Tour Diary
Belleville, Ontario
Hotel Room

After a few weeks off the GBS bus, the cast and crew have re-gathered in Belleville for two nights at the beautiful Empire Theatre. A very poorly kept secret is that we are here to shoot a concert DVD for the Hard and the Easy Tour. We thought it would be a shame to not capture this two set concert as it has been well received and folks seem to enjoy the format. I would not be surprised if we did not have our next tour in a very similar style.

The DVD should consist of behind the scenes footage that we filmed on the tour in cities like Boston, Washington, and New York, along with the main concert itself that will be cut between last night’s and tonight’s performances in the Theatre here in Belleville. We hope to have it edited and mixed by the end of the summer for a fall release.

Since the tour ended a few weeks back, I’ve been working like crazy, scoring a full length feature film. "Young Triffie’s been Made away With" is a black comedy about a murder mystery in the late 1940’s in Rural Newfoundland. It stars Fred Ewanuick, from ’Corner Gas’, as a young Newfoundland Ranger (NL’s police force from 1935-1950) and he carries the movie as the loveable unlikely hero. There are great performances by Mary Walsh (CODCO, 22 Minutes, Hatching, Matching, and Dispatching), who also makes her first effort as a film director. It won’t be her last. YTBMAW also stars Andrea Martin (SCTV), Colin Mochrie (22 Minutes, Who’s Line), Andy Jones (CODCO), and Quebecois film legend Remy Girard (Barbarian Invasions).

The musical score has everything from 1940’s big band stuff like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, to NL/Bluegrass versions of hymns like "Blood of the Lamb" and traditional jigs and reels. There is a new GBS tune on there, a couple of offerings from little Sis Michelle, and an amazing orchestral score I did with Keith Power, and superstar film composer in the making who just happens to be from my neck of the woods. He graduated St. Kevin’s High School as did Michelle and I and has been working in Toronto and LA for the past few years. I spent a week in Santa Monica learning the trade while looking over his shoulder. It was a great crash course.

In any case, I would not be surprised if you heard a lot about the film in the late summer, early Fall of this year. Check it out if you get a chance.

Almost camera-check time. Big show tonight.

Happy Summer.

Cheers
Alan