Potential New Setbacks Side Project
February 11th, 2005
by: Trevor Kealey
Last night we had an unofficial band meeting. To be honest it has been a while since we have all been together in the same place other than for practice or a show. Since I had a baby and with Chris’ new day job taking up so much time, we have struggled to get together (Steve and Chet are available anytime – they have nothing to do ever it seems).
We met up at the Aloha Room for a few cold ones and to talk shop and plan our attack for the next few months. Our new friends from Harshey were there, and their singer Jeff regaled us with stories of gigs past. The unofficial fifth Setback Brett Tackaberry was there too. He regaled us with stories of ball hockey and donkey punches.
We also wanted to talk about our new side project: The Awesome Time Friendship Band. We’ve been inspired by a wall hanging which Chet recently installed in our practice space. It is a carpeted weave that shows a heart, and out of that heart, a rainbow streaks across. It is very beautiful and brimming with positivity.
That is when it hit us. Almost simultaneously, we all began playing a chord progression. It was very happy and upbeat; something that has been missing from a lot of music since grunge made the B-52’s obsolete. We worked it out, inserted some well timed BaDaBaps, WooHooHoos and hand claps, and a beautiful, positive song was born. The song was called The Awesome Times Friendship Band, and since it didn’t fit in with Setbacks material, we’ve been forced to create a side project with the same name.
I expect we may try to play this song at our next show at Greenfields (Feb 19) just for fun. I suspect that while we are playing it, some flowers will fall from the ceiling and a rainbow will appear. Suddenly a deer will walk by and a rabbit. People will began holding hands as their positive auras become so strong that it will be seen by the naked eye.
Miracles can happen, and will.
Also: recently Chris has been saddened by my constant teasing him on our website. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to him publicly, and hope that we can still be friends. Also to point out that we are proud of his Italian heritage. So much so, that Steve, Chet, and I have written a song about it. It will also be an Awesome Time Friendship Band song.
Looking at the World Through Beer Coloured Glasses
February 2nd, 2005
January 27 – Barrymores – Ottawa
A quick rundown of events from our last show through the beer goggled eyes of Trevor Kealey:
We all met up at Steve’s apartment around 5:30pm to pick up the gear. As Steve, Chet, and I hauled it all down the narrow stairway while Steve’s fiancée Maritia held the door, Chris again managed to avoid moving anything. He was holed up in his car with his best lady steaming up the windows. Heavy petting session is my guess.
Anyway, we get him out of liplock, and he joins us all in Chet’s truck. Where he proceeds to unleash a Palmer-worthy bomb. For those of you that don’t understand, I am referring to flatulence. Italian flatulence. It smells like ravioli and pesto that has fermented, strong red wine, and cheese, all filtered through a thick layer of ass hair.
Thankfully Barrymore’s is merely blocks away. We load in through the back alley, taking on the treacherously icy steps. Luckily no one is hurt from falling, and all the gear survives. Upon arriving in the club, we find it to actually be colder inside than it is out! I have never done soundcheck with a coat and gloves on. It was hard. Chris managed to plough through all his drum sticks, I suspect the bitter cold caused them to turn to ice and shatter. He tried to play the last sound check song with only one drum stick. Not good. But our luck was about to change. After sound check we were lucky enough to find a whole box of Shadow Vale t-shirts! It was like a dream come true! I’ve already seen Steve wearing his.
Harshey and Blackball arrived soon for their soundcheck, so we snuck over to the Royal Oak for dinner. Chris went to get some drum sticks and catch a quick nap. Rock and Roll.
We got back to the club just before Blackball hit the stage. True to his word, Dave the drummer did indeed remove his shirt (remember: it is still colder than a seal’s ass in there). He survived, using the heat generated from their smoking set to combat frostbite on the nipples.
Harshey hit the stage shortly after, and hit it fast and furious. Some new songs were introduced and the crowd was digging it. Plus the bodies filling the place and all the frantic movement managed to heat it up enough to upgrade the club from meat locker to cold storage.
By the time we hit the stage I had no fear of the cold due to the beer jacket I had put on after the club gave us 26 beer tickets. We played all the songs from the EP, as well as some Deep Purple and a new song called Music is the Medicine. Everything was well received and we had a load of fun. Thanks to everyone who came to watch and to play.
I managed to sneak out without helping with any of the gear (I likely wouldn’t have been any help anyway) and got a drive home from our good buddy Gary. I think I struck up a deal to have him manage the Setbacks’ side project: Deeper Purple, the Ultimate Tribute to Deep Purple. Either that or the Space Truckers. Watch for us.
The Setbacks In The Boardroom!
December 21st, 2004
Steve, Trev, Paul, and Chris,
You guys are great guys. Really. You're really great. I have every sense that success will follow you guys when the time is right. I have to tell you though, your New Year's Eve show on December 31st better be a homerun. I caught you guys at your last New Year's Eve show in Toronto at the 360, and I have to tell you. Steve and Trevor CANNOT sing falsetto. There is no falsetto in rock music, and frankly, I don't know how The Darkness do it. To put things into perspective a little more, I suggest that you guys break out your signature energy during such rock classics as "One Track Mind" and your new number "The Music Is The Medicine". I caught that one on your CKCU show back about a month ago at that God awful time in the morning. You botched up those AC/DC songs, but you did great with those two numbers. Outta sight guys. Seriously. I think you might have what it takes to make it in one of my multi million dollar companies, where I own an assortment of businesses from casinos to the world's most luxurious condominiums. Setbacks, I challenge you to blow my combover straight and show the world what it means to have your skin peeled back a few notches by nothing but the pure and sheer power of rock and roll. I especially like Chris Saracino's amazing and phenomenal drum playing. Chris is a great addition to your band, and he is also a really handsome guy, and frankly I think you all give him too much flack for having hair on his back. Give him a break. He is an amazing individual and really good looking.
Ok guys, we'll see you on New Year's Eve.
D.
Dropping Like Flies
December 13th, 2004
It's true. They're dropping like flies all around me. The Setbacks, long known as straight up lady killers, have recently becoming lady-killed.
Daughters, diamonds, and tattoos.
But we will keep bringing the rock.
2005 will be our year. The year of The Setbacks.
Live To Air/Heir To Live
by Trevor Kealey
November 8th, 2004
In an attempt to clean up the sometimes crass writing that plagues The Setback's website, I am going to recount the events of two days last week in a more concise manner. Read on:
LIVE TO AIR
On Thursday evening past, The Setbacks were invited to join the ever cordial Charles Anthony live on the airwaves of Ottawa’s local radio station CKCU. Because it is a community radio station, a pre determined amount of the required operational budget must be obtained through donations by listeners, loyal and casual alike. The occasion of our live performance would fall within the weeks known as the “funding drive” and as a result, we were to attempt to glean money from said listeners.
The hour of our performance was to be from midnight to 2am, and as such, we were expected at the studio at 11pm. Due to scheduling conflicts, Steve would meet us at the studio, Chet and I would fetch the equipment, and Chris had arranged yet again to avoid any, and all, exercise which required lifting our gear by claiming he would be downtown already. Somehow, this excuse worked despite the fact that we would all be downtown already.
Chet and I arrived at the studio on time, and began setting up our gear in a room not much bigger than the average household washroom. Studio B, as it is known, was where we would play, and Charles would broadcast from the next room over, which one could assume was Studio A. As we set up the gear and Charles and the ever efficient Chris Ikonomopolous (forgive me if this is incorrect spelling) prepped the sound equipment, a disturbing phone message arrived. Steve’s vehicle had suffered a flat tire in the City of Hull, and Chris was picking him up. As a result, they would be late. Though we managed to quell the rising panic, the tension in the studio was high.
Thankfully, as zero hour approached, a second phone call advised us as to their arrival, though they were slightly lost in the building, attempting unsuccessfully to reach the 5th floor. After sorting that detail out, we did a quick sound check and were prepared for our first on air performance. At precisely midnight, Charles queued up the theme music and we were off. For two hours we poured our hearts and souls across the airwaves into the homes of millions of music fans, insomniacs, and alcoholics. Playing both new songs and old, we managed to fill the two hours with sweet, sleak rock and roll and idle, idiotic chit chat.
As the evening wore on, the temperature in the tiny, airtight Studio we were playing in began to rise substantially. Towards the end of the 2 hours, it was a legitimate concern that Chris had lost upwards of 15 pounds in sweat. Thankfully he survived because he was wearing Umbro shorts, designed by Italians, for Italians.
Much to the surprise of Charles Anthony, many listeners called in and donated money to the station, surpassing his goal of $200 in two hours. In fact doubling it, thereby “warming his heart”. Big thanks to Ingrid and friends for a huge donation, Maritia for calling from Edmonton, a fellow named Larry, and Jimmy's Garage for pitching in, as well as the many other callers and donaters.
Highlights of the show include a stellar version of our new song The Music is the Medicine, and closing out the show with unrecorded classic Can’t Ride These Trails. Lowlights included butchering two AC/DC songs for a caller named Alan who would only pledge money on that condition. We only hope that listeners did not form a negative opinion of the Setbacks based on those songs.
After our performance, Chet and I returned to our respective homes while Steve and Chris went back to Hull to retrieve Steve’s abandoned vehicle. Not an envious task.
HEIR TO LIVE
The following night we had been invited to participate in the CKCU Funding Drive Wrap Up party, sharing the stage with the Double Pumpers, South of 78, and the Banditas. We arrived at Babylon, a lovely club that would be hosting the evening’s goings on, only slightly behind schedule. We were given opportunity to check our sound, as is customary at these types of events, before the general public were given access to the venue.
During this closed-door session, we met a few of the CKCU dj’s, many of whom had been spinning our tunes over the last few years. It was an exciting opportunity to put faces to the voices, some of whom had lavished wonderful praises upon us. Chris Ikonomopolous was again on hand, and presented us with a double cd copy of our on air performance from the previous night.
We retreated to Quiznos for a quick repast, dining on delicious toasted sandwiches and fountain colas. The sustenance would serve us well later in the evening. After our meal, we popped into the Aloha Room for an ale or two to pass the time until the general public were allowed into Babylon. Steve spent an exorbitant amount of time using the bar’s facilities, perhaps battling with the aforementioned Quizno’s delicacies.
Near the hour of nine, we returned to Babylon to prepare for the performance. We sipped on some Steamwhistle beer, which is the choice beer for giving away to bands for free due to its inability to sell. In the backstage area, we were regaled with stories by Brian Curry of South of 78, telling tales of his time with local pop/punk outfit Punhcbuggy, who had achieved mild fame in the 90’s. On the other side of the room, sound man Justin was recounting an event featuring his band to some other listeners, including Heather Osborne of CKCU. I was content to sit in the middle, quietly slipping from one conversation to the next, soaking in the ambiance and centering myself for our set.
The Banditas went on first, and Chris was quit interested in the stand-up drummer, comparing him to Jian Gomeshi of Moxy Fruvous, as he does with any drummer. We went on second and attempted to demolish the club with rock. Drawing on songs predominantly from our newest Extended Play CD entitled One Track Mind, we successfully invigorated the crowd, and vanquished all impure souls. South of 78 wowed the crowed with their twangy rock, showcasing Brian Curry’s chops. The Double Pumpers finished off the night with their bluesy garage sound, tighter than ever. It was a perfect finish to a beautiful evening.
In all, a successful, sleep deprived two days for the Setbacks. We will now retreat to the rehearsal space for some songwriting and emerge in January ready to destroy again.
Tour Diary - To Barrhaven and Back
by Trevor Kealey
October 27th, 2004
I’ve decided to dig deep into my memory and attempt to recall on this page the adventures that The Setbacks had on October 16th at Café Dekcuf and on October 23rd at Greenfields. Some weeks have passed, but I will try to capture at the very least the spirit of the nights.
OCTOBER 16 – Café Dekcuf
We rolled into the club only 20 minutes after the requested 6:00 arrival. This is pretty good for the Setbacks. It also looked like we’d all be there for soundcheck, another miracle! Of course, everything was slightly behind schedule, so we didn’t sound check until nearly 8, and it was sloppy. But this could have been due to hunger.
So after our sound check we slipped out to find some subway, but Chris had other plans. While Steve, Paul, and I dined on subs made by the world’s quickest sandwich artist (not quick enough to catch the pan of cookies he dropped on the floor though) Chris was eating chocolate dipped strawberries off of his new girlfriend’s stomach while lying on a bed of roses and sipping some mildly expensive champagne. What a ripoff.
We went back to the club to get our drink on and to worry about what time Chris would be back, and of course to listen to some live music. Defy went on first – some hardcore/metal from my hometown of Aylmer. The straight edge t-shirts two of them were sporting really conflicted with my Canadian Drinking Team T-shirt. We put our differences aside and shared the stage. I still want to know who got their beer tickets though.
Next up was The Love Machine, an emo group who’ve been tearing it up around town recently. They had played a show that afternoon somewhere, so were already sweaty when they took the stage. Nice songs that sounded great, very Get Up Kids sounding. Luckily Chris showed up during their set, so we were ready to rock.
We hit the stage and literally tore through our set list. The only pause in the action was when Paul broke another bass string (who does this?!) during the first song. Big thanks to Braden Potter from the Red Arrows for the quick act of generosity by letting us use his bass. After that we barely paused to catch our breath and were off the stage in record time, and covered in a record amount of sweat, culminating in another spirited version of Born On The River, our new closer.
The Red Arrows went on last to celebrate the release of their new cd. They impressed with their pop rock sounds and political/intellectual lyrics. I picked up the cd and it’s pretty damn good. Watch out for these guys, as they played some new songs too, which didn’t get recorded. It sounds like they plan on picking it up a few notches, which is always good in The Setbacks’ book.
OCTOBER 23 – Greenfields
None of us knew what to expect from this show, since we were playing at an irish pub which we used to frequent when we lived with our parents in suburbia many years before. It was almost a homecoming of sorts; only none of our friends live out that way anymore. I had the fellas over to my place for a Setbacks pizza party before the show since I had all the gear. We did some trust building exercises, such as falling backwards into each others arms. It was beautiful. Until Chris demolished my washroom when he decided he needed to drop off a size 10.
With that done, we took off for Barrhaven. The stage was awkward, in that the drums were elevated, and the little section in front was only big enough for two people. So I had to stand up on the drum riser, beside Chris, just outside the ring of light provided by the stage lights. We brushed up on some old Setbacks’ songs in sound check, then sat back to get our drink on.
Hearsay opened the show. We were worried when they played a Tragically Hip song during sound check, and thought we had gotten ourselves involved in a show that wanted covers – bar band style. Luckily when they played their set, they played all originals. Since they were a 5 piece, they were even more crowded on stage then us. Luckily they didn’t move around too much, or there would have been trouble.
We hit the stage around 11 and to our surprise a lot of old friends showed up, some even taking the bus to Barrhaven! Unheard of. We also had some special guests in that my parents and Paul’s parents showed up. We tried to ease up on the swears, but I don’t think we did.
The set went smokingly well, we played long and hard, bringing out a lot of material from our first album that we had stopped playing in favour of the new stuff. The crowd was loving it. We even had a mini mosh pit in front of the stage. At Greenfields! Wtf?
We finished the set with our newer songs, and by then the crowd was begging for more. Came back with some Deep Purple after which Chris completely destroyed his drum kit! He didn’t want to risk playing anymore, so he totaled it. Pushed it off the stage and everything. Incredible.
In all, a good couple of weekends. But we’re just building for our next show at Babylon on November 5th, a benefit for CKCU’s funding drive that will see us share the stage with the fabulous Double Pumpers, the Banditas, and South of 78. Be there.
-tk
DIG IT!
October 18th, 2004
I just found out that Dig! is opening December 7th at the Bytowne. This is great news. Thi documentary won the Grand Jury prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival and looks at the frontmen of two west coast bands (Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols and Anton A. Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre), taking an in-depth look at how the two bands of close friends broke out together during the mid to late 90s and how each ended up taking very different paths over the 6 or 7 years covered in the movie. The Dandy Warhols achieved moderate mainstream success while the critically acclaimed Brian Jonestown Massacre end up falling victim to their own shortcomings. Anton from the BJM has openly panned the movie and says it uses Jerry Springer type editing to make him out to be some self-destructing junkie... which makes me want to see it even more. It's an interesting look at maintaing your artistic integrity while trying to make a living as an artist... a must-see in my books.
Rocktober 9th - from Steve and Trevor
October 12th, 2004
Here's a double-barreled diary entry from your two axe wielding Setbacks: Steve Palmer and Trevor Kealey. Between the two of us we hope to give you the most comprehensive rundown possible of our EP release party on Saturday.
Trevor's Recollection
We’ve had a couple of days to recover from the cd release party last Saturday at the Dominion, and that’s given me a bit of a clearer picture to draw from to sum up the night. I left the other fellows to haul all the gear, as I had a wedding to attend. It was a great wedding (Congratulations Amy and Andy!) and everyone there was having a blast. I dipped into the wine and beer to make sure I didn’t fall behind in my rock and roll preparations.
I was delivered to the Dominion at about 10:30, and the Heelwalkers were in the midst of ripping it up. Wow. The rock was being delivered, and the crowd was eating it up. I headed for the washroom, where I met up with Steve. He brought me up to speed on what I had missed (ie nothing). I was in no mood for small talk, so demanded my beer tickets. He excitedly handed me two. Two beer tickets?! What’s the deal here? But when I got to the bar I was surprised when the staff handed me a huge bottle of 50. The tickets were for 710s. The equivalent of a wine bottle full of beer. Quite an arm workout, I only hoped it wouldn’t destroy my muscles before the show.
Soon Les Pugilists hit the stage and caught the audience off guard with all their energy. I was amazed! It was inspirational. I would use this and the Heelwalkers performance to fuel the Setbacks rock and roll machine. We had apparently put together such a good lineup of bands that we were doomed to be upstaged. But I was not deterred. I brought the fellows together, and we prayed to the gods of rock to help us deliver the good word.
We set up and Dave Aardvark, who was hosting the night, asked me how we would like to be introduced. I suggested that he warn all ovulating women to step away from the stage, because otherwise our music would impregnate them. Sadly he did not warn anybody and we hit the stage. Look for a lot of babies to be born in about 9 months. Chris and Steve both had a few 710s under their belts already, and Chet was pumped up from earlier in the day (events to be described later), so we rocked hard.
We tore into One Track Mind and were off. Playing at break neck speed and ear bleeding volume we gave it our all. After the show people questioned why we were swearing so much, which I hadn’t noticed. But if they were expecting Sunday mass, they definitely were in the wrong fucking place at the wrong fucking time.
The set culminated in Born on the River, where as in Montreal I ditched my guitar and played ‘front man’ for a song. First I couldn’t get the mic cable off the mic stand, as apparently two boy scouts helped a sailor tie one hundred knots in the thing. All the while a frenzied fan helped by playing the tambourine. He was playing it sideways for some reason, I guess he had never played the instrument before. He may also have broken it, but that’s what happens when you bring the rock hard, there is bound to be casualties.
We then attempted a stunt that we’ve never tried before. We had talked about it, and actually tried to work out the logistics of it on a lawn in Barrhaven one night, but it was deemed too dangerous to try. But with several 710s in us, we went for it: The Rock And Roll Totem Pole. Before the second verse, I called Steve (who was tearing it up with some face melting licks on in front of the stage) to come close to the monitor, which I was standing on. Chet sensed something was up, so went down to where Steve was. I then hopped up onto Steve’s shoulders and we rocked out in the audience. Chris meanwhile was sweating up a storm playing the beat that he hates to play for an extended period of time. It was hard for me to guage the crowd response, as I was focused more on keeping my testicles off of Steve’s head. I soon dismounted, we finished the song and the set and were ready to pack it in. But the crowd wanted more, so we gave them a Deep Purple song, where Steve melted even more faces, then shut ‘er down.
By that time apparently some of The Killers and openers Surfarosa from Norway had come over after their show at the Capital Music Hall. They loved the show, and we sent them back to Oslo with some Setbacks cd’s and stickers. They claimed we would be huge in Norway, so look for the Scandanavian tour sometime in the future.
Steve's Recollection
After playing Montreal the night before we were all pretty beat on Saturday morning and mostly just slept in and lounged around in our individual undergarments. But while most of us were munching down on McCain Deep'n'Delicious cakes and watching old Family Guy episodes, our bassist Paul Townsend was making life-altering decisions which included (but were not limited to): getting an oil change on his truck, buying a bagel, and asking his girlfriend to marry him. With this good news announced just before we loaded our gear into the club we all had a warm feeling in our hearts that we were sure would enhance our friendship and the performance that evening.
Soon after we showed up at the club Les Pugilists and The Heelwalkers arrived separately from Montreal. Since they were the first ones on the bill The Heelwalkers did a quick sound check, successfully peeling much of the paint of the walls while also deafening the 10 or so of us who were watching. Rawk on!
With all the gear and PA under control we snagged our beer tickets and headed towards the bar on the way out to the patio for some fresh air. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that a single beer ticket would get us a gigantic 710mL bottle of Labatt 50... another reason why the Dom is the best venue in Ottawa.
After discussing our listening habits with a couple of the Heelwalkers we figured it was time to set up the "merch booth". The Dom has a great little alcove near the front entrance that bands often use a spot to hock their stickers, albums and t-shirts. Being the poor bastards that we are, our merch booth consists of our new EP (it was the launch party after all), our old CD, and some pins and stickers that very obviously go with the old CD. Pretty slim pickings. The alcove is rather empty. No matter - we didn't come here to sell t-shirts... we came to destroy the fucking place with pure rawk.
At about 10 or so the Heelwalkers hit the stage and the place was starting to fill up a bit. For those of you haven't seen them, the Heelwalkers are great. They're loud as hell... think AC/DC with chunky guitars. They got a good reception and people were even asking for an encore... unfortunately the unwritten code of multi-band lineups forbids any band other than the headliners from honouring such a request. The Heelwalkers know this and tear down their amps to make way for Les Pugilists.
Within half an hour Les Pugilists are up and running and they kick it into 5th gear immediately. Fuck! A few people who weren't paying attention got thrown against the wall like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix. They embarassingly cleaned their spilled drinks off their shirts and started getting rock-schooled along with the rest of us. Les Pugilists play fast and ferocious garage rawk with the best of them... think of a cross between the New Bomb Turks and Le Nombre. Their lead singer doesn't play any insturments so he spends most of his time bouncing off the walls or getting down on his knees to send up a prayer to the Gods of Rawk. His energy rubs off on all of us Setbacks as we are reminded how good these guys are live... two tough acts to follow. Would we be up to the task? Fuck yeah! Read on...
By the time Les Pugilists wrapped up their set the place was a buzz... most of the buzz was originating from Chris, Trevor and I as we downed lots of the 710mL Labatt 50's. We hit the stage semi-inebriated around midnight and immediately kicked it into our lead-off track from the new EP, "One Track Mind". The reception was good as we powered through all six tracks on the EP and a couple of Setbacks "classics" from the first album. We even tossed in a new track we just finished writing called "The Music is the Medicine" (for now at least).
We wrapped up the set with "Born on the River". Lately in our rehearsals Trevor has taken to ditching his guitar in this song and running around like a maniac... scissor kicking, punching his fists in the air, launching his mic Roger Daltrey-style, and dry humping Paul and I as we try to hold the song together. We figured this kind of raw, unbridled fit of energy would translate well to our live performances. So, with the encouragement of the other Setbacks, Trevor reluctantly agreed to attempt this mayhem at the show. Soon after busting into this song on Saturday, Trev ditched the guitar and began his running around. Most of his "mayhem" consisted of him leaping off the stage, then back on, then off again, then back on again. No dry-humping... thankfully.
About half way through the song Trev and I moved into formation for a rock maneuver we promised only to break out in case of emergency. What kind of emergency, you ask? Well, we figured that with us following two kick-ass acts we couldn't rely on our good looks to blow the roof of the club, so we'd have to employ some acrobat-style trickery to put us over the top. Enter the rock'n'roll totem pole. This move, perfected by acts like the Mooney Suzuki, has one member climb onto the shoulders of another member during mid-performance. So, being the heavier of the two (and the guy who had to continue playing guitar while this occurred) I volunteered to take the bottom position and allow Trev to climb up top and drive the crowd into a frenzy.
From all reports, this stunt paid off... we simultaneously impregnated all the female audience members while rendering all males sterile. Mission accomplished.
People seemed to really dig the show and by the time we wrapped up our set people were begging for more! For a quick encore, we played a slightly-hacked version of Deep Purple's "Highway Star" and I literally sang away the last remnants of undamaged tissue in my throat.
Post-show reports from several audience members seemed to focus on Trevor and myself swearing a lot during the show... specifically in our between-song banter. What can I say, it ain't fucking Sunday mass... it's rock and roll people!
Well - after the show we chilled out with Les Pugilists and the Heelwalkers. A good time was had by all! Thanks go out to John and Dave from Birdman for helping us put the show on, and of course to the two great bands we got to share the stage with! We can't forget all our friends and Ottawa rock fans who came out too... you guys made the show a real success! Golden!
Montreal! Le Rock c'est tellement bonne...
October 9th, 2004
We played Montreal last night. It was wicked. The Cafe Chaos people were very nice, and I was personally pleasantly surpised by the energetic and Zappa-esque set of The Navajo Code Talkers. They had a drummer, God love him, who while talented beyond belief, was a full meter taller than me. He was gracious enough to allow me to use his drum kit, but I truly felt like Billy Barty behind the traps last night. Everything was gigantic. The ride down was fun. Steve got us re-acquainted with the debut KISS album, and we also stopped at the Dunkin Donuts/Burger King/Pizza Hut/Bar Danceuse after we got into Quebec that most bands know like a second home when on the road. I ate a delicious Dunkin Donuts roast beef sandwich with some ringolos and a can of a new refreshing citrus soda called 7up. Deeeeeelicious.
We arrived in Montreal, and met up with The Heelwalkers and The Code Talkers. We got the arrangement worked out with the equipment swap, and then I accidentally waltzed into the women's bathroom. A woman, go figure, let me know that I was in the wrong place. The bathrooms were set up with saloon doors, and I didn't see the sign. Whoops. Quebec faux pas number one.
We played a good set at around 10:30. We did the usual chops and one twos. Trevor exterminated all human life at the front of the stage with his electrifying solo in "Little Girl" and worked the crowd during "Born On The River" when he chucked his guitar off, and went to work on the crowd like a frenzied evangelist during the part of the song I dread, which is were I beat fenetically on the snare drum without any guitar. I feel like I am 80 when I do this, because my entire body cries and moans attempting to keep up with Trevor's maniacal audience antics. Steve soared through the set as he usually does, and Paul and I were having a brief love affair via our eyes as we were ensuring that we got all the punches.
The ride back to Montreal for the Ottawa show tonight was good. We talked about crass stuff, listened to Le Nombre's first record as well as The Mars Volta. I was exhausted by the time I got in. Tonight should be good. We had to leave and did not get an opportunity to see The Heelwalkers' set. All nice guys, but we would have been beat if we had stayed, plus we knew that we were seeing them tonight anyways. Steve texted me at around 2 a.m., probably when the party was gettin started there anyways. He stayed as his parents like in Montreal. Ian Blurton, all of Bionic, and some of the rest of the marquee Montreal rock community showed up. Steve gave him a copy of One Track Mind, and apparently he remembered us from New Year's Eve in Toronto. If I was there, I would have told him that I've been listening to C'mon's Midnite Is The Answer religiously for about a week.
I'm sure Trevor will write a diary entry after tonight. Stay tuned! We'll have pictures I'm sure. We'll probably be inebriated. Maybe I can get Trevor to write a diary entry drunk!
chris
The Stills at The Capital Music Hall
October 1st, 2004
Hello Mortals,
I went and saw The Stills at The Capital Music Hall last night.
It was really good. They are very rock and rolly.
No no...it was actually a very good show. They have a tendency towards songs that sound written by Morrissey and Radiohead a bit, but it's great nonetheless. I am counting "Logic Will Break Your Heart" as one of my favourite records I've purchased this year. Also, someone recognized me as the trumpet player from The Setbacks. I couldn't let her down, so I just did my best Dizzy Gillespie blown up cheeks thing, and demanded she come to the show on the 9th.
I saw about 40 seconds of Jason Collett. I think he is a good guy, but who's kidding who? Broken Social Scene makes everyone in that band cool. His music is ok, but if I wanted to see Ryan Adams, I would have gone to see Ryan Adams. I realize that is harsh, but I don't care. I'm bound to get flack from Steve for that, because Steve is in love with him.
Best Regards,
Chris Setback
Contact the band at band[at]thesetbacks.com