… a great song by a truly great Canadian. And I thought of the title tonight because I’ll be heading up to the Great White North for Canada Day – which is this Friday, July 1st. The song is rivaled only by Bud the Spud and Little Wawa in terms of ruling the entire repetoire. Have a look here if you want to play it alone on the guitar in an air-conditioned room whilst slathering yourself in poutine and maple syrup. That might just be the only way to help my American friends grasp the true essence of Canadiana, get arrested for indecency or whichever comes first.
With songs like Give Me Cold, Cold Beer, The Hockey Song, The Bars of Vancouver, “Wop” May, The Man in the Moon is a Newfie, She Don’t Speak English and Snowmobile Song rounding out the catalog – I know I’ve probably peaked your interest in Stompin’ Tom Connors. Now, mine is always peaked – which is why I’ve learned the hard way not to go outside in tight shorts – so I did a few searches for recent news on old Tom.
The Canadian version of the upcoming Live 8 concerts takes place in Barrie, Ontario on July 2nd, and will bring a sudden influx of over 35,000 people into the community. But starving Africans aren’t the real draw, as the line-up includes a veritable who’s-who of Canadian rock icons. Not so fast, Celine. While Barenaked Ladies, Bruce Cockburn and Bryan Adams don’t exactly have me rubbing my snowballs with glee – the show closes with Our Lady Peace, The Tragically Hip and Neil fucking Young! I used to spend a lot of time in Barrie and know it pretty well. And for that reason I can honestly say it would take Neil Young to get me to go back. Actually, a hand-written note from Neil himself. Actually a hand jo… I don’t much care for Barrie.
A DJ in Ottawa has made the news this week by raising such a stink over that fact that Stompin’ Tom was not included in this roster of Canada’s finest that it has cost him his job: “A true Canadian icon like Stompin’ Tom, it’s unbelievable this guy’s been overlooked. I made a vow to play non-stop Stompin’ Tom until Bob Geldof put ‘The Stomper’ on the bill.” Since the station only had one Connors song in its library, Big Joe Mufferaw, Brown played it six times in a row until he could get a colleague to rush out and buy more Connors CDs.
Put the fuckin’ Stomper on the Bill, eh? You don’t like Mondays, Geldof? Well I don’t think you’ll like gettin’ gooned by the fuckin’ Stomper much neither. Fuck’s sakes (and scene). Ottawa DJ Jeff Brown – Pye in the Face salutes you, buddy.
i never thought i’d see “barrie” on a list that also included paris, philadelphia, rome, tokyo, moscow, berlin and london. unless it was one of those “which of these things is not like the other?”lists. of all the great cities in canada, they have to pick a shithole like barrie (no offence to any barrie residents reading this), although i’ve noticed some news sources referring to the location as toronto instead.
some other thoughts:
the canadian line-up, with a few exceptions, is pretty frickin’ embarrassing. thank god they added neil.
geldoff is a pompous prick – who is he to tell paul martin where he is and isn’t welcome? and he needs a haircut.
and i’m all for raising awareness, but why not charge everyone $10 to attend and put it towards some poor african nation’s debt? they’ve really blown a good opportunity this time around.
What did Geldof say to Paul Martin?
He told him not to come to the G8 summit in scotland in July unless he plans to increase aid to
impoverished African nations:
“There is no use in your prime minister coming to Scotland, unless he is prepared to do this deal. If he’s not prepared, stay at home. Just stay at home. Don’t come. You’re not welcome unless you are prepared to do something finally and irrevocably on behalf of the poor of this world.”
prick.
Fuckin’ pikeys.
Saint Geldoff can send the $2 he makes a month in residuals for “I Don’t Like Mondays” to Ghana and shut the feck up.
What the fuck have YOU done to help the poor in the last 20 years ?
How many people are alive today because of your efforts ?
Sure he is not perfect, but at least he got up off his fucking arse and has helped the poor etc.
You’ve some fucking nerve to criticise Geldoff.
Don’t lecture me about nerve, “anonymous”. Way to stick your neck out.
Have to agree with anonymous Mr. Pye and happy to put my name to it.
I’m only messing around. The guy was married to Paula Yates and has obviously been through enough without me adding to it. Saint Geldoff is A-OK in my books. I just don’t often get the opportunity to make a Ghana joke. Anne-Marie – from the sounds of things you’re going to need your own benefit concert to feed all your bloody pets. Steve told me about all the new additions. It must be hard enough to feed Murph.
Murph/Dinky Aid 8.
Who are you telling. No normal person should have 4 cats, 1 dog and a Murph. It’s just not right.