Great White.

  Music.  I’d say it’s created to stimulate some type of emotional response.  You hear music and you feel something.  You feel happy and crank it up and do your best ‘air guitar’ or sing along. You can feel mellow and relaxed, or reminisce to a past experience in your life, even a song you don’t care for still makes you annoyed enough to change the dial or change the song.  Point is you feel something; and because of that, music has become one of my biggest passions in life.  Supporting live music is a very important part of my life.

  Lately  I’ve been going to concerts at a local bar called The Rockpile here in Toronto.  This bar is relatively new and is a rather small venue, so the term ‘intimate’ might apply.  Because of the size, it makes it a good place so see your favourite band.  Everyone is up close and personal.

  During this past summer, The Rockpile was host to both versions of my favourite band; Great White.

  Version one has Jack Russell leading a group of real talented rockers. These guys are so much fun to watch!  Matthew Johnson, Robbie Lochner, Derrick Pontier and Dario Seixas.  They put on a great show; full of the energy you’d expect for this kind of rock.  Jack still has the voice.  My favourite voice in music, period.  Before and after the show it was cool chatting with all the guys in the band.  No particular topic; but it’s cool to me being able to have light conversation with the guys in the band.  Not really putting them on a pedestal, just respectfully admiring them and having some small talk.   

  Jack got a little emotional welcoming the crowd and thanking them for still being out there for him. Why wouldn’t he?  He’s had a tough road back since his recovery from his addictions and surgery to correct a perforated bowel. Many people, including his former band mates, figured he was done.  Wrong.  Jack is back; and he still sounds so great!

The set list was, (if I can read my handwriting from that night!) :

Call It Rock 'n' Roll

Desert Moon

On Your Knees

Save Your Love

Mista Bone (which had  Jimi Hendrix cover Voodoo Child with Matthew Johnson on vocals in the middle)

Can of Wupas (Robbie’s guitar solo)

House of Broken Love

Save Me (Matthew Johnson on vocals)

Can't Shake It

Rock Me

Encore:

Once Bitten Twice Shy 

  So, it was a fantastic show. One of the best shows in recent memory; and it gave me the opportunity to get Jack’s autograph again.  I had this photo that was comprised of 2 photos of me & Jack, taken 18 years apart.  I thought it be cool to have it signed.  Thanks Jack.

 

   Version two of the band, has Terry Ilous (from the band XYZ) on vocals (I still don’t know how to pronounce his name, could someone tell me?!)  and with him, the guys I’ve become used to listening to for so many years.  Michael Lardie, Mark Kendall, Audie Desbrow and Scott Snyder.  It was a good show. I liked seeing these guys in such a small club.  The crowd was less than 100 people. The band sounded great!  At this point, I’m going to quote Jack Russell...
 

"They don't sound bad. How could they? I mean, these are guys that I played with for 30 years. I didn't play with those guys because they were slouches. But the sound of the band is so completely changed with that singer.”  - Jack Russell on Bravewords.com Friday, August 17, 2012

And I agree 100%. 

 The band was bang on as I expected.  These guys still have 'it'. They're awesome.  They've still got that sound I've loved for so long.  It sounded sooo good; but then Terry starts singing.  I really don’t get him as a singer.  Really not much of a range, at least not that night.  Maybe I missed something?  (XYZ never made it big in Canada.)  His voice isn't that bad, but it's not that good either.  Average.  It also really bugged me that he had to have the words to the songs in a binder by his feet.  If you're a professional, learn the words!  If you don't know them, then you're not ready for the tour!  It makes it seem like he had to rush to get on tour and not even take the time to learn the songs.  Anyway, that's just my opinion.

The set list was:

Desert Moon

Lady Red Light

Down on Your Knees

I’ve Got Something For You

House of Broken Love

Save Your Love

Lowdown

Mista Bone

Big Goodbye

Rock Me

Encore:

Can’t Shake it

Once Bitten Twice Shy 

   After the show, there was the usual interaction that Rockpile is becoming known for by fans.  They guys in the band walked around chatting with anyone pretty much everyone that was hanging around signing whatever the fans wanted.  Personally, I got Mark to sign my solo cd Mark Kendall : 2.0, and we chatted briefly about the cd.  He made special mention of Stan Leisenring, the drummer on that cd, and how Stan beat out over 400 other drummers in a Buddy Rich drumming contest.  I really like that cd.   Somehow it would have been less painful to have Mark sing on their latest cd “Elation”, instead of Terry.  Mark certainly hasn’t got the range of Jack, not many do, but Mark’s voice lends itself very well to a blues style of music.  Anyway, I’d prefer Mark's voice over Terry, and actually told him so.  I had no desire to get into the ‘Great White drama’ with him.  It’s not really my business.  I either like the music or I don’t.  I don’t care much about all the personal crap that goes on between band members in any band.  I never have.  The music world can be a nasty place.  Rumours get out and spread all over the world.  I remember growing up and people gossiping about Freddie Mercury’s sexual preference , David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Elton John..... and on and on....  Who cares?  They’ve made a career of making music, and as fan or consumer I either buy it and enjoy it, or I don’t.  Their personal life doesn’t enter into it, it’s their business not mine.  For years, I’ve been hearing that guys like Noel Gallagher, Gene Simmons, Lars Ulrich, Ted Nugent, Axl Rose...etc..are assholes.  Don’t know, don’t care.  Entertain me, or step aside because someone else will. 

    In 1984, Van Halen was my favourite band. Loved the sound of that band and they were extremely entertaining.  Then, 1985 happened and everything changed.  You know the story, Sammy came in, then Dave again, then Gary, then Sammy again, then Dave...  Band drama aside, and regardless of the singer, there was some big time entertainment in the years that followed.  It sure didn’t sound the same once you change the vocalist.  Some people love Dave, some cheer louder for Sammy.  It’s a personal preference thing.  To me, this Great White splitting into two bands is similar.  I associated Van Halen with David Lee Roth, so once he was out, it wasn’t the same.  Sometimes it was good, other times it wasn’t; but it wasn’t the same.  Great White, same thing.  Change the singer, change the sound.  I associate Great White with Jack Russell.  The other Great White sounds great, but the vocals just don’t measuring up to the sound I’ve come to love from Jack.  Not even close.

  So, after my chat with Mark, I walked over to chat with Michael Lardie.  Lardie is one of my all time favourite musicians.  In my top 10 for sure; and I told him so.  We talked about music, and how it’s created to bring about an emotional response.  You gotta feel something, or why bother?  I complimented him on his harmonica playing.  I'm kind of a novice harmonica player myself, so I was watching closely to his harp playing that night.  So, we chatted and I thanked him for another great show.  I’ve seen him live 5 times; and I love watching him as he goes back and forth from guitar, harmonica, and keyboards.  Sometimes all in the same song!

  As, I turn to leave, Terry approaches me.  He might have noticed I chatted with Mark and Michael, but avoided him.  He sees my “Jack Russell’s Great White”, concert shirt I’m wearing and looks at me, smiles and says “Well, did ya have a good time tonight?  Were you entertained?”  I said, “Yes Terry, I actually was entertained”.  He replied, “Well, that’s all I can ask, isn’t it?”.  “Fair enough” I said.

  I get it. Terry’s probably having fun being the new lead singer; and he’s got people on both sides of the Great White fence.  Lovers and haters; approving and disapproving.  For me, he just hasn’t got the voice to fill Jack’s shoes.  No one does.  Just Jack; and right now he’s busy out on the road thanking his fans for 30 years of support and singing his songs in the way only he can..