10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I used to love New Years. Some of my most memorable New Years were when my bands played…in particular when the Jazzmanian Devils played.
In no particular order:
One- The Purple Moose
This was the last New Years Show that I put on. We presold tickets, and a sell out was expected , only to find the club, which was owned by the father of a good friend, had closed its doors just before Christmas. We were assured the show could go on.
When we arrived the night of the show, we found the waiting staff had been recruited from a AA or NA support group, as all the usual staff had been let go.
Around 11 pm, I noted the wheels were falling off the proverbial wagon, and something had to be done. So I got the band on the stage, and started handing out noisemakers and champagne. At a certain point, at near exhaustion and full of nervee and high anxiety, I looked at my watch.
It was 12: 04. We had missed the countdown. But the funny thing was, no one noticed. I hurried to the band stage, and without missing a beat, announced it was “almost” that special time. I started to count it down as if it was happening in real time. This was before cell phones. Apparently no one had watches either, except me!
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Countdowns were always special. I loved counting it down. A few years back Michelle and I went to local NY gig, and the singer said “We are going to play through the countdown, so count it down yourself- if you want to. I felt like comandeering the stage. No countdown at New Years? Poppycock! Heresy!
Two- The Cinderella Ballroom
I took a loan out at the local Communist Credit Union- ok, Communist is going too far. They were lovely folks who gave me a loan,which we paid back in full. Try doing that today! It was an extravaganza. We did everything, which means I did everything, including acting as a bouncer after the show. Everyone was there, either partying or playing. We even had a comic who worked for the credit union. All for $9.99!
Three- Saturnos’s Supper Club
In the nineties, we had a run at the swank supper club called Saturno’s. Food was gourmet, the club was beautiful , and the maître d, was a Slavic guy, who had some airs.
I figured like it had to be part of a money laundering scheme, because there seemed no way a club could stay in business with so few customers. The Jazzmanian Devils were almost the house band. Sometimes we were also the audience.
We were offered a fairly lucrative payday, which for me was even more fortuitous, as I had booked the Cinderella Ballroom for a return show. Having the Saturno’s gig allowed me to sell my booked night at the Cinderella to a local promoter who managed the Hard Rock Miners, as they wanted to play but all the venues were booked. I don’t remember much from Saturno’s, other than drinking champagne from a woman’s high heel shoe.
Four- The Four Seasons Hotel
We played a lot of parties for rich people. we were hired to play the Four Seasons. The Manager was from Chicago. At one point, he came up to the band and asked if we played any rap. That was what I heard anyway.
Rap? I said.
No, Rack. Rack and roll!
His Chicago accent had rendered rock into rack.
The benefit of this gig was everyone in the band got a gift certificate for two for brunch. It was phenomenal. Prime rib, seafood towers, ice sculptures, a dessert room with a chocolate fountain.
Five- Devils vs. Freemasons Y2K
In 1999, we had a Show at a skate and sign session for the Canucks. A gentleman came up after and asked if we were booked yet for Y2K New Years. Why no, it’s still open, but I’m sure we will have many people wanting us.
Well, I want to book you for The Freemasons.
Ok. This was wild. I said an astronomical fee, twice our highest fee, and said we would need a down payment to secure the night, a second instalment a month before, and cash the night if before we went on.
He said us without batting an eye.
My father, and two grandfathers were Freemasons, but I had not joined. Around the end of November 1999, there was talk of all the computers stopping at midnight, as the world as we was knew it was ending. The Freemasons flinched and cancelled the show.
We were saved by the fact we had written the signed contract, but neglected to add a cancellation clause to the contract. As such, the small claims judge ruled in our favour, in the great Devils vs. Freemasons court case. We were paid in full and didn’t even play!
Six- Subhumans and AKA at the Laundromat.
In 1980 or 81, all the years melt into one another, my first band AKA opened for the Subhumans at the Laundromat, formerly the David Y.H. Lui Theatre.
I had been an usher there when it opened. That is another story.
This night featured the usual punk hijinks of the crowd trying to take the pants off the Subhumans singer Wimpy- my favourite punk of all. They also tried to do the same to Alex Varty, but perhaps that was a different show. For the record, noone ever tried that on me. I remember kicking an artist in the face with my Tony Llama kangaroo hide cowboy boots at the Smilin’ Buddha. No messing with me. Later, I had to throw out the cowboy boots, as I had put them away wet and they grew mold.
This picture was from a New Years that I presume was in the early eighties, after 1982, as it looks to have been taken at the Manhattan, most likely by my beautiful wife Michelle. Somethings never change as we are going out tonight to a friend’s house party.
After the year I had in 2023, I am sort of looking forward to 2024 with hope, also a bit of trepidation. In 2023, I organized the Bacharachanalia shows of three nights at Lanalous, for my sister and I and our birthdays in January. All of my bands played.
By March I had my biopsy, and in May, the Nightflower recorded our record, I began my cancer treatments, and we di the Night of A Thousand Judys, with all of my friends singing the Judys songs I helped write with the Judys.
The rest you know. Or you can read all about it in the ~124 posts I wrote this year. If you paid the annual rate, it was one hell of a deal.
Let’s count them down.
Happy New Year!!XO
Happy new year, Dennis. Wishing you good health.