Great Big Sea Bring Down Webpages and Social Media Accounts…A fan responds.

Recently on The Online Kitchen Party (A Great Big Sea Community Forum) fan page, a fan posted that Great Big Sea had brought down their official webpage, closed their online store and social media pages. The fans took to the post to express their views on these developments. The action took some of the fans (including me) totally by surprise, while other fans were expecting it and this was just another step to the end of Great Big Sea. 

Most recently the Great Big Sea webpage was being used to advertise the personal projects of Alan and Sean while the members of the band sorted out their future. However, the webpage also contained song lyrics, From The Road blog posts and still sold merchandise.

I personally found the Great Big Sea webpage and in particular, the From The Road blog posts by Alan, Sean and Bob a great source of information about what happened with the band and on personal projects over many years. The posts were written in their own words, from their own perspectives and contained some personal photographs not available elsewhere. I used some of them for my posts on this blog when I started to write around the theme of Throwback Thursdays.

Now unfortunately a large percentage of that information will be lost and the Great Big Sea story will be told mostly from the perspective of fan blogs which can be biased in their interpretation of events and the photographs and videos they take. Although some fans have suggested webpages from the site can be accessed through an archive site I have not used it.

Great Big Sea band member Bob Hallett who views posts and responds to comments on the fan page implied the webpage had been removed because Sean McCann (who had left the band) wanted them removed. Many spoke of their appreciation by Bob of keeping the fans up to date with what was happening behind the scenes.

I agree with some of the fans who believe that if Sean McCann wanted to leave the band that is all good and well and we wish him well in his solo career and personal life. But he should not try and ruin the future for the rest of the band and the fans through any way he can including not cooperating and preventing the band legally from continuing. The rest of the band should be able to continue on the path they choose including creating more music and touring.

Some fans believed Sean McCann had been thrown under a bus so to speak. I believe the only person who threw Sean McCann under a bus was himself by refusing to move on and allowing others whether they be the band members or the fans to move on without him. In the beginning I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and try and be supportive, even defending him and his actions on occasions, but it has now been several years since he left and after last weeks developments I now have lost all patience with him.

I had not been overly impressed with a lot of Sean McCann’s new music, his actions towards the remaining members of Great Big Sea after his departure and his constant bashing, not only of his time in Great Big Sea and their management but also the fans who listen to music in general throughout the media. It is time for me to move onto other more positive music experiences and there are plenty to be had whether it be in Newfoundland and Canada or anywhere else in the world.

Kendel and Kris Help out Fellow Musicians…

A few weeks ago Kendel Carson and Kris MacFarlane from our Beautiful Gypsies helped out fellow musicians, the Canadian band Spirit of the West at their final concerts at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia. I am the first to admit I am not familiar with their music, just their reputation as one of Canada’s finest folk music groups so I will not attempt to write anything about them. I did read some wonderful stories and some kind words that were shared from those nights. There were several great interviews, reviews from newspapers and online music blogs of these concerts accompanied by some fabulous photographs and some wonderful videos shared on social media. Musicians and fans alike paid tribute by sharing their thoughts on the band’s contribution to Canadian music and their final concerts through their social media sites.

Spirit of the West posted a reflection titled “Only in Vancouver” published on 19 April 2016 on their official webpage plus three wonderful photographs. The final paragraph from the post…“…And our community of family, musicians, and friends who built the first generation of totally, truly and utterly Canuck rock stars. Then I looked forward and saw my bandmates, a small cadre of the finest people I have ever known, who toiled and laughed and cried together for three and a half decades. Our brotherhood will live on well beyond our life on earth, through our families, through our music, and greatly through you our incomparable fans…”

There is a wonderful and thoughtful collection of articles from the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, by Marsha Lederman that included an interview prior to the concerts, a review from a concert, and a collection of official videos including one from the final concerts in Vancouver.

The first article “With front man John Mann battling early-onset Alzheimer’s, Spirit of the West prepares for its final gig” by Marsha Lederman and published on 13 April, 2016 writes about the lead singer John Mann’s battle and decline with Alzheimer’s and the decision by the band to play their last concerts together in Vancouver on April, 13, 14 and 15 at the Commorode Ballroom. The journalist sent questions in advance and the band members responded which included talking about the highlights of their music career together, reflecting on the importance of their life, their decision to play on, accommodating a lead singer who is battling Alzheimer’s and what it is like to be a friend witnessing all this happening.

The second article is “The Review: Spirit of the West gets a proper send-off with hometown finale” also by Marsha Lederman and published on 15 April, 2016. The article discusses John Mann’s battle with the early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease, his performance at these final concerts, her admiration for his final performances, the extraordinary moments she experienced and the reaction of the fans and the band. There was a lot of praise for our Beautiful Gyspies, Kris MacFarlane and Kendel Carson who had stepped in to help out. A quote from the review… “But of course the tune the crowd was waiting for was Home For A Rest. What to say? It was everything both band and fans could have hoped for – transcendent and jubilant. The crowd sung along to every word and pogoed like it was the 90s and they (we) were 25 years younger. Kelly twirled his flute like a baton and did a proper rock star jump off the drum riser to bring it all home. It didn’t even feel sad, which was amazing. This, however, kind of did: “Thank you guys,” Mann said after the sea of applause. “I love you.” The review has been circulated on my Google + page.

The final article “The Spirit of the West: An audio guide to their long, concluding journey.” also by Marsha Lederman and published on 18 April, 2016 provides a collection of official videos to send them off on their way. I really loved all of these videos from their early music to the last video from the final show in Vancouver. I have circulated this article on my Google + page and some of the videos.

There is a wonderful collection of nine photographs from the April 15, 2016 concert of John Mann, Kendel Carson and a full stage shot of all those that played in band and the fans at the online site Providence. The photographs capture the love and energy that John Mann has for performing and making music. “Photos Spirit of the West at the Commodore, Vancouver, 15 April, 2016” is available from the online site The Providence with the photographs by staff photographer Gerry Kahrmann. I have included a copy of this photograph below and the article is circulated on my Google + page.

While there are lots of concerts reviews I chose to include this one titled “Spirit of the West and Odds @ Commodore Ballroom April 15 2016” by Andy Shafter at the online site Concert Addicts because of the amount of detail he wrote about what happened during the concert and the wonderful collection of photographs taken. I will conclude with these comments about the final moments of the concert. “They came out again for one more encore, “Throw Your Arms,” which seems fitting given the free-range hugging going on all night. At the end Kelly summoned all the bands members to the front of the stage, where they bowed a few times, and left the stage one final time for the evening. It was absolutely wonderful. On the way out the room, everyone got a commemorative poster as well – super class act. Gosh what a night. Emotions were right up there among everyone, players and crowd – I can’t even imagine what they were like at the final performance Saturday. This band has left a massive legacy and will leave a big hole in Canadiana now, but man, what a group of guys. I can only hope they are wonderfully satisfied with their career and feel the love the country has for them. One of the greats”.

Reading these articles I have come to admire not only John Mann but Spirit of the West and their friendship and loyalty throughout these tragic events. It certainly makes me appreciate the simple things in life like good health and mental well-being.

This photograph is by Gerry Kahrmann of The Providence of the April 15, 2016 concert by Spirit of the West at the Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver. (No copyright infringement intended)

Juno Songwriter's Circle (2016), LyndaHere and Some Bootlegging...

Today I am disappointed to say that Alan Doyle chose to advertise his recent Juno Songwriter’s Circle appearance by distributing a bootlegged video of his song Laying Down To Perish by long time Great Big Sea pirater and bootlegger Lynda Here or Lynda Elstad. The Juno Songwriter’s Circle was recorded by CBC Music on CBC Radio for airing on April 1 and 2, 2016.

It is apparently the anniversary to this tragic event in Newfoundland. While this event certainly should be recognised it should be done using the quality legal content it deserves.

The bootleg was recorded by Lynda Here for her YouTube site Between The Rock. Lynda and her friend and patron Dr Christina Templeton paid hundreds of dollars in airfares, hotel accommodation, tickets to the Juno Songwriter’s Circle and the awards night for these events. Money I am sure could have gone to more worthwhile causes in Newfoundland.

Although I have not watched the videos, some fans told me they were not of the best quality and full of static. This seems to be a common problem with Lynda Here’s bootlegs. And despite bootlegging concerts for nearly 15 years she still hasn't got the knack of bootlegging a quality performance. She has at times used this trick as a threat when her ‘work’ continually goes unacknowledged. There are legal quality videos of this song available so I really don’t understand how this would contribute to any kind of publicity or new understanding. Usually she shows some restraint before distributing bootlegged copies of content recorded for programs. But I guess her lack of acknowledgement by Alan Doyle is getting to her.

Perhaps once people have heard Alan Doyle will not tune in to the rest of the program. This is of course not the first time Lynda Here and her friend and patron Dr Christina Templeton have been involved in bootlegging and pirating content that takes listeners and viewers away from CBC content creations and as a consequence professional publicity and advertising revenue.

Again CBC Music uses taxpayer dollars to create content that supports Canadian artists and musicians making quality products and publicity but also record it's music history. Alan Doyle would of course be a draw card for that event on the radio. He also received a substantial amount of the publicity from these events.

The number of hits and listeners who tune in and show support and as a result create advertising revenue to create more content. While fans clearly prefer legal content there will always be those fans who don’t and as a result their interest will not be recorded in CBC stats. Public funded creative content holders deserve and need the loyal support of the public.

Finally, I don’t really understand why people can’t wait to see legal content in all its glory anymore and to have the need to discuss it endlessly on social media. I always find any legal content well worth wait.