'A Newfoundland Themed Event Night'... A reflection (46/365)

Recently the new ice hockey team in St. John's, the Newfoundland Growlers asked their followers on their official Twitter account an interesting question 'What are YOUR must-haves for a Newfoundland themed event night?'

After reflecting on the question about what I know about Newfoundland and researching Newfoundland kitchen parties on the Internet I still can't answer the question. 

All I could answer was that I didn't want to do something that perpetuated a stereotype and in particular a negative stereotype of something which didn't actually exist. So I still have some work to do on this one. 

The post is from the official account of the Newfoundland Growlers. No copyright infringement intended. 

Robin Hood, Russell Crowe, The Merry Men And A Sequel... (45/365)

With the release of a new Robin Hood the fans have been revisiting and re-watching the version with Russell Crowe and Scott Grimes, Alan Doyle and Kevin Durand. The movie is one of my all time favourite movies.

Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Scott Grimes also couldn't resist a trip down memory lane sharing posts via their official Twitter accounts. I think the fans (including me) generally agree that there should be a sequel.

I read quite a few reviews of this movie. The review I liked the best and agreed with the majority of points made is 'Robin Hood': Film Review' by Kurt Hunycutt published on the 14 October, 2010 at the HollywoodReporter.com.

The following points made by the reviewer should be in my view be elaborated on if there is ever going to be a sequel.

Agree...

"...Heroes and villains align themselves without any likelihood of confusion, but you do wish Scott and Helgeland spent more time with Robin and Marion and less on politics. You'd like more scenes of them together pretending to be husband and wife while getting to know each other as man and woman..."

Agree...

"...Crowe's masculine swagger is certainly matched by Blanchett's feminine bravado. She's his match any day. This is the heart of the movie but it beats too faintly..."

Agree... (in particular about the Merry Men, Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand and Alan Doyle)

"...Perhaps this film downplays Friar Tuck (Mark Addy), the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen) and the Merry Men (Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand and Alan Doyle) at its peril. The scheming barons, royals and turncoats would be more at home in Blanchett's Queen Elizabeth series than a Robin Hood movie..."

Agree...

"...Yet Scott has an eye — and it's a very good one — for sieges of castles, charging horsemen, hand-to-hand combat, glistening swords arcing through the air and deadly arrows whistling toward helpless targets. Streitenfeld's full-bore, multi-theme score beautifully enhances the visual splendors in John Mathieson's graceful cinematography while the stunt work, CGI and visual effects are all first class..."

I have copied a screen shot of two of my favourite photographs from the movie. No copyright infringement intended.

I have also circulated the movie trailer for this version of Robin Hood on my Google + page for those fans interested. 

More Canadian Musicians Speak Out About Making A Living In 2018... (44/365)

Yesterday an article by a Canadian musician published in an online newspaper was shared on social media which describes the impact of music streaming on the ability of musicians to make a living.

From the responses to the shared social media post I am still surprised at how many so called music fans are not aware of how their subscriptions to music streaming services are affecting the musicians they profess to love. Many don't realise that the music streaming services pay the musicians nothing or very little. 

I am also surprised by so called music fans who wear their using music streaming service subscriptions as a badge of honour in support of music and musicians.  

Personally I will not use any streaming services including those for music as I believe they do not adequately pay musicians for the content they are providing. While I do listen to YouTube I always try to listen to music and watch music videos that are from official sources and mainly to see if I would like the artist or musician. If I like them I go and buy their where legal music is sold.  

I have copied the article shared below. It was was edited briefly for copyright reasons. No copyright infringement intended. 

I will let the Canadian musician Danny Michel speak for himself about the impact of streaming on the music industry as he sees it. 



'A peek behind the curtain: The expiration date on music according to Danny Michel' by Danny Michel published in The Vancouver Weekly on 20 November, 2018.

"I’ve been a full-time musician for 25 years. It’s been nothing but hard work, but I love hard work. My songs bought my home, my studio, paid the bills and more. Through it all, the conversations backstage with other musicians have always been about music, family, guitars, friends, art, etc… But in 2018 that conversation changed. Everywhere I go musicians are quietly talking about one thing: how to survive. And I’ve never worried about it myself UNTIL 2018. What I can tell you is my album sales have held steady for the last decade until dropping by 95% this year due to music streaming services.

Note my earnings for “Purgatory Cove”: this song has been in the TOP 20 charts (CBC Radio 2 & 3) for 10 weeks, climbed to #3. In 2018 that equals $44.99 in sales.

I know I’m not alone. As a result bands/musicians are downsizing, recording at home, cutting corners where ever they can. Studios are losing business. Session musicians, techs, administration, grant writers are all losing work. And with every band in the world back on the road, venues are clogged and ticket prices have tripled. For me, it means being away from home and taking on more work than I ever have.

From the conversations I’m having I believe that statistic is much much higher. Over the last few months, I’ve spoken to many brilliant life-long musicians who are quietly beginning their exit strategy. I fear musicians are reluctant to admit any of this because so much of this industry is perception; the illusion is that an artist’s career is soaring when really, it might not be. Having to be the constant used-car salesman, manager, admin person AND travelling artist (while in survival/panic mode) isn’t healthy. Yet, you can’t afford to hire anyone.

Social media makes it all worse and as a fellow musician pointed out, streaming services shame artists with the pressures of how many “likes,” “streams” and “followers” they have.

No one needs to feel sorry for me. This is what I do. And I’m not scolding anyone or suggesting people stop using these services. I don’t know what the answer is. But I hope musicians speak up about what’s really happening. Music fans deserve to know how this all works and why the artists they love may soon be gone.

This new model of “free music” simply can’t last much longer."

Russell Crowe And 'Singing With A Privilege'...Throwback Thursday (43/365)

With the release of a new Robin Hood movie recently there has been a renewed interest in the Russell Crowe version with his friends and co-stars Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes and Kevin Durand.

Fans have been reflecting and re-watching this movie and sharing their thoughts on social media. This version of Robin Hood still remains one of my all time favourite Russell Crowe movies along with State of Play. The renewed interest inspired me to go have a look and see what I could find out about the movie. 

In April 2010, Russell Crowe announced on his official Twitter account after the completition of the movie and prior to it opening the Cannes Film Festival that him and his friends and co-stars were planning to sing on the Spanish Steps in Rome as part of the publicity on the 15 May, 2010. 

They sung Beautiful Girls. And what a wonderful performance that was too.

While there are many photographs and videos taken by fans who shared them via social media I found some awesome photographs taken by some professional photographers and shared via Getty images which I absolutely adore. 

The photographs are by Ernesto Ruscio and Andreas Solaro. No copyright infringement intended.

(photo credit Ernesto Ruscio)




(photo credit Andreas Solard)



(photo credit Ernesto Ruscio)

Alan Doyle And A Great Big Thankyou... (42/365)

Alan Doyle posted a gorgeous photograph of his Beautiful, Beautiful Band and road crew and a great big thankyou on his official Twitter account.

Alan and his band played over 100 performances this year at a range of events including concerts, festivals and charity events making a lot of fans from around the world very happy.

I have circulated a copy of the official video of the song 'Come Out With Me' on my Google + page. As always no copyright infringement intended.

Fans And Concert Tickets... A reflection (41/365)

I decided to post this reflection after a lot of thought...and yes I expect some social media backlash !

Recently a fan asked the following question on Twitter... "Why are Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band tickets more expensive in Canada than the United States?" The fan responded by stating she believed was being screwed over when Canadians were paying more for tickets than those fans in the United States who paid less for smaller venues and in particular where famous celebrity friends turned up. (Those tweets can be found on my Twitter page)

The fan stated the reason she didn't post in a fan group was because she would be retaliated against. But when I answered with an explanation and for her to tell the musician she was complaining about to tell him to his face on his official Twitter account (as she was posting in his friend's timeline) that his concert ticket prices were too high, I was retaliated against not only by the fan, but some of the members of the group tagged in the tweet.

I was retaliated with blocking, name calling and trolling from the fan and members of the group. I was personally attacked and accused of being snappy, angry and making up false allegations about what the person had said even though I told the truth, said nothing offensive, did not call her a name and only posted for no other reason other than to provide an explanation and participate in a discussion about musicians making a living. The fan made a complaint to the musician accusing me of being a troll. It wasn't the first time I have been called a name by a fan when I had attempted to discuss something even remotely real with others in this fandom and it won't be the last.

I blocked the fan and members of the group tagged in the post who responded after they had participated in a discussion about the problems of being a musician and making a living to my face and then went back to the group agreeing with the fan describing my actions as unreasonable. It seemed reasonable to the fans they post off topic conversations about a friend of the person whose timeline they were posting in and in this case Russell Crowe. Some say the perfect definition of trolling. Some members of the group continued to encourage her trolling by posting likes on her tweets.

Today on social media it seems some fans ask questions and when they are provided with an explanation that does not support their view, in this case the fan was being screwed over by the musician they are attacked. Some members of the group will attack even though the fan posting failed to provide all the information and the information they posted was in fact not correct. Fans would not support musicians and buy concert tickets if they didn't think they were not getting a great deal.

The fan stated she felt she was getting screwed over when she was paying $96 dollars for a ticket to a concert in Canada and fans in the US were paying twenty something dollars. The first point is that demand drives supply. Fans wouldn't pay for concerts if they didn't think they were not getting a great deal.

Alan Doyle and his former band Great Big Sea are hugely popular in Canada and in particular in parts of Ontario. They have been going there for many years and have a reputation for putting on a great show. So there is a demand for tickets and they can charge more. They are less known in New York and some parts of the United States so they have to pick smaller venues and charge less. There is also stiff competition from other musicians and artists on the east coast of the US. The bigger concerts in Canada offset the costs of the smaller concerts in the US for Canadian musicians and groups travelling there.

The second point is the fan didn't say what concert tickets she bought at $96 and where she bought them from. I would like to state they were for a concert at a small outside venue in Niagara in the middle of summer. For as long as I have been writing this blog and following this fandom those concerts at this venue have always sold out really fast. Fans come from all over Canada and the United States for these concerts. The venue sells tickets and packages that include barbecues, dinner and wines. The fan didn't say which tickets packages she bought for her and her boyfriend who decided not to go.

During the summer Alan Doyle and his band performed at a number of festivals. Festival tickets are often more expensive because they cover some days and include access to a number of musicians and music groups. Often Alan Doyle and his band perform as support acts to other well known Canadian musicians and music groups. 

On one of those occasions the fan attended a concert in which the main act was Dean Brody and Alan Doyle and his band were the support act. Of course those tickets were going to be more expensive than those for an Alan Doyle concert alone. Alan and his management therefore do not determine what the cost of the tickets are.

To the best of my knowledge Alan Doyle did some free concerts. The fan to the best of my knowledge went to some of those off setting the prices of the more expensive.

The third point is that Alan Doyle does a number of concerts throughout Canada in concert venues. These are mainly during the winter months and at venues with allocated seating. Prices of seats are more expensive right at the front and cheaper further back. From social media posts the fan likes to get tickets in the first row so they would be more expensive than those concerts further back. But all concert venues allocated seats according to their position in the venue.

The fourth point is the fan stated she wanted Alan Doyle to do smaller venues in Canada and in particular Ontario. While some Canadians won't work for free or minimum wage they seem to find it acceptable that musicians and groups work for minimum wage or no profit to make some fans who like to 'get up close and personal' happy. Why should he when he does so much for fans already like sign things and organise meet and greets.

I responded to the fan's tweets by stating musicians and artists need to make a living and they do this where there is a demand for their concerts in their home country. The fan stated she would rather go to a smaller venue than a large one and sit home and listen to music on YouTube and Spotify.  It is well documented that musicians and artists don't make money from albums and digital sales and that their living comes from concerts and travelling.

The overheads of putting on a series of concerts in Canada and the United States are massive. The musician, his band, crew and management need to be paid. Venues and their staff need to be paid. The musician has to pay taxes, travelling expenses including a bus, accommodation, airfares and work permits and visas to get into the US and while playing small venues are a treat for fans they are not going to sustain a musician or group long-term.

With fans who bootleg and pirate concerts and share via social media continually make it a challenge for musicians and groups to keep coming up with something new for the fans every night. So the fact Russell Crowe appeared at the venue in New York was a coincidence. It also gives Russell a chance to enjoy playing music. I also made the point that many fans going to the smaller concerts in the US like the one in New York paid for travelling, accommodation and other expenses.

The final point is concerts are a luxury. Many fans don't have access to so many concerts as this one did without having to travel very far. This fan on many occasions only had to travel down the road. Many fans such as those living in part of the US, Australia and England don't get to see their favourite musicians and artists because it costs thousands of dollars in airfares, accommodation and tickets for us to go. 

As concerts are a luxury and I would be mighty grateful that I got to go to so many in my home province rather than be grumbling and complaining because I didn't get to see something other fans did like famous celebrity friend.

Splash 'N Boots Release New Album 'You Me And The Sea'... Official release (40/365)

As I have said many times on this blog, one of the reasons why I love researching and writing this blog is I never know what I will discover next, in particular music wise. And this time it was the new album from the Canadian children's group Splash 'N Boots called 'You, Me And The Sea'. Yesterday it was announced via social media the new album had officially been released. So I went to have a listen. And what an awesome album it is too.

Splash 'N Boots have been sharing the making of the album over the past couple of months on social media. They worked with Alan Doyle to co-write and produce the album. I have written a previous post about Splash 'N Boots working together with Alan Doyle on their new album called 'Alan Doyle, The Producer...Splash 'N Boots' published on the 18 October, 2018. 

After hearing a couple of tracks on the Splash 'N Boots official YouTube site I went and bought the album on Google Play straight away. Although technically I guess they are a children's group singing about songs that are relevant, interesting and uplifting for Canadian and Newfoundland children, but as an adult I found the songs all that and much more too. It is also not too often I find myself loving all the songs I hear on an album.

Alan Doyle features on a song called 'I'll Be The Captain'. I absolutely love this song. I love the language the group uses to sing this song. The language is how some Newfoundlanders really speak and write. There is also a song which features Alan's son Henry called 'Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor'. There is a cute little video of Henry performing with Splash 'N Boots circulated on their official Instagram account.

My favourite song from the album is called 'Lemonade'. Splash 'N Boots share the story behind this song on the official Splash N Boots Facebook page... "This song is based on a little girl named Neveah from Newfoundland who died at the age of 9 of cancer. Before she passed away, she raised thousands of dollars for other kids with cancer by selling lemonade from her lemonade stand. This story really hit us hard - to hear of someone with such a big heart. We wanted to capture what she stood for in the world through this song. Can't wait for you to hear it..." I remember reading about the sad passing of this little girl and her raising money for a good cause on CBCNL. 

I have shared the three songs including my favourite 'Lemonade' from the 'Splash 'N Boots' YouTube site on my Google + page.

If you love music and would like something totally different, uplifting and that makes you want to get off the couch, dance and have a good old fashioned sing-a-long go get this album. The album is available where all good digitial music is sold. 

These posts are from the official Splash 'N Boots Facebook page. No copyright infringement intended.




(photo credit Splash 'N Boots)

(photo credit Splash 'N Boots)

Canadian Music In Canada's Great Kitchen Party... (39/365)

Over the past couple of days Canada's Great Kitchen Party social media sites circulated a copy of the reports for some recent events. Canada's Great Kitchen Party highlights the best in Canandian food, sport and music and raises money for a variety of causes including Canadian athletes.

Over the past year many Canadian artists and musicians have been invited by Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo to be part of the entertainment for this event. Some of those invited include Ed Robertson, Barney Bentall, Tom Cochran, Geoff Kelly, Sam Roberts, Dustin Bentall, Kendel Carson, John Mann, Danny Michel and Alan Doyle.

Canada's Great Kitchen Party webpage states some of the proceeds from these events goes to providing ... "Musical instruments and equipment will be purchased for schools, enabling students to discover the magic of music. And kids will learn from leading Canadian chefs how to grow, cook and share healthy food to gain the skills and confidence they need to become the next generation of Canada’s food leaders." What a great cause indeed.

Alan Doyle helped provide entertainment at Canada's Great Kitchen Party events this year in Edmonton, Halifax and St. John's. I found some gorgeous photographs of the artists and musicians who provided the entertainment and have provided a couple of screenshots here.

The rest of the photographs of the events held in Canadian cities can be found at found at Canada's Great Kitchen Party webpage. No copyright infringement intended.




(photo credit Canada's Great Kitchen Party)

(photo credit Canada's Great Kitchen Party)

(photo credit Canada's Great Kitchen Party)

Alan Doyle And A Concert In New York 2018... (38/365)

This leg of Alan Doyle's 'Come Out With Me' Fall Tour in 2018 included a stop in Long Island, New York.

As regular fans know the New York concerts are always extra special because they never know which one of Alan's talented musician friends will join them, who may be working in the city at the same time. On this occasion it was Russell Crowe.

Again there were not a lot photographs shared on social media of Russell performing with Alan and his Beautiful, Beautiful Band. I waited a couple of days to see if any more appeared after the concert.

I have included some paragraphs from a newspaper article about the concert and a screenshot of a photograph shared on Instagram of Alan Doyle and Russell Crowe performing on stage at this concert. The newspaper article was edited for copyright reasons. No copyright infringement intended. 

'Russell Crowe gives surprise performance in Bay Shore' by Frank Lovece published on the 18 November, 2018 at newsday.com

"...I've just come from work. Sorry about the tracksuit," Crowe, 54, quipped in a YouTube video of his Friday performance with Doyle and the Beautiful Beautiful Band at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts. After a little more patter, the actor — who has been in Manhattan shooting the lead in Showtime's upcoming miniseries based on Gabriel Sherman's 2014 biography of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, "The Loudest Voice in the Room" — then played an acoustic guitar and sang the Kris Kristofferson-penned "Sunday Morning Coming Down," popularized in 1970 by Johnny Cash.

Afterward, Crowe and Doyle — a songwriting team since the early 2000s — performed a duet of Cash's 1968 hit "Folsom Prison Blues." Between songs Crowe told the audience, "I've been living in [sic] Long Island again. I lived here in pre-Biblical times," he joked, "when I was [playing] Noah," the title role in Darren Aronofsky's 2014 movie, filmed in Oyster Bay. "But, yeah," he continued, "I'm back on Long Island with my people."...

'I'm here till May," the actor said, going on to explain his somewhat puffy look onstage from his having been "wearing, like, 20 pounds of silicon prosthetics on my face at the moment to play Roger Ailes … It's very weird. I call it 'face jail.' I go to work in the morning, I spend five hours in the chair, they glue this . . . [expletive] to my face and I'm in face jail for about 12 or 14 hours."

The day after the gig, Crowe, who has starred in films including 2000's “Gladiator," 2001's "A Beautiful Mind" and the recently released "Boy Erased,"/ tweeted "A little casual in a track suit and a little rough around the edges due to no rehearsal or soundcheck, and the minor detail of never having done this particular song together... ever, but, any time I can get on a stage with @alanthomasdoyle is a good time."...

(photo credit sauronshadow)

Alan Doyle And 'The Come Out With Me Tour' (2018)... Photos of Alan and Whitney FTR (37/365)

After a very extensive search on social media (Twitter and Instagram) I could only find a couple of photographs of Alan Doyle and Whitney Rose together from this leg of the 'The Come Out With Me Tour' in 2018.

The fact there was only a very small amount of photographs taken of Alan and Whitney performing together and shared via social media says a lot about the magic that happened on stage during the performance and had the audience captivated. It is not very often there are very few photographs of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band performing with their guests on stage. If I find any more I will place a screen shot here.  

The first gorgeous photograph of Alan and Whitney exchanging hats was taken during the day of the second last concert and shared via the official Twitter account of AlanThomasDoyle. 

The second photograph of Alan, his band and Whitney was taken by a fan Gordon Rankin. 

The third photograph of Alan and Whitney performing together and shared on the official Whitney Rose Twitter account (and share without credit) was taken to the best of my knowledge by Lynda Elstad. No copyright infringement intended. 

(photo credit Alan Doyle)



(photo credit Gordon Rankin)




(photo credit Lynda Elstad)

Newfoundland Musicians Reflect On Ron In 2018... (36/365)

On the 19 November, 2018 some Newfoundland artists and musicians including Paul Kinsman, Barry Canning, Chris LeDrew, Cory Tetford and Alan Doyle reflected on the anniversary of the sad passing of one of their own, the great Ron Hynes three years ago in 2013 via social media.

I have included some screen shots of some social media posts. The posts are from the official Twitter accounts of the holders. No copyright infringement intended.

I have circulated two music videos of the awesome Ron Hynes singing 'Sonny's Dream' and in The Wonderful Grand Band singing the 'St. John's Waltz'.

Alan Doyle And 'The Come Out With Me' Tour (2018)...A review (35/365)

I found this great review titled 'Alan Doyle at the Brockville Arts Centre' by Elizabeth Szekeres published on the 16 November, 2018 on the online music site Roots Music Canada.

I have copied a couple of paragraphs about some of the highlights for some young fans from the review here for interested fans. The article was edited for copyright reasons. 

The full article is available at the following link... https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2018/11/16/alan-doyle-at-the-brockville-arts-centre/

"....The Brockville Arts Centre was all but sold out for this concert. Alan played a variety of tunes, some from his Great Big Sea days, some Newfoundland traditional tunes, and some new compositions. A very talented composer, and ever the hospitable Newfoundlander, Alan makes it his business to welcome his fans at every concert with his song “Come Out With Me:”

I spent my whole life waiting for tonight
Running from the devil in the middle of the deep dark sea
I hope you don’t mind if I ask you once or twice
Come on Come on Come out with me
Come on Come on Come out with me

It’s a rousing number, finely crafted by Alan to do exactly what he wanted, to welcome his audience and make them feel both excited to have a musical night out and completely at home at the same time. Trust a Newfoundlander to make that a reality.

Not long into the evening in Brockville, Alan directly engaged with the audience. He brought onto the stage a young girl who had a birthday. “Make my day!” her sign had read. Alan obliged, and she received vast hugs and fist bumps from all the band members. Another sign was from a five-year-old boy who wanted to request a favourite song. Alan promised it was coming up on the set list, and indeed, it was..."

This post is from the official Roots Music Canada Twitter site. No copyright infringement intended. 

Alan Doyle Helps Out A Young Fan...(34/365)

One of the reasons I love writing this blog is reading stories about fan's dreams coming true made possible by the generosity and kindness of the artists and musicians I am interested in and especially when they involve children and young people.

A young Alan Doyle and Great Big Sea fan decided he wanted to sing one of their songs Yankee Sailor for a local school talent quest song. His father contacted Alan via his official Twitter account who was only too happy to meet the young man, sing a couple of verses of some songs with him and have his photo taken with him. 

What a thrill for the young person and his family. Something the young fan and his family will remember for years. 

The tweets are from the official account of AlanThomasDoyle. No copyright infringement intended.  

Great Big Sea At The Danforth Music Hall 2012...Throwback Thursday (33/365)

Recently Great Big Sea fans reminded me that it has been just over six years since the first Great Big Sea XX concert at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto on the 4 November, 2012.

Photographs of set lists shared on social media inform me Great Big Sea celebrated the beginning of the year long tour celebrating their twenty years together by singing many of their fan favourites including Ordinary Day, When I'm Up, Goin' Up, The Night Pat Murphy Died, England, Sea Of No Cares, Good People, Old Black Rum, Consequence Free, Mari-Mac, Run Runaway and Excursion Around The Bay. They also played some new music including Heart of Hearts and Live This Life.

The concert was recorded by CBC Music. The music videos contain some additional comments from Alan Doyle and Bob Hallett. I have circulated some of the official music videos from the CBC music site on YouTube on my Google + page. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I have also included a music video of Great Big Sea being joined on stage by fellow musicians and friends, John Mann and Geoff Kelly from Spirit of the West singing Old Black Rum. They also sang one of their songs Old Station. Another friend Canadian musician Jeremy Fisher joined them for The Night Pat Murphy Died.

While researching the concert I found a totally awesome collection of black and white and colour photographs of many of the artists and musicians who have performed on the Danforth Music Hall stage including Great Big Sea. 

The totally gorgeous colour and black and white photographs were taken by Jeremy Abramowizc. I have included some screen shots of these photographs. No copyright infringement intended.




(photo credit Jeremy Abramowizc).



(photo credit Jeremy Abramowizc).



(photo credit Jeremy Abramowizc)

Russell Crowe And Alan Doyle 2013 Twitter Banter...Throwback Thursday (32/365)

Some totally awesome Russell Crowe and Alan Doyle Twitter banter from 2013 in honour of National Pickle Day...

The tweets are from the official Twitter accounts of Russell Crowe and AlanThomasDoyle. No copyright infringement intended.

World Kindness Day 2018...(31/365)

I have often found many inspiring things to write about on my blog by looking at Twitter hashtags and reading the responses. Today that hashtag is #worldkindnessday Tuesday 13 November, 2018.

Many fans of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band definitely make the world a better place through their love of concerts and music and their interactions on social media. Many donate and raise money by attending charity events supported by Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band.

Other fans support the Canadian registered 'A Dollar A Day' charity started by Alan Doyle with his friends Andrew Fury and Brendan Paddick. The basic aim of the charity is to work together with organisations who help people with mental health and addiction issues by providing funding.

Throughout my time writing this blog I have read and heard people with good intentions trying to work with organisations and people with mental health and addictions often say to those people who are suffering they are not alone. But the reality is there are many people suffering with their families who are alone through no fault of their own. Many people just don't know where to look and ask for help.

Today on World Kindness Day I am inspired by the act of kindness and sharing by the A Dollar A Day charity and one of their supporters. One of the things the A Dollar A Day charity do is share credible articles and resources associated with mental health and addictions.

Recently the charity shared an article that could make a real difference in someone's life who may feel they are alone. The article I found exceptionally helpful is titled '11 Things To Do When You Don't Have Anyone' by Sarah Shuster and published on the webpage The Mighty.com.

The list of helpful hints provided includes obvious positive things that do make a credible difference to someone's life like doing volunteering, seeking comfort with a beloved pet or animals or finding a support group.

However, there is some great advice to help people to weave their way through appropriate social media sites to find mental health and addiction support groups on Facebook and Twitter and to meet people through safe online sites. The Mighty.com is loaded with great resources and has also developed an app.

I have provided a link to the site here https://themighty.com/2018/11/i-dont-have-anybody-lonely-no-support/




Today on World Kindness Day one A Dollar A Day supporter and music fan was recognised for their kindness by Alan Doyle and Brendan Paddick in raising funds by making and selling gorgeous handcrafted items including bath items and now Christmas decorations. How rewarding for people to use their creativeness to make resources that can raise money for a worthy charity.

I have provided some copies of Twitter tweets from the official accounts of Alan Doyle and Brendan Paddock. No copyright infringement intended.

Miranda Mulholland, Canada And Copyright... (30/365)

Canadian musician Miranda Mulholland yesterday posted on social media that she had received a reply back from a letter she wrote to the Canadian Prime Minister about copyright reform, in particular to digital content. The letter was signed by hundreds of Canadian artists and musicians including Alan Doyle.

Miranda stated on her official Twitter account "the government's recently announced reforms of the board will cause our work to be valued in a much fairer way with a faster & more efficient board."

Miranda has worked with a huge range of musicians including Jim Cuddy, Steve Page and Alan Doyle And The Beautiful, Beautiful Band, on television shows (Republic of Doyle), Canadian movies (Maudie) and in theatre (Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre). She has her own boutique label Roaring Girl Records (Taylor, 2017).

Miranda is just one of many Canadian artists and musicians working with the government and industry towards changing the Canadian copyright laws. In September Canadian musician Bryan Adams gave evidence to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage investigating changes to the Canadian Copyright Act. He was advocating that more control be given to those content creators where the copyright has been transferred to others (Bliss, 2018).

As consumers and fans we want those creators we love (whether they be authors, artists, musicians or movie and documentary makers) to keep doing what they do and to be fairly paid for it. So what can we do as consumers to help content creators in Canada and other parts of the world make a living from their work in the digital age?

In 2017 Miranda Mulholland gave a speech “Redefining Success in a Digital Age” at the Economic Club of Canada about the impact of the digital age on artists and musicians including their rights and their ability to make a living from their creative work.

Miranda’s speech is available in full from her official webpage. I have provided a link to the site here for those fans interested mirandamulholland.ca/advocacy

I have copied a few paragraphs from Miranda's full speech from her webpage that relate to fans for example, how music services we use like YouTube and touring impacts on artists and musicians and how our actions can improve their creative work in the future. As a consumer we can assist artists and musicians by...

“...There are a number of best practices that every streaming service gives to artists and labels. These are ways that they want artists to reach out to their fanbase that they have built and to plug into the system. Fair enough. Make it easier for your favourite artists.

Here are some FREE ways to help.

- Be a tastemaker. Create playlists for events, road trips, friend’s birthday’s. Add your favourite artists.

- Write reviews and rate. Getting reviews and ratings helps shift algorithms in favour of artists, helps their work come up as “things you might like” and can give your favourite artists an edge in the very competitive granting and funding races.

Here are some PRETTY CHEAP ways to help.

- If you think you’re going to buy a record or you’ve been tempted by a great track in advance of its release, buy the record on release day. This can accelerate an album onto the front page of whatever service you use to buy music, which is an excellent advertisement.

- Buy merchandise. Show off your band love with a sweet t-shirt, poster, tickets. Go to live shows!

- If you love an album or a book, buy it and buy one to give to a friend.

- Subscribe to a music service. For the price of 1 album a month, you not only get millions of songs at your fingertips with no ads, but you also are making a difference. The revenue gap between ad based services and their subscriber versions is significant.(4)…"

We as fans can also be aware of the music services we use such as YouTube and Google and how touring impacts on artists and musicians…

"Let’s look at the biggest music service in the world – YouTube. Did you know that 82% of YouTube users use it for music? (3) It is supported by advertising and it is based on user uploaded content. But wait. Running a commercial site based on unauthorized uploading of copyrighted music is illegal, right?

YouTube says, it isn’t our fault – we are just the shop window. We didn’t put the items in the window, so we are not accountable for them. We are a passive intermediary. We are not liable for this massive copyright infringement.

But – once again – wait. A top brass at Google just bragged that “80% of all watch time is recommended by YouTube.” He explained that “Everybody thinks that all the music that’s being listened to and watched is by search.” But it isn’t, and in his words, “that’s a really important and powerful thing.”.

This means that YouTube actively directs consumers. This doesn’t seem all that passive to me. Zero accountability.

And when asked about the problem of low payments to artists, a Google executive said:

“It's important to note that on the concerns that have been flagged, there's no consensus even amongst the artistic community about the impacts of streaming and what they actually think about it or what they don't think about it. Every single time I hear a newspaper article about the reduction in royalty rates they're getting from streaming, I'll see another artist who basically says, “well, actually my royalty rates are pretty good”.

Well here’s a consensus. Your rates are the lowest in the world! Your revenue is built on the backs of other people’s talent and work and you refuse to acknowledge it.

Accountability means acknowledging value and compensating for it.

Here’s another solution musicians are presented with - Touring. So is Touring the Answer?

There are a lot of positives about touring, and you learn to find the bits you enjoy and make the most of them, but still – it’s work. Since the devaluation of music that has occurred in this new era of free, fans are more unwilling to pay for live music and the market is saturated with bands trying to eke out a living on the road.

Touring is also difficult for many artists. The framework doesn’t exist to support some genres - like hip-hop; it is unkind to people with families, to women. Loreena McKennitt - an artist/entrepreneur hero of mine, said that for artists like herself, touring was always a loss leader in order to promote her recordings. That has become entirely unsustainable.

She also points out that we should not be misled by equating fame with business viability as there are many famous people through the new technologies who are still unable to make a living….”

The speech was recapped in an article by an art's critic from the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail titled 'What happens when we starve our artists' by Kate Taylor published on 26 May, 2017 at the globeandmail.com. I have provided a link to the article here for those music fans interested. 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/what-happens-when-we-starve-our-artists/article35126623/

This post is from the official account of The Agenda with Miranda Mulholland discussing Canada's digital copyright rules posted on the 12 November, 2018. No copyright infringement intended.

References

Bliss, K. (2019). 'Byran Adams Calls for Copyright Reforms in Canada' published on 19 September, 2019 at Billboard.com.

Taylor, K. (2017). 'What happens when we starve our artists' published on 27 May, 2017 at globeandmail.com. 

Alan Doyle Sings With A Fan In Sarnia 2018... (29/365)

One of great thrills for a fan is getting to meet their favourite artist or musician whether that is through an official organised meet and greet, when they are out and about or after a concert.

Many artists and musicians are generous and kind when out and about and meet fans as they know how important they are to their success. Most artists and musicians spare a few minutes to say hello, have their photographs taken with their fans and sign their merchandise. Occasionally some fans get shout outs for their special days in their lives or a request for a song at concerts or on social media. Most fans remember these moments forever. But how many fans get to sing with their favourite artists and musicians? Not many that is for sure.

Recently while searching Instagram for some fan photographs of Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band on this leg of the 'Come Out With Me Tour', I found an amazing little video of Alan Doyle and a fan singing the Great Big Sea song 'River Driver' after the concert in Sarnia, Ontario.

The fan's Instagram's account provides no information about how their meeting came about. Although brief, Alan and the fan are totally awesome singing 'River Driver' together. What an amazing moment for the fan !

I have provided a screen shot of the video and links to the fan's Instagram account. No copyright infringement. www.instagram.com/p/Bpw2tgHFQwJ/

(photo credit prof.mcgonigle)

Remembrance Day 2018... 'On the Trail Of The Caribou' A revisit (28/365)

Remembrance Day 2018

Lest We Forget

A shared Twitter tweet today of a YouTube video of the 'On The Trail Of The Caribou' documentary with Allan Hawco, Mark Critch and Alan Doyle reminded me I hadn't actually watched the entire documentary.

I had followed the making of the documentary on social media sites at the time and wrote about the making in a post in July 2015. The post was called 'On The Trail Of The Caribou'...The making of a documentary on social media' published on 2 July, 2015. I have copied the post below for those fans interested.

So today I thought I would try again to watch this documentary to help me formulate an understanding of the role Newfoundland and their people played in the first world war.

I have circulated an official copy of the documentary 'Trail of the Caribou' on my Google + page.

'On The Trail Of The Caribou... A making of a documentary on social media' published on 2 July, 2015.

Allan Hawco@allanhawco Today is Canada Day for most but July 1^st is a day of Remembrance at home. Dates back to the Dominion of Newfoundland days. #trailofthecaribou

As Allan Hawco fans know, he and fellow Newfoundlander comedian Mark Critch have been making a documentary called the ‘Trail of the Caribou’ following in the footsteps of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and their campaigns throughout Europe during World War 1. Next year, 2016 will the 100 th anniversary of those campaigns (I circulated an article from CBC Canada about the making of the documentary and interviews with Allan Hawco and Mark Critch on my Google + page). Recently they were joined by their friend and fellow Newfoundlander Alan Doyle for part of the tour.

Allan, Mark and Alan have been recording their amazing journey for fans by generously sharing their thoughts, photos and selfies of significant events on social media. These events have inspired me to find out more about the role of Newfoundlanders and the bravery and sacrifices of their young men during the various campaigns. While I don’t think this blog is an appropriate place to discuss these events, I just wanted to briefly mention their importance in relationship to the events posted on social media and the making of this documentary.

I began with an excellent book I bought when I was in Newfoundland called “A Short History of Newfoundland and Labrador” compiled by The Newfoundland Historical Society. In a chapter called ‘The Twentieth Century’ the authors provide a brief overview of the significance of the events and in particular the campaign at Beaumont Hamel for Newfoundlanders. The Newfoundland Regiment was the only North American regiment to fight along aside the British and ANZACS (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) at Gallipoli in 1915.

“The Newfoundland Regiment fought with distinction at Gallipoli before being transferred to France. Its sacrifice in the Battle of the Somme stood out in particular.  Near the village of Beaumont Hamel, on 1 July 1916 , 753 men marched into the German machine gun fire, leaving only sixty-eight able to answer roll call the next day. About one-third of the Regiment had been held in reserve in Great Britain, and, once reinforced with more recruits, it went on to fight in several more significant battles including Monchy-le-Preaux, Ypres and Cambri. In recognition of its role in these later two battles, the Regiment was awarded the title “Royal” the only regiment given this honor during the First World War.”

There are many other online sites where those interested can find out information about these events. The Rooms in St. John’s, Newfoundland have a wonderful online site containing information and videos about Newfoundland’s roll in World War 1 and The Veterans Canada page has wonderful information about the role Newfoundland soldiers played at all the sites visited by this documentary team.

I have included a couple of comments and photos circulated on Twitter about the significance of some places and events and the filming of the documentary for future references. Those thoughts, photos and selfies, and the thoughts and photos of others can be found on the official social media accounts of Allan, Mark and Alan and by searching the associated hashtags. There is a wonderful collection of photos and selfies on their official Instagram accounts.

(NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED)

Singing the Ode on Memorial Day in Beaumont Hamel…

Allan Hawco…(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco #lastpostandchorus #trailofthecaribou #beaumonthamel 1 July 2015 (posted on Instagram a short video and circulated via Twitter)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco Wow. I got to sing the Ode to Newfoundland with @markcritch @alanthomasdoyle at #BeaumontHamel today. WHAT AN HONOUR 1 July 2015 (photo on Twitter)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco Preparing for the #beaumonthamel #trailofthecaribou Pass it on (four beautiful photos on Instagram) 1 July 2015

Allan Hawco@allanhawco Today is Canada Day for most but July 1^st is a day of Remembrance at home. Dates back to the Dominion of Newfoundland days. #trailofthecaribou 1 July 2015

Mark Critch…(from the official account on Twitter)

Mark Critch @markcritch Beaumont Hamel #trailofthecaribou #BeaumontHamel 1 July 2015 (one photo on Twitter)

Mark Critch @markcritch NL Regiment tie, Poppy and Forget Me Not. All ready to pay tribute at Beaumont Hamel #trailorthecarbou 1 July 2015 (one photo from Twitter)

Alan Doyle...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle Been quite a July 1 for me as a Newfoundlander. Very grateful for it all. Would love to say good night with a Happy Canada Day to all. 1 July 2015

Darin King@king_darin Spectacular job by @alanthomasdoyle @allanhawco and @markcrtich on Ode to NL. Tks for being here @LegionNLCA @GovNL 1 July 2015 (photo on Twitter) (retweeted on Twitter by @allanhawco and @markcrtich)

Reply from Alan Doyle Thanks to @allanhawco and @markcritch for the help. 1 July 2015

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle Honoured to be in Beaumont Hamel on this day. Singing the Ode at the Memorial Day Service on the very site where so many gave so much. 1 July 2015

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle Lest We Forget 1 July 2015 (one photo on Twitter)

Tommy Rickets memorial in Belgium…

Alan Doyle...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle At the Tommy Rickets monument on the very farm in Rural Belgium where his bravery would later earn the Victoria Cross. 30 June 2015 (one photo on Twitter)

Mark Critch…(from the official account on Twitter )

Mark Critch@markcritch This Belgium family put up a monument to Tommy Rickets in thanks to NL Regiment. @alanthomasdoyle sings for them 30 June 2015 (three photos on Twitter)

At the Somme…

Alan Doyle...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle Sunrise on the Somme. @allanhawco @markcritch 29 June 2015 (photo on Twitter) (retweeted by Allan Hawco and Mark Critch on Twitter)

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle Very Early Rise to shoot with @allanhawco and @markcritch on the Somme. 29 June 2015

Beaumont Hamel…

Alan Doyle...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle With allanhawco and markcritch at Beaumont Hamel. Singing the Ode here July 1^st, 2015. 99 years (photo on Instagram)

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle With two of Newfoundland’s Finest @allanhawco @markcritch telling a story that has to be told from Beaumont Hamel. 29 June 2015 (photo on Twitter) (Retweeted on Twitter by Allan Hawco and Mark Critch)

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle The Gents @allanhawco and @markcritch at Beaumont Hamel. 29 June 2015 (photo on Twitter)

Mark Critch...(from the official accounts on Twitter )

Mark Critch @markcritch In the trenches of Beaumont Hamel with @alanthomasdoyle #trailofthecaribou 29 June 2015

Alan Doyle arrives in France…

Alan Doyle...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle Early rise here in France. Off filming with @allanhawco and @markcritch following the path of NL’s WW1 Soldiers. So grateful for this chance 28 June 2015

Monchy-le-Preaux

Allan Hawco...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco #Monchylepreaux #trailofthecaribou 28 June 2015 (four beautiful photos on Instagram circulated on Twitter)

Mark Critch...(from the official accounts on Twitter)

Mark Critch @markcritch Monchy le Preaux – 9 Newfoundland soldiers held off 300 Germans here #trailofthecaribou 28 June 2015 (one photo on Twitter)

Kortrijk

Allan Hawco...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Allan Hawco@allanhawco #Kortrijk or as it was once known as #courtrai. My first time at this one. Beautiful 30 June 2015 (Four beautiful photos on Instagram circulated on Twitter)

Gueudecourt

Allan Hawco...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco #Gueudecourt 27 June 2015 (One photo on Instagram circulated on Twitter)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco #trailofthecaribou 27 June 2015 Gueudecourt Caribou Memorial in France. Breathtaking. (four photos on Instagram circulated on Twitter)

Mark Critch...(from the official account on Twitter)

Mark Critch @markcritch Gueudecort, France – memorial to the NL Regiment #trailofthecaribou 27 June 2015 (one photo on Twitter)

Turkey

Allan Hawco...(from the official accounts on Twitter and Instagram)

Allan Hawco@allanhawco Good bye Turkey, thank you for the beautiful hospitality. Such an enlightening experience tracking the steps of our NFLD Regiment took in WW1 26 June 2015.

Allan Hawco@allanhawco What all the fuss was about #Dananelles #trailofthecaribou 24 June 2015 (one photo on Instagram circulated on Twitter)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco Caribou Hill in Gallipoli, Turkey. The farthest the Allied Forces advance in Turkey during WW1. Named after the Newfoundland Regiment. It was a brutal campaign. 24 June 2015 (one photo on Instagram circulated on Twitter)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco Good times being had as well on this solum pilgrimage. #trailofthecaribou (one photo on Instagram with Mark Critch and circulated on Twitter)

Allan Hawco @allanhawco Kangaroo Beach – where the NFLD regiment saw it’s first action in WW1 1915 #trailofthecaribou 22 June 2015 (one photo on Instagram and circulated on Twitter)

Mark Critch...(from the official account on Twitter)

Rod Etheridge @rodethridge @allanhawco @markcritch at beach NLers evacuated when Allies left Gallipoli Peninsula @CBCNL #trailofthecarbou 23 June 2015 (one photo retweeted by Mark Critch on Twitter)

Rod Etheridge @rodethridge @allanhawco @markcritch @CBNL #trailof thecaribou 23 June 2015 (one photo retweeted by Mark Critch on Twitter)

Mark Critch @markcritch Mayo Lind wrote home to Newfoundland from these fields #trailofthecarbou 23 June 2015 (one photo on Twitter)

Rod Etheridge @rodethridge Caribou Hill in Gallipoli w/ @allanhawco @markcritch #trailof thecaribou @CBNL 23 June 2015 (one photo retweeted by Mark Critch on Twitter)