Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year 2016...

Merry Christmas and a very happy 2016 to all the people who have visited and read my blog ‘Fandom, An Unexpected Journey.’ The number of people visiting and reading my blog has continued to rise I am thrilled to say. The countries people come from are considerably diverse, as are the subjects they are interested in. I posted more posts than last year in 2014 (over 80 in all). I hope this will continue into 2016.

Many thanks to all the musicians and artists I write about in this blog and in particular Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies for a wonderful year providing us with a great range of very diverse entertainment. Their work continues to provide the fans and I with considerable pleasure, as well as give us a bit to think about and even a few challenges.

I am really looking forward to 2016 and seeing and writing about what Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies have install for us. I am looking forward to seeing how the fans (and professionals) respond, in all the ways they choose to share those thoughts, words and experiences. I am also looking forward to visiting Canada and Newfoundland next year sometime, whenever Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies are playing in St. John’s.

I have copied my two favourite photographs by Alan Doyle taken this year. They are from Alan’s official Instagram account. The first one is a totally drop dead gorgeous selfie and the second one is a picture of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gyspies on stage. Many thanks to Alan for taking these wonderful photographs and sharing them with the fans. I just love them. As always no copyright infringement intended.

Liz Smith

From the official Alan Doyle Instagram account. No copyright infringement intended.

Alan Doyle And The Strike Movie...

Some good news for Alan Doyle and his fans arrived a couple of days ago via his official Twitter account. A movie project which he was involved in seems to found its leading lady. Alan’s co-star from the Indoor Garden Parties, Samantha Barks has agreed to take the role. Alan and Samantha shared their good news via their official Twitter accounts.

An article “Gold Strike! Dogged producer lands his leading lady for film set in 1919 Winnipeg” by Brad Oswald was published on the 18 December, 2015 in the Winnipeg Free Press Online was circulated on social media. The article is copied below and circulated on my Google + page outlines how the two artists have come together for the movie.

From the official Twitter accounts of Alan Doyle and Samantha Barks on their new movie Strike…

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle So stoked to be working with @SamanthaBarks again. What a Talent. See you in Winnipeg, Lady @StrikeMovie 18 December, 2016 (No copyright infringement intended)

Samantha Barks @SamanthaBarks to @alanthomasdoyle Can’t wait!! @StrikeMovie 18 December, 2015 (no copyright infringement intended)


'Gold Strike! Dogged producer lands his leading lady for film set in 1919 Winnipeg' by Brad Oswald published on the 18 December, 2015 in the Winnipeg Free Press Online. (No copyright infringement intended)

It took the better part of a decade to close the deal, but Danny Schur has finally landed his leading lady.

Schur, the local writer/composer/producer/entrepreneur whose determination to bring Strike! The Musical to the silver screen seemingly knows no bounds, told the Free Press this week that he has signed British performer Samantha Barks (Les Misérables) to play the female lead in the the $10-million production, which he says will be shot in Winnipeg in July and August.

"It was two years, almost to the day, since we began 'the dance' that is a producer-agent solicitation," Schur said of his effort to attract the 25-year-old Brit -- who portrayed the pivotal role of âponine both onstage in London's West End and onscreen in the 2012 film adaptation that also starred Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried -- to the Strike! project.

"Although Samantha expressed interest right from the beginning, someone of her stature is not easy to schedule, and I just about gave up hope when they said, 'Danny, we do want to do this; we just have to find a hole in her schedule.' It took this long, and many pieces in many different puzzles all had to be put in place."

Actually, the story of how Barks and Strike! came together is even more complicated -- and entertaining -- than Schur initially described. Having decided, after seeing Barks in the Les Miz movie, that she was the perfect choice for the role of Rebecca Almazoff, one of two young lovers at the centre of a story set against the backdrop of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, Schur attempted to contact her through her U.S.-based management but made little headway.

In the meantime, he was able to secure Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle to play the villainous role of Senator Gideon Robertson, the federal labour minister who ordered the arrest of strike leaders and approved the government decision to send the North West Mounted Police into the streets to crush the uprising in a confrontation that would become known as Bloody Saturday.

During a brief meeting in Winnipeg a couple of years ago, Doyle -- unaware that Schur had already attempted to contact Barks -- suggested the British star would be a great choice for the role of Rebecca. Doyle had met Barks during his ongoing musical collaboration with her Les Miz co-star, Crowe, and the three were scheduled for a few performances and a recording-session get-together in Australia just a few weeks after the fateful Schur-Doyle discussion in the Palm Room at the Fort Garry Hotel.

"It was actually Alan who handed his own (Strike!) script and CD right to Samantha, and that what was really got things moving," said Schur. "After that, on Samantha's command, I was able to get a hold of her British agent, and the rest is kind of history."

Reached by telephone this week in the U.K., Barks said she was immediately intrigued by Doyle's description of the project and listened to the CD of the show's music at the first possible opportunity.

"When I had a couple of hours off, I listened to this musical and just loved the music so much," she explained. "I'm so happy I was introduced to it, even if it was in such a funny way.

"I really fell in love with this character -- she's very ahead of her time, she's a suffragette, and I love her passion and her forward thinking, and how she sees the world how it could be rather than how it is. I was really moved by that."

For his part in helping Schur land his leading lady, Doyle said he's just glad to have made what could turn out to be a fortuitous introduction.

"Samantha has a unique ability to embody whatever a song asks of her," Doyle explained. "That's an incredible talent, and I think it's what separates her from other people in her field. There's never a moment's doubt about who the character is when Sam Barks is singing the song, and that's true whether she's onstage in Les Miz or you're in the pub and it's three o'clock in the morning and you've had a few pints and she's singing an old English folk song. It's a very unique and special thing to find somebody who can do that."

With Barks, Doyle and former Barenaked Ladies member Steven Page all committed to the project, however, Schur's long-in-development dream of a Strike! movie is much closer to reality than ever before.

There does remain, however, the question of solidifying the financing for the film project's $10-million budget. Schur said he's still piecing together what he calls a "non-traditional" model for funding a Canadian movie.

"A lot of it is tax credits, so some of it is still fluid as you determine exactly what amount is tax credit and what amount comes from other sources," he said. "Some of that money will come the international distribution, which I'll be working at getting over the next number of months, and then there's still private investment to come to the table.

"Canadian films are typically supported primarily by Telefilm (Canada); this will be more like an international film or an American film that is supported by private investment, distribution advances and tax credits."

Schur said having Barks listed on the Strike! project's cast sheet is bound to open doors to international financing opportunities.

"What this does is move it from a Canadian independent movie to a movie with international release possibilities," he said. "Generally, when you have a star of Samantha's calibre, that ups the interest in British movie distribution as well as interest in the United States; her involvement makes this a killer film -- there's nobody on the planet more capable and suitable for this part that Samantha Barks. I really and truly believe she's the next Julie Andrews."



Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle So stoked to be working with @SamanthaBarks again. What a Talent. See you in Winnipeg, Lady @StrikeMovie 18 December, 2016 (No copyright infringement intended)

Russell Crowe And A Movie Copyright...

“So imagine his surprise when reported on Sept. 29 this year that the defendants were making a feature motion picture starring Russell Crowe, to be called "In Sand and Blood," based on "Skeletons on the Zahara. Crowe is not a party to the complaint.” Court House News Service, 17 December, 2015.

I found this interesting article in Court House News Service, an online news service based in California for lawyers about legal action involving US author Dean King and a movie company over a script called “In Sand and Blood”. The author is alleging the movie company is developing a script based on one of his novels “Skeletons on the Zaraha” without permission for copyright and without being paid proper compensation. The movie was to star Russell Crowe.

The Dean King novel “Skeletons on the Zaraha” has its own page on Wikipedia. Wikipedia states “Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival is a 2004 nonfiction book written by maritime historian Dean King. It is based on two of the survivors' journals, primarily Captain James Riley’s memoir Sufferings in Africa. To research the book, Dean King embarked on a National Geographic Society sponsored expedition to retrace the horrific journey of Riley and his crew across the Saharan ("Zahara") desert. A screenplay adaptation was in 2010 reportedly being written by Roman Bennett for Independent studios”.

Russell Crowe wrote about and published photographs of his research for his role in the movie on his official Twitter account in September, 2015. He visited the outback of Australia and the coast in north-west of Western Australia. Russell has previously shown an interest in the story of shipwrecks and their survivors, in particular the Australian story of the Batavia, off the coast of Western Australia.

I certainly hope the copyright issues between the author and the movie company are resolved and the movie gets made. Sounds like a very interesting story indeed.

‘Not So Fast, Author Tells Film Companies.’ By Matt Reynolds in Court House News Service, published on the 17 December, 2015. (no copyright infringement intended)

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A bestselling author claims in court that a movie in the works, "In Sand and Blood," starring Russell Crowe, is a knockoff of a nonfiction shipwreck book it took him 11 years to write.

Dean King sued IM Global, a Los Angeles-based film financing company; the Independent Film Company, of London, England; and its CEO Luc Roeg, in Federal Court.

King demands $5 million, claiming the movie is based on his 2004 book, "Skeletons on the Zahara."

The book tells the true tale of American sailors on the cargo ship Commerce, who were shipwrecked in 1815 off the coast of Africa. They were captured, sold into slavery, beaten and starved. "Through the efforts of Commerce Captain James Riley, many found their way to freedom," Dean says in the Dec. 15 complaint. "The dramatic narrative details Riley's incredible physical and emotional journey ... with his Arab captor, Sidi Hamet, [who] led both sailors and captors on a hellish two month journey to freedom through the heart of the Sahara desert. Riley's and his crew's stories later influenced Abraham Lincoln's views on slavery."

Lug Roeg, best known as a producer and assistant director of the 2011 film "We Need to Talk About Kevin," is the son of Nicolas Roeg, whose cinematography work includes "Lawrence of Arabia," "Fahrenheit 451," "Performance," and "The Man Who Fell to Earth."

King claims that Lug Roeg "undeniably, substantially, wilfully and admittedly" used his book as the basis for the coming film.

"Defendants did not obtain King's permission to copy 'Skeletons on the Zahara' and do not intend to compensate King or give him any credit whatsoever for exploiting the copyright owned by Dean King," the 32-page lawsuit states.

King says his book was based on two memoirs: James Riley's "Sufferings In Africa" and Archibald Robbins' "A Journal Comprising an Account of the Loss of the Brig Commerce." Both works are in the public domain.

Roeg optioned film rights to "Skeletons" from King after a previous deal with production company Intermedia ended in 2006.

In 2008, Roeg entered into an agreement through Independent Film Company that promised King a minimum purchase price of $250,000 if the company exercised the option agreement; 5 percent of producer's profits; and up to $50,000 if a U.S. film studio co-financed the film, according to the lawsuit.

After hiring "Public Enemies" screenwriter Ronan Bennett to adapt the book and renewing the option for second time, the agreement to purchase film rights expired on Dec. 7, 2012, King says.

So imagine his surprise when reported on Sept. 29 this year that the defendants were making a feature motion picture starring Russell Crowe, to be called "In Sand and Blood," based on "Skeletons on the Zahara. Crowe is not a party to the complaint.

"In Sand and Blood" is in preproduction, according to movie industry website IMDb.

"At a minimum, defendants had access to 'Skeletons on the Zahara' through King's work with Independent and Lug Roeg. Further, defendants had access to King, his thoughts, his processes, his original research and all the previously consulting that was directly based upon his book," the complaint states.

King is represented by Chad Weaver, with Edgerton and Weaver, of Hermosa Beach, and Kevin O'Hagan in Chicago.

IM Global and Independent Film Company did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Wednesday.

"McCann Moves To Mainland"…A fan's response.

I was interested to read this interview with Sean McCann about his up and coming charity event and his visit home to Newfoundland.

It was good to see how positive Sean was and that it seems like he has finally moved on from all the negativity with Great Big Sea. Unfortunately he still couldn’t resist to take a little dig at his former manager and his former self about his previous perspectives about what was important in life and charity work.

While I have only been a fan for a couple of years, charity work for others has always been on the Great Big Sea agenda, before and after the great big break up.

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to see Sean McCann, Mark Critch and a few other notable Newfoundlanders at a charity event in St. John’s. It was great to see Newfoundlanders who perhaps don’t get credit or recognition for their achievements receive it. The event brought the community together and raised a lot of money. This is only one event Sean and the other members of Great Big Sea have done over many years.

It had been a long time since I had laughed and cried so much in a couple of hours. The event certainly challenged the many romantic notions I had about Newfoundland and Newfoundlanders and gave me an education on some of the issues that affect their day to day lives. I also got to achieve one of my personal dreams of seeing him perform in St. John’s.

So Sean McCann, please give yourself a break.

The article has been circulated on my Google + page for those fans interested.

“McCann moves to mainland.” By Tara Bradbury published on 10 December, 2015 for The Telegram. (no copyright infringement intended)

After 20 years in the music industry as part of Great Big Sea and a handful more as a solo artist, Séan McCann came to a realization. His personal epiphanies have been well-documented over the past couple of years, but this one was career-focused.

Séan McCann has found his way to Ontario, but will return home next week for a special performance with members of the Easter Seals.

Even when you’re one of the province’s most recognizable and best-loved musicians, it’s hard to make a living in the industry when you’re based on the island. So he moved away.
As of the past summer, McCann and his family are officially residents of Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa. He says he has played about 60 shows since then, including gigs on his fall “You Know I Love You” tour.

“I can drive an hour in any direction and play a show,” he says. “I miss Newfoundland, but I wasn’t getting the work. I love what I do and I want to keep doing it, and it’s important to be able to do it without the heavy travel expenses.”

McCann’s not gone forever, though, and will be back in St. John’s next week for a performance with members of Easter Seals at the Sheraton hotel on Thursday. As he did last year, McCann will share the stage with some Easter Seals participants at a luncheon event that will raise money for the organization’s various programs.

McCann was introduced to Easter Seals about three years ago, having been invited by music therapists to work with some members of the organization.

“To be honest, my former self would not have done that. My former manager wouldn’t have looked at the request, so I wouldn’t have even seen it,” he says. “I was blown away. They melted my heart, and it needed to be melted at that moment. They have really had an effect on the decisions I have made ever since. They moved me in a really deep way.”

At Thursday’s event, McCann will perform with Anna Santos, Ashley Martin-Hanlon, Olivia Ash, Evan Mullins and Kyle Hannames, in what he expects will be a “heart-bursting” show.

“One of the cool things about Easter Seals is they help all kinds of people. They each have unique challenges, so it’s about not thinking in terms of disability, but in terms of different abilities,” he says.

McCann has fully recovered from surgery on his throat, which he underwent in Toronto in June to remove a cyst from his left vocal chord. The cyst had been causing him pain and forcing him to use more effort than usual to sing over the past four years or so, and he says he’s been singing like he did 20 years ago ever since.

While he’s touring, he’s writing, and has learned how to self-record. After his recent tour, he had about 200 voice memos saved on his phone; snippets of new songs.

“Every tour for me leaves a vapour trail,” he says. “Songs come to me from a sort of peripheral vision. I’m driving around myself, looking at everything and not stuck in a tour bus like I used to be, and I’m letting those experiences wash over me.”

McCann plans to go to the Banff Centre in the spring to finish writing, and hopes to record a new album sometime after that.

“The challenge is helping yourself,” he says, repeating the mantra to which he has been devoted over the past couple of years, and which inspired his “Help Yourself” album in 2014. “I still have stuff to say, and I’m finding my way. But I’ll be back home for anyone who needs me.”

Alan Doyle, The Beautiful Gypsies And Tis The Season 2015

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle Loves a gig at Home. Heading down to SmilingLandFdn Rockin Big Give tonight. Yeha 28 November, 2015 (from the official Twitter account of Alan Doyle. No copyright infringement intended.)

"Big Give big success." from the The Telegram published on 29 November, 2015 (no copyright infringement intended)

"This year's Rockin’ Big Give was sold out and successful Saturday night.

Proceeds raised from the Smiling Land Foundation’s event will go to the Rainbow Riders and Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador".

Among the night's entertainment was Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Gypsies. The Telegram was among the event's sponsors.

Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies at Mallard Cottage the following night...

A totally gorgeous photograph of Alan Doyle and friends at Mallard Cottage on the 29 November, 2015 for another good cause.




Alick Tsui @positively4ever Boys are back in town #fundraising Mallard Cottage @alanthomasdoyle Great food + songs for good cause. 29 November, 2015. (No copyright infringement intended.)





Paul Kinsman@Paul Kinsman Immortalised by @markcritch #awesome @alanthomasdoyle @kendelcarson @coreytetford @mallard_cottage 29 November, 2015 (No copyright infringement intended.)

Alan Doyle on the BNL Silverball Tour 2015 in Eastern Canada Part 2…some great reviews and other info.

I have just finished researching the rest of the professional reviews and fan material of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies on the Barenaked Ladies’ Silverball Tour in eastern Canada earlier this month. This post includes reviews from the Ontario part of tour and concerts in London, Toronto, Hamilton, Oshawa, Kitchener, Peterborough and Ottawa and a belated review from the Calgary concert. There were some wonderful and thoughtful comments and amazing photographs shared via a range of newspapers and other online music blog sites.

I have also included a mention of Alan Doyle’s From The Road entries on his official webpage as these provide an interesting perspective of what was important from musician's point of view on the tour.

As a researcher and fan I always find it interesting to read what songs and moments touch concert goers and reviewer’s souls during a concert. The first article “Barenaked Ladies – Massey Hall, Toronto” by Jesse Espana published in Lithiummagazine.com on the 16 November, 2015. Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies were only briefly mentioned and she did not mention the appearance of Dee Snider except in setlist encore either. However, the reviewer did write about the appearance of Ed Robertson’s two sons who joined him on stage for a song and a comprehensive set list of songs including the encore which gave readers an idea of the songs both old and new that were played. I have copied the setlist below for interested fans.

Although not a review, the article “What happens when the Barenaked Ladies add a Twisted Sister?” by Joe Warmington published in the Toronto Sun, on the 20 November, 2015 provided an insight into how Dee Snider managed to appear on stage at the Barenaked Ladies concert at Massey Hall in Toronto on the 13 November. There are quite a few videos of Dee Snider with the Barenaked Ladies singing “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” on YouTube which was really fantastic. I have previously circulated a copy on my Google + page.

The second article “Music Review. Alan Doyle and the Ladies put on a show” by Lynn Saxberg published in The Ottawa Citizen on the 22 November, 2015 wrote about the final concert in the Ontario section of the Barenaked Ladies with Alan Doyle tour. The reviewer had some very nice, but very true words to say about Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies. “Alan Doyle’s terrific opening set would have been difficult for a lesser band to follow. The gregarious singer-songwriter ramped up his dynamic performance even more than usual, refusing to waste a second of his precious stage time. His enthusiasm had everyone in the crowd on their feet by the second tune”. The rest of the Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies comments are posted below.

The third article “Barenaked Ladies and Alan Doyle an All Canadian Concert Experience." by Jason Clevett was published in online magazine gaycalgary.com in November, 2015. Again some kind words about Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies. This article was retweeted by Alan Doyle on his official Twitter account. After reading this article I began to really regret that I did not travelled to Canada to see these two awesome bands play together. Next time for sure.

Alan Doyle wrote a From The Road post for his official webpage titled ‘YYT’ posted on the 16 November 2015. He reflected about the role of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies as an opening act and his relationships with the Barenaked Ladies during a delay in St. John’s. This part is about singing Lovers in a Dangerous Time, one of my favourite songs. “…When Ed asked me to sing Lovers in a Dangerous time with them, he wondered if I knew it. I answered honestly. ‘Ed, I figure I’ve been singing that song about two weeks less than you.’ I started singing that song in pubs the moment I heard it first. One of my fav covers of all time…It has been positively surreal some nights to stand on stage with them and be treated like an equal and a pal. I am a lucky bastard. ” Alan attached an awesome bootleg video from one the concerts to the post. The rest of the post and a link to the video is on his official webpage.

As with the previous posts, I have copied only the parts relevant to Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies due to copyright. For fans interested in the Barenaked Ladies part of the concert I have shared the reviews where possible on my Google + page. To the best of my knowledge these reviews were also shared by the official social media accounts of the musicians involved and some fans sites.

"Barenaked Ladies – Massey Hall, Toronto." by Jesse Espana published in Lithium Magazine Online on the 16 November, 2015.

“…BNL brought open Great Big Sea‘s Alan Doyle out to help with Lovers in a Dangerous Time and it added that much more to the song. Robertson’s two sons came out for Keepin’ It Real as one joined Hearn and Robertson on guitar and the other sat behind a miniature drum set next to Stewarts. Robertson joked that they couldn’t be a band forever and that their kids could potentially become to next touring line up for BNL. For Roberton’s eldest, who was mentioned as having his first shift at his first ever job, it must have been quite the week. The accompaniments made the music more enjoyable and fun.

The peak of the performance came with If I Had $1,000,000, alongside Alan Doyle and his backing band. The crowd waited patiently for it and were ready when it hit. Everyone sang and danced and were on the brink of holding hands as if the whole hall turned into a campfire singalong.


Setlist:

Get Back Up

The Old Apartment

Odds Are

Gonna Walk

Matter of Time

Brian Wilson

Narrow Streets

Lovers in a Dangerous Time (w/ Alan Doyle)

For You

Falling for the First Time

Did I Say That Out Loud?

Passcode

Keepin’ It Real

Duct Tape Heart

Pinch Me

Big Bang Theory Theme

One Week

If I Had $1,000,000

Barenaked Rap

Encore:

Drawing

Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)

We’re Not Gonna Take it (w/ Dee Snider)”


“Music Review. Alan Doyle and the Ladies put on a show.” by Lynn Saxberg from the Ottawa Citizen online published on the 22 November, 2015.

“….A big bonus was the opening act: Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle unfurled a crisp set of his solo material with a handpicked band he calls the Beautiful Gypsies (renamed the Beautiful Tipsy’s in honour of the tour’s conclusion). More about them in a moment…

Towards the end, they brought out each member of Doyle’s band to play on various songs, including the talented fiddler, Kendall Carson, culminating in a mass singalong of If I Had a Million Dollars that featured all members of both bands, as well as the audience. The grand finale was a face-melting double punch of an encore that included Drawing, a song from their children’s album reinvented as a Stooges-like screamer sung by Stewart, and the classic Zep tune, Rock and Roll.

Alan Doyle’s terrific opening set would have been difficult for a lesser band to follow. The gregarious singer-songwriter ramped up his dynamic performance even more than usual, refusing to waste a second of his precious stage time. His enthusiasm had everyone in the crowd on their feet by the second tune.

With fiddle, accordion and mandolin players on stage with him, Doyle clearly hadn’t lost sight of his folk roots, although the focus was on his original material. Long hair flying, the grinning Doyle sang with gusto and was bouncing with energy as he tore through I Can’t Dance Without You, the GBS song, When I’m Up, and So It’s Gone. There was a brief change of pace for the poignant Laying Down to Perish before the band settled into the electric-guitar crunch of I’ve Seen a Lot, letting their rock flags fly. Another highlight was the recent single, The Night Loves Us, one of Doyle’s first songs to be played on U.S. radio….

A couple of other GBS songs also made it into the set, including Ordinary Day and Sea of No Cares, as well as a rendition of Happy Birthday for a fan, plus a guest appearance by Barenaked Ladies’ Robertson on accordion, sending up a rollicking version of 1 2 3 4”.

“Barenaked Ladies and Alan Doyle an All Canadian Concert Experience." by Jason Clevett published in gaycalgary in November, 2015.

“...There are few Canadian bands that have enjoyed the longevity and success of The Barenaked Ladies and Great Big Sea. The future of Great Big Sea remains in doubt with the recent departure of Sean McCann, but Alan Doyle continues to make music. Put the charismatic Newfoundlander on the bill with one of Canada’s most entertaining live acts and you were guaranteed a good time. Which is exactly what the Calagary audience at the Jubilee Auditorium November 1 got.

Doyle, touring behind his second solo album So Let’s Go, blended solo songs like the stunning Laying Down to Perish and Testify from his first solo album Boy on Bridge with GBS hits like Sea of No Cares and Ordinary Day. Backed by his Beautiful Gypsies Doyle brought the energy level up for evening, wrapping things up with having Ed Robertson join him on the finale 1 2 3 4. This was Doyle’s second visit to Calgary this year, having headlined the Jack Singer in March, and he is always a pleasure to watch...”

I have included a copy of this absolutely drop dead gorgeous Alan Doyle selfie taken outside Massey Hall in Toronto before the concert. The photograph is from the official Twitter account of Alan Doyle. No copyright infringement intended.



Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle This fella. This place. Tonight. Thank u. 13 November, 2015.

Fan Friday…Russell Crowe responds to a fan’s request…

Yesterday, two short bootlegs of Russell Crowe’s special appearance at Hugh Jackman’s new show Broadway To Oz emerged from the fandom. Russell and Hugh performed The Confrontation from Les Miserables. Russell then performed Folsom Prison Blues (for the men who may have been dragged there because of their musical theatre loving partners). 

While bootlegs of either Russell Crowe or Hugh Jackman singing are not unusual or even Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman singing a song together on stage (Hugh Jackman was a special guest at one of Russell Crowe’s Indoor Garden Parties in New York and they performed The Confrontation together) these bootlegs are indeed extremely special.

The two short bootlegs were taken by a fan in Australia for personal use. One bootleg was load up on YouTube and retweeted by Russell Crowe after being spotted and shared by another fan. The bootleg was less than 2 minutes and in my opinion did not breach copyright as it was only a really small portion of the performance and was Hugh introducing Russell.

The fan then tweeted Russell Crowe’s official Twitter account and asked permission if she could load up a version of Folsom Prison Blues he performed and she recorded. Russell responded and said yes to the delight of many of his fans in his Twitter village. Russell retweeted the bootleg links and said thank you. The fan with a keen interest in environment issues had one of her tweets retweeted by Russell. 

The fan who took the bootlegs was not a regular YouTube user and was concerned with copyright laws and that the videos may be taken down (to her credit). Despite reassurance from an American fan who stated “I can’t speak for Russell, but we take vids & pics of everything and share with him. He’s unusually cool about it” the fan still waited.  It was interesting to read the Twitter responses and difference views these two fans have about ideas on copyright laws and bootlegging in different cultures, America and Australia.

I disagree with the American fan and their view Russell likes fans bootlegging and taking pictures without consideration. I don’t think Russell Crowe or his friends like their content and hard work being recorded for anything other than personal use and distributed without their consent. 

Although it is clear they like some bootlegs, under certain circumstances, Russell has in the past (according to reports) asked fans not to bootleg and take pictures at Indoor Garden Parties in America and Australia. Despite his requests, fans, and often the people who call themselves the biggest fans just ignored them.

I was thrilled to see the fan (who lives in Australia) was concerned about copyright, asking permission and was not influenced by what an American fan said and did in regards to bootlegging and copyright issues. 

The fan in Australia showed respect for the artist and musician and for the copyright law and property of others and was responded too. I think Russell responded because it must have been a breath of fresh air having someone take bootlegs and ask to permission to distribute them and in particular a bootleg that did not breach copyright. The bootlegs and the action was great publicity.

The bootlegs in my opinion did not breach copyright because they were only a portion of the songs performed.

These types of interactions inspire fans hopefully to do the right thing about bootlegging in the future. 

This will ensure our favourite musicians and artists continue to do their work and continue to make a profit for them, their families and the industries in which they work. And we the fans will continue to be entertained.  

The videos links are available on Russell Crowe’s official Twitter account.  

Alan Doyle And The Beautiful Gypsies…The year that was in tour posters (2015)

I was doing some research for some review posts about the year that was, when I found some tour posters advertising the concerts Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies had this year. What a lot of concerts they did and an amazing year it has been for Alan Doyle and his band. The So Let’s Go album was released in late January 2015 and immediately after Alan and The Beautiful Gypsies hit the road touring across Canada.

However, as well know performing in concerts were not all they did. Alan and The Beautiful Gypsies also attended festivals throughout the Canadian Summer, made a short trip to the United States and Europe, gate crashed some pub gigs of their musical friends, performed at a wide variety of charity events, made a TV special for CMT in Toronto and even performed at a funeral service for a music hero. They were also, of course, most recently, the opening act for Barenaked Ladies.

Alan also did heaps of personal appearances and did meet and greets at nearly all of his concerts which made a lot of fans very happy.

Noticeably absent from these posters is the concert Alan and The Beautiful Gypsies did in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

I love these posters. I put them here to remind fans (and myself) how hard Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies worked this year in bringing their brand of music magic to fans around the world. 

As always no copyright infringement intended.

Alan Doyle...My Favourites For 2015 Are…

The winners and runners up of my favourite fan and professional photographs, videos and reviews as voted entirely by me…the fan.

Many thanks to Alan, all the professionals and fans who generously share their words, stories, photographs and videos online.

My favourite Alan Doyle tweet from his official Twitter account this year is…

In response to a fan’s question today…

How do you not let negative things get to you? I can’t seem to let go of my ex and how bad he made me feel? Any advice?

Alan’s response…

Hmm…I have been very lucky and been treated well so I don’t know for sure. But I have lots of negative thoughts just like anyone, I suppose. The best day has something bad init. The worst day has something good. I also think happiness is not something we should wait on…I don’t think it comes to anyone, rather it comes from us. We make it, ourselves? Not sure honestly, but that’s what I think lately. Hope this helps. Cheers.

My favourite Alan Doyle official social media account…

My favourite Alan Doyle official social media account goes to Instagram. Every photograph he posts on there is a gem. I of course love the selfies, but also love all the photographs he takes of Newfoundland. He can do no wrong.

The winner of my favourite Alan Doyle fan photograph is…

Alan Doyle at a public appearance (21 November, 2015)

Alan Doyle performing with Cory Tetford and Kendel Carson at an appearance at Sunrise Records, Carlingwood Shopping Centre and generously shared on the Great Big Sea Online Kitchen Party Facebook page published on 22 November, 2015. The photograph and a bunch of others were taken by Nancy Kelly of Ottawa, Canada. No copyright infringement intended.



(No copyright infringement intended)

The winner of my favourite Alan Doyle fan videos are…

‘Sonny’s Dream’…Alan Doyle’s tribute (21 November, 2015)

Alan Doyle performing with Cory Tetford and Kendel Carson at an appearance at Sunrise Records, Carlingwood Shopping Centre published on the Great Big Sea Online Kitchen Party Facebook page published on 22 November, 2015. The video was taken by Nancy Kelly of Ottawa, Canada.

‘Never Had’… New York City (Alan Doyle and Oscar Issac) (30 April, 2015)

‘Never Had’ was performed at the New York City Winery show. The video was recorded by concert goer dagalagas and shared on YouTube.

The winner of my favourite Alan Doyle professional photographs are…

Alan Doyle at the Hagersville Rocks Music Festival (25 July, 2015) by Dwight Edwards.

There was a review of the festival and a large inclusive collection of photographs published in the Hamilton Rock and Country Magazine online. The photographs were taken by the brilliant Dwight Edwards and generously shared via social media. This is probably the best photograph of Alan Doyle on stage I have ever seen. As always no copyright infringement intended.



(no copyright infringement intended)

The winner of my favourite professional Alan Doyle videos are...

1, 2, 3, 4 (Alan Doyle with Ed Robertson and The Beautiful Gypsies) (3 October, 2015)

Paper and Fire (Alan Doyle with Cory Tetford and Kendel Carson) (26 January, 2015) for the National Post

The runners up of my favourite professional Alan Doyle video is...

The Night Loves Us (Alan Doyle with Cory Tetford and Kendel Carson) (19 May, 2015)

Forest Festival (Alan Doyle, Cory Tetford and Kendel Carson)

The video was taken by newspaper staffers Matthew Desrosiers and attached to the newspaper article “Forest Festival experience a hit despite rain” by Mark Arike. The video was taken of Alan Doyle, Cory Tetford and Kendel Carson on a platform on a lake against the sun setting using a Great Big Sea classic and a new Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies song.

The winner of my favourite professional concert review is…

The Barenaked Ladies + Alan Doyle & The Beautiful Gypsies at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on October 26, 2015 by Andy Scheffler for the Concert Addicts webpage. I thought this review and photographs were really well done.  

A Community In Their Own Words (And Images)…revisit.

I really should say thank you to all the people who visit my site and read my blog. Just when I think I am all out of something to write about someone checks out an article written long ago that inspires an idea still relevant today. The post “A community in their own words and images” was posted on March 6, 2013 nearly two years ago, about boundaries and community voyeurism. The post is about who should share stories and how outsiders (foreigners) intrude on a community and the lives and the activities of its citizens and share it without asking and without any consideration for ALL those involved.

This paragraph is from the post published on March 6, 2012,

"...As much as fans like me love hearing about what our favourite guys have been up to during their hiatus from Great Big Sea, when do we over step the boundaries and become invasive and voyeuristic? Basically I believe I had no right to be there even though it was bootlegged by @lyndahere at a respectful distance. It was an American determining what the world should see about this community. And although the bootleg was primarily about Alan Doyle performing it was also about the community as well. The bootleg allowed people who did not attend and who were not part of this community to make comments about the community. Lots of images were also copied of this video and circulated. I believe those involved in a fundraising community event should determine what they want to share and how it should be shared whether via the traditional means of newspapers, radio or television and through social media. There are some things that should remain private and within the community. Because the person doing the performing is well known doesn't mean it should be circulated. And if they choose not to share events with the world then that is their choice and it should be respected."

It has been a very sad yet interesting story following the celebration and mourning of the life, music, illness, death and funeral of a man that had so much influence on musicians and artists in the Newfoundland community Ron Hynes. The story I have been following has been one mainly told by news outlets and some social media posts from many perspectives including the family, community members, music fans, and the Newfoundland musicians and artists whose work he influenced. The articles created by news outlets have been really inclusive of all and have most generously, kindly and respectfully shared their stories through words, music and photographs.

It was the Newfoundland community sharing and telling a story how they wanted to tell it, reaching people like me thousands of miles away on a different continent. While I am one of the first to admit I am not familiar with Ron’s music, I am familiar with its legacy on some of the musicians and artists from a place I know. Like a lot of others it has inspired me to go and research this Newfoundlander's contribution to music on the world. And these actions of fans have attracted a lot of criticism from those in the music industry in that it should be done during the life rather than the death of the musician and artist. A fair enough comment too.

One of the most interesting and wonderful stories was how the family of Ron Hynes and the local community chose to share the celebration of his life and music with the world. They most kindly invited all of those interested in attending the funeral service to join them. This event was covered by the local media including television, live streaming, social media and newspapers. The program, words, stories and songs were shared so beautifully and respectfully on social media around the word. As someone on social media pointed out this was very gracious of the local church conducting the service to break all the rules and let this happen. And this is where it should have ended.

One of the things that struck me most about the Newfoundland community in my journey through this fandom is that they are in all people who are very proud and love to celebrate and share their history, their culture and their stories when and how they wish. However, they also love their privacy as much as the next person. They don’t often share a lot of what happens in their community via the usual means of social media that I have been able to see. Maybe it is the age group of the people I am interested in and their use of social media. I respect their choice whether or not to invite people in through whatever means they want.

However, not all people understand and respect that choice about who determines the sharing. Lynda Elstad or Lynda Here as she is known on social media (and her friend Dr Christina Templeton) attended the funeral and a post funeral reception allegedly for the community. Lynda Here took photographs and bootlegs of the performances and later shared them on social media even though the service was broadcast by the local media. She wrote on her Facebook page “The closing song of Ron Hynes’ funeral service – which so fittingly and not one bit surprisingly turned into a group sing-a-long – from my own vantage point in the Bascilia…” Lynda Elstad failed to mention in the description that she and her friend Christina Templeton were in the front row of the service where they are most concerts they attend. They were not family members or Newfoundlanders and to the best of my knowledge did not know him.

Lynda Elstad and I am assuming Christina Templeton then attended a post-funeral reception in which members of the Newfoundland music community paid tribute at a local hotel. I didn’t hear anything or read anything about this event until Lynda Elstad started peddling the bootlegs she took on her social media accounts. Lynda Elstad stated this event was open to the public (after the event). While she advertised the funeral service on all the media outlets she never advertised the post-funeral reception. She then had the nerve to attend and take some bootlegs of all the performances. They were peddled via her own social media pages (including Twitter and Facebook) and the Great Big Sea Online Kitchen Party on Facebook. Surely musicians and artists can have a get together without her bootlegging and distributing them via social media.

Again it is kind of patronising not to advertise things to community members and then take photographs and bootlegs and peddle them via social media. There was more than enough information shared through social media and the traditional means and that is where is should have stopped unless it was arranged by those involved.
The post I wrote “A community in their own words” post on March 6, 2013 is copied below. I have not included two newspaper articles and some photographs from the original post about community choice in sharing what happens in a community.




Lynda Elstad and her friend Dr Christina Templeton front row at the church service. The photo was taken by a local media outlet.

A community in their own words and images… March , 2013

Our beloved Great Big Sea is taking a hiatus and its members Alan Doyle, Bob Hallett, Kris McFarlane and Murray Foster are busy with their individual projects. For those of us who follow Alan Doyle on social media know he has been writing and producing music for his next album and has been doing his community work for great causes. Causes close to his heart and home and sharing them on social media and in the traditional media along with other members of the community. These included the Bannerman Park skating loop, a school fundraiser, raising awareness and funds for the Shorefast Foundation at Fogo Inn on Fogo Island Newfoundland and a speaking engagement at the Newfoundland Hospitality Conference in Gander.

Alan Doyle, The Bannerman Park Official Facebook page, the schools involved social media pages and community have shared some beautiful photographs and words from the events. Alan Doyle shared some photographs and words on his official webpage Alandoyle.ca, and via Twitter. Other participants in the Shorefast Foundation event on Fogo Island including photographer BrianRicks@BrianRicksPhotos shared some amazing images on Twitter and on his official photography site of a working kitchen in black and white. There was also an article in the local media about Alan’s attendance at the hospitality conference copied below. Together the community created and share the stories in a way they wished to share.

@lyndahere was also there at the Bannerman Park skating loop opening and at a school fundraiser bootlegging and taking photographs which she loaded up onto her YouTube site and shared links to via Twitter and social media. Although I did not pay to go to the school fundraising event, I did watch a 15 minute video of Alan Doyle performing some people’s favourite songs including Thunderstruck by ACDC and Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield. It was I must say Alan Doyle with Stickman Tak (his guitar) at his best, informal and funny in front of his home crowd and among friends and family. Alan Doyle was totally brilliant.

As much as fans like me love hearing about what our favourite guys have been up to during their hiatus from Great Big Sea, when do we over step the boundaries and become invasive and voyeuristic? Basically I believe I had no right to be there even though it was bootlegged by @lyndahere at a respectful distance. It was an American determining what the world should see about this community. And although the bootleg was primarily about Alan Doyle performing it was also about the community as well. The bootleg allowed the world in fact, and people who did not attend and who were not part of this community to make comments about the community. Lots of images were also copied of this video and circulated. I believe those involved in a fundraising community event should determine what they want to share and how it should be shared whether via the traditional means of newspapers, radio or television and through social media. There are some things that should remain private and with the community. Because the person doing the performing is well known doesn't mean it should be circulated. And if they choose not to share events with the world then that is their choice and it should be respected.

Between The Rock, The Telegram And A Response...

From The Telegram Newspaper in St. John's posted on November 21 2015...

A response to the following article...

YouTube user BetweenTheRock has posted a video of Alan Doyle and the Barenaked Ladies giving an onstage tribute to the late Ron Hynes.

The concert was at Peterborough Memorial Centre Friday night, the day after Hynes died.

"Sending the late, great Ron Hynes off with a song: Alan and fellow Newfoundlanders Cory Tetford & Paul Kinsman (the latter a longtime member of Ron's own band), along with the rest of Alan's Beautiful Gypsies, are joined by members of Barenaked Ladies to honour the memory of Newfoundland's own dearly loved and recently departed Poet Laureate with this heartfelt, moving rendition of the Master Songsmith's most famous song," wrote Between The Rock

"Cheers to Ron, and Godspeed."


More on this later…

This is not the original post I wrote. It was edited after sleeping on it. So here we go and as I have said before bugger the consequences. As a fan of anything I really don’t like the nagging feeling I am being conned. There are times on this journey where I have really felt like I have been conned as a fan into buying something that really isn’t genuine, honest and right up front. And today that feeling came back. It was a little thing really and not really important in the scheme of life I guess. Lynda Here on Twitter…

Lyndahere  1/2 Oddest convo at recent gig (well, odd…”oddest” sets a high bar). Gal next to me feels the need to show me every @alanthomasdoyle tweet… 20 November, 2015

Lyndahere 2/2…response she’s gotten, back to 2011. Saved ‘em all she has. Proof of how special she is to him, they are. Smile, nod, sip the drink. 20 November, 2015

Christina Townie to LyndaHere Were there a lot of them? :p 20 November, 2015

Lyndahere to Christine Townie There were a pile of them ! Granted, many were “Wicked” or “Cheers”, but it took some time to get through each & every one. 20 November, 2015 

Other fans and I have noticed Alan Doyle hasn’t responded to LyndaHere’s endless tweets on Twitter for over a year. Which I gather resulted in the above tweets describing her interactions with the fan above that is tweeted. Although after this post I suspect she will be acknowledged.

LyndaHere in the past has attacked fans on Twitter (under her real name which were later deleted and under I would like to allege fake accounts) for the way they use Twitter to interact with Alan Doyle. It is kind of sad really that two mature aged women like LyndaHere and Christina Townie (Christina Templeton a doctor and surgeon from St. John’s) who have more than most seem upset by a couple of tweets from Twitter.  It didn’t show a lot of respect for another fan and something that had made her really happy.

I believe that if we find something really dreadful then we don’t engage with it full stop. No ifs, buts or maybes. I gather Alan Doyle doesn’t like her constant in his face photographing and bootlegging regardless of the circumstances. I don’t like it either. Neither do other fans. However, he has on occasions shared on his official Twitter account and Facebook account over the past year her bootlegs and responded to fans who share them to him especially of material he doesn’t have copyright too. His friends share them on Twitter too. 

Again yesterday Alan and some of The Beautiful Gypsies shared on their official social media accounts a bootlegged video of Sonny’s Dream, a tribute bootlegged by LyndaHere loaded up on her YouTube account Between The Rock. The bootlegged video has attracted thousands of hits. Interestingly enough while acknowledging the greatness of the Newfoundland musician who wrote and played the original song LyndaHere did not share a bootlegged or pirated video or any article that was not her own. Sad and disappointing as Newfoundland music has been recorded and shared significantly on YouTube and in other places.

The tragic loss of a beloved creative artist will be felt by the community in which they lived and worked long after their death. While tributes in death are all well and good, perhaps the greatest honour a music fan can give a beloved singer and musician who has died under tragic circumstances is to let their music speak for themselves in the way they intended. Not someone’s interpretation or an interpretation shared through a bootlegged video of an interpretation. The singer and musician’s own interpretation of their music that will live on long after their death more than any interpretation.

Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies sharing bootlegs and pirated material via another person and not acknowledging the author LyndaHere sends mixed messages about criminal stalking, pirating and bootlegging to the fan community. Putting a different cover on a bad book doesn’t make a bad bootleg video look like a better video to watch. 

From reading the Great Big Sea Online Kitchen Party Facebook page there is a big section of the fan community who doesn’t like this behaviour and that of LyndaHere either. The likes on this Facebook page generally state that material both photographs and video recordings need to be collected under the right ethical and legal conditions for fans to watch it, like it and share it. Those fans should be proud of their actions and participation in the fandom. And while her bootlegs seem to attract thousands of hits via YouTube this is not generally reflected in the acknowledgement on the fan page.

I certainly understand the reasons why Alan does this and shares some of LyndaHere’s bootlegs even if he really doesn’t like it. He explains this in his book ‘Where I Belong’ about learning to work with tough guys and bullies from an early age. “It was a lesson I never forgot: don’t be afraid of tough guys. You need them and they need you” page 114. One of the aims of my blog recently has been to show there is enough professional and fan generated material around in that Alan doesn’t have to work with tough guys and bullies. 

Recently Alan Doyle retweeted on his official Twitter account one of LyndaHere’s illegally recorded pirated videos (from the television and recording facilities of her friend Christina Templeton in St. John’s) of him singing the Canadian anthem at a hockey game in St. John’s, Newfoundland just before the beginning of this tour with the Barenaked Ladies. The pirated video had a different tweet cover on it and was not the original sent by LyndaHere. I noticed after that incident then next time Alan sang the official anthem at a hockey game in Edmonton the telecast of the anthem was cut from the official broadcast for whatever reason. Perhaps this reason is that broadcasters of hockey games don’t like their material being pirated and distributed either. And LyndaHere told us she was not close enough to bootleg it.   

As readers of my blog know I find LyndaHere’s methods of bootlegging and illegal pirating totally immoral and unethical. She seems to have thousands of dollars at her disposal (for which there is no explanation of how she gets access to this money, whether it is legal and who exactly pays for it). This tour of Alan Doyle and BNL would have set her back and those paying for it thousands of dollars. And there seems to be very little output.  

However, she manages to attend nearly every performance of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies no matter where in the world they are playing. There seems to be few fans interested in raising questions about the legal, ethical and moral obligations of this behaviour. It seems totally acceptable to criminally stalk someone everywhere they go publically and to take videos and photographs and share them on social media. And anyone who does raise issues is called a troll. There is no concept of asking permission or paying for a license as they are suppose to under the law.

As the readers of my blog know I don’t like the bootlegs distributed by LyndaHere because they are in my opinion not genuine concert bootlegged videos of genuine concerts goers but an amateur plant in the audience whose position has never been clearly explained. I don’t like the quality, the quantity and the way they are collected. But that is nothing new.

I also believe Alan Doyle doesn’t like them either, in particular those of material that is his own and copyrighted owned by others. However, under specific circumstances he does like and circulate bootlegged material he performs that is not his own copyrighted material including that of LyndaHere. Unfortunately. 

In 2012, I wrote on this blog “@lyndahere Music Marketing, Bootlegging and Hypocrisy (revised) published on 9 October 2012 where LyndaHere had bootlegged an entire charity event for Ron Hynes when he was diagnosed with cancer. She put up her videos in competition to an album that was going to be made to support the musician and his family during his recovery. This in my opinion was the lowest of the low. It just wasn’t one or two videos but the entire concert. I found them totally offensive that she would film at such events and without the permission for those who held the event and then peddle them to the artists involved. What got lost to her was that the concerts were for very sick people. Not one of the artists responded to her about the videos. She wants to get the video at all costs and to me if that is the case then it really isn’t good enough for me and for a lot of fans. 

Alan Doyle On The BNL Tour 2015...Some great reviews in Eastern Canada.

"There was a kitchen party in downtown London on Thursday night, thanks to Great Big Sea's long-haired and huge-hearted fella and his band of Gypsies".

“ My favorite performance was “If I Had $1,000,000”, collaborating with Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Gypsies. There was an extreme sense of unity, with such a large amount of people on the stage playing at once, and it was so heartfelt and beautiful"….

I do love professional reviews, photographs and occasionally a bootlegged video... some reviews I found off Alan Doyle’s official Twitter account, Barenaked Ladies fan sites and my own research. Where possible I have circulated the reviews on my Google + page but keep a copy of the Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies comments here too.

Although technically not on the eastern section of the BNL Silverball with Alan Doyle tour I found this review from the Medicine Hat concert on Halloween. This review contains a special gem I think, in the form of a bootlegged video of the Barenaked Ladies and Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies performing the song If I Had A Million Dollars.

If you are a fan and follow Alan and The Beautiful Gypsies on social media you will know they dressed up in their costumes to celebrate Halloween. I have included a photograph from Alan Doyle’s official Twitter account of him and The Beautiful Gypsies in their costumes. So much fun.

Finding this article and bootleg is one of the reasons why I find researching so exciting. I love looking for and finding something outside the usual source of professional and fan supplied words, photographs and bootlegged videos that fits in with my personal philosophy on how information should be gained and shared.

Many thanks to all the reviewers, music lovers and concert goers who shared their words, thoughts, photographs and even an occasional bootleg with us the fans. As always no copyright infringement intended.


Medicine Hat at the Canalta Centre

“The Barenaked Ladies and Alan Doyle Delight Hatters At The Medicine Hat Canalta Centre” is by The Hatting Blogger for the webpage Medicine Hat Zine. I have copied the comments about Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies here. This article does not seem to be able to be shared via any other means other than Facebook so it hasn’t been circulated.

…“It was easily one of the most nostalgic and fun concerts that I have been to. The Barenaked Ladies and Alan Doyle are veteran Canadian musicians. Despite their many years as entertainers they do not cut corners when it comes to making sure that their audience feels as if the show is just for them. Personally I think that these little extras really made for a one of a kind music experience!

Overall just another fantastic concert at Medicine Hat’s new Canalta Centre!”…




From the Alan Doyle official Twitter account Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies. 30 October, 2015 (no copyright infringement intended)


Toronto at Massey Hall

This article "Alan Doyle with Barenaked Ladies at Massey Hall" by Gemma Mastroianni was circulated by Alan Doyle on his official Twitter site. I have copied the comments about Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies here and circulated the full article on my Google + page.

There are some great photographs of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies along with the Barenaked Ladies attached to this article.

I also really liked the mention of The Big Bang Theory song which the Barenaked Ladies wrote. The Big Bang Theory is one of my favourite television shows. "A great additive to the show was the playing of “The Big Bang Theory” theme song. Robertson said he was aware that some fans were offended by the theme song due to beliefs, so he said he made a different version to fit their beliefs, and simply said “God Did It”, then went on to sing the actual song".

"Alan Doyle with Barenaked Ladies at Massey Hall" by Gemma Mastronianni Gemma Mastroianni. 15 November, 2015 for LiveinLimbo.com

…"When “Lovers In A Dangerous Time” came on, the band brought opener Alan Doyle back out to join them for the song, and it was a breathtaking performance with cool blue lighting. The emotion and passion you could sense during the performance was amazing, and it touched my heart. There was also a great unity between Doyle and the band...

My favorite performance was “If I Had $1,000,000”, collaborating with Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Gypsies. There was an extreme sense of unity, with such a large amount of people on the stage playing at once, and it was so heartfelt and beautiful"….

London Budweiser Gardens

"Alan Doyle's kitchen party warms up Budweiser Gardens for Barenaked Ladies" by James Reaney. The London Free Press. 12 November, 2015.

There was a kitchen party in downtown London on Thursday night, thanks to Great Big Sea's long-haired and huge-hearted fella and his band of Gypsies.

Alan Doyle, best known as the singer for the N.L. rockers, brought his new band The Beautiful Gypsies and hits from the Sea songbook and his own career to the party.

Toronto's Barenaked Ladies followed as headliners at the RBC Theatre at Budweiser Gardens show.

Doyle also brought plenty of London lore to the gig.

“I've never had a bad night in London,” said Doyle who figured he first played here in 1994.

“Maybe some bad mornings,” he added after a pause.

The party had plenty of singalongs to Great Big Sea hits including Ordinary Day and When I'm Up, with many of the 2,000 fans in the crowd on their feet by the end.

Songs from Doyle's solo career such as So Let's Go – that title was also spelled out on the drummer's bass drum – and The Night Loves Us also showed well. Doyle's mime in demonstrating how he finally located The Night Loves Us, his first U.S. chart hit, by scrolling down and down the online Top 40 was a great bit of physical comedy and career pride.

Also great fun was his recollection of the iconic London club, Call The Office. Doyle said he drove by the 216 York St. rockspot on his way to the downtown London arena on Thursday.

“I think my coat is probably still in there, along with some other things,” he said to laughs. “Like my innocence” was the punchline.

Doyle admitted he was “stifled” (speechless) for only the fourth time in “26 years” on stage after that jest.

Helping out with the finale was BNL's frontman Ed Robertson who co-wrote that new hit 1,2,3,4 with Doyle. Robertson rapped with amusing speed and helped lead the “one-two” “three-four” shouts and responses.

He also reminded Doyle he had forgotten to introduce one member of the party on stage – Alan Doyle. Barenaked Ladies were to hit the stage about 8:50 p.m., half an hour after Doyle & Beautiful Gypsies' 50-minute set.