I am a Great Big Sea purist. I love their music first
and foremost. So I disagree with what @lyndahere or Lynda Elstad wrote on her recent blog post on
June 26, 2013 copied below about the end of Great Big Sea for the time being. I
am not looking forward to the day when the Great Big Sea XX is over for the
time being.
As she does not take kindly to any kind of criticism or
debate ideas different than her own I have to put them on this blog. I have
been threatened in the past for comments I have made in response to her
comments on her blog Between the Rock and a Hard Place.
After reading Lyndahere’s latest post on her blog confirmed what had always been obvious to me about
Great Big Sea. She was counting the days until Great Big Sea XX has finished
and the members of the band were off doing their own thing. On one hand I have
got to admire her for her honesty.
On the other hand it has always been obvious to me from the start of the year, her past experiences and actions exactly how she feels about Great Big Sea. She has wanted them to take a permanent break so Alan Doyle can achieve the greatness he deserves with her at his side following “her guidance and advice” as long as I have been a fan.
On the other hand it has always been obvious to me from the start of the year, her past experiences and actions exactly how she feels about Great Big Sea. She has wanted them to take a permanent break so Alan Doyle can achieve the greatness he deserves with her at his side following “her guidance and advice” as long as I have been a fan.
Lyndahere in my opinion fails to understand what makes
Great Big Sea and also Alan Doyle. The three founding members of the band Alan
Doyle, Bob Hallett and Sean McCann have been friends and creative and business
partners for several decades. These men share a common love of many things
including music, family, friends, their religion and of St. John’s and
Newfoundland. They have always had other individual ventures professionally for
example writing and making music, writing books, acting or running a business
in St. John’s or personal ones raising a family and being part of a community. They
are generous with each other and have in my opinion never held each other back
professionally for the benefit of Great Big Sea.
It is only when a fan goes to St. John’s and spends some
time there do they really understand this. There are the constant goodbyes and
reunions with their wives, families and friends. Their wives knew this when
they married them. They let them go and do what makes them the wonderful,
talented and creative men they are and to earn a living doing something they
love. To be a successful Great Big Sea wife is to trust your man, let them go
and do what they need to and they will come back. They are supportive and
loving with their men and share in their successes and life’s joys and
disappointments when they are home and away. Their women have their own lives,
careers and families. Unlike Lyndahere who does not seem to be able to let Alan
Doyle and Great Big Sea do anything without her. No matter how much time it
takes or how much it costs she is always there watching, taking photos and
filming.
Lyndahere perhaps selfish in her wishes. Great Big Sea
bring a lot of happiness to people who go to concerts and they love to make and
play music together simple as that... It reminds me of something I wrote in
another blog post about why fans go to see them but not for her. “I will start off with @lyndahere states she
never goes to a Great Big Sea concert to be happy or as a respite from being
unhappy. No not her. She goes to concerts for different reasons (the words she
uses sound kind of like an elaboration of happiness for example thrilled,
amused, entertained but never mind) to think more deeply about the music. To be
happy is not illegal or a crime even for just a couple of hours when I last
checked in Canada or America nor is it anywhere in the Western world.
@lyndahere writes “Others feel differently, I know. Many others and much
differently. I have been hearing about – and witnessing the great big happy for
years now, some of it on occasion a bit disquieting (especially when the great
big happy transforms swiftly into the great big mean mere moments after the
show’s closing cord) some of it genuinely impressive and powerfully inspiring”.
Whatever the reason people pay for a ticket while interesting is not really
important. I think it is fabulous and I am sure that Great Big Sea do too, that
people with whatever time they have and whatever money they have left over from
life decide to spend it going to a traditional folk music concert. It gives
them an opportunity away from the preoccupations around of life like a job,
raising children or going to school, family and friends.”
As long as Great Big Sea continue to fill venues of whatever
size they chose and want to play together they will continue to play music. Great
Big Sea taking a holiday will not change Lyndahere’s life as she follows Alan
Doyle and his band. No matter how hard Lyndahere tries she will not drive a
wedge between the members of Great Big Sea with her endless words,
photographs and bootlegged live recordings. Lyndahere will soon grow tired of following Alan Doyle and his
band around and will try to separate him from the rest of his band as she has
Great Big Sea. Lyndahere has the opportunity to do something worthwhile here.
For example, write the book she has talked about, do a course in some kind in
writing or photography or just stay put and celebrate the ordinariness of life
we all have. She should move on and create a happy and healthy life for
herself like everyone else rather than trying to influence others of which she
has no chance.
'From
Between the Rock and a Hardplace' published on 26 July, 2013.
"There's
no way I'm pretending that I don't believe they can all benefit substantially
from such a lengthy break, professionally and personally. It will give them the
freedom they need to invest themselves fully in the plethora of exciting,
challenging solo projects which, up until the moment GBS goes dark for the
predetermined period, they've each been forced to schedule around their Mother-Ship
commitments, whenever such scheduling was possible. And when it wasn't, another
opportunity was lost.
This
upcoming break allows them an extended period of time to move forward into
becoming all that these new projects might possibly bring out in them and
make of them, without having to repeatedly step back into behavioural patterns
and interactive roles which have been so thoroughly established over the past
two decades. It gives them the opportunity to seek out and embrace that which
brings out their Best, the Best of each of them. These are all good things,
wonderful things, to any and all who care about the Men who make up the
Band.
But
what then of GBS? If it is true that the present source of artistic creativity
can be more readily found in the solo efforts rather than the group work, if it
is true that the Best of each individual band member is more likely to be
discovered, encouraged and emergent outside of the confines of the collective
effort...what is the rationale for the continuation of that collective effort?
Beyond, of course, the obvious one of cash flow (assuming, again of course,
it's even pragmatcially possible to move beyond that financial rationale,
especially given the stellar success of this multiple-sellouts XX Tour).
Because
they can make Magic. Even
when it's not the strongest music they're capable of creating or performing,
even when they're exhausted or discouraged or fighting petty wars amongst
themselves, even when the weather or the venue or the equipment or the tour schedule
(or the crowd) sucks in all the worst possible ways...they are capable of
making Magic.
This
is something they do, something they have done, together, though I strongly
suspect that the Power of all that they have created together - this multi-year
history of wonderful shows and grand times, the accumulated memories of
two decades of unforgettable nights out at the best fuckin' party in the
world that so many of their audience participants bring along with them to the
shows, like the priceless gifts they truly are - is great enough to
withstand some personnel changes, if it should happen to be that such changes
turn out to be what's Best for the personnel in question (no, not Alan - very
sorry, but there is no losing Alan...call that subjective or objective, even
call it unfair if you wish, but also call it True), and still remain
Great Big Sea in all the ways that matter. In all the ways necessary for Magic
to continue.
This
is a world sorely in need of Magic, and of Unforgettable Moments as well
- however that Magic and by whomever those Moments are made. I am glad GBS will
soon be going dark, for not one day less than is Best for the men who have made
both Magic and Moments. I will be glad when the blaze of those lights returns,
not one day later than is Best for the men who have such a wealth of Magic and
Moments yet to come.
Until
all of this happens, while the Continuing Birthday Party which is the GBS XX
Tour keeps rolling along, heading inexorably toward its ever-nearing
conclusion, now is the time to partake, whenever and wherever possible. Because
the only thing better than the memory of yesterday's dizzying Magic or the hope
for tomorrow's unforgettable Moment is seeking out and finding both of
these things today.
It
can be a wonderful experience, an awesome experience. Kind of like cake and ice
cream for the heart and soul. Make mine Devil's Food and Mocha, please and
thanks. And, no, I wouldn't object one bit to a lovely dollop of whipped
cream on top."
