Post Rock Fest — What did it mean?

Joe Satriani of Chickenfoot ripped up the stage a hundred times over with unmatchable guitar solos - Photo by Janet Moulton

The Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest was just an idea, until August 2 when it took shape, and the work of countless men and women made it into a unique expression of gratitude to Halifax, to Canada, and to the CF.

This was a first for the CF, hosting a grand scale rock concert to connect with Canadians.  Members of the audience, some with friends or family serving overseas, were asking, “Are they going to do this again next year?”  After witnessing videos from deployed troops, hearing from prominent members of the Canadian military, or just enjoying a great day at the concert, many are hoping this will be an annual event.

“Our Personnel Support Programs here in Halifax has dutifully and very successfully supported a host of morale and welfare activities for our members,” Capt(N) John Newton, Base Commander CFB Halifax, had said at the launch of the concert.

After listing a host of activities that PSP Halifax provides, Capt(N) Newton explained the rationale for the concert, saying that PSP Halifax must look to provide relevant and contemporary activities for the CF community.  “We have found a way to bring something new to our morale and welfare programs.”

Then it took place, a concert for CF to call their own; a concert to reach out to the greater Halifax community.  This is what they experienced:  beautiful weather, five successful musical groups, a message from the Honourable Peter MacKay, t-shirts and bandannas from the Bud girls, Q girls, and Pepsi girls, and the opportunity to share the experience with friends and family.  Citadel Hill provided the entire audience an excellent view of the stage.

Raine signing a woman's shoulder to get tattooed - Photo by Lisa Davis

Highlights include musicians Joe Satriani, Chad Smith, and Sammy Hagar’s first visit to Halifax; Chickenfoot played Deep Purple’s Highway Star, along with most of their debut, self-titled album; Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace signed a woman’s shoulder, because she promised to get it tattooed, perhaps inspired from the story of Paul McCartney’s recent tattoo signature; Finger Eleven played a version of Paralyzer which flowed in and out of Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out, Led Zeppelin’s Trampled Underfoot, and Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall Part 2; Chris Murphy from Sloan, who had been hit by a car a week before, had a friend play bass for him, while Murphy continued to sing out a flawless set list.

But some of the essence of Rock Fest has yet to be seen.  After all, this concert was created with deployed CF members in mind, to connect them with a sense of home while away.  Messages from the general public and from each of the bands were recorded to be sent overseas along with a highlight reel of the concert.  Not only will the experience be shared with other concert-goers, but also with deployed family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and those of whom we may not know personally, but whom daily protect our home and native land.

With events like DND Family Days and Open House, CFB Halifax has done a remarkable job of engaging  its community members, and encouraging the vital connection between military members, their friends and their families.  Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest had a different feel to it, naturally, but came from the same desire and the same aptitude for building effective communities.  Inclusive and contemporary, events like this help the general public realize the CF’s importance.

Concert Reminder – Only 2 Days

Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest 2009 is in two days!

Here are some things to remember:

• Gates open at 1 p.m.; those who get there early get the best seats.
• Video and audio messages to our Canadian Forces will be recorded on a first-come first-serve basis, so get there early for that, too.
• Cell phones, point-and-shoot digital, and disposable cameras are permitted (Post pictures to our Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/rockfest09/ ).
• Backpacks are permitted (subject to search).
• Remember sun block and sunglasses.
• There are ATMs on site.
• There is no re-entry (for security reasons) if you choose to leave – keep that in mind.

What to Bring:

• a blanket,
• a camera (no professional cameras),
• up to one litre of water, unopened,
• warm clothes, for the evening, and
• photo ID (for alcohol).

Be courteous and have a great time with your fellow Rock Fest fans!

Enjoy the Rock Fest!

Nova Scotian all-girl rock band wins contest

Out of 55 talented local artists to choose from, and after months of waiting on the contest’s end, one winner has finally been chosen: Pink Thunder, an all-girl pop rock group from St. Peter’s, Nova Scotia, won the Next Great Atlantic Rock Band competition, and will open for Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest on August 2, 2009.

Pink Thunder wins opportunity to open for world-famous artists at Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest, August 2, 2009

Balancing piercingly high vocals with deep drum rumbles– not forgetting their catchy lyrics–Pink Thunder may draw a crowd of their own to the concert. In addition to the privilege of opening for the event, the band will receive $5,000 cash, $5,000 towards studio recording time, and local radio play.

Not long after they were declared winners of the competition, the trio played a 45-minute set at the Fleet Club Atlantic for a sponsor appreciation, VIP party for Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest 2009. Sponsor representatives and the first 100 registered ticket-holders were invited to sit in on their performance.

“I think it’s always kind of refreshing to get some females involved in rock,” said Tom Bedell, Q104 radio show host, who heard Pink Thunder at the VIP party. As pleased as anyone from the home of rock and roll ought to be, even perhaps surprised, Bedell applauded the girls as being less pop and more rock.  “I thought they were really cool. And I think I can safely say that they are the only band that could do a Cyndi Lauper cover at the Rock Fest.”

The band consists of Barbara Cameron, 18, on guitar, Olivia Adlakha, 18, on drums, and Victoria Cameron, 16, on bass guitar. For three years, they have been Pink Thunder–proud to be from Cape Breton.

How does it feel to be Pink Thunder right now, getting ready to open for world-famous artists Our Lady Peace, Sloan, Finger Eleven, and Chickenfoot? “Overwhelmed,” said Victoria, who, according to their website, is “the shyest” of the three.

“We kinda knew we won at the beginning when they told us to bring our instruments,” said Olivia of the official launch of the concert and pre-show party, both on July 10. “But they told us that the other bands were doing the same, so we weren’t sure.” Olivia hopes to spend some of the $5,000 on new Pitch Black ™ Zildjian (r) cymbals, which will make a vivid addition to her hot pink drum set.

Pink Thunder had 15 original songs to choose from for the performance– among them is Radio Friendly, which won them the competition, and Real Loud, which reached number two on the East Coast Countdown. “For our studio song,we’re probably going to do Real Loud,” said Barbara.

For more information on Pink Thunder, visit their website at PinkThunderMusic.com. Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest 2009 starts at 1 p.m., Sunday, August 2nd, on Citadel Hill. Get there early to hear Pink Thunder, and get up close for the rest of the concert. See HalifaxRockFest.ca for more information.

Burn Burn a cool album: Our Lady Peace back after four years

Inspired by Jack Kerouac’s 1957 book, On The Road, Our Lady Peace (OLP) names their seventh album Burn Burn as a tribute to “the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

Our Lady Peace's seventh album, Burn Burn, hits shelves today; critics are hailing it as a return to their roots, being their first self-produced studio album. (Artwork by Dustin Rabin, Rich Misener, and Our Lady Peace)

Perfect illustration for this album.  It’s beautiful at times, it’s creepy at times, it’s dark and explosive at times–it’s everything that the OLP fan remembers from their early albums, only replacing adolescent angst with a more mature sound.  But don’t get me wrong–there are plenty of beloved screams, heavy music, and depressing lyrics.

It’s strange how easy it is to feel positive about OLP’s mostly pessimistic, melancholy songs.  Probably because they are really good at it.  Burn Burn marks the band’s first self-produced album.  So this is what it sounds like for the band to be unhampered by a producer.

All You Did Was Save My Life is the first hit single off the album.  The first line alone explains front man Raine Maida’s pessimism; however, he challenges this view, throughout the song, with jubilant tones proclaiming his saved life and honouring words for the one who saved it.  It’s a catchy rock tune not unlike many OLP hits of the past.  Not all of the songs are typical OLP, however.

Track three introduces the listener to Monkey Brains, a surreal taste of creativity on every level (FYI, avoid Google-ing “Monkey Brains”–search engines tend to take things literally).  “Take a bite man, don’t be shy,” whispers Maida, as the drums continue marching.  Electric guitarist, Steve Mazur, gets to have a bit of fun in this song, as well, with rapid guitar licks and solo screams.  Without warning, the song sinks into a quiet, harmoniously soft song–apparently they’ve escaped the monkey brains by this point.

This song reminds me of the progressive rock hall of famers, Rush (also from Toronto), who made songs like 2112, a song that could be thought of as 10 songs due to all of the drastic key changes. Don’t get too comfortable, though–by the end of the song, the monkey brains are back on the rampage, with electric wails, loud crashes, and shouts of “they’re coming after you!”

Wait for the end of the album.  Paper Moon starts softly, moves gradually.  Its lyric reflect a lifestyle of mimicry, of not belonging.  “Oh you shine your shoes and you fake a smile,” sings Maida, of a person who plays the part without genuinely fitting in with the crowd.  Maida includes himself when he says, “but if you know a way out, then I’d like to go with you.”  The chorus has hints of Maida’s nasal high-pitched voice, which we all loved in old OLP songs like Superman’s Dead.  The guitar comes in and out like the rippling on a pond, until the chorus, when it plays up a tribute to the Paper Moon.

If you’re looking for an album that never yawns, and couldn’t possibly be considered commonplace, Burn Burn is for you.  It’s a great rock album, but if you’re susceptible to intense negativity, you should probably listen to it while watching Disney.  Don’t worry though–if you’re a big OLP fan (and many are) you’re probably immune to it.  In either case, Burn Burn is a cool album.

Halifax will be happy to see them play August 2nd, 2009, at Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest.

The Foot – What’s in a Name?

Fame precedes them. When Joe Satriani, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen get together to play some music, it hardly matters what you’re going to call them. So, they just simply decided to be called Chickenfoot.

According to Chickenfoot’s website (www.chickenfoot.us/band/) “The news that they’ve pooled their inordinate talents to one collective whole quickly spread across the Internet last year (and perhaps that crazy name helped just a little).” It stands to reason that a good band, especially one with a proven track record, may not need a good name; although Chickenfoot does carry with it a healthy amount of shock value along with its silliness.

In the band’s website biography, Satriani speculated about the reasons for the band’s success with their first album. “These are the kinds of songs I could never do on my own. I needed a band like this to make those songs come alive.”

After selling 225,000 copies of their debut album, Chickenfoot embarked on their European tour. Halifax will be the first of two Canadian appearances, when Chickenfoot will play at the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest.

An Update

Alright, it’s been awhile.  A whole week, I’m sure.

So we had our official launch on Friday, July 10 onboard one of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships, TORONTO.  Pink Thunder became the opening act for our concert, and performed a private pre-show later on that evening (see pictures below).

Check out our Youtube site for a glimpse of their show (my fave? Real Loud).

Christine Reilly of New Brunswick won herself our promotional vehicle, a Saturn Ion, complete with Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest decals.   We phoned her and she was thrilled (no photo available–i.e. phones don’t work like that).

I must say, I’m not sure if it was the cute girls or the killer name which made me hope that Pink Thunder would win the competition.  The name reminds me of a firework I once set off.  These girls should totally make fireworks a part of their show.  Also, I love the shrill, accurate, booming voice of Victoria.  Don’t underestimate these girls.

Olivia Adlakha (drums/keyboard), Barbara Cameron (guitar/vocals), and Victoria Cameron (bass/vocals) of Pink Thunder

World-Famous Rock Bands Play For Canadian Forces

Chickenfoot will be here, Our Lady Peace will be here, Sloan and Finger Eleven will be here, playing their best songs—some classic, some new—to a crowd of fans in support of CF members, here and away, their friends, and their families.  Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest will debut on August 2, 2009—a brand-new concert, along with a brand-new concept.

“I have seen, firsthand, the benefits of a show tour,” said Canadian Forces Halifax Personnel Support Programs Manager (PSP Halifax), Frank Cleysen, speaking of entertainment acts for deployed troops. “And I wanted to bring this experience home as a way to thank the people of Halifax, and, at the same time, boost the morale of our CF members.”

Troops who have deployed may be familiar with the occasional show tour during a mission—a musical performance, on location where CF members serve. This year, PSP Halifax has created this at-home concert as a way to connect those overseas with their families and friends, home in Canada.

“Imagine how you’d feel if you saw Citadel Hill packed with people who are there to rock out in support of your effort away from home,” said Cleysen. He pointed out the importance of connecting deployed troops to their lives at home—not only entertaining them with on-location show tours, but involving them in a concert that is military-honouring, nostalgic, and fun-filled. Halifax will be host to the first concert of its kind, nationwide.

The concert is open to the general public, all ages, with hopes that CF members and their families will be uplifted and honoured for the unique challenges they face. “At the end of the day,” according to Cleysen, “we want to boost troop morale, not make financial profit.”

Cleysen said any profits made by the concert will be paid back into military programs which support CF military members and their families. “We want to send a clear message of support to the troops away from home,” said Cleysen. “We will include all of our deployed troops in this event. We want to give them all a real sense of home. And to the general public, we want to raise awareness of the missions and sacrifices that our troops are making abroad.”

The way it will work is after the concert on August 2, professionally edited video and audio, recorded during the festival, will be sent to CF bases overseas. Kandahar Airfield will be treated to a one-hour broadcast of music and messages from home. Smaller, more isolated bases will hear the recording via radio streams.

“The Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest is new ground for the defence team here in Halifax,” said Capt(N) John Newton, Base Commander CFB Halifax, seeing more than just a music concert in this festival. “This event, featuring world-class music, will bring the Canadian Forces and the citizenry of the Atlantic region together for a memorable evening of music and celebration.

“Given the size of the defence commitment to the Halifax regional area, it is obvious we have something to celebrate. This will fur-thermore create stronger bonds between our morale and welfare programs and our junior members and prospective recruits.”

PSP will host two parties in preparation for the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest. On Friday, July 10th, 2009, a rock and roll party will act as the media launch event, where a lucky winner will be announced and given a car for the Ready to Roll contest. Attendees can expect plenty of give-aways, and lots of rock music, food and drinks.

The winners of The Next Great Atlantic Rock Band contest will be announced then, and will play a gig at the VIP party later on. This Atlantic Canadian talent will be given $5,000 worth of equipment to open for the four headlining bands, $5,000 towards a studio-recorded song, and hotel rooms for the concert.

Legendary rock musicians: Chickenfoot struts into Halifax

Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and one of today’s most influential guitarists have merged, and their first stop on their North American tour will be Citadel Hill, August 2, 2009, for the inaugural Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest.

Chickenfoot plays Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest, August 2

Chickenfoot, not surprisingly, saw their recently released, self-titled album rise to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Independent chart, No. 4 overall.  They are currently on a European tour, promoting their new album.

The album has already sold 79,000 copies, but, as vocalist Sammy Hagar says, “No one’s really in it for the money.”  Composed entirely of musicians who’ve already seen success in the form of dollar-bills and die-hard fans, Chickenfoot was a way for them to play purely for the excitement of performing live.

It was at Hagar’s own nightclub in San Lucas, Mexico, The Cabo Wabo Cantina, where he and co-Van Halen member Michael Anthony would eventually create the supergroup known as Chickenfoot.  After years of jamming to cover songs with local or visiting musicians, Hagar and Anthony felt like they should start up another band.  They, along with drummer Chad Smith, called upon Joe Satriani to be their guitarist, who gratefully accepted the task.

“[I felt] an immediate connection unlike anything I’d ever experienced before,” says Satriani, best known for his advanced guitar solos in his all-instrumental music, for which he has been nominated for 15 Grammy’s.

Satriani claims he didn’t expect much fame from Chickenfoot.  He says in response to the album making No. 4 on the Billboard charts: “I swear, I was thinking we were going to be one-hundred-something.”  Chickenfoot isn’t meant to be a Van Halen substitute, or a Red Hot Chili Peppers copy cat band, according to Satriani, but it’s own band, making unique, Chickenfoot songs.

Canadian fans can expect to hear Chickenfoot play Oh Yeah, their first hit single from the album.  Anthony says Oh Yeah will be a fan-favorite, because it is one of those songs that “will hopefully create a lot of audience participation.”  Hagar affirms that it is “just a classic, friggin’, ass-kickin’, rock tune.”

As part of their promotion, their album is available in an exclusive, heat sensitive package.  Like a mood ring, the cover changes appearance with temperature, and after touched, reveals a special photo montage of the band.  The album is also available in digital format on iTunes (don’t expect this to be heat-sensitive ).

For their stop in Halifax, they will join Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, and Sloan to support our CF and play for thousands of ticket holders at the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest.  Chickenfoot may also be bringing their special opening act, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, a blues act that they plan to tour with for much of the summer.   Come see them live over the Natal Day weekend on Citadel Hill, August 2, 2009, and support our troops.

10 Local Nominees: One to Play as Opening Act

The nominees for the Next Great Atlantic Rock Band are out!  A great thanks to Atlantica Live for their ongoing work on this contest.

Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest is proud to bring you Canadian talent, such as Our Lady Peace, Sloan, and Finger Eleven.  In addition to this, we wanted more local, lesser known, talented Canadians, to help build up the community and encourage growth and strength to our musicians, to our Canadian Forces members, their friends, and family.

Check out your local talent, Atlantic Canada: Listen to The Nominees.

Just one of them will have the great pleasure of playing as the opening act for the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest, its musicians, and the purpose it stands for: to help connect Canadians.  Many family members, friends, and loved ones are serving overseas, because they believe they can make a difference.  Come out and show your support to those brave men and women who have already shown their commitment to Canada.   Show them they’re not alone.

Our Lady Peace Releases New Song, Paper Moon, from their Unreleased Album, Burn Burn

Excited fans will get a treat this July, when Our Lady Peace releases their first album in four years, Burn Burn, July 21, 2009. It’s hard to believe they’re still cranking out soul-stirring hits like Angels/Losing/Sleep and tough rock like Where Are You from their last album, Healthy in Paranoid Times, but they’re doing it, going on tour this summer, while their new release burn-burns a place in hearts and ears around the world.

Alright, get this: They did this album in band singer Raine’s house (or something to that affect) – this is their first album free from outside producers.  Who can help but respect that?  Think of it – authentic Our Lady Peace, full of creativity, lacking in nothing – nothing to diminish the connection between you and the band (um, except the speakers, I guess…).

Come out and see them at the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest, August 2nd, 2009, at Halifax’s Citadel Hill, if you’re in the neighbourhood – even if you aren’t.  More @ halifaxrockfest.ca.  Support some of Canada’s best bands: Finger Eleven, Sloan, and the “innocent” Our Lady Peace.  Plus, if you just gotta see that Van Halen toppin’, Red Hot Chili Pepper thumpin’, Satriani stylin’ new rock band, Chickenfoot, you can do that too…  I mean, if you want…  They will be good.  You’re in for a spectacular time, if you’re in Halifax this summer.

See the complete list of Our Lady Peace tour dates here: http://www.ourladypeace.net/chapter2/showdates.html

Check out the new song, Paper Moon, at Youtube.

I’ll vote for my favourite if you vote for yours: