* Suckage Quotient (Where 1 = Rocked and 10 = Bit the Big One)
So, it wasn't so bad - not my best performance ever, but I sucked less than I might have. I was working with familiar material, and my performance was smooth but, I felt, not particularly inspired. You take it as it comes, I guess. The audience seemed to enjoy it just fine.
There were some other terrific performers on the bill (Tracy MacDonald, Scott Falconbridge, David Pryde. Maynard Morrison, and Bette MacDonald, not to mention the iconic host, Lorne Elliot), and I didn't feel out of place. I'm never happy with a show, and I have about the worst seat in the house, but all in all, it felt ... okay. That's as good as it gets for me. I was told later I did just fine, so ... whatever. Nobody died.
Thanks to all my friends for your kind wishes - I don't know a performer worth going to see who doesn't feel the need for some good vibes when the lights come up. You know going in that you probably wouldn't have been hired to do a gig like this if other people who are supposed to know stuff didn't have faith in you, but there are any number of reasons why you can step out onstage and suck rhinos. Good luck never goes to waste.
The best part of the weekend was being put up at the Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. This was the hotel which, back in 1969, hosted a "Bed-In" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Suite 1742 from which they recorded "Give Peace a Chance".
On December 9, 25 years and a day after he was shot dead, I couldn't NOT go up a few floors and get my picture taken in front of the very suite where he'd recorded the song.
I'm not big on ghosts or spirits or such. In many ways it just felt like a room in a hotel in a strange city. But knowing what had happened there - and believing, as I do, that political change is so often triggered by cultural events - it felt somehow like hallowed ground.
I don't think I'd be happy with myself if I hadn't done this.
Best line of the weekend came from Lorne Elliot, via Irwin Barker. Irwin is one of my favourite comics - who has such gems as "So, I'm dating a Buddhist ... because hey, you only live once ..." .
Well, with the radio show winding down, Lorne gets asked time and time again what he plans to do next, and having been in that position, I know how annoying it can be. You finally come up with some sort of glib, clever answer to kill the discussion. And the response Lorne has settled on is "I'm planning on launching a fragrance." Cute.
So Irwin asked, and Lorne answered, and Irwin looked at him for about three seconds and said "Hmm. Never heard it called that before."
Deadly.
Heh heh, this reminds me of when Alan Cumming released a line of frangrances (is that any better than "launched a fragrance"? I think not) bearing variations on his name, like the body spray called "Cumming All Over."
I'm glad your SQ was low. It was live radio, no?
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | December 12, 2005 at 10:00 AM
No, it was taped for broadcast at a future date. The way these things work is they do a concert - or in this case a pair of concerts, where each performer gets 15 minutes or so. They end up with about 2 hours of tape from each show, which they edit down to two or three half-hour shows. So that brings the S.Q. down even lower, because they fix it in the mix.
I have no idea when this will be broadcast - hopefully I'll find out in advance and be able to let people know.
Posted by: Nils | December 12, 2005 at 10:17 AM
Wonder what kind of cable we'd have to have down here to get your show. I would love to see you in action. You're probably more like a 2 than a 3. Glad you're back.
Posted by: wordgirl | December 12, 2005 at 10:28 AM
Wondergirl: For those of you who aren't in Canada, it would be a matter of keeping track with Nilbo when the show will be broadcast and then go to the Web to listen to it:
http://www.cbc.ca/listen/index.html
Posted by: Maurice | December 12, 2005 at 10:43 AM
Hehe Maurice had the answer for you, Wordgirl. AND he called you WONDERGIRL, which ... well, I'd second that.
Posted by: Nils | December 12, 2005 at 11:56 AM
Wasn't that bed-in by Yoko & John the reason Trudeau said the state has no business in the bedrooms of it's citizens?
Posted by: Ken Williams | December 12, 2005 at 02:54 PM
The quote actually happened a couple of years before that, when Trudeau was still Justice Minister, and related to a law he was introducing that removed penalties for so-called "indecent acts" between consenting adults.
Back then it was considered a crime even for a husband and wife to engage in certain sex practices that, shall we say, were unlikely to result in conception.
Thankfully, that is now changed and it is no longer illegal. Just disgusting.
Posted by: Nils | December 12, 2005 at 04:51 PM
Ken: ROTFLMAO!!!! Thanks for the laugh!.
WeeDram
Posted by: WeeDram | December 12, 2005 at 09:21 PM
I'm late to the party (no internet during the day) but i LOVE "MOIAD"!!
I bet you were great, and I like that I get to listen through the CBC affiliate here in Windsor.
Does the QE hotel still have those thick fluffy down comforters on the beds? After I stayed there once, I HAD TO BUY ONE, once I got home.
Posted by: whfropera | December 12, 2005 at 11:45 PM
Ooh Ooh, I wanna hear it! Wish we were there to support you! (but we were really)
Posted by: Amanda B. | December 13, 2005 at 12:21 AM
I'd love to hear it, too.
You were in our bed last night, Nils! Biscuit "launched a fragrance," so I recounted your whole post for Jif and we giggled a lot. Good stuff. I would have had to visit Lennon's room, too.
Posted by: Susie | December 13, 2005 at 08:31 AM
"and believing, as I do, that political change is so often triggered by cultural events"
This is so true. I think that Australia is going through this as we speak. Not a change for the better though.
Posted by: Kylz | December 13, 2005 at 09:06 AM
So, Nilbo, are you telling us in your coy and roundabout way that Canada is now the unofficial butt sex capitol of the world?
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | December 13, 2005 at 12:33 PM
Butt sex capitAL, I mean.
Before the grammar nazis bring out the fire ants.
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | December 13, 2005 at 12:45 PM
No, Bucky ... Greece still holds the title. We in Canada are far more kinky.
Posted by: Nils | December 13, 2005 at 01:41 PM
So...Canada is the gerbil sex capitAl of the world?
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | December 13, 2005 at 02:16 PM
Fire ants and gerbils. Bucky's scaring me.
Glad it went well for you, Nils.
Posted by: Squirl | December 13, 2005 at 09:56 PM
Wow, did I kill comments in here or what?
Where's your holiday recipe, dude?
Posted by: Squirl | December 14, 2005 at 09:12 PM
Yeah, what's Nilbo cookin' up for us? Did you make enough for everyone?
Oh, and just to be cyberially correct:
what r u werin?
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | December 15, 2005 at 02:06 PM