The ECMA’s are over, our bags are packed and we have to fight the storm back to PEI.
Tempers flared in the parking lot with a school bus and me playing Mexican standoff.
Saturday night must have been the night to remember because Sunday was the wimper at ECMA 2008. There were only 2 events in the afternoon and we went to the Singer Songwriter Circle with Lennie Gallant. The producer of the event demonstrated that you can take 5 talented musicians, put them on a stage and proceed to induuce sleep in audience. We left early for an afteroon nap. Let’s see slow song, fast song, slow, fast – yes that would keep them awake. Maybe it’s the artists who argue for their most sensitive, fingerpicking material. I dunno.
I was back in the wheelchair. My left foot decided that a late night of dancing deserved a day off. How do you like that? Took my left foot to Carmen Townsend and Slowcoaster and it goes on strike. Wheelchairs at these events are non-existent. From a headcount alone, I’d say the ECMA’s are not disability friendly. There is no visible sign any ECMA planner gave disabilities a passing thought.
ECMA organization is a bit odd. We had invitations to the Industry Awards Dinner at 5 p.m. with an inteview scheduled for the Tremtones but no location. A few media types in the lobbby said it must be the Aitken Centre so off we went. Once there we endured a phalanx of indifferent to nasty staff people I guess that’s why it’s the Achin’ Centre.
Undaunted we met the Tremtomes just as the opening music started. A few group shots and we beat it up to the cheap seats. Industry dinners aren’t broadcast on TV and for good reason. The entertainment is sparse and the back slapping is plentiful. I kept thinking – yeah but do audiences like it?
The Gala Awards show was unfettered by the timelines of TV and proved that people will speak too long given the chance. The music was awesome, especially the light shows and sync video. Mark Critch from This Hour Has 22 Minutes is one of the funniest hosts in ages, sort of a Howie Mandel from Newfoundland. Butts were squirming after 2 hours. Mark quipped we were just 45 minutes short of starting ECMA 2009. So why not end it!
Everybody felt tired and exhauted. Tempers flared in the parking lot with a school bus and me playing Mexican standoff. All right, he had brawn: I had good looks,
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