NEWS

Have you read Geddy Lee’s autobiography yet? Pretty effin’ good, I thought. A fine use of my New Year’s Day. – notwithstanding his own over-use of the word nonplussed. I myself was nonplussed to discover that picture of Tim Wakefield was still at the top of the “News” on this site’s homepage. He died in October. What is this, Shiva? Something must have gone wrong on my last update and gone undetected. If neglect were an art form, I’d be… well, some kind of artist.

photo by Bob Hanham

So you might not know that Dead Bob are off to a flying start and you’re going to be hearing a lot more from us this year, starting with Western Canadian dates in late winter, American appearances in the spring, a second album, which is as good as done and features a little more involvement from Yours Truly, and Europe in the autumn to pick through whatever’s left amid the rubble after the stupid Olympics. Dead Bob has been thrilling on a number of fronts: working closely with John again, working with Byron and Kristy and Colin and getting to know them better as people, learning to play the trombone, sort of, and playing keyboards in a way I’ve never really had occasion to before. All very exciting and fulfilling to me. And, I must admit, after leaning into solo performance and composition over the last couple of years (not hard enough!) it’s fun to be in a good rock band again.

However! Despite turning my considerable energies and gifts primarily over to Dead Bob for the nonce, I have not forgotten myself. My nature bridles at the suggestion. All I will say right now is watch this space (yeah, right) and the Bandcamp page for some electrifying shit on this year’s March 26th drop.

With the same meaningless promise to be more present, I remain…

Your Ford

Yes. John Wright, with whom I’ve made music off and on for about thirty years, made a record which you just might have heard under the nom de rock of Dead Bob. It’s called Life Like and it’s available online, and format copies you can hold and admire and file alphabetically on a shelf will be available at the forthcoming Dead Bob live shows. Did I just say that? Am I burying the lede? Well, I’ll be there, no matter which one you go to, holding down the left hand side of the stage playing keyboards as well as the trombone I’ve just taken up specifically for this project. I’d like to know what the trombone has done, exactly, to deserve immediate association with “ska” in the imaginations of the unimaginative. Why not Mahler’s 3rd or Alice Donut’s reading of “War Pigs?” The answers to this question and others at venues all around British Columbia as John, along with myself, Byron from Invasives, Kristy from Rong, and Colin from Pigment Vehicle bring his wonderful music to real live audiences. Maybe we’ll see you there, or at one of the other ones we’re hoping to encounter in the year ahead! Watch this space and others for more info. Until then, maybe I’ll see you back at the Lido where we’ll see how the the last couple of years’ embrace of looping technology holds up in the presence of somebody who knows what she’s doing when I perform solo with Mi’ens!

These are the facts: maintaining steady and regular updates is constitutionally alien to me at this time. Has it ever not been? I’m not proud of it, but these are the facts. There are some other ones too, like the recent digital release of a fake solo Pete Townshend song that I wrote just so that I would have the chance to get Beez to play on it and spend the night hanging out with him. That was out just in time for me to play with Selina Martin on her recent triumphant return to these shores. These shores would be located around Canada with the lengthiest ones being positioned at its perimeter.

Of interest also could be the recent digital release of John Wright’s long-awaited first collection of solo recordings under the sobriquet Dead Bob, to which I contributed in a small way, and the laying of plans for that project’s live manifestation, to which I’m going to contribute in a big way.

Another new project I’ve been happy to contribute to is Jibbernaut, which has me reunited with the wonderful men I played with in Tankhog thirty years ago. Thirty years. Ye cats. Is there a live debut forthcoming to celebrate the release of the new EP? Yes.

And are there also upcoming local solo shows with the likes of Carolyn Mark and Mi’ens? Also yes.

I would offer something feeble about resolving to pay more attention to this space and to stay in better touch, but filling the world with more disingenuousness and chagrin hardly seems worthy. Those are the facts. We’ll communicate some more when I create some new ones!

Gormless: an unpaired word meaning obtuse, slow-witted, or otherwise lacking in vim.

Maya: in Hindu, Buddhist, and other cosmologies, the world of magic and illusion positioned between ourselves and the true fabric of existence, which we perceive as reality.

Make of that what you will. If there’s a theme to these ten songs, I’m not aware of what it could be. Out today!

Bonne année, tout le monde. 2018 will be remembered as the year that saw the release (FINALLY!) of The Vengeance Trio’s second album, Expensive Tissue, Strength Of Materials entering the studio to offer adornment to new recordings by The New Pornographers, a reunion with the group that plucked me from the pit and set my feet on the path of righteousness, Jr. Gone Wild (as well as sittings-in with both D.O.A. and Roots Roundup!), and a successful solo tour of Europe which saw me sharing the stage once more with the estimable Tom Holliston. The year concluded with an act of piracy, as the domain name www.fnordpier.com lapsed (owing to my own dunderpatedness, it is true) and was instantaneously snatched by extortionist robot blackguards who thought to ransom it back to me. Well, fuck them. We were all getting a little tired of the vintage 2007 html look, were we not? Va bene. When life gives you lemons, yadda-yadda. What we have here is an OPPORTUNITY. Welcome to thefordpier.com, which I can feel in my marrow, as I sit here drinking wine that’s been sitting open since New Year’s and listening – don’t ask me why – to Bruckner’s third symphony, is going to be the best website I’ve ever had. I may not even subject it to criminal neglect! Continue to watch this space as I learn all about how to make it more beautiful for you, and grow comfortable enough with your presence to share secrets. Until then I’ll see you in Seattle for upcoming shows from The Smugglers and Victims Family! Starting off mighty fine in 2-0-1-9…