Bob Hallett and I just left Oz FM to chat up our upcoming concert stop in St. John’s. I remember going there in 1993 with our indy tape and asking the lady at the desk to give it to the folks on air see if they would play it. Much to my surprise, they did! OzFM, NTV, and the Newfoundland Herald, all of which live within the walls of those buildings on Torbay Road, have helped give us a two-decade career. I am very grateful to them all.

This afternoon, I’m heading up to Take the Shot Productions where they put together Republic of Doyle along with a few other shows. I’m going up there to get them to help me assemble some video stuff for the upcoming GBS XX Tour. I’m hoping we’ll be able to incorporate some archival (Jaysus, that word makes me sound ancient) footage of previous performances and videos into the two-set concert we are mounting in March. You can see cool bits of this footage on a DVD in the GBS XX Box Set, by the way.

Just got a sketch of how the GBS XX Summer and Fall should look as well. Very exciting to see big dates proposed for cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Saskatoon, and a few others across the border. We should roll right up till years end. Yeha.

As for me I’ve got a couple of other things on the go. As many of you know, I’ve been toiling to finish a Documentary Film on the making of the Boy on Bridge CD. I filmed just about every recording session in all the likely and unlikely places. Happy to say that the film has finally been edited and the sound mix is complete. The colour correction and titles etc get done this and next week and then we’ll be ready to bring it to the broadcaster and discuss an air date. Not sure when that would be, but I would not be surprised if it were around the 1 year anniversary of the release of the CD in May. Could be earlier, could be later. Keep you posted. Stay tuned for web clips and trailers to come very soon.

Also, I’ve been in discussions with Random House Canada and am happy to report that I’ve signed a deal to write a memoir of sorts. I suspect it will be made up of tales of growing up in a small fishing town, leading to a professional life on stages around half the world. How’s that for a vague description? Truth be told, I’ve submitted about 20,000 words already and have a notion for how its going to go…I think. I’m very grateful to Nita, a wonderful editor who’s responsible for helping me wade through my hundreds of pages and try to make sense of my madness. Very excited about this whole thing, I must say. Again, keep you posted.

I had a great time in Fort MacMurray, Alberta last week. There have been such amazing developments in that town and it is thrilling to watch it turn into a wonderful place to live and work and raise a family. Well done Mayor Melissa. Congrats on your amazing passion and vision for the city that is to come.

I’ve spent more than a little bit of time shoveling and flooding a rink in my neighborhood. I’ve become a little obsessed with it, I confess. Not totally sure why. Is it because I want to skate and play hockey with the kids? Is it because I want to exercise outside more? Is it because I feel like I’m cheating Winter a little by finding great joy in her coldest nights? Is it because I feel oddly empowered by building something pleasurable out of a primal element as harsh as ice?

Or is it because I have found something for the first time in my life? That is, a hobby. I know most people have them, but I can’t say that I ever enjoyed doing something completely detached from my studies, exercise, duties, or work. I’ve never really done something in my spare time, I don’t think. Sorry if this is boring to you, but I can’t help but explain that this is a completely new feeling of satisfaction for me. I have never enjoyed crafts, or gardening, or model shipbuilding or whatever, so I’m surprisingly thrilled to be out with a hose, a bucket and shovel, late at night in -10Celsisus.

Looking forward to a few AD Band and Trio shows coming up in St. John’s, Calgary, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Penticton, and Kelowna. Check out www.alandoyle.ca/tour for all the details.

Thanks for all the Tweets, by the way. I’m @alanthomasdoyle on twitter…

Cheers,
Alan

Frequent readers here will know that I often start these correspondences with something like, ‘its been a crazy week’ or ‘much ado since we last gathered here’ or whatever. For this installment, I have to tell you these statements will most likely not suffice at all. So much has happened since the last post here that I cannot really write about it all as it would be too long and difficult to describe in deatail. I wonder if point form is the best way to go in this instance?

Forgive the name dropping. I guess you’ll just have to trust me that I am not trying to gain your favour by mentioning famous people. Or am I?

In somewhat chronological order…

-arrived at fitting for Winters Tale film and immediately was shaved into a full porn stache, not unlike Lemmie’s from Motorhead.

-2nd day on set I learned several valuable lessons on the craft of film making from one of the greatest actors and one of the greatest screen writers of our time
-don’t f*&k around with these dudes
-Kevin Corrigan is an a brilliant actor and knows more about music than most musicians.
-Thankgiving Weekend in NYC is a big deal, and 6 year old boys really like big inflatable things.
-driving a Model T Ford in 1918 was a really difficult thing to do
-The Smilingland Gig in Toronto was once again an awesome time for a great cause
-flying in a chopper over the rivers that surround Manhattan is an amazing experience.
-attending Les Mis Premier in London was an amazing experience, though sitting directly between Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert while watching the film was kind of nerve-wracking.
-Les Mis is the best Movie-Musical I’ve ever seen, and one of the best films I’ve ever seen.
-Russell’s Javert is a triumph and he has never sung better. Many people will truly understand the Inspector for the first time I think.
-Hugh Jackman’s 24601 could very well win him an Oscar.
-I’m not sure how anyone is ever going to sing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ again after Anne Hathaway’s version goes public. One of the most beautiful and tragic performances I’ve ever witnessed.
-Samantha Barks is a world star in waiting. What a thrill to have sung with her a few times myself.
-there is not a single bad performance in the rest of the cast of Les Mis, and yet it looks so beautiful, I could watch it with the sound turned off.
-Joes Pub is an excellent place for an Indoor Garden Party with the gang. RC and Hugh’s Confrontation was the highlight.
-Scott Grimes and Bob Guiney have a great act you should check out. Bob is charming and very talented. Scott is the greatest singer on earth.
-Richard Marx has long been a guilty pleasure of mine and I got to see him play solo at the City Winery, the same gig I played a few months back.
-Colin Farrell is a great fella, an amazing horseman, and brilliant actor.
-attending Les Mis Premier in New York was an amazing experience…again forgive the name dropping, but in the spirit of giving, here’s a few celeb sightings and comments…

-Lorraine Bracco is as beautiful as she ever was.
-Jon Bon Jovi is as beautiful as he ever was, and smiles patiently when he shakes your hand while you are geeking out telling him you used to play his tunes in your high school band, like he’s never heard that before.
-Anne Hathaway is as beautiful as she ever was, and is as multitalented a human as I’ve ever met and is a really really nice person as well.
-Tony Danza is as beautiful as he ever was, and his smile is still huge, even when he shakes you hand while you are geeking out telling him you really loved his show when you were a kid, like he’s never heard that before.
-Sharon Stone looks exactly like Sharon Stone. Seriously.
-John Krasinski is as beautiful as he ever was, and does not at all seem to mind hearing that The Office is brilliant, like he’s never heard that before.
-Jennifer Connelly could very well be the most beautiful human alive or dead.

…perhaps I’ll stop there. Moving on.

-a sad and most unsuspected call came to the set late last Wednesday, having me bolt for the airport to head NorthEast in a hurry.
-RIP Don Pardy, my Father in Law. A wonderful, selfless Dad who loved his family and friends. I will miss you.
-holding the hand of someone you love while they take their last breath is an amazing experience. Truly an honour.
-walking the people you love through the hardest hours of their lives is an amazing experience. Truly an honour.

-getting stuck in three different cities in one week because of airline and weather delays is not an amazing experience.
-leaving home 9 days before Christmas is not an amazing experience.
-getting to recount all this to you honestly is an interesting mix of relief to get it off my chest, and guilt as it all sounds kind of self centered to yammer on about my own experiences this much.

I’m sitting in my trailer awaiting my friends Perry Chafe and Allan Hawco to join me. The Republic of Doyle gents are in town for a couple of nights and I’m eager to tip a jar with them.

A couple more beats for Dingy Worthington this week, then home for the Holidays. I’m really looking forward to a few weeks home and quiet. I’ll be ready to ring in the New Year after that. The Year of GBS and a celebration 20 years in the making.

More soon.

Cheers,
Alan

Regrettably, due to a sudden death in my family, I am unable to attend Saturday’s concert. I was really looking forward to sharing the stage with the Barras and all the other guests, as I know it will be a great night. I hope you all enjoy the evening. Merry Christmas.