Pat Blythe: Ahhhh…the Junos – My response to Segarini’s posting of Jamie Vernon’s posting….of everyone else’s postings…..

Wellllllll……all I can say is “I was there”. Up in the nosebleeds with the rest of the folks in the so-called “cheap seats”. My date for the evening and I had a direct aim at the stage(s), perfect viewing. I have no idea what you couch potatoes were seeing at various stages of the programme, but it was definitely different from the TV version.

View from Section 218, Seat 13, Row 35

Were the Junos poorly produced? Yes. Poorly scripted? Yes. Poorly directed? Yes. ….and I truly despise the fact the Junos are sponsored by corporate Canada. Free advertising be damned….the Junos should NOT be an in-your-face space for TD, Sirus, Pizza Pizza, Long & McQuade, et al and that includes our illustrious governments as well. (Maple Blues Awards works the same angle.) I’m not sure where the money comes from for other major awards shows but this has got to change. It should be all about the music and talent….period.

The folks actually presenting the awards….shades of SNL’s 40th. Either no one knows how to read, they need glasses, holding a microphone terrifies them and they go brain dead or there were absolutely no rehearsals (or all four….and you can add anything else you can think of). Embarrassing.

Lord love a duck!! It is so tough for Bell/CTV to step up to the plate and actually spend money on what could be a “reeeally big shew”…

…and take the opportunity to showcase some up-and-coming LOCAL Canadian talent….not just the ones that sell bazillions of records. The latter don’t need “showcasing”. Let’s make it look like we actually know what we’re doing, that we have achieved at least a B+ in Canadian Music 101 and know how to produce an awards show using that knowledge. What the hell is going on?

MIA!

What happened to a nod to all the talent that call The Hammer home!?!? Do I really need to produce a list here?? WTF!!!! This was your chance Hamilton and you blew it! No mention, no tributes, no invitations, no “in memoriam”…. Shame, shame, shame on CTV/Bell Media, Canada, the Juno Board, the producers, directors and writers of the show, and especially the City of Hamilton. You could ALL have done so much better. Calgary, I hope you’re paying attention and step up to the plate.

A hint…they should’ve opened the Junos with this song.

Crowbar

Crowbar – Oh What A Feeling

Should’ve opened the Junos with this song.

Teenage Head

Teenage Head – Let’s Shake

King Biscuit Boy

Richard “King Biscuit Boy” Newell – Step Back Baby

The Show

Jacob Hoggard‘s opening video was juvenile at best — come on guys, we can do better! Talk about cheezy and he’s actually standing on stage watching himself for most of it. Jeez! Hosting a show is tough and you become a giant bullseye for the naysayers but he wasn’t the worst I’ve seen. Sometimes though, it makes better sense to leave the professionals. They don’t tend to let their mouth take over their brain. (gaff gaff)

Kardinall Offishall was “our” off-screen/off-TV host. I don’t suppose you folks saw him. He was actually really funny and quite good. Definitely more at ease than Hoggard.

Now….the music. What I heard and what you folks at home heard was totally different. We got the full enchilada while most of you were listening to tinyish TV speakers….even your surround sound couldn’t match live.

Loved the big sound from Hedley. Alanis was right on top of her game….no change in those pipes. I’ve been following Kiesza for a while….loved the beginning of her song (when she was at the piano) best. The rest of her number was more dance that sing….but she can definitely do both. I actually enjoyed all the performances, some more than others, but we had the BIG sound and the BIG light show which made up for a lot of whatever else was lacking.

Lights performance — the place was packed

The DeadMau5 performance was puzzling, not because of the music, but because I didn’t hear any introduction of the singer who performed with him, nor can I find any mention of her in the programme. Her name is Colleen D’Agostino and this is not the first time she has worked with DeadMau5. I find the omission of her name extremely odd.

DeadMau5 and Colleen D’Agostino performed “Seeya”, Junos 2015

Wow!!! I actually loved her singing and her voice control.

To the award winners….THE CAMERA IS OVER HERE!!!!

I am not a musician and have never professed to be one. I am an appreciator of all things music (except opera). If it moves me, touches me, or makes me want to get up and dance….I’m in. I know when someone sings in the key of J demolished (I play piano and am not tone deaf) and I can adequately carry a tune…and I do know what I like. However, I have not been bleeding this business all my life. I am on the outside looking in, but I love the view.

There are a myriad of reasons why the Junos sucked last night and many of them are out of my realm of experience or knowledge. Scores of them have been expressed in FB. To those people I’ve spoken to and the posts I’ve read, I agree with most of it and some of it is duly noted in this response.

By the way, my 26-year-old son did not recognize most of the names I read out to him. Now that’s really scary. What ARE people really listening to and where are they going to listen to it? Bryan Adams, Michael Buble and Jann Arden all won Junos this year. How come none of them appeared in person? Some of us actually know who they are.

The video backdrop shows were amazing! To the technicians, lighting director, lighting operators, camera folk, the guys behind the controls and the behind-the-scenes folks….job well done. (standing O)

Courtesy of Doug McClement. Doug was in the truck, this is the in-house sound work station at the Junos.

Doug: “FOH Mix position at the Junos in Hamilton. Peter “Stoy” Stoynich in foreground on a Yamaha console, mixing traffic (hosts, podiums, playback, rf mics). Mark Vreeken in background on a Digico mixing the music for the audience in the arena.”

Suffice to say, I’m glad I went. I was puzzled by some of it, shook my head at some of it, laughed at some of it and enjoyed the entire experience immensely. I approach these types of events as a big  “concert” and the opportunity to listen to some bands I’ll probably never get a chance to hear live again.

The End

Dave Beatty – QED Studios

Dave Beatty – owner, producer, engineer – QED Media

The evening finale was a jam session at QED Media studios on Canon St. in Hamilton. I had the pleasure of listening to a few folks I hadn’t seen play in many years. A wonderful ending to a rather lovely evening. …and I even got to dance.

Cheers!

=PB=

Pat’s column appears every Wednesday.

Contact us at: dbawis@rogers.com

In “real” life Pat Blythe has spent the past 32 years as a consultant and design specialist in the telecommunications industry. After an extended absence Pat is now heading back to the GTA clubs, immersing herself in the local music scene, tasting what’s on offer, talking to people and writing once again — sharing her passions and her deep love of music. Together for 34 years, Pat also worked alongside her late husband Christopher Blythe, The PictureTaker©, who shot much  of the local talent (think Goddo, Frank Soda and the Imps, Plateau, Buzzsaw, Hellfield….) as well as national and international acts,  Currently making her way through 40 years of Chris’s archives, Pat is currently compiling a photographic history of the local GTA music scene from 1975 to 1985. It continues to be a work in progress. Oh…..and she LOVES to dance….