TOUR! :D
On our way to Edmonton. Already! I can’t believe it’s already here…tour. I can’t believe it’s already happening, and I’m on the road AS WE SPEAK! Yep, Steve my partner in crime is driving and I’m here trying to process everything that has happen in the last two days.
We left Wednesday afternoon. There were some serious delays because I refused to drive without music, and had only recently discovered that the tape deck in out 1987 Volkswagon Golf DOES NOT WORK.
This might not be a catastrophe to some, but to me, it’s a seriously huge deal. You can’t go on tour in Western Canada with NO MUSIC!!!
We tried it all…iPod to cassette convertor, one of those iPod to radio signal convertors. Finally I ended up putting a new stereo system in my friend Aaron’s car.
Did I mention Aaron is letting me use his car to drive to Winnipeg in January? What a guy. Hi Aaron ☺
Everything is all good now. Listening to my friend Heather Waters as we drive on the 2 North. Yesterday was a seriously amazing time. I’m a little worried that I am already this tired and it’s only the second show haha! I had a late night getting ready and an early morning packing and running errands before we left. By the time we got to Calgary at about 1am, I was exhausted. I did get to sleep in a bit (something I haven’t done in months) and spent a large portion of the day practicing in the hotel. Very enjoyable.
When I say “practicing” I should say “Writing New Songs”. For me, one of my favourite things about tour is actually getting time to play music haha. I know, funny thing that. Every time I pick up my guitar to “rehearse” though, I end up writing something new. Hey, if that’s the worst of your problems…
I finished writing an actually happy song for my favourite person ever and then got to play it. That’s just a cool feeling…when something is fresh off the press, to get to try it out right then and there ☺
A couple cool things about this trip: I have an almost unlimited amount of documentation devices! I just got a little sound recorded thing that I’m gonna be singin’ new ideas in to after soundchecks and before show time. I also have a video camera, a still camera, this here laptop and a phone. So I will be in touch ;)
After my fun day of Remember My Songs In A Hotel Room, I met up with Brock from http://www.calgaryisawesome.com
We had such a great time hanging out, I’m so happy he asked me to be part of his video blog cause I think I made a friend for life. I got to try out my song at the Greyhound station after the security guards allowed us to film a video in the photo booth! :D I will post it here soon ☺
This morning before getting in the car I met up with Jessica from http://www.youthareawesome.com/. I don't think it could get any more awesome around here haha. We had an awesome vegan breakfast at The Coup and she asked me some very well thought out questions that will be in an interview on the internet sooon! :D
Calgary was great. Always great to be back there. Did I mention I lived there for two years? Saw some familiar faces but mostly, a lot of new faces! Both just as awesome ☺ Some people mentioned seeing me in Calgary with Raine and I’m very thankful they came out to see me again. Thank you for spending your hard earned dough to get me to the next city, and thanks Raine for taking me on tour with you so I could make all these new friends ☺
K! Talk soon,
Billy!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tour - Day one
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
2 More Ontario Shows
Saturday, March 6th
BAYFIELD, ON
Bayfield Town Hall
Main Street, Bayfield, ON
http://www.bayfieldtownhall.com/locate.html
Free
8pm
All Ages/18+
Thursday, March 11th
SARNIA, ON
Paddy Flaherty's Irish Pub
130 Seaway Road, Sarnia, ON
http://sarnia.paddyflahertys.com/
All Ages/18+
Free
Keep up to date with the latest Billy the Kid tour info at http://www.facebook.com/BillytheKid
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Billy the Kid Tour 2010 Updated 01/16 *Kamloops Show Added, Kelowna Date Changed, Medicine Hat and 2 London Shows Added*
Hello friends. Here's the latest in tour dates. notice some start times, ticket info and venue web sites have been changed. Feel free to forward to friends :)
For booking inquiries please contact jdbaskin@gmail.com
Thursday, January 21st
CALGARY, AB
Liberty Lounge
4825 Mount Royal Gate SW
Calgary, AB T3E 6K6
Phone: (403) 440-6403
Email: liberty@samru.ca
Website: http://www.samru.ca/libertyLounge/home.htm
$5
8pm
Friday, January 22nd
EDMONTON, AB
The Haven Social Club
15120 Stony Plain Road Northwest
Edmonton, AB T5P 3Y3
(780) 756-6010
9pm
http://www.thehavensocialclub.com/
$8
Saturday, January 23rd
SWIFT CURRENT, SK
Gallery of Swift Current in the R.C. Dahl Centre
411 Herbert Street East, Swift Current, AB S9H 1M5
(306) 778-2736
http://www.artgalleryofswiftcurrent.org
$5
7pm
Monday, January 25th
LETHBRIDGE, AB
The Slice
314 8 Street South
Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 2J6
(403) 320-0117
http://www.theslice.ca/
$5
Tuesday, January 26th
SASKATOON, SK
Amigo’s Cantina
632 10th Street East
Saskatoon, SK S7H 0G9
(306) 652-4912
http://www.amigoscantina.com/
$8
9pm
Thursday, January 28th
WINNIPEG, MB
Park Theatre
698 Osborne Street
Winnipeg, MB R3L 2B9
(204) 478-7275
http://www.parktheatervideo.com/cms/
$10/$12
9pm
Friday, January 29th
REGINA, SK
O’Hanlon’s
1947 Scarth Street
Regina, SK S4P 2H1
(306) 566-4094
http://www.myspace.com/ohanlons
$5
9pm
Saturday, January 30th
GRAYSON, SK
Bar G Hotel
Railway Ave
Grayson, Saskatchewan S0A 1E0
(306)794-4706
Sunday, January 31st
NANTON, AB
Auditorium Hotel
2011 20th Avenue, Nanton, AB T0L 1R0
(403) 646-2746
$5
Tuesday, February 2nd
MEDICINE HAT, AB
Derailed Pub
403 North Railway Street Southeast
Medicine Hat, AB
T1A 2Z3
(403) 528-3310
Thursday, February 4th
OLDS, AB
Track's Pub
1-4919 49 Avenue
Olds, AB T4H 1R7
(403) 556-6180
Friday, February 5th
KAMLOOPS, BC
The Dirty Jersey
1200 8th Street
http://www.thedirtyjersey.ca
(250) 376-3786
$8 Ticket
Doors 7:30
Show 8pm
Saturday, February 6th
KELOWNA, BC
UBC Kelowna
3333 University Way
Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7
(250) 807-8000
FREE
Sunday, February 7th
VANCOUVER, BC
The Railway Club
579 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1Y4
(604) 681-1625
http://www.therailwayclub.com/
$8
Monday, February 8th
DUNCAN, BC
The Garage
#201-330 Duncan Street
Duncan, BC, Canada
V9L 3W4
(250) 748-7246
http://www.duncangarageshowroom.ca/
$10/$12
8pm
Tuesday, February 9th
COURTENAY, BC
Joe's Garage
115 5th Street
Courtenay, BC V9N 1J3
Cost: $10/12
(250) 702-6456
http://joeson5th.piczo.com
Tuesday, February 23rd
TORONTO, ON
Edge 102 Nu Music Night - The Horseshoe Tavern
368 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 2A2
Free
(416) 598-4753
http://www.horseshoetavern.com/
Wednesday, February 24th
LONDON, ON
London Music Club - Front Room
470 Colborne St
London, ON N6B
$8
Monday, March 1st
OTTAWA, ON
Zaphod Beeblebrox
27 York Street
Ottawa, ON K1N
(613) 562-1010
http://www.zaphodbeeblebrox.com
Free
Wednesday, March 3rd
OTTAWA, ON
Agonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Avenue
Nepean, ON K2G 1V8
(613) 727-0002
Free
Friday, March 5th
LONDON, ON
London Music Club - Front Room
470 Colborne St
London, ON N6B
$7
Saturday, March 6th
BAYFIELD, ON
Bayfield Town Hall
Main Street, Bayfield, ON
http://www.bayfieldtownhall.com/locate.html
Free
8pm
All Ages/18+
Thursday, March 11th
SARNIA, ON
Paddy Flaherty's Irish Pub
130 Seaway Road, Sarnia, ON
http://sarnia.paddyflahertys.com/
All Ages/18+
Free
March 10-14th
TORONTO, ON
Canadian Music Week
March 17-21
AUSTIN, TX
South By South West
(More Ontario dates to follow)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Pretending To Be An Actor In Front Of Cameras
I'll never forget my first audition.
Well, the first audition where I got the part.
My *actual* first audition, I totally blew it, and immediately erased it from my memory for all time ;)
Let's get something clear: I have no acting experience, no acting education, no long lost actors in my family tree and no uncle that's a director who's been secretly preparing me for my acting debut.
My first successful audition, the audition where I got the role, was actually my second audition ever. In my life. Ever.
With no education, experience or innate inherited talent, I somehow nailed my second audition and got cast "on the spot" (according to the director).
I'll never forget it.
So many things could have gone wrong...I could have stood on the right hand side, for example, and when the director said "Slate" I would have responded with: "Huh?"
But I didn't. I stood on the left. Someone with experience or education or a great grandma who was in the first "talkies" stood on the right and when they said "Slate" she said "My name is (blah blah blah)".
"Okay," I thought to myself... "Slate means 'Say your name'".
My third audition didn't go so well. I stood on the right. When they said "Slate and Profile" I said "Hi, I'm blah blah blah". Then everyone looked at me, waiting. I looked to my left and thought "Doesn't the person on my left know they're supposed to go "Hi I'm blah blah blah"? Jeeeeez!"
But still...silence.
Then I hear "Ok now Profile".
THEN I go "Huh?" and needless to say, I didn't get that part ;)
The part I *did* get, was the role of a 23 year old mother. My TV daughter, Princess Taea, was dressed up in matching glasses, boots, jeans and sports coat. She was like my own mini me!
Here's a video of us going up the escalator one of one million times:
We filmed in Tinseltown (yes, the movie theater) in Vancouver. I was the first scene of the day. The director was so nice, and I loved every second of it. Within a few hours, it was over, and I was slammed back to reality.
I get a kick out of my life sometimes. I am literally learning how to act in front of cameras. My first "acting" experience has been at auditions, music video shoots and commercial shoots. I realize this makes me a total jerk...there are a lot of people who have spent hundreds, thousands, maybe more, to perfect their craft and pursue their dream. Others have toiled away night after night in community theater groups and every play, production, musical or comedy they could squeeze themselves in to. Me? I just jumped in front of a camera and happened to be standing on the left hand side.
I do feel kind of bad. Audition waiting rooms, you can generally cut the tension with a knife. Every one is likely competing for the same part, so it's really hard to make friends. I swore from the get-go I would never be like that, and have tried to make one new friend per audition (of the 3 auditions and 2 callbacks I've had in my life).
My agent told me that the thing I had going for me was the fact I didn't care. I didn't *need* this job like some kids who have been waiting tables for ten years do. They walk in, and casting directors can smell their fear, the "I Need This" look shines through their best rendition of themselves as someone else.
Me? I see every opportunity as just that...a chance to practice. I don't know what I'm doing, so the best I can do is just pretend I know what I'm doing. By the time I walk in to the audition room I'm already in character haha
In that sense, I'm a total jerk. I waltz in without a care in the world on the premise that this, these auditions...they're just a cheaper way to learn how to act than paying for acting classes ;)
