Long ago I had an ambition to be a journalist. I even studied sports journalism at university for a semester but hated it. So that was the end of my ambitions to be a journalist. I have always been an information junkie and loved to research and write even though I am not really good at it. Blog writing fulfils those research and writing ambitions and interests that are fun.
When you have been dismissed as having nothing of interest to say on social media, then having a say becomes important. Having a say isn’t just about identifying what is wrong in my part of the world, defending those I love or standing up for others I love, it is about recognising what is good, wonderful and exciting too. And there is plenty of goodness. Writing this blog is also about telling a story.
One of the most important aspects of me writing a blog is education. If I can get someone to think about something for even just for a minute or hopefully for a bit longer, to be critical of what they hear and see that influences them to change their behaviour to make someone’s life a little bit better, that is a good thing. On some days it feels like I am swimming against the tide and almost drowning but then I come up for air and all is right in the world.
The post that had a 1000 hits was about the Great Big Sea break up. I have reposted it here for people interested in reading it.
Great Big Breakup...some reflections posted on 12 February, 2014.
A lot has been said about the decision by Sean McCann not to tour with Great Big Sea any more. When Sean announced his decision before the last leg of the tour he refused to elaborate at that time. Sean’s parting gift a song called ‘Farewell My Old Friend’ was placed on Sound Cloud and fuelled a lot of rumours by fans. It is several months since then. Sean has released another solo album ‘Help Your Self’, and has done a string of interviews with various media including radio, newspapers and television to promote it. He elaborated on the reasons behind his departure from Great Big Sea.
In an interview with Melissa Tobin on CBC Central Morning Newfoundland and Labrador (4 February 2014) Sean discusses his decision to leave Great Big Sea (paraphrased).
…”Great Big Sea hadn’t been focusing or agreeing on things in the same way we had which is natural and normal. For the past five years it had been an uphill battle on getting anything done and we agree on things using a consensus and we didn’t see things in the same way… After three to four years of trying to push a rope around, the best thing to do was for me to remove myself from the situation. We decided on this last January... At the end of the tour we didn’t actually talk about it or didn’t address it all…Great Big Sea has a specific mandate and is more of a brand than a band. When bands make it big they tend to become more brands than bands. As a song writer I had difficulties in being in the confines of a very structured band…
He goes on to make some very interesting comments about the role of managers, agents and record companies and the future of music in influencing his decision to go it alone.
In an interview with Bob Mersereau for East Coast Music CBC New Brunswick, Sean McCann said on leaving Great Big Sea (4 February 2014),
“Leaving Great Big Sea is discussed in detail in Wish You Well, a classic break-up song except it's a band, not a lover: "I don't care to start a fight, don't care who was wrong or right, but I'm not gonna waste another Saturday night pretending we're all right." McCann is quick to point out it's not a personal attack in any way at his bandmates, but more at the music business in general, and he was thinking as much about Steve Jobs, Apple and iTunes changing that business as he was about leaving the band when he wrote the song. He says the split came a year ago: "Last January, we sat down, we'd done a big tour and made the box (the 20th anniversary collection, XX), but we couldn't agree on a number of things. We weren't going in the same direction, and its not a good time (in the music world) to not be focused, so I just felt it was the best thing for all of us, and we all agreed, that I remove myself."
In the interview in The Telegram in St John’s with Tara Badbury Sean McCann said….
“Over the past five years, McCann says, he found himself focused on different things than his bandmates, and it became a source of frustration. He struggled to get his ideas in line with theirs, but in the end, it didn’t work”...
“I’m not comfortable delivering the same message over and over. From what I hear, from smart people who are business people, branding is all about staying on message and Great Big Sea has been really successful at that. I’m not as interested in that anymore”...
He hasn’t had much conversation with the other guys in Great Big Sea, but insists they’re not enemies, just ex-partners. He chuckles when he mentions his departure from the band didn’t make it to the news section on their website”...
“My departure was really met with silence. There was nothing. That hurt a bit,” he says. “I don’t know what the reason is for that, but fair enough. Maybe feelings were hurt, I don’t know. I’m over it now. I wish them the best, I honestly do, and knowing Bob and Alan, they’re already well on their way.”
Leaving the band is like getting a divorce, in more ways than one, McCann says, and he’s having a hard time letting go.
“Maybe me exiting that band will be the best thing to ever happen to it,” he says. “When I was the most useful and the most happy in Great Big Sea was when I could contribute songs and we did a lot of work, but that faded away over the last five or six years. The stuff I was interested in went away.
“I don’t know where this will go, but what’s important to me is this reality,” he explains. "That there’s truth in it and that I’m saying something that means something larger. Is it brave or is it insane? I don’t know. As proud as I am of being in Great Big Sea, that’s not the only legacy I want to leave behind.
(The interview from the Newfoundland Herald was not available online to the best of my knowledge).
While Sean McCann made comments in the article about his departure not being mentioned on the official Great Big Sea webpage, the Great Big Sea webpage posted a picture and link to Sean McCann’s new album on the 29 January 2014. “The wait is over! Sean McCann’s new album, Help Your Self is available. Head to greatbigsean.com to order now and in case you missed it check out the video for the title track”.
On Twitter Alan Doyle contacted Sean McCann congratulating him on the release of album. @alanthomasdoyle “Congrats to @greatbigsea on the launch of the new CD today. Check it out at greatbigsean.com”. @greatbigsean responded “thank you @alanthomasdoyle…for everything. 29 January 2014.
Alan Doyle commented briefly on Sean's new album in an interview he did for kickasscanadians.ca on the 8 February 2014 “At the moment, Great Big Sea is taking a hiatus so they can recharge from their XX Tour and deal “administratively and creatively” with the fact that Sean McCann recently left the band (totally amicably, for the record). “We’re all kind of going back to our solo personal projects, whether it’s music, or movies or management” says Alan. “Sean just released a record last week called Help Your Self that he made with Joel Plaskett’s that’s super awesome...the remaining members have no plans to disband, but they are looking forward to a breather”.
But the biggest surprise for me came from Sean McCann himself after I watched the Help Your Self movie on YouTube to supplement the newly released album. Sean McCann further elaborated on his departure and relationship with Great Big Sea. He stated he was no longer a ‘shareholder’ in the band and there may be a possibility of them working together in the future.
For fans like me who love Great Big Sea in their purist form we can continue to hope there will be a reunion and some new music in the future, possibly.
