Recording A Live Album

Federicton, New Brunswick-Big Daddy G-Sept. 15, 2001

With the 9-11 tragedy in America still fresh in our minds, we tackled the mayhem that is now Pearson Airport to fly to the Maritimes. We were to record a live CD at the Harvest Blues Festival from the main stage on Saturday night.

I had played the night before in Brampton with the Beat Heathens, and I decided to get to the airport as soon as possible after the gig. We finished playing, packed up in record time, and headed out. After a 45-minute nap at Mike and Brita’s (they live in Brampton), I showered and headed for Pearson.

I arrived at the airport two and a half hours prior to flight time for two reasons: 1) to assess the situation and decide the best course of action and 2) just to see this little piece of history unfold before my eyes. I know that seems very morbid, but having watched the whole story unfold on TV all week, I was now being afforded the chance to witness a small part of the news firsthand.

The night before, I gutted my travel bag to remove any items that may cause the airport staff and myself any grief. Among the items removed were nail clippers, a screwdriver, razor blades, a Swiss Army Knife, and a pair of small scissors.

Terminal 2 was jammed with folks. The lines for checking your bags in went the length of the terminal then out the door and back the length of the terminal again. Some people looked exhausted, some frustrated, but most seemed to have a look of bewildered tolerance.

I spoke with a woman in line who had been waiting for just over 3 hours, yet she was only half way through the line. My anxiety began to mount. Was I going to make my flight?

I took a seat and began waiting for the arrival of Ted and Richard Bell. Dave had hired Richard for the gig because he wanted his incredible piano playing for the CD we were making. They arrived at 6:15am…2 hours before our scheduled departure. I expressed my concern with making the flight on time, at which point Richard had a great idea.

Having brought my bass with me, Richard noted that I was best to check it at the "Special Services" desk, and just inform the clerk there that we were advised to check in there together so that we could be seated together. We were through within a half hour.

At 8:30am, it became apparent that our 8:15 flight would be delayed. Turns out the engine had a problem and they had to prep another plane for our trip. We left Toronto at 12:00 noon.

We were assigned a liaison named Nils who picked us up at the airport and drove us to the venue for sound check from the airport. It should be noted that all the volunteer staff at the fest were the most hospitable people ever. I already know all about Maritime hospitality though.

In fact, after the sound check, the rest of the guys went to Nils’ house for dinner while I retired to the hotel for a half-hour nap (I hadn’t been to bed yet and it was 7:30pm on Saturday…36 hours after I woke up Friday morning). When I had arrived at sound check earlier, Southside Steve asked if I’d be available to do a gig running a jam after our main stage show…from 1:00am until 4:00am. Their bass player had returned home when they got offered the gig. So my little nap was geared with that in mind.

The gig itself, in my mind, was uneventful. Probably one of the biggest, most receptive crowds we’ve played for, but I felt two factors hanging over our heads during the set: 1) the fact that we were recording and 2) the tragedy in the US just four days earlier. I suppose the tapes will tell the tail. But venue was great and so were the people. We played in a huge tent right in the middle of downtown Fredericton.

Afterwards, I was whisked off to "Boyce Farmer’s Market". By day, a farmers market with every kind of food imaginable. By night, an empty warehouse with a stage at one end and drunken, crazy Maritimers packed in to the rest of the building. By this time, the rot had set in. By the time I did get to sleep, I had been going for 46 hours with a 30-minute nap thrown in.

After a short night’s sleep, it was back to the task at hand. We had to get some live lobster for Richard and Dave. We ate breakfast (on Dave…thanks again Dave) and headed for the store. Richard did some major research over the course of our time there to find out what lobsters were worth purchasing and what ones were to be rejected. Factors such as water content, size, price and sex of the lobster all came into play. Nils demonstrated an unheard-of amount of patience with our questions and overall giddy behavior.

Dave joked that he was bringing the lobsters home as pets for the kids. I liked that one.

Then it was off to the airport. Truly, the smallest airport I’ve ever been to. However, you’d never know it by the line to check baggage. Everything was checked. We even had to show that every piece of electrical equipment was functional. They were plugging in hairdryers to make sure they functioned!

After a relaxing flight home (in which the captain forewarned us that things would be changing at all airports in the future and asked that we try to show up earlier at the airport from now on) we parted ways at Pearson (not before we had to present our boarding passes to exit the airport). I went straight to Mike’s to get my car and then to Oakville to play a gig with Mike Branton. Poor Mike had to contend with my ill attempt at holding it together. I was wiped.