I am not ashamed to say that the time since my Dear Lois passed has been the bleakest of my entire life. I never knew that misery such as I am experiencing now was even possible. But it is, sadly, as I am sure those of you who have lost their loved ones are more than tragically aware.
Today is a hard day for me to get through. 18 years ago, I met Lois Forbes for the first time. I miss her terribly, while admiring her courage as she battled cancer. We made each other try to be better people, and I think that’s a pretty good achievement. I know I would have rather made her angry than disappoint her. I will always hold her in my heart and I miss her terribly.
As you know, I am still dealing with Lois’ passing. Last week, I had to have my little buddy Reg put down. Depression has been prevalent in my life over the last while, often pinning me into bed until 1:00 P.M.
I dream about Lois and I think of things that I should have said to her, ways that I could have made her feel even more loved than she was… I finally got Lois’ apartment cleaned out and I have a lot of her things at my apartment, so it sort of looks like a submarine before setting out on patrol, with every surface covered with boxes.
A blank page. I’m staring at a blank page. (ok, not anymore). A few words have appeared. It’s not the dearth of things to write about, it’s the overabundance.
Thanks for the responses to last week’s column. I realize that the column was a little disjointed, or more disjointed than usual, but it was a very frightening time for me, and I had to face some demons head on, so the structure of that column accurately reflected my mental state at the time.
Armed with my “media” credentials, my guidebook and my Metropass, I took on Canadian Music Week. (Note that all of the bands/artists that I mention in this column have Facebook pages, and are well worth further study, should you feel so inclined. It was a very busy week!)
In a recent interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Robert Plant was very frank about a number of things, including the possibility of writing his memoirs (nope) and the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour (not happening). When it was asked, he used the latter question to segue into something which I believe very strongly. “It shows you that people have nothing else to write about, obviously. And that’s kind of sad. All these magazines and internet platforms should be supporting new music and helping new musicians to find an audience, instead of dwelling on the old crap all the time. It’s like there is nothing new and exciting out there any more, when in fact there is. So stop living in the past. Open your ears and your eyes. It’s not that difficult, is it?” (The full interview can be read here.)
Well, I got my media credentials, or you wouldn’t be reading this. After some initial confusion at the launch party, I was saved by my colleague Roxanne, who made me her “plus one”, as my RSVP had not been received. I got an “all access” wristband and a VIP lanyard, because I was their first media “plus one” that evening 😉.
Crikey!!!! Where the hell did the day go?!? It was a crazy week last week….Indie Week style. Launch on Tuesday, judging (and shooting) on Wednesday, hitting the clubs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday…..oh my aching trigger finger…… I saw so many bands around the city I’ve lost count. There were others I missed simply because I couldn’t be in two (or three) places at once….not even Zippy can do that. I take no prisoners driving from one end of the city to the other. There is no time to waste and parking to be found. But what a great week…..so much incredible talent out there, local and international, and these music makers love what they do….so I hope they all keep on “doing it”. I ran into so many people I know, reconnected and also made some new friends. I just LOVE this!
Mainstream music is omnipresent. From your laptop to your ringtone, your doctor’s office to your local athletic barn, it surrounds you. Even a casual glance at billboards or bus’s will show you that mainstream music looms large in modern society.
Bullseye Records of Canada
