Tung N' Groove Makes Another Step Forward

Our showcases at local clubs have paid off. The Blue Turtle and the Royal Hotel -- with only one showcase at each club, have booked Tung N' Groove into their clubs this summer and fall. We are very excited to be an official local act, and we are looking forward to entertaining crowds young and old.

The next task at hand is to learn another 30 songs before August -- perhaps sooner, if we can pick up some more gig dates in the summer at other bars and pubs around town. We will be examining the feasibility of playing the Redcliff Hylton, the Mainliner Pub, and the Silver Buckle. this year.

Acquiring a PA system for the band will also occupy our summer.

This is near-perfect timing, as the Savoy Blues Band is just wrapping up a few dates in the next few weeks, before going on our annual summer hiatus. MA and I are going to be gigging lots in the coming months.

Amidst all this excitement, I have one other nagging project. To create a website to promote Tung N' Groove. Looks like I will have to manage yet another webpage.

We Grooved

48 hours have since passed since Tung N' Groove played their "second" gig at the Royal Hotel Saturday Jam on St. Patrick's Day. This was the perfect time to "redeem" ourselves from the disastrous first performance at the Blue Turtle a few weeks back.

Since then, we have been hard at work, learning a whole pile of new songs, tightening up old ones, and working on the ever-so-important vocal harmonies that seldom makes (but often breaks) a band.

As I have mentioned earlier, we have been going to local jams periodically to "test-drive" the material we have been practicing. The reasons for this are plenty: Of most importance, is this allows us to present the material in a live environment, and we can see how it works on-stage. We receive feedback from other patrons and musicians, which gives us some indication if the music will "sell". It gives us experience, and even though most of us are experienced in playing clubs (with the exception of our bass player KR), every new band is different. We need to get a feel for we listen to one another on stage. You can't do that in a rehearsal environment.

Lastly, but not of least importance, is that attending these jams allows us to showcase the new act, generate buzz, and sell the band to club managers, so we can be hired in the future.

The plan is working.

After a number of delays, Tung N' Groove managed to get on the open stage around 4:30 Saturday afternoon. By this time the Royal was getting quite busy, and the excitement began to boil in our blood. It took about fifteen minutes to get our equipment hooked up into the host band's PA, and get our sounds before we kicked off our set.

We opened with the Judas Priest song "Burnin' 'Up", which was likely not the best of openers, but it was enough to grab the attention of a number of patrons and musicians lingering about.

The rest of the set consisted of Mr. Big's Take Cover, Robin Trower's Day of The Eagle, April Wine's Enough is Enough (which I sang lead vocal on), The Scorpions' The Zoo, Led Zeppelin's Livin' Lovin' Maid, and Foreigner's Juke Box Hero.

I think the band was a lot more relaxed than our first performance; We felt so much more comfortable at our instruments, and our playing showed. The music was solid; the vocals were not strained, and the harmonies clicked in as they have been at practice. I felt we played very well, and judging by the crowd's reaction, we hit a home run.

After our set, we settled down for a few beverages, and mingled with a few of the other musicians who were present. Their comments were, to say the least, very candid and warm. A few of them even said they were blown away by the level of musicianship, the professionalism of our act, and by the material we showcased.

I for one, can say that this was one of only a few jams where I sat at someone else's drumkit and actually played well. The host drummers' kit was set up in a way that I felt was uncomfortable, but for some reason I played solidly; and with enough of my personal flair that I felt I wasn't compromising my abilities.

Even the managers of the Royal Hotel poked their heads from behind the bar, and sauntered to the dance floor to check us out. This can only mean a high potential for bookings this year.

Yes, Tung N' Groove is here. And we mean business. Look for us in the coming months; it's going to be very exciting. When we first started MA and I agreed we wanted to raise the bar as to what people expected in local talent and live entertainment. It might be egotistical, but I think this act has what it takes to accomplish just that.

Second Test Drive on St. Patty's Day

The new band, now tentatively named (and spelled) Tung N' Groove, have been working diligently away since our first near-disastrous appearance at the Blue Turtle several weeks back. We have accumulated at least 8 more songs to our repertoire, which means we have more than a full sets' worth of material. To put it another way, we have more than one-third the necessary material we will need to play a live show.

At this point, we felt it would be advantageous to test-drive the second batch of songs, in a new environment, and in front of a different clientele. About 2 weeks back we set the date of the next performance, which happens to be tomorrow.

St. Patrick's Day. The third-worst day of the year to be at the bar (First and second-place goes to New Years' and Halloween, respectively).

Tung N' Groove will be at the Royal Hotel for the Saturday Jam, commencing at 3:00pm. Stop by, drink some (disgustingly green) beer, and enjoy some local talent.

Royal Therapy

I was going to spend some time writing about my experience gigging this weekend, but in light of recent events, I wonder what the point would be. It breaks my heart, because I had such a great time playing with the other members of Mule Shoe, and our performance was musically tight.

Last weekend, we were playing the Royal; my stomping grounds, the place I like to drink and hang out. It was the first time I have played the Royal in over three years, and I used to gig at that bar once every six weeks for four years. I've made a lot of money in that bar, and I've spent a lot on my choice of poisons.

Walking into that bar with my gear in hand on Wednesday night felt like a homecoming. I arrived early, so I could take my time setting my drums up perfectly, relishing in the smoky ambiance, and quietly grooving to the Classic Rock tunes on the jukebox. I was loathing the next two days at work, but I didn't care at the moment, I was going to be playing in front of a few hundred drunken animals over the weekend.

Thursdays at the Royal are generally quiet, but a few friends showed up, supported us and got very drunk. One of the patrons in the bar was RQ, one of my pupils. Sadly, he was moving to Victoria the next day. I consider RQ one of my long-term investments -- he has been taking lessons from me for many years, and we had become good friends over the years. It was tough to see him go, but in the end I know there are greener pastures ahead of him.

Come to think of it, RQ's departure was a bit like a premonition for my departure from Mule Shoe.

The only other event of Thursday night was this obnoxious drunk (every bar has at least one). Wearing a neon green t-shirt that was reminiscent of the late 1980's, he approached us while we were playing, ranting about something or other, likely being overly critical about our choice of material. He was so drunk, he threw his empty glass at the bass player, luckily missing him completely. The bass player gave him a stern warning, though I'm sure it fell on deaf ears, as the drunk maintained his innocence. It wasn't five minutes later that in the middle of the song, the drunk decided to collapse on the lead singer's guitar rig, sending a rather expensive guitar to the floor. It was a good thing the bouncer got hold of the drunk before the bass player did. JY was winding his foot up to give him a swift kick to the face. We never saw the obnoxious drunk for the rest of the night, which was likely a good thing.

Friday and Saturday nights were busier. I ended up having a number of friends show up to support us, which made the long breaks seem to go by much quicker. The bar was packed full of enthusiastic hard rockers, and we played solidly for the remaining two nights.

By Saturday night, I noticed something very strange. I was smiling. I was enjoying myself, I felt good, and I was happy. I remember telling myself that this was proof that music was my calling in life, and I would do everything in my power to continue making music for the remainder of my life. Music is my therapy; my outlet for aggression. It's my reason to get up and crawl out of bed every single day.

Funny how that can be taken away from you without notice. In two weeks, my days of gigging will be put on hold indefinitely -- at least until the next gig rolls around. And this time, I think I will have to be a little more proactive in scheduling practices, gigs, etc... It's a responsibility I have taken for granted for most of my career. Perhaps it's time that I start establishing some ties and begging for work.

This change in my schedule will allow me to put an act together with MA and RH. I have a firm belief that the three of us could manage to throw something together that this city has never seen. I get excited just thinking about it.

Like I said the other night, a part of me was disappointed to no longer be a part of Mule Shoe, but another part was relieved that I could devote my attention to other matters.

I Miss The Royal

[Ed Note: This post has been sitting idly, unpublished for the better part of two weeks. It's about time to publish it for what it's worth.]

Everybody had their stomping grounds; everybody has a place that they call their home away from home. Some people call it Moe's, other call it Cheers, but it's the same for everyone, it's the watering hole where we are comfortable, everybody knows your name, and where you can unwind and relax. When I lived in Lethbridge, I found comfort in the campus bar, The Zoo, which I mentioned in the recent post here. But my favorite bar of all time, also happens to be the first bar I ever went to: The Royal Hotel.

I don't even want to think about the number of nights I've wasted in that bar, nor do I want to think about the number of brain cells I have destroyed within. The bar has become a staple of my past, my present, and my future. I have dragged family, friends and even strangers to my stomping grounds, trying to explain to them, and show them, what it is that makes the Royal so great.

But in the last three years, the Royal has lost its' edge; its' ambiance; its' character.

The Royal is a dump of a bar. There are few places I have been to in my travels that are dirtier, or have a rougher crowd. I have seen health inspectors shy away from the bar, as they feared for their lives once stepping foot inside the local watering hole. I have seen nursing students take samples from the draught taps, have them analyzed, and vow to never set foot in the bar ever again. I have seen people of all walks of life enjoy themselves in that bar. I have seen bums blow their welfare cheque in one night, I have seen Hell's Angels drink and argue, I have seen women take off their clothes (especially those who shouldn't), I have even seen doctors, lawyers and even College Professors sit down and listen to the eclectic music that the live bands had to offer. The Royal is really diverse.

And believe it or not, very safe. In almost thirteen years of going to this bar, I have only seen about three fights. People are too drunk to fight in this bar. They are either too drunk, or too high to care. There are many "cleaner" bars in town where the testosterone is so thick in the air, that you can cut it with a knife. I have seen more fights in one night at a "clean" local bar than I have ever seen in my lifetime at the Royal. It is true that the Royal has the motto: "The Good Times Bar"; you do forget about the trivialities of your day, and you can really unwind.

When I first started regularly attending the Royal, it was not uncommon to find two guys and three ladies smoking a joint in the men's bathroom. Those days have since passed, since the management of the Royal took a zero-tolerance policy to the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs in their bar. The change has been for the better. The place has cleaned up quite a bit since I began attending, even though I have always felt safe walking into that bar.

About three years ago, the bar took a dive for the worse. The owner sold the bar to another local entrepreneur, who had some brilliant ideas on how to run the business. The owner decided that changes to the beverage prices were in order, as well as changes to the entertainment schedule. He also decided that the place could use a little fixing up, so he began to renovate.

The bathrooms got a major overhaul (which was necessary, I might add). The ugly carpet that was throughout the bar was removed and replaced with linoleum tile. The shooter bar was moved and expanded, the lottery terminals moved to another section of the bar, the pool tables were moved, and the foosball tables were removed from the bar. To make the bar a little less nocturnal, the owner installed glass-block windows in the bar.

Nowdays, the bar doesn't even resemble anything like it used to be. The place seems so cold and sterile now that the carpet is gone. As much as the windows look great, letting light into the bar was a bad idea. A lot of clientele came to the Royal on the sole premise that there were foosball tables there. All those foosball players have found new bars to hang out in. The move and the expansion of the shooter bar, including the migration of the pool tables to the rear of the building cut down on the seating for those who come to the bar to watch the bands. A lot of people go to that bar for the sole reason that it is the only bar left in town the features Classic Rock bands on a weekly basis.

Mind you, it still is the Royal, even though it has lost a lot of its' character.

I first went there when I hit legal age, as I was a fledging musician, and I wanted to network with other musicians. Back then, there was an open stage two days per week. The bands were all talented, and played six nights per week. In my college days, we would go there, buy dollar draught, help ourselves to free popcorn, and get drunk with ten bucks. We would normally get rowdy, and end up throwing popcorn at one another. We hardly ate any; it was more fun to throw popcorn at one another.

The Royal has also been a staple of my music career. I have lost count at the number of weeks I have played there. When I startled playing there, the weekends were a blast. To say the place was packed would be an understatement. There would be three hundred classic rockers poisoning themselves, dancing, and making all kinds of racket. I have seen some of the greatest parties within those walls.

Even when the place wasn't packed, the Royal had a cool vibe to it. We would often check out bands on a Wednesday or Thursday night, when it was relatively quiet, and hang out with the band. It was sometimes even better going there on a Sunday or Monday night, when everything was quiet and we had the bar to ourselves. Some of my best memories of that bar are on the nights that there were only three or four of us friends, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, hanging out with the bar staff.

The bar manager had a habit of playing pranks on his friends, including us. Many times we would return to our tables from a trip to the bathroom, only to find our cigarette packs reversed. He has shrink-wrapped a few Harley's in his day, which was normally met with a few cuss words followed by some hearty laughter. He had a paddle, which he would threaten a few attractive females with the intent of "spanking them". That is, until a female friend of mine got ahold of the paddle and proceeded to break it on the manager's hind-quarters. One other night we covered the bar in silly string, and one night, he got out the garden hose, and proceeded to drench us all. It was unbelievable fun.

But a lot of the fun is gone. I may attest it to the fact that I have grown older and more responsible. I don't go out during the weekdays anymore, as I am usually so tired due to my lack of rest. A lot of the people I used to hang out with at the Royal have moved on. Some have moved to different cities, others have stopped attending the Royal altogether, and others have even passed on.

The strangest thing is that I miss the old, dingy below-building code atmosphere. It is no secret that I have attachments to places I hold dear; I still have an inexplicable attachment to my parents' house, just as I have the same attachment to the University of Lethbridge (believe me, I have even kissed the concrete pillars of that institution many summers ago). I have that same attachment to the Royal of Old. Whether it's a fear of change, or if it has to do with a comfort level with my surroundings, I do not know.

I do know I am most comfortable in familiar surroundings. And I like my space. And for some reason I cannot explain (besides claustrophobia), I do not like being in confined spaces.