Fandom, An Unexpected Journey 600 Blog Posts... Thank You !

It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating writing and sharing my 500 th blog post. Today I am celebrating writing and sharing 600 blog posts...

As I write my 600 th blog post in just under 7 years my statistics tell me I am just over a 1000 hits short of 100 000 hits. I would like to thank all the people who visit my blog every day.

I hope I have managed to educate and change some visitor's perspectives on how they engage with music and in particular music piracy and bootlegging along the way. My statistics tell me that the visitors to my blog posts come from a variety of countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom followed by France and Germany.

Thank you to all the artists and musicians I am interested in for sharing their creative journeys via social media. 

Thank you to all the fans for sharing their love of music, concerts and fandom via social media. It would be unrealistic to write that all of my experiences over the years have been wonderful and positive but they have not. Those negative experiences with some fans have been a great learning experience.

What the future brings I do not know. Thank you for allowing me to take this ride and for taking the ride with me...

Recently Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band member, the extremely talented Shehab Illyas released a series of gorgeous portrait photographs of the band he took during the recording of 'A Week At The Warehouse' album. I decided to post a copy here as the majority of my posts were about this band.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. The photographs are from the official Instagram account Shehab Illyas and no copyright infringement intended.

To New Friends And The Love Of Blogging...(86/365)

“If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it’s a folk song,” Llewyn Davis says, brandishing his guitar during a set at the Gaslight.

One of the reasons I love writing my blog is I never know whose creative work I will discover next. This time it is the creative work of Oscar Issac.

As the most loyal and knowledgable fans of this fandom will know from the movie Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe and his band of merry men Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes and Kevin Durand but also another talented actor as well as a talented musician and singer Oscar Issac. Oscar Issac played Prince John who became King John after King Richard was killed ransacking a castle at the Crusades.

But what I didn't know was that Oscar Issac is also one talented singer and musician. I first found this out after seeing a bootlegged video of him being invited to sing and play guitar at an Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band concert in New York a couple of years ago singing 'Never Had'. What a song and what a performance !

Then recently I searched Oscar on YouTube and found the a whole bunch of amazing music videos of him singing and playing guitar some from a movie called Inside Llewyn Davis. I listened to and fell in love with music from the movie before I watched the movie.

Google describe the movie..." In 1961 New York City, folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is at a crossroads. Guitar in hand, he struggles against seemingly insurmountable obstacles to make a name for himself in the music world, but so far, success remains elusive. Relying on the kindness of both friends and strangers, Llewyn embarks on an odyssey that takes him from the streets of Greenwich Village to a Chicago club, where awaits a music mogul who could give him the big break that he desperately needs."

I have included some comments from reviewers about the music...

'Mecancholy Odyssey Through the Folk Scene' by A.O. Scott published in the New York Times on 5 December, 2013

"...The musical performances do more than enrich the movie; they complete it. Two in particular deliver on the promise of the title, illuminating the strange way that borrowed words and chords can tap into reservoirs of otherwise inaccessible feeling. When Llewyn sings “The Death of Queen Jane” at an audition and “Shoals of Herring” in his father’s room at a rest home for retired seamen, you feel the full weight of his humanity, even though he is really just doing his job..."'

'Inside Llewyn Davis' by Peter Travers published in Rollingstone Magazine on 5 December, 2013.

"...Accusations that the Coens run low on emotion should fade away when the music fades in. The score is pure pleasure. That’s when you learn what’s Inside Llewyn Davis. The Juilliard-trained Isaac has authentic musical chops, performing whole songs, not snippets. You feel the sting in Llewyn’s audition for a club impresario, played with a fine severity by F. Murray Abraham. Is Llewyn the real deal or just kidding himself? One thing’s for sure about this raw provocation from the Coens: Like the music, the pain runs deep and true. You’ll laugh till it hurts..."

How Artists and Musicians Make A Living... A fan reflects (85/365).

How artists and musicians make a living today was the subject of much debate this year on my blog and social media accounts and in particular the impact of bootlegging, music piracy and streaming services. 

I was accused of being a troll when I called out a so called fan who believed she was being screwed over by a musician and his band when she paid more for tickets to music concerts in Canada than the United States. 

I argued that they needed to make a living and concerts were one of the most popular ways in which artists and musicians make money. The demand by fans drives the cost of tickets at particular venues and countries.  

This excellent article published in Rolling Stone magazine describes the complicated yet really interesting distribution of music royalties and how some concert ticket prices are at an all time high because they are the preferred way for fans to have an intimate experience with their favourite artists and musicians. 

I have copied the article below as I just couldn't explain it in my own words. The article was edited for copyright reasons and no copyright infringement intended.


'How musicians make a living - or don't at all in 2018' by Amy X. Wang published last year in 2018 in the music magazine Rolling Stone on 18 August, 2018.

The buzziest word in music this year is the one that used to be the most utterly boring.

Copyright — ownership of songs and albums as creative works — is a riotous knot of rules and processes in the music industry, with the players much more numerous and entangled than the ordinary fan might think. But between Congress mulling over the much-anticipated Music Modernization Act, plagiarism battles between major songwriters raging and Wall Street scrutinizing Spotify’s lack of profitability as a public company, it’s helpful to have at least a basic understanding of music’s U.S. financial system in order to ponder its future.

To begin with: “Royalties” are the sums paid to rights-holders when their creations are sold, distributed, embedded in other media or monetized in any other way. Here’s Rolling Stone‘s guide to how musicians, songwriters and producers in the digital era actually get their hands on that money.

Recording and Writing Music …

For music listeners, a song is a song is a song. But for the music business, every individual song is split into two separate copyrights: composition (lyrics, melody) and sound recording (literally, the audio recording of the song).

Let’s start with the latter. Sound recording copyrights are owned by recording artists and their record labels. There are further distinctions between different types of sound recording licenses that generate royalties, such as performance rights (for a song’s play on formats such as streaming services, AM/FM radio, satellite radio and Internet radio) and reproduction rights (for sales of physical CDs or digital music files) and sync rights (for song use in film, television and other media) — but for the most part, what matters is that this copyright only belongs to artists and whatever label is behind them.

Those parties may have nothing to do with the people who write the lyrics and melody of the song and thus own the composition copyright. Sometimes they’re one and the same, in which case that lucky party gets double the cash flow. If they’re separate — as is the case with most pop songs and chart-topping hits — the sound recording copyright is split between artists and record labels, while the composition copyright is split between whatever songwriters and publishers are involved. In the case of Counting Crows’ “Big Yellow Taxi,” for example, the band takes sound recording royalties but Joni Mitchell, the song’s original writer, gets composition royalties.

For the majority of times when somebody listens to a song, both types of copyright kick in, generating two sets of royalties that are paid to the respective parties...

… and Getting That Music Played

Let’s break that down by the most popular ways listeners actually contribute money to music’s creators: When someone buys a song from iTunes, Google Play or any other digital store, money from that sale is paid out to creators via both copyrights — composition and sound recording — with the rates depending on label size, distributor size and specific negotiations between the two as well as any other middle parties involved. (Sometimes labels work with agents that can license bigger catalogs all at once, saving time and trouble but wedging in an extra fee.)

The same dual-copyright payout essentially happens in the case of on-demand streaming, as well as when a song is played in businesses and retailers whether that’s grocery stores, hospitals or in the background of a startup’s website. The specific percentage payouts within these deals depends on the type of service and the negotiating power of all the names involved.

Putting music in film and television and commercials, a.k.a. “synchronization,” involves a license negotiated between content producers and publishers/songwriters. A fee is paid upfront, and royalties are also paid once the particular film or television show has been distributed and broadcast. Sync licenses can be lucrative and, because most filmmakers generally choose music based on their own whims rather than what’s at the top of the charts, also serve as a decent discovery platform for under-the-radar acts.

The process is further different for radio services, though, which typically use blanket, buffet-style licenses that determine payment rates on mass scale. And there’s an important distinction made in current copyright rules between broadcast radio (AM/FM) and Internet radio (Pandora, SiriusXM, other satellite radio and webcasters): Terrestrial radio broadcasters don’t have to pay sound recording copyright owners, while the second group does. That difference — which the music industry largely considers an unfair loophole — means that whenever a song is played over the airwaves, it only makes money for its writers, not artists. So whenever Counting Crows’ “Big Yellow Taxi” is played over AM or FM radio, only Joni Mitchell gets paid and the band gets nothing.

Performing Music Live

Live events are quickly shaping up to be the most lucrative space for musicians in the digital-music era, and for good reason: As listeners become inundated with cheap access to music provided by streaming services, dedicated music fans crave more intimate experiences with their favorite artists. That’s why tours are getting grander and music festivals are drawing ridiculous crowds even if their lineups are all the same. It’s also why concert and ticket companies like Live Nation are growing like crazy.

While album sales dwindle and streams may only pay out fractions of a cent at a time, live shows — be it tours, festivals or one-off concerts — are commanding some of the highest ticket prices ever.

Advertising

In the heyday of pop and rock, musicians rarely wanted to be associated with corporate brands, but that’s changing with the rise of rap as America’s most popular genre. Brand partnerships offer artists the ability to sponsor or endorse a brand they might genuinely like, and get access to an additional revenue stream while they’re at it. Another way musicians find side money is from YouTube monetization, wherein YouTube videos share in the profit from the ads that come tagged onto them. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” reportedly made $2 million from 2 billion YouTube views. YouTube’s head of music Lyor Cohen wrote in a blog post last year that YouTube’s payout rate in the U.S. is as high as $3 per 1000 streams.

Fashion, Merchandising, and Other Direct Sells

Selling non-music products like perfumes, paraphernalia and clothing lines is an easy money-making strategy that artists have been taking advantage of for decades — but in the digital era, musicians can also get creative with their methods, expanding well beyond traditional merch tents at concerts and posters on a website.

Artists are also starting to ask for money from audiences directly — via crowdfunding or creating custom channels of communication with their fans — outside of social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. The Voice star Angie Johnson raised roughly $36,000 on Kickstarter to record an upcoming album, for instance. More groups are releasing dedicated apps or subscription packages for their music or selling bespoke products like artist-curated festivals, email subscriptions and limited music releases. Pitbull has his own cruise.

So Then — Where’s All the Money?

All of the above is by no means a comprehensive list of ways that modern artists make money; keep in mind that it’s also now easier than ever to switch lanes and become a producer or writer for someone else’s music, as is the case with Bebe Rexha’s journey from songwriting to recording or American R&B hitmakers’ move to South Korea’s K-pop industry (which complicates the royalties splits a bit by involving copyright law from overseas, but nonetheless brings back significant money). The sheer number of different revenue streams available to musicians is higher than it’s ever been in the past.

And yet, the average modern artist is still strapped for cash.

By recent research estimates, U.S. musicians only take home one-tenth of national industry revenues. One reason for such a meager percentage is that streaming services — while reinvigorating the music industry at large — aren’t lucrative for artists unless they’re chart-topping names like Drake or Cardi B. According to one Spotify company filing, average per-stream payouts from the company are between $0.006 and $0.0084; numbers from Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer and other streaming services are comparable. That creates a winner-takes-all situation in which big artists nab millions and small ones can’t earn a living wage. It’s nothing new — one could argue that such were the dynamics in almost every era of music past — but the numbers are more dramatic than before.

Another reason: the sheer number of brokers, middlemen and other players in the music industry, as detailed above. And that’s not to mention the black box of royalties in the streaming era, a pit of unpaid money that hasn’t yet made its way to artists because of faulty metadata or bad communication amongst the various services involved in reporting the proper numbers; its worth has been estimated in the billions. “When you end up tracing all the dollars, around 10 percent of it gets captured by the artist. “That’s amazingly low,” Citigroup’s media, cable and satellite researcher Jason Bazinet tells Rolling Stone. “These young artists — you don’t even understand the gory details of the music industry or how the dollars flow. You’re really not going to make that much money. There’s an unbelievable amount of leakage through the whole business.”

Good news: The music industry has now accepted streaming as its revenue-leader and is poised to adapt around that, with many analysts and experts expecting that the business will streamline itself — with rewrites of law, new royalties negotiations, mergers, acquisitions and consolidations — into something leaner and, finally, more lucrative for musicians. Bad news: No one knows when that will be.

Cory Tetford Steps Up On The 'Come Out With Me Tour' 2019...(84/365)

On the first leg of the Alan Doyle and The Beautiful, Beautiful Band's 'Come Out With Me' Tour for 2019 of Canada and the United States, the support act Whitney Rose announced on social media part of the way through the leg that she was unable to continue due to ill health. The fans were clearly disappointed and wished her a speedy recovery.

Alan Doyle had no trouble in finding a support act at short notice. As fans know Beautiful, Beautiful Band member Cory Tetord does solo concerts and concerts with his musician friends around Newfoundland, Canada and in the Caribbean and is a successful singer and musician in his own right. So Cory was able to step up and perform some songs for the opening act. What an awesome opportunity for the fans to see a solo Cory Tetford. And the reports from social media indicated they were clearly delighted.

I have included some great photographs I found on social media of Cory from this leg of the tour. The photographs are the property of the social media account holders and so copyright infringement intended.

A Message About The Future For Buying Music... A reflection (83/365)

I have researched, written and posted a lot on this blog about music piracy, bootlegging and streaming services and about how they slowly eat away at artists and musician's ability to make a living.

I have researched, written and posted a lot on this blog about how annoyed I am at fans who support and wear their engagement with streaming services like Spotify like a badge of honour. People who call themselves fans but who never seem to buy a physical or digital copy of content to support the artists and musicians they profess to love.

I have expressed personally how much I hate streaming services, either music or television although I have never used them personally as I don't like paying to view content I will never own.

Streaming services are known for giving cheap access to content, getting people addicted and then finding it unsustainable and put the prices up. Users have no choice but to pay the increased prices or cancel their subscription.

Users to the best of my knowledge, need the Internet to access their content and steaming from my experiences with movies consumes a lot of data so users never stop paying for their goods.

Over the years I have read a lot about stores around the world selling physical content like records, DVDs and CDs slowly closing down because streaming services are impacting their ability to make a living. That means a loss of jobs for employees and money coming into the economy.

Yes. I want to buy locally and support the local economy and jobs but that is not always possible for a consumer like me with limited resources.

I certainly understand the appeal of buying streaming services for content not available on free-to-air TV, pay TV or over the counter in my country and where buying physical content from overseas while cheap is expensive to post and may take a long time to arrive.

However, I still would rather pay for content either physical or digital where at lease some part of the revenue goes to the content creators rather than a streaming service like Spotify which pays artists and musicians virtually nothing to use their music.

Recently another store in Australia closed down blaming the rise of the streaming service Spotify. 

I have shared this story here as a warning to all those music fans around the world who have a favourite music store they go to. Unless they support the stores in their community they may end up going the way of this store in Perth, Western Australia.

No copyright infringement intended. 

'78 Records closes in Perth after nearly 48 years, blaming Spotify, retail downturn' by Charlotte Hamlym published 5 February, 2019 at abc.net.au

Iconic Perth music store 78 Records has announced its closure after almost 48 years in the vinyl business, blaming the rise of streaming services and declining retail conditions for its demise.

The store opened in Forrest Place in June 1971, stocking 300 mainly imported titles.

The business relocated several times to buildings along Hay Street, becoming an institution in Perth's local music scene, before eventually ending up in a laneway off Murray Street.

Current manager Andrew "Fang" de Lang started working at the store in 1986 as a 19-year-old.

"When I started we were in an old building next to His Majesty's [Theatre]," he said.

"The thing that attracted you to the shop was that it had this storefront window that you couldn't see through, but just had album covers in the windows so you couldn't actually see inside the store.

"You'd walk in through this big wooden door and see masses and masses of records in these racks.

"It was quite impressive."

The compact disc revolution

Mr de Lang said back then the big selling artists included Paul Kelly, the Hoodoo Gurus and U2.

"That was just as the CD era was kicking in and CD players were quite expensive technology. They were out of the reach of the common person," he said.

"But it took off big time and it's just been such a trip since then.

"I'm 52 now, so it's all I know, basically."

A black and white logo for 78 Records

He attributed the closure to the current economic and retail climate and a big increase in music streaming services.

"It's just things like the downturn in retail, rents in the city," he said.

"But when the streaming service thing kicked in, that had the biggest impact in physical product."

Vinyl renaissance not enough

A vinyl revival in recent years had given the business some hope, but Mr de Lang said it had not been enough.

"It hasn't kept pace with the way that things have been going economically," he said.

"It is very sad.

"Probably one of the great things I've enjoyed is just imparting knowledge and sharing music with people.

"It's a job I've loved and enjoyed and I've never had to sit in an office. It's been a massive thing in my life."

The store will close in early March.

Lou Reed, Bette Midler among customers

Geoff "Hud" Hudson started the business with two friends in 1971.

"People gravitated to it instantly because we were getting things in that none of the other stores had," he said.

"It was always successful for us because we had lots of fun."

A music store showing racks of vinyl records.

He only learnt of the closure of the business last night and said the news was still sinking in.

"I keep thinking of George Harrison, 'all things must pass'," he said.

"I don't think you can have a store of that size existing on vinyl, as time has proven. I think it can only happen in small niche markets."

Mr Hudson said the store had plenty of famous customers over the years including Bette Midler, Lou Reed and Elvis Costello.

'Celestial jukebox' the new norm

Associate Professor of internet studies at Curtin University Tama

"Most people don't carry physical media with them," he said.

"Streaming media, Spotify in particular, has eaten a lot of the music market.

"The reality for most young people is that they don't physically own music anymore, they own a subscription for the 'celestial jukebox', everything that's out there on Spotify rather than a specific album at a specific time."

Professor Leaver stands outside on a balcony with trees in the background.

But Associate Professor Leaver said streaming music had its disadvantages.

"One of the challenges with streaming music is that the quality is reduced," he said.

"I think there is a demand for extremely high quality, high fidelity audio still.

"But I think the music cycle is much more deeply linked to live music now.

"That remains sustainable and a growth area in the era of streaming music."

Happy Valentine's Day... Throwback Thursday (82/365)

Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers...

I thought it would be a bit of fun to revisit some of the Valentine's Day messages from Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand, Michael Buie and Allan Hawco on social media that were exchanged between each other and their fans via their official social media accounts over the years.

It was very difficult to pick a favourite. There were simple but sweet messages for fans to humour shared between old friends. However, my two favourites go to Alan Doyle in 2016 for his heart shaped pancake made with love and the 'happy Valentine's Day' message from his gorgeous dog Spencer. 

The screen shots are from the official Twitter accounts of Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes and Allan Hawco. No copyright infringement intended.

Happy Valentine's Day and Winter's Tale... Friday 14 February, 2014. Throwback Thursday (81/365)

On the 13 February, 2014 the movie Winter's Tale was released in Australia. The movie starred Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes and Kevin Durand also known as the band of merry men in the movie Robin Hood.

This Valentine's Day will be a great opportunity to bring out the popcorn and enjoy this movie with good friends...

I wrote a post titled 'Happy Valentine's Day and Winter's Tale' posted on Friday 14 February, 2014. I have copied the post below for those interested fans. 

The photographs are from the Internet. Please note Alan Doyle on the far right in the bowler hat and a wicked moustache.  No copyright infringement intended.








Happy Valentine's Day and Winter's Tale...Friday 14 February, 2014.

“Winter’s Tale teaches us that everyone is destined to share a miracle with someone special—that magic from the heart can accomplish the impossible” Jaime Lubin Huffington Post.

Okay, so I admit it. I can’t wait for Valentine’s Day this year. Not because I am madly, passionately in love with the man of my dreams and it is the most romantic day of the year, but because I get to spend it with some best girlfriends, a bunch of my favourite fellas, a box of popcorn and a good old fashion romantic fairytale at the movies. The movie is Winter’s Tale.

For many fans the reunion of the cast from Robin Hood on the big screen with Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes and Kevin Durand has been a long time coming. While many of us would have probably preferred Robin Hood 2 or have attended an Indoor Garden Party somewhere in the world, Winter’s Tale is perhaps the next best thing. We have followed the making of the movie on social media and the moment is finally here to see it. Happy Valentine’s Day to all the fans watching this beautiful romantic movie today or tomorrow, where ever you may be.

The information available tells me Winter’s Tale is a love story set in New York City that transcends time. To find out a bit more about the plot and making of the movie I watched the official trailers and visited the official Winter’s Tale webpage. The webpage provides visitors with a synopsis of the story, the cast list and some of the most beautiful images. I could even construct and send a Valentine’s Day card. If I was in New York City and needed anything for Valentine’s Day it was all there. While all this is totally delightful and exquisite, there isn’t much about our favourite boys Alan Doyle, Scott Grimes and Kevin Durand (Russell Crowe being the actor he is has his own little blurb).

So I checked out the information on the movie site IMDb film. This movie site provides an extensive range of information from plot synopsis, photographs, technical film credits, reviews and a cast list. According to this site there are 114 people in the cast of Winter’s Tale. While the Hollywood heavy weights like Russell Crowe, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly and Will Smith are mentioned, so are our boys and their characters, Alan Doyle as Dingy Worthington, Scott Grimes as a carriage driver and Kevin Durand as Ceasar Tan. In the critical review section there were only three out of ten reviews available in English. None of them it seems has seen the movie and were waiting for opening day.

The director Akiva Goldsman has given many fine interviews in the media recently describing the joys and difficulties of transforming the book into a movie and making the movie in a place like New York City. Jaime Lubin, a regular Russell Crowe Indoor Garden Party and Alan Doyle concert goer and reviewer from the Huffington Post has written a wonderful review. After reading some of these interviews I am finding Goldsman as much a star of this movie as any of the cast. There is this fine quote from Goldsman on the need for adult fairytales in modern life “My affection for grown-up fairytales is real. I tried to tell the story out of my own hope that everything happens for a reason, that the loss you experience today you may one day understand was a gain somewhere else…I think love stories are what has led us on to continue in the face of adversity…”

Jaime then goes onto to discuss Goldsman's ideas “We need adult fairytales, we need them presented in just this way, to remind us that the intangible wonders are absolutely plausible, because in the most fantastic of stories there is always some basic truth about human nature. So whether you are in New York or finding a path through another city of dreams, remember:love may be “impossible to find”—but once found is worth travelling to hell and back for”.

I am off to see Winter’s Tale tonight. I have included a copy of this review to remind me of a wonderful movie, the words of Goldsman and why we need modern day fairytales in our lives. (No copyright infringement intended).

Winter's Tale : The Lovers, The Dreamer's, and Mythical New York. by Jaime Lubin posted 12 February 2014 for the Huffington Post.

It takes a brilliant wordsmith and fantasist to adapt Mark Helprin's epic novel Winter's Tale for the screen, and luckily Akiva Goldsman is both. But the Oscar-winning screenwriter (A Beautiful Mind) has added another element that transforms his feature directorial debut into a story for the ages: A steadfast belief in true love.

A passion project years in the making, Winter's Tale teaches us that everyone is destined to share a miracle with someone special -- that magic from the heart can accomplish the impossible.

Set in a mythical 1916 New York, Winter's Tale follows the unusual journey of a thief named Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) who falls in love with the wealthy and ethereal Beverly Penn (a radiant Jessica Brown Findlay) after a botched attempt to burglarize her house. The couple quickly realize their happiness will be brief -- she is dying from consumption, while he has a price on his head, courtesy of the demonic Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe) and his Short Tail gang. When Pearly, Peter's former mentor, determines to destroy his protege once and for all, fate intervenes to send Peter Lake across centuries. Transported to the present day, Peter finds himself still enmeshed in the deadly battle between good and evil; only time will tell if his efforts to protect Beverly can prevail.

Though fans of Helprin's 800-page chef d'ouevre will note some major departures from the book, Goldsman has done a masterful job of distilling the winding, somewhat ambiguous narrative into a resolute and rapturously beautiful film. From the grand, sweeping shots of New York's skyline (accompanied by Hans Zimmer's triumphantly affecting score) to the most intimate vignettes between Peter and Beverly where nothing else seems to matter but their divine connection, Goldsman has created a feast for the senses. His detailed dedication results in a world presented so exquisitely that one hopes to crack the screen open and crawl around in its deliciousness. Outstanding credit goes to production designer Naomi Shohan and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel for creating a three-dimensional universe that doesn't need the bells and whistles of commercial 3-D. This is what movies are supposed to be.

Goldsman says: "My affection for grown-up fairytales is real. I tried to tell the story out of my own hope that everything happens for a reason, that the loss you experience today you may one day understand was a gain somewhere else...I think love stories are what has led us on to continue in the face of adversity".

That idea of predestination regarding loss and love cuts deeply for Goldsman (one can see hints of his personal struggle borne out in Peter Lake's experience), but the cast gathered for Winter's Tale celebrates a different kind of affection just as powerful -- friendship. The film enabled Goldsman to reunite with such former collaborators as Crowe (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man) and Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), while rounding out the ensemble with stars galore: William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, and Matt Bomer all appear in pivotal roles. Sharp-eyed viewers can also spot quite a few colleagues of Crowe and Goldsman's in blink-and-you'll-miss-it parts.

"It was a beautiful collision of actors and actors' souls," Goldman notes.

"Everybody loves Akiva," producer Michael Tadross (Sherlock Holmes) comments. "They all came to work with Akiva. His script was one of the greatest I've ever read, and his vision for it was so clear, his enthusiasm so evident, and that made it such a pleasure for all of us."

Naturally a great deal of the movie's magic lies in the setting, New York City. Whether in 1916 or 2014, Goldsman gives us the City That Never Sleeps as we wish it were, full of guardian angels and all-revealing light. Still, because production took place in and around the city itself -- controversially not long after Hurricane Sandy -- every location retains complete realism (I found myself finger-counting places: "I've been there, I've been there, I was just there yesterday...").

Goldsman confirms, "The story blends a reality-based environment with the unexplained that exists behind the world we see. It's a straightforward emotional narrative, yet within that naturalistic world is a world where magic happens and people live for centuries."

Indeed, where in our world is there a more liminal space -- liminal meaning "transitional" or "crossing a threshold" -- than the Big Apple? This enchanted island, where we walk around cloaked in our own and others' history, has always been the primary destination for the Earth's dreamers. No wonder that Goldsman chose such a site for the ultimate war between angels and demons. (And of course, New York becomes my own city of miracles all the time, for where else could I have gotten the inside scoop on the production from the Short Tails themselves ?)

Though Winter's Tale seems at the surface a black-and-white morality story, each character is nuanced enough to provide spellbinding shades of gray. Take Farrell's Peter Lake, who steals objects without any compunction but repeatedly risks his life to save the innocent. Or the angel Gabriel (Finn Wittrock), who has voluntarily fallen from grace to stay on an imperfect Earth. If you enjoy rooting for the villain, as I often do, you will find no better entertainment than Russell Crowe as Pearly Soames. The agent of chaos is bad to the bone, but even his rage-fueled obsession with Peter Lake is understandable from a certain point of view.

Goldsman compares the onscreen showdowns between Farrell and Crowe to a ballet: "A fight is like a dance for them, the way they learn the steps and execute them as if they've known them their whole lives. It was pretty awesome, what these two men could do with their fists".

The tide of moviemaking appears to be turning toward Goldsman's brand of magical realism; films like Winter's Tale give us a reason to hope that we can surmount any odds as long as our heart is in the task. We need adult fairytales; we need them presented in just this way, to remind us that the intangible wonders are absolutely plausible, because in the most fantastic of stories there is always some basic truth about human nature. So whether you are in New York or finding a path through another city of dreams, remember: Love may be "impossible to find" -- but once found it is worth traveling to hell and back.

Alan Doyle At The Holy Heart Theatre 2015...Throwback Thursday (80/365).

This time four years ago I was on my way to St. John's to see Alan Doyle and the Beautiful, Beautiful Band at the Holy Heart Theatre in St. John's, Newfoundland.

There are not many photographs from that concert on social media and my camera failed me unfortunately at this event. So I have included a photograph of the setlist from the concert and one of Alan Doyle and Carolann Fowler a St. John's local singer who he asked up on stage to sing the Great Big Sea song 'Fast As I Can' with him. The performance was bootlegged by the usual sources and is available on YouTube. What a night that was. 

It has been a long time since Alan Doyle and the Beautiful, Beautiful Band did a regular allocated seat sit down concert in his home town for those of us unable to stand for long periods of time at festival type concerts. Maybe it is time for another one. 

No copyright infringement intended. 







I have also included a post I wrote about the concert published just after the concert.

'Alan Doyle And The So Let's Go Tour Hits St. John's' published 23 February, 2015.

Last Saturday night I was lucky enough to attend Alan Doyle’s concert at the Holy Heart Theatre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. There is always something special about attending an Alan Doyle or Great Big Sea concert in front of their home crowd in St. Johns, Newfoundland or where they belong to. And this concert did not disappoint.

There was a brilliant combination of songs from his Boy on Bridge (I Have Seen A Little, Where The Nightingale Sings, Testify, My Day) and the new So Let’s Go album (So Lets Go, Can’t Dance, My Kingdom, Shine On, Sins of Saturday Night, 1 2 3 4) and of course some favourite Great Big Sea songs (When I’m Up, Ordinary Day, Lukey’s Boat, Old Black Rum, Sea Of No Cares, ) all which got the crowd up and dancing on their feet. I really loved Alan Doyle’s cover of John Mellencamp’s Paper and Fire.

One of the highlights of the concerts was when Alan Doyle invited local Carol Anne Fowler up on stage to sing as Fast As I Can. Alan kindly stepped aside and let her take centre stage accompanying her beautifully with Stickman and on vocals. The performance brought the crowd to their feet. As social media was all abuzz with the performance Carol Anne did an interview with the local St. John’s radio where she stated the opportunity changed her life and was a dream come true. It was wonderful to see fans realising their dreams to sing their favourite songs with their favourite musicians in front of their family and friends and community.

The Holy Heart Theatre was the perfect venue for a home coming concert for the So Let’s Go tour, small and intimate. The concert attracted the Great Big Sea fans as well as the Alan Doyle fans. I really enjoyed this concert as was more about the music of Alan Doyle than Great Big Sea. This was also the first time I had heard the songs from the new album played live, in particular So Let’s Go, Sins of Saturday Night and 1 2 3 4 which transferred beautifully from a recorded CD to a live concert. The band that supported Alan Doyle (Kendal Carson, Corey Tetford, Shehab Ilyas, Todd Lumley and Kris McFarlane were brilliant). Alan Doyle seems to have a wonderful time with with the band and home crowd sharing funny stories about his youth and gladly showed their appreciation.

After the show a number of fans waited patiently for Alan and were lucky enough to meet him. He generously gave his time to have a chat and sign things. Earlier that day I was lucky enough to meet Alan Doyle (as many fans do) at Pearson International Airport on a flight to St. John’s and he graciously signed my CD’s. Newfoundland has been place for many of my dreams to come true.

On the way out I was lucky enough to spot and say hello to the totally gorgeous Allan Hawco who was generous and gracious. What a thrill it was and a dream come true for me to meet him. I love my television and I truly admire anyone who can come up with an idea for a television series unique as the Republic of Doyle and turn it into a reality. This television series showcased St. John’s and Newfoundland and its people to mainland Canada and the world to see on the best days of the year.

The below article was circulated on social media about Carol Anne’s appearance on stage with Alan Doyle and an interview on VOCM radio. Fan videos were posted on YouTube and collected thousands of hits much to the excitement of Carol Anne and Alan Doyle.

“Local Fan Shares Impromptu Duet with Alan” in VOCM Local News Story Doyle February 9 2015

It was a dream come true for a local Alan Doyle fan: Carol Anne Fowler was invited to join Alan Doyle on stage on Saturday night for an impromptu duet. Doyle was home in St John’s as part of a tour for his new album “So Let’s Go.”

Fowler says “she got brave” and made a song request to Doyle via Twitter, asking if she could join him for “Fast As I Can. She didn’t think anything would come of the request, but to her surprise, Doyle invited her on stage at Holy Heart Theatre".

Australian Sport And Professional Fan Cheer Squads...A fan responds (An update) (79/365)

Totally awesome news from the US NFL Superbowl and cheerleading profession recently. The Los Angeles Rams have made history and included two professional male dancers in their cheerleading squad for the big game. 

After looking at some short videos online I had difficulty seeing the male dancers at the back and amongst all the pom poms. But from what I could see the men definitely looked like they are very talented professional dancers so I hope they get a greater role in the future. 

I found a great article in the Huffington Post titled 'The L.A. Rams' Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies are about to make history this Sunday as the first male cheerleaders at the Super Bowl.' by Sanjana Karant  published on the 31 January, 2019 about the inclusion and the history of the inclusion of males in professional US football. 

As an Australian female sports fan I have never liked cheerleaders in any sport. Last year I wrote this post in response to the dumping of grid girls by Formula One racing and the objectifying of women for male sports fans.

I hope Australian sports if they are to retain cheerleaders follow the US lead and become more inclusive not just of talented male dancers but of all people from different walks of life.  

I have included this photograph from the official LA Rams Cheerleaders Twitter site that included the new male dancers. No copyright infringement intended. 





Australian Sport And Professional Fan Cheer Squads...A fan responds published 9 February, 2018.

"We found it hard to work out a positive about it. There was a grey area to it. It makes women uncomfortable and it makes blokes who take their son to the football also uncomfortable..." Russell Crowe on South Sydney Rugby League Club's decision not use cheerleaders in 2009.

Recently traditional news sources and social media were alive with the story that the Formula One Grand Prix competition had axed their grid girls or the use of models. I have to say I don't know anything about Formula One or the tradition of grid girls except what I had seen on the sports news on television.

From the news articles I have read I gather grid girls were added to Formula One during the 1960's to add some glamour to the motor car sport. Being a grid girl involved walking around the stadium interacting with the fans, having their photograph taken with the drivers and being showered in campaign on the winner's podium. But obviously there was a bit more to it that included wearing the sponsor's clothes, appearing on the track before the event and lining the halls before the drivers got onto the podium (Wheatsone, 2018).

At the end of January, 2018 Formula One issued a statement "While the practise of employing grid girls has been a staple at Formula One Grand Prix for decades, we feel this custom is at odds with modern day societal norms...we don't believe the practise is appropriate or relevant to Formula One and its fans, old and new across the world." (News Corporation Australia, 2018).

As a female sport's fan in Australia (but not of Formula One) who is interested in the role and inclusion of women fans in Australian sport I welcomed the decision. And yes I agree with Formula One that the idea of grid girls 'are at odds with modern day societal norms'. As a sport's fan I don't really believe grid girls (like cheerleaders) added anything to an exciting sport where men are the stars. Women are often objectified and seem nothing more than eye candy for male supporters. Grid girls and cheerleaders definitely send the wrong message to those women wanting to participate in sport on equal terms with men including motor sport (Ormonde, 2012, Emery, 2018).

I doubt those journalists and columnists in the Australian media who supported grid girls have been to a Formula One Grand Prix event in Australia or overseas or any sporting event where young women perform to entertain the supporters and support men playing the game on the field. Many stated that the presence of grid girls (or cheerleaders) at events didn't bother them. 

It is easy to support a group of people you personally have no contact with and are not a regular feature of you or your families life such as going to a rugby league game. These women argue that young women have a right use their physical beauty to earn money, wear what they want and to engage in any employment of their choice to earn a living at what they love. Which is true in Australia. One journalist told me 'how dare I tell another woman what values they should have' when I expressed my objection.

I was 'told how dare you tell another woman what values they should have' at the same time they ignored me and my feelings and the right to express my opinion. In fact no where in anything I read did journalists or columnists talk to a female fan about how grid girls or cheerleaders made fans feel at games and events and that was uncomfortable. 

To be honest I didn't like cheerleader's routines and costumes. The only person I read interested in the position of the female fans and cheerleaders was Russell Crowe back in 2009 when he made the decision to axe cheerleaders at South Sydney.

American cheerleading and the role of women in this sport is different in America than Australia. I have read where many academics, people pro grid girls and cheerleaders argue that the girls are often using these experiences to put themselves through university (Back, 2017). I have also read about cheerleading as a sport in its own right not as an addition to a male game which is a completely different thing. "What I love about cheerleading is that it is for everyone. Just like other sports, cheerleading has positions (flyers, bases, back bases, tumblers, dancers) that require athletes of various shapes, sizes and skill sets to fill them. Tall, short, solid, skinny, blond, brunette -it takes them all to make a perfect routine..."(Mihalopolos, 2014). If this was true in Australian sport about cheerleaders as crowd entertainment then there would be more diversity in those selected to perform in the squads.

I am a female Australian rugby union fan. Australian rugby union has never had cheerleaders as a number of Australian sports. I have been interested in rugby union and women in sport for over thirteen years. During that time I have seen major sporting league teams in Australian actively encourage women to participate in all levels of sport from being a fan, member, player, referee, employed in teams in a range of positions through the media, as health professionals, in team management and on boards. Many rugby union clubs have had special memberships and events including 'Ladies Day' for women fans. The head of Australian rugby union is a woman.

During doing research for the post I read quite a few articles but not in one did I read where someone had asked a female fan of Formula One what they thought (they spoke to the grid girls, drivers and management of Formula One, female academics and females in the sport but not the fans). The only time I have seen cheerleading at an Australian sporting event was when I lived in Canberra and I went to watch Australian rugby league teams South Sydney v Canberra. To me the men were the stars of the show and showed great skills at playing the game. When I went to these games South Sydney had already axed their cheerleaders.

In 2009 Russell Crowe as the new owner of South Sydney decided not to use cheerleaders as they made fans feel uncomfortable. He stated that the focus should be on football and replaced them with other forms of entertainment that were later disbanded. The move was seen as progressive at the time. To be honest Russell Crowe's words rang true at the games in Canberra and I did feel uncomfortable with cheerleaders and their type of entertainment. Several years on from my experiences in Canberra, the rugby league team the Canberra Raiders have decided not to renew their female cheerleading squad. The reason given was that this would distinguish their team from other teams and to 'create more opportunities for women and men and children to get involved.' (Back, 2017).

In 2016 Australia provided the American college football season with a match in Sydney between the California Golden Bears and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at ANZ stadium. This was the first American college football game ever played in Australia. Along with that game came all the razzle dazzle of American football including female cheerleading squads and marching bands. The social media section at ANZ stadium were sending out a large amount of tweets to promote the game using tweets with photographs of cheerleaders who seemed to be included in every promotional opportunity available rather than the players.

I don't have a problem with American college football or any American sports playing in Australia during their regular or off season but I do have a problem with cheerleaders who don't play the game in any capacity being used to promote the sport here. If Americans are going to promote their sport here I would rather see and hear from the players and administrators. When I complained to ANZ stadium on Twitter they blocked me for speaking up for what I considered sexist behaviour.

Many journalists and sports fans will probably believe the decision to axe grid girls comes in the wake of the #MeToo campaign in 'which has brought sexual harassment and objectification of women into the spotlight' (Emery, 2018). I believe it probably has influenced many professional sports and the role women play within them. But in Australian sport the decision to make sport more inclusive of women and for equal rights has been ongoing for many years. For example, late last year Australian sporting codes Australian Rugby Union, Australian Rugby League, Australian Football League and Australian Netball League joined forces to encourage Australian sport's fans to be more than a spectator and challenge sexist attitudes and behaviours, where ever and when they see them.

So what happens when women sport's fans speak up about sexist attitudes and behaviours in particular in sport around Australia. It seems grid girls, cheerleaders and their supporters are quick to shut those women down. I was told by one journalist on Twitter 'what right do men have to tell women what to do' as I tried to explain the role of women in sport including motor sport and their sponsors and this decision was perhaps not confined to men. Since then other articles have been written and the down fall of the grid girl has been blamed on the middle class well to do women telling working class women what they can and can't do. The grid girls blame women feminists for the lost of a job they loved (SBS, 2018, ABC, 2018).

Regardless of who made the decision to axe the grid girls it seems that those who run a business (either male or female) like the Formula One and their sponsors and fans can't make a decision about what is best for their business. Chan & Walters (2018) stated Formula One paid grid girls in the United Kingdom 300 pounds a day plus all their costs including food, hotels, makeup and travel. The total cost of grid girls ads up to a lot of money and savings if made redundant or replace with a more inclusive model. The axing of grid girls, cheerleaders and other walk on roles for models in professional darts and Australian cycling does reflect current societal norms but also to ensure the future of their sport as they compete for limited sponsorship funding. The money certainly can be used to promote more inclusive women's roles at all levels of the professional sport. What ever the reasons it is a move in the right direction.

References

Back, A. 2017. 'Canberra Raiders drop cheerleaders in 2017' published in The Canberra Times on 9 January, 2017.

Chan, E & Walters, I. 2018. 'It didn't feel sexist': Former grid girls have THEIR say on the controversial Formula One ban but Melinda Messenger says it's the right move' published in the DailyMail.co.uk on 1 February, 2018.

Emery, K. 2018. 'Grid girls are a notion that has had its day' published in The West Australian on 2 February, 2018.

McMahon, A. 2018. 'Formula One axes grid girls from races to keep up with 'modern day societal norms' published on abc.net.au on 1 February, 2018.

Mihalopoulos, S. 'Everything you know about cheerleading is wrong' published in mamamia.com.au on 10 August, 2014.

Musovic, S, (2017), 'Sports stars urge fans to challenge sexism by being #morethanaspectator' published in ourwatch.org.au on 24 November, 2017.

News Corporation Australia, 2018. 'Formula One axes 'grid girls' starting at the Australian Grand prix in March' published in news.com.au on 1 February, 2018.

Ormonde, L. 2018, 'Do you support woman's right to cheer?' published in mamamia.com.au on the 1 May, 2012.

Poulson, J, 2018. 'Broncos say cheerleaders here to stay after Formula One axes grid girls' published in The Courier Mail on February, 2018.

Ritchie, D. & Charnock, C. 2009, 'Cheerleaders axed at Souths' published in the Daily Telegraph on the 17 March, 2009.

SBS, 2018. 'F1 grid girls push back against 'well of women' telling others what to do'.SBS News published on 7 February, 2017.

Wheatstone, R. 2018. 'Grid Grief. What are grid girls, how much do they get paid and who are the grid kids to replace them' published in thesun.co.uk on 6 February, 2018. 

Russell Crowe And 'A Less Contentious Australia Day Tweet'...An Australian responds (Repost) (78/365).

My thoughts about Australia Day haven't changed since last year... change the date to be inclusive of all Australians including Indigenous Australians and those Australians not living in New South Wales. 

Russell Crowe And 'A Less Contentious Australia Day Tweet'...An Australian responds (Update and Repost) published 18 March, 2018.

I have reposted this post as while researching I found a photograph of Russell Crowe (and Alan Doyle) and The Ordinary Fear Of God performing at the Australia Day Live Concert at Parliament House in Canberra on the 25 January, 2006. What an awesome concert that would have been. 




(no copyright infringement intended)


Russell Crowe And 'A Less Contentious Australia Day Tweet'...An Australian responds published on 27 January, 2018.

On the 25 January, 2018, the day before Australia's national day of celebration Russell Crowe wrote on his official Twitter site... 'I am going to say Happy Australia Day , on a different date. Take away the contention , let's have a date we can all embrace. We should be sensitive enough to recognise all those who have lived in this land before us , if you live here , you belong to them , and they to you.' 

One of the reasons I love writing my blog is that I always find so many interesting things to research and write about. And this topic is definitely one of those. Two days on from when the tweet was first posted the responses keep coming. Well over 600 responses from fans, Australians (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) and foreigners who have weighed into the discussion. And what a discussion this has been for Twitter and social media.

There were the loyal Russell Crowe fans from overseas (and Australia) who agreed with Russell again, over something that didn't affect them or their family and they had no trouble criticising Australia and telling Australians what to do. Most of these fans from overseas don't have a clue about Australia's history, have never been to Australia and nor have they ever met an Australian or an Indigenous Australian yet they weighed in.

There were those who responded and told Russell 'politely' that he was a Kiwi who has never taken citizenship and voted and that he should mind his own business and keep his opinions to himself. There were many of those who wrote and I agree with that there is no 'we' as long Russell doesn't do his time and take his citizenship and vote. He doesn't have the right to speak for me as an Australian and what we should do about anything in this country even though he lives here beyond the scope of his own family and investments. I was initially peeved at his comments and for taking yet another dig at Australians and Australia the country he says he calls home.

There was also a really interesting educational and informative discussion by many Australians about the history of colonisation in Australia and the possibility of changing Australia Day to another date. Of course I wouldn't take anything I read in a Twitter or a social media timeline as the absolute truth and would check the comments made against reliable sources, but I was heartened by the informative, non abusive and non name calling discussion in order to attempt to resolve this issue.

The traditional media also caught on about Russell's comments who use Twitter and social media as a source of 'news'. At the time of writing this post there were stories on Yahoo and from the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom. These articles describe how there are a number of Australian celebrities joining the 'Change the date' cause. These 'news' stories were supplement with screen shots of tweets and beautiful pictures of flag waving Australians.

I am sure Russell Crowe (as are a number of celebrities) are fully aware of the power of their Twitter and social media accounts to created publicity for any cause. Like a range of social media has the power to make most participants whether they are a celebrity or not feel better about themselves without having to do anything substantial. For Russell there is the extra advantage of using Twitter to take a dig at Australia and Australians with his 'loyal' followers trolling them and dividing Australians themselves.

Russell posted the tweet on his official Twitter account on the 25 January or Australia Day eve to 'take away contention'. What many of his loyal supporters on Twitter didn't realise that his post supporting the call to change the date posted on the 25 January is the official beginning of the Australia Day celebrations especially in the nation's capital Canberra when the Australian of the Year awards are announced.

Australia Day celebrations in past were held on the 25 January or the 26 January depending on what day of the week it was. When I lived in Canberra ordinary Australians like me would wonder up to the old Parliament and watch the presentation of Australian of the Year and participate in various activities including a concert and fireworks.

However, with each change of government the day and celebrations for Australia Day change. This year The Australian of the Year awards and Australia Day celebrations for the Australian elite in Canberra were held on the 25 January at the Big Hall in Parliament House. I am not sure what kind of a presentation it was but I am assuming it was an invited sit down dinner only. Ordinary Australians, residents and visitors were left with a family friendly barbecue, flag raising, citizenship ceremonies and some fireworks and a concert in the park now on the actual day. So I can't imagine it being a big deal to change the date.

Many of Russell's followers do not understand Australian history as many Australians don't but still they actively defended him. Many failed to remember Russell owns half of the Australian rugby league team the South Sydney Rabbitohs . Unlike the National Rugby League site the South Sydney Rabbitohs did not write an official happy Australia Day post to it's members and supporters on Twitter. The South Sydney Rabbitohs supports Indigenous Australian players and has a long and complex history with the Indigenous Australian community and the local Sydney suburb of Redfern where the organisation is located.

A recent article on ABC News gave an overview of the Invasion Day protests around Australia and those in Sydney... 'This year Sydney protests marked the 80 th anniversary of the Day of Mourning where thousands of protesters walked through the streets of Redfern wanting a treaty between Indigenous Australians and the Government... Australia is the only country that does not have a treaty with its Indigenous population...A twin Australia Day protest was held at The Block in Redfern, with more than 3,000 people spilling out of the park and joining the walk to the Yabun Festival held at Victoria Park.'

To his credit Russell has always had an interest in Indigenous Australian culture and history. Last year he visited remote Indigenous communities throughout central Australia and Western Australia with friends. Although it was a private unannounced visit he did attract the attention of the local media who published some photographs and stories (Iannella, 2017). Russell also posted some photos and videos on his official Twitter account. When the political party the Greens who support the 'Change of Date' campaign were asked about their experience in remote Indigenous Australian communities many of their elected politicians would not say what their experiences were or when they last went to a remote Indigenous Australian community (Higgins, 2018). So credit to Russell.

In a poll taken by the morning television show Sunrise on Facebook 74 % of people who voted did not want the date of Australia Day changed. Prior to writing this blog post I would have been in that camp. After some research and a bit of resistance I believe Australia should begin discussions to change the date.

King (2018) provides a brief but excellent overview of the history of the colonisation of Australia. The writer states something I didn't know 'It's a misnomer anyway calling January 26 Australia day because that is historically inaccurate. The 26th was not arrival, they arrived in Botany Bay on 18th January...On 26th January Phillip established a penal colony not a nation...'

This Australian now believes we should celebrate Australia Day on January 1 when the nation of Australia was actually created. King (2018) continues 'January 1, 1901 was all about nation building - not British naval officers just founding one penal colony - but Australians creating their own nation.'

And so the debate and push around changing the date of Australia Day continues in particular by some political parties within Australia. However, there are those non Indigenous and Indigenous Australians that argue this takes away from more important issues that concern Indigenous Australians like housing, health and shorter life expectancies, justice, domestic violence, child neglect, education and employment. Governments have discussed closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians for years and this should be a priority. I agree.

References

ABC News, 2018. 'Invasion Day marked by thousands of protesters calling for equal rights, change of date' published on ABC News on 26 January, 2018 at abc.net.au.

Canberra Times, 2018, 'Greens may be off the mark with Australia Day push' published in The Canberra Times on 15 January, 2018 at canberratimes.com.

Higgins, E. 2018, 'Greens’ focus is not on Aborigines, says Sue Gordon' published in The Australian on 20 January, 2018 at the australian.com.au.

Iannella, A. 2017. 'Russell Crowe visited the APY Lands, and Tjala Arts Centre in the Amata community' published in The Advertiser on 3 May, 2017 on news.com.au.

King, J. 2018. 'Australia Day: Why our destiny requires another date to celebrate' published in The Sydney Morning Herald on the 21 January, 2108 at amp.smh.com.au.

Sunrise Official Twitter Account, 'Should we change the date of Australia Day Facebook Poll' published on 24 January, 2018.

Weekend Australian, 2018. 'Greens get good telling off from indigenous leaders' published in the Weekend Australia, on 23 January, 2018 at theaustralian.com

Alan Doyle And Friend's Fundraising Video 2018...A repost for Throwback Thursday (77/365)

I thought the post I wrote 'Alan Doyle And Friend's Fundraising Video 2018...published 16 January, 2018' needed a repost for Throwback Thursday for the anniversary so here it is. 

I have circulated the totally awesome music video on my Google + page for those fans interested...

All the best to John Mann and his family and friends always...


'Alan Doyle And Friend's Fundraising Video 2018...published 16 January, 2018'

During November 2017, 'The Spirit of Canada A Benefit' brought together approximately 50 of Canada's best artists and musicians (including Alan Doyle, Jim Cuddy, Sarah McLachlan and Ed Robertson) to help raise funds for one of their own John Mann. The benefit was held on Sunday, 19 November, 2017 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

The event was held to help raise funds for his medical condition (who was diagnosed with the early onset of Alzheimer's) and personal needs. During that night Alan Doyle and friends recorded a cover version of the Spirit of the West song 'Home For a Rest' and made a video that shows Mann enjoying the night dancing on stage while friends perform the song. The video was shared on social media and through the traditional media to help raise awareness and funds. The video is totally awesome and I wish them all the best. 

Alan did some interviews about the experience of doing the fundraiser and recording the song and making the video. I decided to let Alan's words speak for themselves and have copied an interview from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador below. I have shared a copy of the 'Home For a Rest' video from YouTube on my Google + page. I have also shared some screen shots I have done from the video. As always no copyright infringement intended. 

"We got it in the can in the can': Alan Doyle spearheads bathroom recording to benefit John Mann." published on 14 January 2018.

Track recorded in restroom during benefit show for Spirit of the West front man who has Alzheimer's.

A new version of a Spirit of the West hit was recorded in a restroom before a Vancouver gig to support ongoing care for the band's lead singer, who is living with early onset Alzheimer's.

"We got it in the can in the can," said singer-songwriter Alan Doyle of the recording, which came together with the help of other Canadian musicians at the Nov. 19 benefit show at the Commodore Ballroom.

"'I knew when that gig was coming up, that it was going to be a special day," Doyle told Weekend AM about the show in support of John Mann, who was diagnosed in 2014 at the age of 52.

In order to have something from the benefit that would last beyond the event itself, Doyle planned a recording of one of the band's best-known songs, Home For A Rest.

Doyle and members of his touring band laid down a bed track while in Halifax for a gig, and vocals — and a video — were recorded at the Commodore ballroom on the day of the show itself with dozens of the musicians who played on stage later that evening.

Doyle a longtime fan 

Doyle has a long history with Mann and Vancouver-based Spirit of the West as a solo musician and as a member of Great Big Sea. 

But his introduction to the band actually came from Much Music in the late 1980s. Doyle said he was excited to see music videos from a band playing the traditional instruments he was familiar with in an entirely new way.

"The first band that we knew in Canada that was getting on television, and even getting on the radio, and playing acoustic instruments really aggressively and punky was Spirit of the West," Doyle said of the band, which he described as a huge influence on him as a young musician.

"The way they chose to play very, very, delicate, fragile acoustic Celtic instruments was incredible to me," Doyle said. "It was very influential, yeah, probably one of the most influential bands of my lifetime."

'A show of love and support

The musical tribute to one of the band's biggest hits was planned around the November show, which Doyle described as "a night of entertainment, as a show of love and support and fundraising for John and his ongoing care."

With the bed track already recorded, Doyle and audio engineer Peter Green set up shop in a second-floor men's washroom at the venue, bringing musicians in and out during pre-show rehearsals to record on a mic lent by famed music producer Bob Rock, who was in town working on another project.

The unusual lavatory location for vocal recording was selected because it was enclosed, quiet and as far as possible from the rehearsal space, Doyle said.

"We did drape it nicely. We found a bunch of black drapes to put over the urinals and the like," Doyle said. "We had Sarah McLachlan coming in there. I couldn't ask Sarah to go to just any old men's can to sing a song."

Along with Doyle and McLachlan, the Home For A Rest cover includes Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo), Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), Barney and Dustin Bentall, Colin James, and Craig Northey (Odds).

Geoffrey Kelly and Tobin Frank from Spirit of the West also played, along with some of the band members' children.

A GoFundMe page set up to support Mann and his family as his disease progresses and the amount of care he requires increases had surpassed its goal after raising $22,567 as of Friday. 

As for Mann himself, Doyle said he was at the show and appeared to enjoy the evening.

"He just kept saying to me that it was lovely, the whole day was lovely," Doyle said. "Anything that keeps him connected to his friends and his musical friends that love him is good."