Such sad news today hearing of the passing of Ace Frehley of KISS at the age of 74. Ace and KISS have always meant a lot to me, with them being the first rock band I ever got into and the first rock album I owned, that being KISS Alive II. As much as I liked all the members, Ace always seemed to be the coolest of them all, and as the years went on, through interviews and books and such, he just seemed like a down to earth guy with a great sense of humour and his laugh was amazing. Someone you would like to hang out with over a few beers.
I feel very lucky that I got to see Ace perform a handful of times, starting with the first time in 1995 when Ace and fellow KISS member Peter Criss did a tour together The Bad Boys of KISS. I saw them play the Thunderdome in Edmonton in July of 1995, and what a fun show that was. I even managed to get a guitar pick that night from Ace.
Notice the misspelling of Ace's name in the ad for the show. How embarrassing is that.
The next times I got to see Ace in concert was him performing with KISS in full make-up on the reunion tour in 1996-97. My brother and I saw them first play in Vancouver in September of 1996, just three months after seeing the Bad Boys Tour. And then two more times in May of 1997 in Edmonton and Calgary. Talk about being in our glory getting to see Ace with KISS original line up in make up. So damn good. And the last time seeing Ace in make up with KISS was in July 2000 on the Farewell Tour.
And then the last time I saw Ace Frehley in concert was in March of 2008 at the Edmonton Event Centre. That show too was amazing with Ace playing KISS classics, solo stuff and even a few Frehley's Comet songs. I count myself very lucky to have seen him in concert, just wish I could have met him at some point. Rest In Peace Ace! Your legacy will live on forever!
Hearing the sad news of the passing of Ozzy Osbourne this afternoon, really hit me, more than I had expected. Ozzy has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old hearing his solo material and Black Sabbath albums. Diary Of A Madman being my favourite solo album and then the Sabbath catalog, liked them all, but Volume 4 always hit me hard. I'm happy that Ozzy was able to pull off the Back To The Beginning show a few weeks ago.
I'm sure every metal head and punk has an Ozzy story. Here is mine.
My very first chance to see Ozzy in concert was June 30th, 1986 on his Ultimate Sin Tour with of all band opening Metallica. I was a huge Metallica fan and really liked the Ultimate Sin album. Actually it was the last solo album of his I really was into. Talk about an awesome double bill. But the scheduled show at Northlands Coliseum on June 30th, 1986 got canceled, talk about being bummed out.
My next try at seeing Ozzy in concert was on June 8th,, 1996 on his Retirement Sucks Tour which was for his solo album Ozzmosis. Well at that time I found myself broke and not able to afford or get tickets. I remember it being on a Saturday and being really disappointed that I wasn't going to the show. Therefore, I spent the day drowning my sorrows and wishing I was going to the big Ozzy show. Much to my surprise, my buddy good buddy Geddy (RIP) shows up at my place around 5 in the afternoon with a pair of tickets to the show, last row on the floor, but who cared, we were going. Talk about being excited, but drunk too. Regardless, we were going to see the mighty Ozzy in concert. A few beers in my basement suite and then a few more at The Forum across the street from Northlands Coliseum. And, then we score some acid at the bar, well we didn't need that, but we did it anyways. Now we're primed for the show. Missed the opening act, which was Filter, no big deal, we were having fun at the peeler bar. But we got to our seats in time for Ozzy. I remember before Ozzy coming on they were showing clips of Ozzy on a big screen behind the stage that were hilarious and had the crowd pumped. And then the lights went down and Ozzy came on stage yelling "let's go fucking crazy!". I believe they opened with a Sabbath song, but I can't be sure. And then, I woke up at home the following morning with an Ozzy ticket stub in my pocket and no recollection of what happened. Apparently I got kicked out by the second song. Embarrassing yes, shitty yes, but an Ozzy memory nonetheless.
It wasn't until July 6th, 1999, that I got to see Ozzy in concert again, and this time with the original Black Sabbath line up headlining Ozzfest in Vancouver at Thunderbird Stadium. What a fucking amazing show it was!
Next time I got to see Ozzy live was April 22nd, 2014 again with Black Sabbath in Edmonton at Rexall Place. This too was a impressive performance. here are a few pictures I took at that show.
Black Sabbath 2014.
The Final time I saw Ozzy was March 2nd, 2016 with Black Sabbath again at Rexall Place in Edmonton. For this show I got row 2 on the floor the day of the show. Another fucking great show. Here are some pictures I took at that show.
Black Sabbath 2016.
I am very thankful that I did get to see Ozzy a few times in concert. all three times were with Sabbath, which is cool, but kind of with I had seen him solo too, but I blew that chance. Thanks for the memories Ozzy and the music which will live on forever. You not only influenced musicians of all genres, but you also made a lasting impression on your fans. You did make a difference. Thanks Ozzy. May you Rest In Peace.
Some sad news today hearing about the passing of Wayne Kramer of MC5 at the age of 75. The man was an innovator, musician an activist among many other things.
Happy that I got to see Wayne perform with MC50 in October 2018 in Vancouver at the Commodore Ballroom.
You will be missed Wayne. Thanks for the awesome music that will live on forever.
Sad to hear of the passing of Kim Simmonds on December 13th at the age of 75. Kim was a founding member and guitarist in the British blues band Savoy Brown. I got to see Kim Simmonds and Savoy brown twice, once in July 1994 at the City Media Club in Edmonton and then again in 2016 at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. It was at the Festival Place show that I got to go backstage and meet Kim and get his autograph. He liked the old gig posters I had brought to be signed and mentioned how young he looked on the poster. Super nice guy Kim was. Live pictures are from the 2016 show. RIP Kim Simmonds.
Picture taken by me July 30th 2016 in Edmonton at Rexall Place.
What a tough day of work to get through today. I heard the news of the passing of the Tragically Hip's lead singer Gord Downie at the age of 53 on CKUA Radio just as I got to work at 6:45 this morning. While we all knew this day was coming after Gordie announced last May that he had terminal brain cancer, it still didn't make it easy. This was especially hard, I thought Tom Petty and Stompin' Tom were tough deaths to deal with, this one hit me real hard. Though I had never spoke or met the man, it always felt like I knew him like a friend. So when I got home tonight from work it was time to put on a Hip album and let the tears flow, and flow they did and still do as I type this.
I've been following Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip since their first full album release that came out in 1989. I loved all of The Hip albums and Gord's solo albums, but it was always the live performances that really made them so incredible. Not only was Gord an amazing lyricist and poet, but he was also one of the best frontmen of a rock group ever. It was always thrill to see him perform live, his improvising of lyrics in songs, in between song banter and of course his dancing and such on stage. Gord Downie was Canada's Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Jim Morrison and Bob Dylan all wrapped up in one fabulous human being. Not only was a great front man but he was also a humanitarian.
There isn't another person, whether it being a Prime Minister, actor or athlete that could bring a Nation together like Gord and The Hip could. Last year when The Hip did one last tour (Man Machine Poem Tour) from Vancouver and culminating with the show in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario that was televised live on national TV where over 11 million people in Canada watched that concert. That is absolutely amazing that that many people in a country stopped to watch a live performance. That night has been called the night Canada came to a stand still. Well today I am sure is a day that will go down as the day where the most tears were shed in unison.
I have had many a good times listening to The Hip in all kinds of places, shapes, situations, live shows and sharing the experience with different friends and strangers. if there was anything we could all agree on, it was that The Tragically Hip were a real special band fronted by an even more special man. I was fortunate enough to see the Tragically Hip and Gord 19 times in concert. Seen them with lots of friends and in a lot of different towns, cities and venues. Some of the best times of my life revolved around a Hip concert. A Hip show was always an event and one where you would count down the days til you got to see the Tragically Hip play again. Man, am I ever going to miss that. Thankfully Gord left behind a very nice catalog of music that will live on and be played forever. Thank you Gord for soldiering on even through sickness, to tour one last time and still have the courage to put together new music, having released his solo album "Secret Path" in October of last year and a new one called "Introduce Yerself" that will be released on October 27th.
Mr. Downie you are going to be missed. There will never be another like you. Rest In Peace Gord Downie.
All the times I have seen Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip.
* July 26th 1991 in Edmonton at the Edmonton Convention Centre
* November 28th 1992 in Edmonton at the Agricom
* August 1st 1993 in Edmonton at Clarke Stadium as part of the Another Roadside Attraction Festival
* February 21st 1995 in Edmonton at Northlands Coliseum
* July 15th 1995 in High River, AB as part of the Another Roadside Attraction Festival
* November 12th 1995 in Edmonton at Edmonton Coliseum
* July 19th 1997 in Camrose, AB as part of the Another Roadside Attraction Festival
* March 6th 1999 in Red Deer, AB at the Centrium
* September 21st 2002 in Vernon, B.C. at the Vernon Multiplex
* January 14th 2007 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* January 16th 2007 in Red Deer, AB at the Enmax Centrium
* July 26th 2008 in Pemberton, B.C. as part of the Pemberton Music Festival
* July 14th 2011 in Edmonton on th Northlands Grounds
* January 23rd 2013 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* July 27th 2014 Gord Downie & The Sadies in Edmonton as part of the Interstellar Music Festival
* February 12th 2015 in Edmnoton at Rexall Place
* July 28th 2016 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* July 30th 2016 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* August 20th 2016 in Kingston, Ontario at Rogers K-Rock Centre
In the words of Gord Downie "Heaven Is A Better Place Today".
Picture taken by me at the final Hip show August 20th 2016 in Kingston, Ontario.
Picture taken by myself on July 27th 2014 when Gord Downie & The Sadies played the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton.
So yesterday around lunch time I got a text from a buddy asking me if I had heard about Tom Petty, whether what he was reading was true or not. Instantly my mind went to worse case scenario and started looking into it myself, well the rumours were flying that Tom Petty had passed. Instant sadness hit me. Then a few hours later word came out that Tom Petty was still clinging to life after a hear attack and going into a cardiac arrest. So there was still hope, please pull through Mr. Petty. By the time I went to bed I still had not heard anything more.
Well this morning I woke up to the shitty news and confirmation of the passing of Tom Petty at the age of 66. This death hits me hard, it came out of nowhere. I had just seen Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers play Vancouver in August on their 40th Anniversary Tour. Everything seemed so good six weeks ago, a great show, Petty looked to be healthy and in good spirits. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers put on an incredible show. So good!
I count myself very fortunate to have seen Tom Petty in concert four times, and everyone of them shows were awesome. The first time I saw Tom Petty was when a buddy and I made the trip to Pemberton, British Columbia for the inaugural Pemberton Music Festival July 2008 in which Tom was headlining the Saturday night.
The second time I saw Tom Petty play was weeks later on August 12th playing in Edmonton at Rexall Place with Steve Winwood opening. Again, a great show.
The third time seeing Petty play was in Edmonton again at Rexall Place on June 16th 2010 with Joe Cocker opening the show. And now neither one of these artists are with us anymore.
And sadly the last time I got to see Tom Petty play was just this summer and mere six weeks ago or so in Vancouver at Rogers Arena August 17th 2017. This time with The Lumineers opening. I knew Petty wouldn't be doing full on tours anymore after this 40th Anniversary Tour hence why I made the trip to see him again. But I surely didn't think this would be the last time ever. A very sad day this is and has hit me like a tonne of bricks. Very thankful I got to see him perform as many times as I did. Also very thankful for all the great music he has put out over the years with The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, Traveling Wilburys and his solo albums. Thank you Tom Petty for the great music and live performances. Your music will live on for many years to come.
Saturday afternoon while sitting around listening to tunes and having a few cold ones, I got the news of the passing of Gregg Allman at the age of 69 to liver cancer. In my opinion one of the best blues singers ever. This news struck me hard, therefore the rest of the late afternoon and evening, it was Allman Brothers Band and Gregg Allman solo albums played the res of the day. It was mourning and celebrating the great music of Gregg Allman, and especially the soulful voice of Mr. Allman. Absolutely beautiful!
I was introduced to the Allman Brothers Band by my buddy Buzzard back in 1990-91 or so after a night at his place drinking and listening to music. How did I not know of this band, well I guess I knew of them but never really gave them a proper listen. I was hooked after that night at Buzzard's. It was right around 1990-91 that the band had got back together after nine years of being apart. Now my buddy was a huge fan of the band and had never seen them play live before, so now that I was hooked on the band, we were both hoping to get the chance to see them perform live.
Well, as look would have it. The Allman Brothers Band put out a new album in 1994 called Where It All Begins. This album blew me away. From the song writing, the singing and the music, I was in awe of these guys. Not only that, this album came out at a time when I was going through some tough times. This album helped me through them times and will always be my favourite album of theirs. Six months after the release of Where It All Begins the band came through town on tour, playing the Edmonton Convention Centre. Of course we were all over this show. And the band didn't disappoint, playing a show that was over three hours long. Spot on musicianship, great crowd and good times. This show is still among my top ten shows I have ever been to.
Gregg Allman may you Rest In Peace! Thank you for the beautiful music and soulful voice. Wish I had seen you more then once, but am very thankful for the time I did get to experience you and your music live. RIP Mr. Allman. A sad day indeed.
On Thursday morning I woke up to the sad and tragic news of the death of Chris Cornell the lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave. Hours later it was revealed that he had taken his own life. Chris had just performed with Soundgarden in Detroit. His death shook me more then I expected. The man had an amazing voice and was a voice of a generation a lot like Kurt Cobain was. Soundgarden was a band that my brother introduced me to back in 1989 with the album "Louder Than Love", I loved this album for its rawness. Then in 1991 Soundgarden released my favorite album of theirs "Badmotorfinger" another raw rocking album.
It was in the summer of 1994 that I finally got to see Soundgarden perform live when they played here in Edmonton at the Convention Centre when they were touring for their "Superunknown" album. This was an amazing show and probably the peak of Soundgarden. It was at this show that I saw for the first and only time a guy in a wheelchair crowd surfing. You don't forget memories like that.
Just when you think someone has life by the balls, he does the totally unexpected. Rest In Peace Chris Cornell, thank you for leaving behind all the great music. Your memory will live on. So sad!!! Condolences to his family, friends and his fans worldwide. You will be missed.
Sad to hear the news this afternoon of the passing of blues legend, and most awesome harmonica player James Cotton. He passed at the age of 81 in Austin, Texas of pneumonia. I was lucky that I got to see him open for another blues great Johnny Winter here in Edmonton at Polish Hall on February 25th 2011. After his opening set, James Cotton took the time to meet and greet his fans. I got his CD "Giant" autographed.
