Shimmer and Shine: Backstage with R7 in Paris

I tried to sleep. Really, I gave it a good effort, but my excitement was just too much to be contained by the dimensions of a single bed. I gave up, got up, had a shower and finished packing my bag. Julie was awake at this point and we pinched each other just to make sure that this wasn't a dream. Then I picked up my rucksack, grabbed my hockey stick and headed for Victoria Coach Station (Julie was taking a later, speedier train to Paris).

I managed to get some sleep aboard the 8-hour bus ride and before I knew it I was in Paris! Julie met me at the coach station and we took the metro over to the hotel. We had just enough time to drop off our things and get a little cleaned up then it was time to head to the venue for concert #2. It was an absolutely beautiful day, so rather than spend 10 minutes on the underground, we opted for the 45-minute walk to La Cigale and enjoyed the streets of Paris. It was everything I had hoped for; beautiful, full of life and full of French people!

When we reached La Cigale there was already a couple hundred people waiting in line. I dusted off my old French-speaking skills and told the head security guard that we had tickets and backstage passes waiting for us. He took our names and ducked inside for a minute then returned and told us that we were on Ben's guest list. I could hardly believe this was all really happening. We got to enter the building before the hundreds of fans that had been waiting for so long. I've never felt so VIP in my life.

We walked through the historic theatre and reached the backstage door. An enormous man greeted us with his right arm fully extended in our direction. A quick flash of our R7 VIP passes and he immediately lowered his arm and raised the corners of his mouth to a smile. He stepped aside and opened the door for us- we were in! Our only instruction was that we couldn't go all the way back to the dressing room area because the theatre was too small. So, we went through a set of doors and onto the side of the stage, just out of view of the audience, to watch Piers Faccini open up the show.

A few minutes later, the stage door opened slightly and I was stunned to see Ben Harper sneak in quietly. He saw me right away, shook my hand and said it was good to see me again and he was glad I made it. Then we stood there, rocking out to Piers Faccini together. I saw Piers open for Ben back in 2007 in Toronto. He's a gifted musician with a unique and haunting voice. Ben is a big fan and once said that Piers pays attention to lyrical detail like very few people that will ever come along and write a song. The Paris crowd definitely agreed and gave Piers a huge ovation when his set was over. Piers left the stage and joined us at the side but the crowd didn't give up- they wanted more.

Ben told Piers he had to go back out but opening acts don't usually get encores so the roadies had already started tearing things down to stay on schedule. Piers thanked Ben for his support but said it was okay. The crowd continued to chant and Ben tried to convince Piers that the stage was his. I suggested Piers go out and do my favourite song of his, "Each Wave That Breaks," and Ben backed me up emphatically. But by now it was too late and most of the equipment had been removed from the stage. Ben was totally disappointed and said, "That ain't right, man." It was so cool to see what a true fan of music Ben is. He didn't care that it would have cut into his own set. Piers deserved an encore and Ben wanted him to have it.

Once everything was reset Relentless7 took to the stage and rocked La Cigale to it's knees. Julie and I watched from the side of the stage again. It was a total dream. There I was, watching my favourite musician of all-time... in concert... from backstage... in Paris.

After the show the band came out to chat with us. I was having a really good talk with guitarist Jason Mozersky when someone came by and told him they had to go mingle in a private room. I thanked Jason for everything and told him we'd see him the next night, but he said, "You guys should come next door and hang out". So we did! Jason took us over to the private room complete with a buffet of fancy-looking French food and an open bar. I enjoyed a glass of red wine with bassist Jesse Ingalls and had a couple of good conversations with Jason, Jesse and Ben. Ben asked us if we had a good time and I basically told him it was one of the greatest nights of my life. His response was, "Tonight was nothing. I'm really sorry you guys couldn't come back to the dressing rooms, but there just isn't any space back there. Tomorrow night in Bourges will be better. It's a big venue, lots of room. You guys will get to come back and hang out with us. Tomorrow is the party."

I didn't think it could get any better than this, but apparently it was about to.

Relentless Night

It's Sunday night. April 19^th, 2009. I'm in Kentish Town, London, England. Julie, Isabelle and I arrive early at The Forum because it's open standing room tonight and I want to be one of the first people through those doors. We're here to see my new favourite band, Relentless7. Also known as, Ben Harper and Relentless7.

Ben Harper is my all-time favourite musician. He's an amazing guitar player, a brilliant singer, a prophetic and inspiring lyricist and he has more passion and soul than anyone you've ever seen on stage. I saw him for the first time in September of 2007 at historic Massey Hall in Toronto. He was touring with his long-time band, The Innocent Criminals in support of their latest album, Lifeline. I sat in the fourth row, centre-stage and was taken to new emotional levels that night.

In late 2008, Ben put things on hold with the ICs and reunited with three musicians from Texas he had worked with on his 2006 album, Both Sides of the Gun; Jason Mozersky, Jesse Ingalls and Jordan Richardson. Ben is often considered to be a very laid back musician who makes “chill out” music and indeed, many of his most popular songs do have a mellow vibe but anyone that has enjoyed his whole catalogue knows that Ben Harper is an eclectic musician who's music transcends genres. Working and creating with the Texan trio has produced a Ben Harper album that is heavily rooted in rock and blues- something that has been long-awaited by many fans, including myself.

As planned, I'm one of the first people in and I grab a spot right up against the stage, front and centre. I'm on my own because Julie and Isabelle's tickets are for upstairs, but I quickly make nice with the other fans around me. The moment Ben and the boys take the stage the sold-out crowd loses it's collective mind. We are ready to rock. So ready. And as the band attacks the first chords of the opening number, “Better Way”, it's clear that we're not the only ones. This is in-your-face rock and roll.

After a ten-song set and a three-song encore Relentless7 take their final bows. I'm so fired-up! That show kicked some serious ass. Julie, Isabelle and I meet up and share our uncontrollable excitement. The crowd begins to file out of the building and most people start heading home, but not us. I'm determined to meet Ben Harper tonight so we go around the building and wait by the side door. Some other fans have the same idea and in total there are twelve of us hoping to meet the man. After waiting for more than two hours (the band had a couple of obligations after the show) the door opens and Ben Harper steps through.

Finally, after being such a huge fan of the man and the music for so long, I get to meet Ben Harper. I wondered if I'd be nervous, but I wasn't at all. There's just something about his vibe. He's so calming and gracious. Ben is honestly blown away that we have waited so long just to see him. After taking the time to personally meet everyone and thank us so genuinely for being the fans that we are, we take a group photo and Ben starts signing a few things. I managed to obtain a copy of the setlist from one of the roadies and as Ben throws his signature down on it I tell him that I'm going to be in Paris the next night (although I couldn't get a ticket for the show) and Bourges the night after that (for which I did have a ticket). Ben's eyes open wide and he says, “No way! Are you serious? Man, that's unbelievable!” He says if I'm going to be going on tour with them I need to be backstage. Now, this is unbelievable! Ben calls his manager over and tells him to write my and Julie's names down and we'll have tickets and backstage passes for Paris and Bourges.

HOLY SHIT! I just about lose my mind! I can't believe this just happened. Ben has to go and the twelve of us celebrate in the streets. This has been an incredible night but the next couple of days are going to be absolutely insane. I get back home, pack my bag and try to get a few hours of shuteye before I need to be at the coach station, but I know there's no way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight.

Road Mojo

My life has been in turmoil for the past month.

"Turmoil" sounds so negative. And yeah, sure, there have been some tough times over the last 30 days- emotionally (won't go there), financially (lost my job in London and had to move out of my flat because I couldn't make rent)- but there has also been a lot of positivity. I've made a few spontaneous decisions and I've had a LOT of time to think about some others. On the spontaneous side of life, I sold my newly acquired bicycle and donated 2/3 of my stuff to charity. There was a brief emotional struggle when it came to a couple of articles of clothing that had sentimental value, but I convinced myself that the memories are all I need.

I then purchased a 70L backpack and threw what remained of my belongings inside. I can now carry everything I own on my back. I love it!!! It's an incredible feeling, very liberating and a step in the right direction for me. When I left Canada eight months with vagabonding dreams my motto was "Live simply so that others may simply live" and I feel like I'm finally progressing toward that goal. So, with my backpack on, I left London, England only 44 days after moving there. I originally thought I would be living in London until the fall, but as John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

My first stop was Brighton, England. I reunited with my good friend Will (from the Disney days) and started working with him at EF Language Travel. For two weeks I was the Activity Coordinator for a group of thirty students from Austria. It was a pretty sweet gig. Basically, I got paid to go bowling and play football with a bunch of really cool kids and help them with their English. When it was all over, I collected my much-needed paycheque and threw the backpack on once more.

I'm going to return to Brighton in June and work for EF over the summer, but for now I'm going to hit the road. I have some big plans for the next five weeks. Stay tuned :)

The best things in life are free

I live in London, England- a city of millions. But sometimes, even when surrounded by dozens of people, this city can make you feel kind of alone. This is a major problem in major cities. Everyone is in a hurry, people have become cynical and skeptical, everyone keeps their head down, the iPodders are tuned in and turned off to the rest of the world. There is a complete disconnect.

But! there are lots of incredible people out there that are trying to make the world a closer place and thousands of them can be found on www.couchsurfing.com. I joined the CouchSurfing community last fall and I've already met lots of incredible people and surfed a couple of couches. But, as it says in the mission statement, "CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!"

When I arrived in London I started checking out the CS Events page so I could meet some like-minded people here in The Big Smoke. Last week I came across a listing for a "Free Hugs" event. I had read a little about the Free Hugs Campaign in the newspaper over the years and always wanted to get out there and do it myself. This was the perfect opportunity, so, I made my FREE HUGS placard, complete with peace sign, heart and two maple leafs, and headed for the South Bank of the river Thames.

When I arrived, the first person I saw was Gilad, a CouchSurfer from Israel whom I had met a couple of weeks earlier at a CS karaoke event. Gilad was holding his sign (which offered FREE HUGS in English, Hebrew and Japanese) high above his head. I went straight over and wrapped my arms around him- my afternoon of Free Huggin' had begun.

The next two hours of my life were absolutely incredible. As the general public raced by I held my sign up and shouted things like, "Free Hugs!", "Hugs are awesome and I can prove it!", "Have you hugged a Canadian today?". It started off slowly. Many people tried to ignore us as they passed. Some stopped to take photos of the "crazy people" but kept a safe distance. But then I saw a woman standing just a few feet away, watching us with a smile on her face. I walked over to her and said, "Would you like a hug?" and without a word she put her arms around me. People started to clap and cheer and it was like an invisible barrier had been broken because more onlookers started coming over and hugging other CSers.

We gave out hundreds of Free Hugs and thousands of photos were taken! I hugged men, women, children... I even hugged a dog! There were no boundaries. No discrimination. No segregation. People of every age, gender and race were coming together. People who didn't speak the same language were hugging each other. The gesture of the hug said everything that needed to be said. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

Sure, there were still a lot of people that ignored us. A lot of people went to great lengths to avoid us. Some people would ask questions like, "What are you selling?" or "Is this a cult?", revealing their cynicism- which is too bad, because it is those people that really need to let their guard down and open up the most- but, the cynics and the skeptics were massively outnumbered by the ones who walked away smiling; feeling a little happier; that their day was a little brighter.

Sometimes, all we need is a hug.

Glasgow With the Flow

Although it was in 2008 that I left Canada with vagabonding dreams, 2009 will see my wandering lifestyle really begin to take shape. This year I will visit many more countries and start to really prepare for 2010 by getting rid of the things I don't need and acquiring the things that I do.

My first trip of the year was a brief one to Scotland in January. My American friend Mike had been living in Ireland for 4 months but was returning home at the end of January. We really wanted to meet up while we were both in this part of the world and decided that Scotland would be the place. I landed at Glasgow International Airport on 18 January, 2009.

I took a bus from the airport to Glasgow's central bus station. It is there that I met my friend Dave and his new girlfriend Yasemin. The first thing on the agenda was, of course, a pint! They took me to this really cool rock 'n roll bar where we did some catching up over a few glasses of delicious lager. Soon, Yasemin had to be going so we walked her to her train and then found ourselves a new bar while we waited for Mike's arrival.

A little back-story about Mike and I: We met on January 1st, 2006 in Mesquite, Nevada- a relative ghost-town in the middle of the dessert outside of Las Vegas. Amongst the tumbleweeds and coyotes, something special was about to take place. 160 young Americans and 4 Canadians had all arrived here with the same goal; to win $10,000 playing beer pong. This was the first-ever World Series of Beer Pong.

Mike Sherwood and his brother Joe came down from Montana. I was there with my beer pong partner Shaun, an old Disney friend, and two teammates from my university rugby team; Ciaran and Andrew. We met the Sherwood Bros. on day-one and bonded quickly over some warm-up games and playful mockery of each other's country. We all stayed in touch after the tournament and the following year I traveled to Montana and roadtripped down to Vegas with Mike and Joe for the WSOBP II. That was the last time I had seen little Mikey Sherwood... but in a few hours we were to be reunited again!

Mike took a bus in from the airport. Dave and I met him there and then- yep, you guessed it- found ourselves a pub. The stories and the beer flowed like... beer from a tap (I am a master of simile). All I can remember about the end of the night is enjoying three 6-piece McNuggets and a whole lotta' sweet and sour sauce.

The next day, once Mike and I got our shit together, we headed for the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. First opened in 1901, Kelvingrove is Scotland's "must-see museum", housing collections of art, armour, weapons, objects of ancient Egypt, flora and fauna from the four corners of the world (including Canadian beavers! See below), dinosaurs, antique aircraft, and all sorts of other random stuff. One of the highlights for me was viewing Rembrandt's mysterious "man in armour" painting. It's an absolutely masterful piece of work, but what's extremely interesting about it is that no one knows who the subject is suppose to be. Theories range from Mars, the God of War, to Achilles to Alexander the Great to simply Rembrandt's son in costume. There is an interactive touch-screen at the museum that allows the viewer to review the supporting evidence of each theory and then form their own conclusion. I believe it is meant to be a painting of Alexander the Great, but I urge anyone visiting Glasgow to check it out and decide for yourself.

What happened next was the greatest thing to happen to me since being in the United Kingdom. As we left the Kelvingrove Museum and walked down the steps, the clear night sky began to change and something very familiar started to fall from above. IT WAS SNOWING! Wonderful, beautiful snow! Oh, how I missed it! For months I had been wishing for snow, jealous of the incredible winter my friends in Canada were enjoying. And the way that it started to snow just as I walked out into the open made it feel as though this snowfall was just for me. As hoards of Scotsmen and Scotswomen ran for cover I stood there with my head tilted back and my arms open wide, loving every flaking minute.


That night, Mike and I met up with three really nice girls and did what we do best... no, not an orgy... we played beer pong! We taught Daniela, Lucy and Emily the rules and then proceeded to dominate them... again, NOT an orgy. Mike and I also played a few games head-to-head. It was just like the good old days! (Meaning, I kicked his ass!)

It was a hell of a night... and our last in the fair city of Glasgow. The next day we were on to the capital city of Edinburgh!

Fly Away Home

I have a tattoo of a goose.

About two weeks before I left Canada I decided to get a tattoo that would reflect the love I have for my country and commemorate my departure from it.  So, I got a tattoo of a Canada Goose taking flight.

Today, as I was walking down the streets of London, England, two Canada Geese flew overhead.  I spent the rest of the day thinking about the wonderful country I come from and the incredible friends that I have there.

I love you and I miss you.

 

C is for C U Next Tuesday

Anyone that has ever had a friend who speaks another language or has traveled anywhere where English isn't the mother tongue will tell you that one of the first things you learn is how to curse.

Sandy and her friends were already very familiar with a lot of English profanity.  Words like bitch, ass, cock, shit and fuck were part of their standard vocabulary.  But, I was able to give them the gift of "cunt".

Cunt is quite possibly my favourite "dirty word".  It's effective, versatile and just so damn fun to say.  Personally, I only use it towards male friends (eg. "Craig, you're such a cunt!", "What a cunt you turned out to be!", "Whats up Cunty?") or when I think its funny (which is often). I also explained the brilliance of using "C-U-Next-Tuesday" when you're in a location where saying "cunt" would be frowned upon.  Sandy took a strong liking to the word and was dropping C-Bombs for the rest of the week.

In return, a plethora of German cussin' was bestowed upon me.

Asrchloch -> asshole

Schlampe -> bitch

Halts Maul -> shut the fuck up (loose translation)

Kartoffelnauser -> potato-nose (Germans are weird)

Fotze -> cunt!

Needless to say, I had some fun with those gems and I look forward to expanding my vulgar vocabulary of foreign filth as I continue my travels.