Lewis Handford 