But enough about me, what do YOU think about me?

Out of the basement

And into your brain.

     -- Blood Clot

I've just realized that I've been blogging away for some time now without ever discussing my favourite subject: me.  As many of you know, I can go on about me for hours.  The subject is just an endless source of fascination for me.  Many's the time, in days of yore, I'd hold entire kitchen parties spellbound with tales of me.

Boring, compared to me.

Most of you probably know me a the piano player from Skystone from all those years reeling off Newfie tunes at the old Trap and Gill in downtown Vancouver, but I'm actually primarily a guitar man. 

I sang and played guitar for a few years with Blood Clot ("Out of the Basement and Into Your Brain"), with my good friends Shayne MacDonald, Corey MacDonald and Dan Jamieson but unfortunately (or fortunately) that was in the Dark Ages before YouTube so no record exists.

Around 1995, Blood Clot was in some Battle of the Bands at the World Famous Astoria Hotel on Hastings Street (aka Skid Row) in Vancouver.  We were pretty loud and the regulars complained that it made the dust rain from the rotting acoustic ceiling tiles when we played.  S'OK though we'd always buy 'em more beer.  Then they loved us.

Cheap TVs in the parking lot, but you didn't hear it from me.

One time one of the ladies of the night working the area staggers into the joint and stops in the middle of the dance floor, stares up at us, and starts grooving. The bouncer ran up to throw her out. "What?" she complained, "I fixed outside."  Little did she realize the needle was still sticking out of her leg.  Good times. 

Blood Clot was a pretty good band, and might have made a name for ourselves if any of us had have been born with a motivation bone. As it was, I quit the band when I realized even the drummer was getting laid more than me.  That's what I said.  The drummer.  I know, right?


Here's the Blood Clot song "Rage" (audio only).  I'm not that angry anymore.  Really.

After the Clot, there was the insanity the depression, the booze, the women, the stark nights of terror, before joining Skystone through my good buddy Adrian Duncan.  Adrian Duncan is a fascinating fellow and one of the most incredible musicians I've had the pleasure to play with. But as we are talking about me, we shall dispense with the subject of Adrian.  I switched to mostly piano with this band, figuring was that a piano player should get laid more than a drummer.


Anyways the hard thing about Skystone was that, despite playing two instruments--piano and guitar--I was still the worst musician in the band.  Adrian plays about ten instruments, sings, conducts, entertains the crowd and has forgotten more songs than I'll ever know.  Saul Schneider and Mary Brunner bring the house down with their fiddling.  Gary Kennedy was a percussionist extraordinaire and had a kickass R&B voice.  Even the bass player had me beat.  Kenny Ogilvie didn’t sing, didn't play any other instruments, and pretty much just stood there like a mannequin.  But I've been playing with the guy for more than ten years now and I swear he's never hit a bad note.  Anyways, clearly I couldn't stay in a band where my inherent magnificence was not immediately recognizable.  

Skystone.  This drummer got laid more than me too.

So me and my good buddy Adrian started up a caving band wiht buddy Pete Curtis called Dangeous Dick and the Duckbusters.

We met jamming in Resonance Cave, Vancouver Island.

We are probably, it must be said, the most famous ever band that sings songs exclusively about caves.  Probably, it must be said, the only band that sings songs exclusively about caves.  Also, since the band has no drummer, the drummer doesn't get laid more than me.  Ha!

Dangerous Dick and the Duckbusters.  Adrian Duncan on the right.

Me doing a bubblehead.  This is the kind of stuff you have to do when you got no talent.

Here's one of favourite Dangerous Dick tunes.  Snappy little number featuring Adrian on madnolin and banjo.  And bass.  And singing.  Dammit, Adrian, am I even on this one?  

	Dangerous Dick & the Duckbusters - Mole in a Hole .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

We've got three CDs under our belt so far and have played internationally (and by internationally, I mean an hour's drive south of the border in Bellingham.  Still counts though. You can buy our CDs at the Cancaver website.  All proceeds to the Canadain Cave Conservancy.


I've had the pleasure of jamming with so many great friends over the years, and I'm looking forward to many more years of jamming.  Maybe even with my kids. Like Bach.  He had like fifteen kids and they'd all jam.

Jamming with good friends Yo Thornton (harp), Derek Miller (drums) and some dude from The Odds.
A great memory.

Sucks that I can't play over here though.  One of the magical things about music is its ability to bring people together.  I'm sure if we cranked some Judas Priest, those Taliban would throw down there arms and start giving 'er one of these...

Richard Simmons rocking the frizz-cut.  Oops, I mean Ronnie James Dio

When I get back from Afghanistan, as a gift to myself, I'm buying myself a Gibson ES-335

Alex Lifeson of Rush, playing a 1976 Gibson ES-335.
Still love all those Rush songs...that Geddy doesn't sing in.

But enough about me, what do you think about me?  Feel free to provide comments about me below.