Paul O'Brien

Friday October 30th is Paul's final show on his BC Tour . It will be a chance to hear Paul showcase several new songs that will be recorded next year on his forthcoming album to be recorded in Germany in 2010 .As well as being the final opportunity to see Paul play in Victoria for a while as he is off to the UK on tour. Hermann's Jazz club is a renowned venue here in Victoria and a great spot for a night out as it is also a restaurant . Prices in are $12 Adults and $8 children call 250 388 9166 for a reservation. Let's sell out Hermann's !

Thursday 15^th  Victoria – Steveston

Back out on the road again, and guess what the Ferries are running late again…I sat and waited for two hours, at least gave me time to tidy my van again, complete with bed, and sleeping bag, and trail mix.

I decided to learn the new song that I had written for Jowi Taylor a week earlier on the same ferry….I decided to sing the song for the first  time at Dave MCarthurs  club.

Steveston is my favourite place on the whole of the Lower Mainland.It was a busy fishing port, and has managed to fight off the concrete vandals who can destroy communities in the name of progress.

The gig was in a place called the Britannia Shipyards, where there were a collection of old wooden buildings that had been preserved and given a new lease of life.

The gig was in The Chinese Bunkhouse, a fantastic building that had all the charm and character of an 19^th century barn.

The audience were wonderful, I was surprised as well to see that some friends from Victoria who happened to be over on the mainland decided to come and see me.Tim and Cecelia are such great people, and they were joined by their eldest daughter, Kate and her  husband  Nando.

I sang the song about  CONTACT _Con-39E8782E56 \c \s \l Jowi Taylor’s incredible six-string nation project, and the people loved it…I was so pleased the song worked, sometimes you just don’t know how the songs will go down, but everyone seemed to like it, and more importantly loved the story about the six-string nation.

I sold a few cd’s and then packed away, got soaked in the pouring rain [didn’t stop for the whole weekend] and went back to Dave and Rita’s house.

What a lovely couple and I was made so welcome, we had a good chat about New Zealand, where Dave is from, and Scotland where Rita is from.

I had a great nights sleep!

Friday 17^th Steveston-Enderby-Vancouver

Got up early, and had breakfast with Dave, and then we played some songs together around the breakfast table, Dave is a great singer and collector of songs.

The rain was going strong, as I navigated my way out of Steveston to Highway 1.I don’t mind the drive, but today was going to a long one. I slipped up on this tour,  a combination of reasons, but when I tour BC in June next year I will stay out for 3 weeks and do the whole province at a more relaxed pace.

Today I was to drive 6 hours to a tiny spot called Ashton Creek, 10 km outside of Enderby, a slightly bigger tiny town.The drive was pretty spectacular through Hope and the country and western haven of Merritt.

Through kamloops and Armstrong, I could go on but I’m sure you get the idea.I stopped for something to eat at a truckers stop in Hope, and had the best darn oatmeal this side of Salmon Arm, a real cool place with a counter that you could sit up to.Everyone was real friendly.

I finally got to Lorenzos café and I was not disappointed.The place is a magical room, with the most wonderful collection of stuff all over the walls.A real place of music, a great pa as well.Loz was the perfect host, and I had a good meal.The crowd was sparse but appreciative, as I was of them!

Again, due to a bizarre and frankly weird sense of duty I decided to drive back to Vancouver, a jaunty ride of another 6 hours through rain that could pierce aluminum. I coach the boys in their soccer team, and I wanted to be at the game on Saturday morning. I finally made it to the ferry terminal at 6.50am, and got the 7 am ferry to Victoria.Unfortunately the soccer team lost.nuff said.

 Saturday 19^th  Vancouver –Victoria-Chemanius-Victoria

As I said the game was a big downer, I just have never been able to simply go, ah well, we lost but we sure did enjoy ourselves, or, it’s the taking part that counts, not the winning, whoever said that, please never try and point it out to me after we have lost, because I do care about winning every game, I just do.

Went back to bed after the game, partly tiredness , partly disappointed about the score and performance.

Drove up Island to Chemainius, about an hour and a quarter from Victoria, for my show. I was going to do the show with my wonderful drummer friend  CONTACT _Con-39E8782E3EA \c \s \l Kelby MacNayr, and my youngest son Fintan.The Dancing Bean is a quality restaurant [Fin said the pork was to die for] and fab music venue. I had a real good time with the boys, the pa was a little odd at first, but after some gentle heckling I managed to sort it out.

Sang a bunch of new songs, and then drove home with cakes and apple pie. End of a not so perfect day!

Several new video's of Paul have been posted to YouTube this week from his German Tour - here is the link for one of them.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en001nqjU0o 

Paul is delighted to be returning to The Victoria Folk Music society held in Norway House on Hillside Avenue, Victoria this coming Sunday night. He will be joined by his children Millie, Cormac and Fintan. This is a wonderful acoustic venue and a lovely family night out. For further details visit:-

http://www.victoriafolkmusic.ca/

Tonight see's Paul at Lorenzo's in Enderby - and Saturday evening he is back on the Island in Chemainus at the Dancing Bean.

Paul is back on the road again today continuing his BC Tour, with an evening at The Steveston Folk Guild see www.stevestonfolk.org . Hope to see you there!

BC Tour Oct 2009

Thursday Oct 8^th Victoria-Vancouver -Kelowna

I arrived back from Germany on Monday the 5^th, stupidly I had arranged to do a show in Victoria that night, but thankfully had got someone else to cover for me. when I  am back home in Victoria I usually play in two of the bars in town. Matt McNiel, is the owner of both of them, The Bard and the Irish Times. Both bars are fantastic, and what’s more the people who work there have become great friends of mine.

I played there Tuesday and Wednesday, which was great, because it got me back into the solo frame of mind. My BC tour was to truly begin in Kelowna. Kelowna is in the Okanagan valley, about 370 Kilometres outside of Vancouver. Foolishly I had booked these dates on Thanksgiving weekend, which means …ferry trouble.

I wanted to catch the 9am ferry, but despite getting there early, it was already full, and there wasn’t another until 11.Two hours to kill, luckily I had a few books to read.

Earlier this week I had met Jowi Taylor at SMUS where he was giving a brilliant and highly emotional presentation on his project the Six String Nation  www.sixstringnation.com .This has to be the coolest project I have encountered in matters musical since coming to Canada . A guitar built entirely from pieces of wood and metal that have historical significance to Canada.

So I was sitting in the lineup waiting, and reading Jowi’s book, when I got a little idea for a song about Jowi and the guitar…two hours later, I am sitting on the ferry and have finished the song…can’t wait to send it to him.

The drive takes around 4/5 hours and the drive through the Fraser valley and the mountains is truly spectacular, God I love this country.

I am playing two shows in Kelowna [don’t ask] the first one was at the Minstrel Café, a wonderful restaurant and music venue . Clare the owner, has created a very classy space for music and eating .I set up the equipment, then go for a walk down to the shore of lake Okanagan, the down side of being on tour is of course spending large amounts of time on your own, but the joys are times like this when you can sit down and watch the evening draw in , whilst watching the sun set and the mountains before your eyes turning pink to blue to black.

I really enjoy the show, I meet some friends who have traveled quite some way to see me. I ask a young girl up to sing a tune towards the end of the show, and the evening finishes well.

I ordered a shrimp salad to go, packed away my stuff and then headed off to bed .For this tour I am experimenting with sleeping arrangements….I have a mattress and sleeping bag in the van . Saves a bit of money and of course gives me the freedom to just wake up and head to Starbucks for a wash and a coffee, bargain at $2.00.

Friday 9^th Kelowna Vancouver

My second show in Kelowna was in a really cool little coffee shop called the Streaming Café. The café is great combo of imagination and technology .the show is recorded and streamed live on the internet, with 4 cameras and a really decent sound system, the overall product is extremely pro.

I checked in early at the café, and had my second cup of decaff coffee  [free because of my performer status]. Both the girls in the café were delightful. I spoke at length with Amy, who had come over from England with her folks a couple of years ago, and looked the picture of an all Canadian student.

I went to get some strings and then headed back into town. As a boy I spent many hours on the street busking , after playing on the street in Hamburg I decided to wherever possible to busk in every town I was playing a concert in. I am going to have a table so you can see how either :-

 a. brilliant I was or

 b. how generous the town was.

Hamburg  92 euros

Kelowna  $20.94

So, if you need to earn some cash, head for Hamburg…..

I have to say however that Kelowna is blessed with beautiful women, and most would smile  [if not give me any money] but that’s fine.

I took a pleasant stroll around the lake and then went for a snooze in the van .The concert was a lot of fun, the totally professional crew and staff of the streaming made it a must to come back to.

I had received news that one of the ferries had broken down and so I made the decision to drive back to Vancouver after the show. I loaded up on snacks and drove back through the Coqoahalla mountains and arrived at the ferry terminal at 2.45 am.

The next sailing was 7.00am, so I got a bit of shut  eye in the van.

Saturday 10^th  Vancouver –Victoria-Thetis Island

I wanted to be back in Victoria early because my boys’ soccer team had a game that I wanted to be at. I have coached soccer teams all of my adult life…I love it. I managed to see Cormac referee a game and we secured a victory in a tightly fought game.

The evening concert on Thetis Island is one of my favourite places to play and visit. Of  course given half a chance I would live on a gulf island, but it is the people of Thetis that I am so fond of.

Particularly, Will and Mary and Michael, Laurie and Lon, and my new friend Henny.

I first met Will and Mary at a wonderful little coffee shop here in Victoria, called O”Beans . Run by Trevor Bennett, from Northern Ireland . Will and Mary are simply wonderful human beings .I love being in their company .They built a house on Thetis, and now Will is in charge of all matters to do with lighting, and entertainment on the 300 strong island.

We drove up island to Chemainus, and got a 30 minute ferry across to Thetis.

Will was waiting for us in his Toyota pick up, and we headed off to the community hall, where the show was going to take place. My two sons had decided to come along for the trip, and I was thrilled, because they would also play a few songs with me at the show as well.

We set up the guitars, I had decided to do the show without any amplification .This is quite common now here in BC. We then went back to Will’s house, where Mary had made a beautiful meal…I really didn’t want to leave the table it was so good and welcoming .But leave we did .the concert was a great night, and the boys were of course the biggest highlight.

After the show, Will packed away all of the lights and staging and made the community hall ready for the Sunday service, the following day.

We went drove home in a gulf island darkness [no street lights], and settled down for a wondrous night sleep in the cabin next door to the house.

Sunday 12^th  Thetis –Victoria

We slept in late, but no-one seemed to mind, there was no immediate plan for the day . Until the phone rang…it was Lon Wood. I had met Lon on my previous visit to the island and he had made a huge impression on me. His wit and intelligence bordered on the intimidating, but what a bon vivant! Lon said I am going to give you a tour of the island…believe me, you just don’t say no to that kind of offer from Lon.

Two  years ago when I had met Lon at the concert, we found out we both shared an interest . I had written the song For My  CONTACT _Con-39E8782E18D \c \s \l Mary, about the plight of the young soldiers who had been executed for being frightened. Lon had actually interviewed the man who had started the organization SAD [Shot at Dawn] with the mandate to get these boys pardoned and properly remembered as war heroes . John Hipkins in Newcastle, was a retired school teacher, who fought valiantly to secure these rights for the long dead soldiers, and actually to persuade the government last year to u-turn on the original sentence passed down upon these unfortunate lads . Lon had interviewed John, in his role as Editor in Chief of Victoria’s largest newspaper The Times Colonist. Due to health reasons Lon had had to retire early from the paper and was in charge of all communications on the Island whether he liked it or not.

Lon picked us up and took us to see the Island…trees were to be the focus . On my Sacred Lines album I wrote a song called Madrona. Madrona is the First Nation word for the Arbutus tree, a tree only found on the West Coast of N.America .Would you believe it …but the Largest and the third largest Madrona tress on the planet are to be found on Thetis island, they were huge..see the pics.

We didn’t have a lot of time, but we finished off with Lon taking us to the famous hollow tree on the Island. Hit by lightening the tree has no insides and its possible to get inside…again, I refer you to the pics…and the boys unfeasibly long arms.

It was time to go, the 2.50 ferry beckoned.

If you are ever in this neck of the woods, you have to go and visit the gulf islands , their beauty is only surpassed by the uniqueness of the people that choose to make them their home.

After his very successful evening at the Streaming Cafe last night Paul is heading back towards the Island tonight . In fact he is playing on one of the many beautiful gulf islands here on the West Coast. He is returning to Thetis Island please contact Will Lennox wlennox@telus.net for details.

Happy Thanksgiving ! 

A chance to see Paul play a gig regardless of where you live ! His show tonight from the Streaming Cafe is being broadcast live over the Internet tonight here in Canada. Go to 

http://www.streamingcafe.net/ 

Or if you live outside of Canada you can go onto this site tomorrow Saturday and see his gig anytime Saturday - but don't delay too long as it is only up for 24 hrs !

Enjoy ! 

Six String Nation

 http://www.sixstringnation.com/ 

 Yesterday Paul had the amazing opportunity of playing this wonderful instrument ' Voyageur ' for a second time having played it first at the End of The Earth Festival in '08. Yesterday he got the unbelievable opportunity of playing it again.I was going to explain to you in my own words about the guitar which is in Victoria tomorrow night at the Solstice Cafe ( doors open at 6.30pm ) but I decided to cheat and use the words off the website which do it so much better than I ever could! Please take a look at this amazing project and take a look at the website too.

ABOUT THE GUITAR

The Six String Nation guitar and related projects were conceived in 1995 by Peabody Award winning writer and broadcaster Jowi Taylor, inspired by the looming Quebec Referendum of that year and by the commitment of luthier George Rizsanyi to the value of Canadian woods over the usually preferred exotics. After years of community dialogue, research and fundraising, the guitar made its official debut at the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in the hands of Stephen Fearing, Colin James, Michel Pagliaro, Stars, Aselin Debison, Kyle Riabko, Jean-Francois Breau and others on July 1st, 2006. Since then, it’s travelled many thousands of kilometers across Canada, been played by hundreds of different musicians and been held by thousands of Canadians – players and non-players alike – at festivals, schools, concerts and community events in a growing number of places around the country. At a ceremony launching the 2008 Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg-St. Boniface, the guitar received the official nickname Voyageur – a moniker suggested by contest entrant Lt. Col. Susan Beharriel who attended the ceremony.

Voyageur itself is made from 63 pieces of Canadian history and heritage representing many different cultures, communities and characters from all across the country. A further handful of elements adorn the strap and the interior of the guitar-case. These materials were gathered primarily by Taylor over a two year period thanks to the generosity of individuals, corporations and public institutions in every part of the country. All materials were shipped to Nova Scotia and the guitar was crafted by luthier George Rizsanyi near Pinehurst between April and June of 2006 with inlay work and other assistance by Sara Nasr.

The goals of the Six String Nation project are simple: to invite the many voices and perspectives that together define the spectrum of Canadian identity and experience to speak to one another – each in their own voice; to celebrate the people and stories that make each part of Canada distinct; to tell the story of a country from the roots to the trunk rather than the other way around; and to encourage us to tell that story to ourselves and the world through music – the language that Canada speaks just about better than anyone else in the world.