May 3, 2008

It’s been a while….  I should update this more…

So I’m Bermuda for 4 days a week now… it’s nice to sleep with out moving all over the place. 

Before I go any further here…. Angie Harmon is on tv now on some talk show… and let me just say for the record…”eat a fu**in’ sandwich woman.”  Man oh man….too skinny…….really.  eat.

Ok… today I woke up and could not handle this rat’s nest on my head that I will call hair… so I decided to go out and find a barber…. So I walk out of the ship, see some dude that looks nice enough and say…”excuse me, don’t’ suppose you know where I could find a barber, could you?”

…..”yah, my brother is a barber….he’s down the street to the left.. his name is Malcom.”

Errr…sorry….really?   so I say goodbye to Lewis and head off to Malcom’s where I get a pretty good hair cut on this lid of mine.  But….weird eh?

Good crowds on this ship….learning all about shagging… I’m meeting folks that have won shagging awards…. I play music, and people shag, and I like it.

Errr.

Really…Angie… eat some carbs. 

Oh yah… getting the new guitar soon…….

Mar 29, 2008

Wow…have not updated this in a long time. 

I moved to Nova Scotia, had a fantastic 3 weeks there, and then I bailed again, and I’m on a ship….the Norwegian Majesty….pretty cool so far.  I’ve been meeting tonnes of great people.  Truly. 

Doing a solo gig has it’s advantages…. Although you run out of songs pretty quick.  I get to throw some of mine in there….

I’ve fallen in love with the Guitar Center in Charleston.  A tempting place….other than that, I don’t care much until we get to key west…that place is more than alright man.  I’ve never seen so many people playing gigs….mostly solo.  And you can get a beer for 2 bucks and just walk around….and the bad ass coffee place…nice. 

I’ve gotten my room kitted out nicely with speakers, a fan, printer, recording gear….some pics up on the wall..beer in the fridge.  Feels like home.  A very small version of one…and without my family…….but feeling like home none the less.  And it’s nice to have time to write some songs again.  I think we’re in key west on Thursday…hopefully will update my flickr site with some new pics from the gig.  Some of what I see, and some of the fine folks I’ve been meeting. 

Almost forgot….my first time in key west, me and Pat from he pool band jumped on a city bus to head to k mart to get some stuff.. (before mentioned printer and fan..), anway….there was a dude on the bus in a big floppy straw hat, big coke bottle glasses, and cutting into something.  On closer examination, I realized he was cutting a huge block of cheese in have…plastic and all, and he was cutting it with a big seagull feather…. Yaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh right.  Odd to say the least. 

The bar staff is amazing on this ship…..today the guy who I thought hated me…(he always looks kind of angry..)  anyway, opens up a beer and gives it to me..out of nowhere.  Last week I had a bit of a cold…which on a 7 day a week gig, could be bad news……anyway, throat was killing me, decided to have a whiskey to sip on….bartender waved it off and gave it to me.   And a few other times that’s happened….just feels like a tight little group there in the rendevous lounge. 

I’m missing my camera….there was just no room to bring it.  I have my G9….so it’s not all bad, but I do miss having some lenses to mess with. 

And I find I’m eating in the crew mess more than anything….. steamed rice, and lot’s of curry……nice. 

Mar 3, 2008

In highschool I remember listening to, and be really influenced by Jeff Healey.....he sang in my register, and played guitar like I'd never heard before.  feel, speed, aggression, soul, groove....it was great.  just the way he bent notes was unreal....such a voice in it.....raw emotion.....to me anyway.  I spent many a trip on the bus between Brighton and Toronto listening to "see the light"......get to one side of the tape, flip it, and listen again, until I got home. 

the guy just seemed to know how to laugh, love life, and love music.......you gotta admire that.

Feb 28, 2008

I'm here in Nova Scotia.....it would be almost relaxing if I didn't have to unpack all this stuff.  I had thought, ok...get there Tuesday evening...unload the truck wed morning, and maybe start unpacking that night and Thursday...and I'd be all settled in on Friday.

We drove all the way through so got here early Tuesday morning...good weather for driving really....just some fog in the last two hours...but those are tired two hours, so it was a little nerve wracking.  A quick nap in the truck stop with the big wooly mammoth did the trick.  I think it's a wooly mammoth.

So got in Tuesday morning...crawled into bed for a few hours, then unloaded the truck....yesterday was a mix of going to the doctor in the morning...(need a medical for another cruise ship gig...), and the rest of the day was un packing boxes, moving pin ball machines, moving pianos, and basically trying to figure out where everything thing should go.  The stressful part is I have a time limit....I'm leaving soon for this gig and I have to get some more sequences ready, not to mention just practice and be able to find all my stuff.  For instance....I forgot to pack most of my shoes.

Oh....we did need to leave quite a few things behind.  Which will go into storage at the parents Pettypiece who are nice enough to store the last bits for us.

And speaking of which....Lynn wanted me to make sure I put that it was not her mother that was the devil woman.  And to be fair, (even further), the woman was really not the devil woman I might have made her out to be.....in all fairness, I would not want the me of the past dating my daughter in no uncertain terms.  Long haired guy that plays guitar with no really obvious ambition....no way bub.  So public apology to the dev.....errr, girlfriend's mother.  Although I did hate being called "yellow hair" and "what's his name"

There is a Kiss cover band down at the black pearl this weekend........nice.

Feb 10, 2008

I'm watching the grammys.  It's right at the Tina Turner part.....good stuff man.  Although,,,,wondering two things.....did they change the key of one of those songs, and did she have some of the botox?

not sure...

nothing like a few boxes in an apartment to bring you down and put your life on hold.  I really just want to chill out and record the new stuff I've written......and an album.  Everyone I know if coming out with their next album.....annoying.  I mean, annoying that I'm sitting on these songs and I don't have the time or space to do it.  I guess it'll be better being able to record it in nova scotia anyway.  A new environment to be creative in....a new perspective. 

And I'm 3 hours from being on this earth 37 years old.  That's a long time...man oh man.  Like I was saying...the less time you have...the faster time seems to go.  I'm middle aged.

Middle......aged.

crap. 

I kind of feel like I am having a midlife crisis of sorts.  I want to jump ship..pack up the guitar and a camera and head across Canada.....just explore..meet people, write, play.

So...friends...what is holding me back/  There is a certain amount of....hesitation, because simply.....that is not the sort of thing a guy my age is supposed to do.  I should be concerned about making an ass load of bread......(getting a haircut and a real job as the song goes).

i've been in this boat before..... There was a time when I thought I should join the military and become a pilot...

for me...?    no no...for my girlfriend and her parents....more her evil, evil...evil mother.

yes.....three evils.

but....I yet again digress.

into what?  I don't' know.....Foo Fighters are playing....I want to check this out a bit...

before I go for now....before I'm done my 36th year of life......buy a cd........more specifically,  my cd.  Or tell a few of your friends about this site.....or tell me your thoughts on life, and how to live it.

Feb 9, 2008

Time is moving at an alarming rate.

Getting ready to move, which consisted of 1 week looking at empty boxes and wondering why they were not filling themselves up with my stuff.....and getting ready for solo gigs.....just makes time go really fast.  It's like the less time you have, the faster it goes. 

But I digress.  I'm into my 4th box,....thinking a cup of coffee would make this work a little easier. 

Feb 3, 2008

Keeping in step with my 80's video games marathon, I dug out my pac man fever album...(Buckner & Garcia).  Pretty cool, I had no idea that Jerry Buckner was also the dude who wrote the WKRP theme.  Impressive...most impressive.  And the album was mastered by Bob Ludwig....which I mean, doesn't really surprise me.....but impresses me whenever I see that.  I still dig  the song too.

Went out to ...night of fire, or something downtown.  lot's of pots with oil and fire in them...and some metal sculptures with, well, fire in the them.   I'm surprised no one was seriously injured...

I'm cooking some beef stew right now....well, it's in the slow cooking...cooking slowly.  Used some Guinness in it....should be ok.  I'm determined to start packing today.  At least get a box of books out of the way to break ground.  I'd rather just sit and watch The Office all day. 

It feels like that kind of day.....

Maybe a walk?  I don't know.  I'm getting a little cabin fever with the amount of time I'm spending in this apartment. 

I'm going to be 37 pretty soon...not sure how I feel about that.

Jan 31, 2008

pretty much February.....1 hour and 55 minutes.  Not sure why I'm paying attention to that.  

I've been just getting ready for solo gigs....and moving.  Which is weird....saying goodbye to Toronto after...what?  18 years I guess.....pretty much how long I was alive before I moved here. 

yah...so...I don't know..packing......which is stressful.   Have an albums worth of songs that are sitting around not being recorded.....this apartment is not great for recording...I'll tell you that......the people upstairs must have some sort of woodworking shop, and the guy next door does nothing but scream at his crying kid all day.  (seriously...I may have to call the cops.......it really sounds like there might be a beating here and there....)

nothing else....playing lot's of 80's video games.   There is a certain fun in the simplicity of them.

Jan 12, 2008

Alright.......home...

nice.

My luggage got lost for 4 days.....man, that wasn't cool.  It's funny, I wasn't so worried about my guitar...(which was tucked lovingly inside my new cool St Thomas duffel bag...), but my "yoda guy" stuff, and my notebook of new songs, lyrics, doodles, and ponderings of the gig I had just been on for 3  months.

I find it funny when people ask me if I'm glad to be home....of course I am.  The gig wasn't what I thought it was going to be, I was gone for three months....didn't get to record or have time to myself.....yes...glad to be home.

I'm gearing up for a solo gig and going out again too....yah...I know....what is in my head?  well,  it's more money, and I get my own room and space to create and do stuff.....I can deal with it.  (have to save for school....)  Did I mention I'm planning on going to school for graphics and print production? 

Tonight I'm heading out to Brampton to sit in with my friend Darren.....looking forward to that.  For just getting back from a gig that I was supposed to be playing 6 days a week for three months strait...I hardly played at all.  Really.  I sat in the corner and drank a fair bit......which...short term, is a blast...but after a while...you just want to play. 

Oh yah...solo gig.  I had to go out and get some sort of keyboard/rack thing to get all my backing sounds on.  I finally...after 10 years of coveting...got a korg trinity rack.....FUN!  although, I'm knee deep in midi woes again.....reminds me of my first duo gig with Mike.....( a lot of WHY are the drums not working?!?!?!?!) 

I've learned a lot....keep it simple, don't be afraid of putting in things to signal a chorus coming.......

Maybe Mike and I can get a gig up north for fun.....Massey won't know what hit them.

Also been reading Dave Bidini's book.."around the world in 57 1/2 gigs.)........it's so good.  I was so impressed with his first one....on a cold road...I went out and bought it for a bunch of my musician friends......and this one is about the same......inspiring, fun....makes you want to write and gig.

and this is getting off of a three month soul sucking gig. 

Think ticketmaster put to music.

other than that...nice to be back in Canada.....good to see catch up with friends.  I want to see Jeff's epiphone. 

that sounds ...not so good.

Jan 8, 2008

back in Toronto finally.  The 6th was a long day...up early, lot's of hustling around, and home late.  Worth it. 

I'm excited about 2008.  Getting ready to move to Nova Scotia....go to school.  I'm also just really looking forward to a new music scene.  And a new scene in general...a new pace. 

I've got 14 new songs that I like and I'm hopefully going to start recording soon...although, with this moving business...it still might not be for a while.  I'm waiting on some news of gigs....so it might be sooner or later.  It's going to be a more simple stripped down sound than I did on the first one....unless I get out of control again.  I was listening to tourist a while back.....I don't mind it....but I can hear how I was trying to please a lot of people and not just......playing the stuff. 

Anyway...I digress.  Just wanted to update this...and hopefully be doing so more frequently.

I'm not too sure I like the way I'm doing the archives and the lyrics pages.....is there something out there where I can archive things....or keep a list of things....?   Anyone?  With all the myspaces and facebooks...and just ready made blogs....it almost seems silly to actually have a website. 

email me:

shawn@shawnhebb.com

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