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.