I
just watched The story of Anvil for the 2nd or 3rd time,and you could
basically photoshop The Wholigans faces into those scenarios and it
would tell our tale 100% exactly the same.
it's a film you should see, as it shows the trials and tribulations of a road dog 'overnight' success story .............that was 30 years in the making.
Fans just see the band on stage for 2hours and think that it's all a 'rock star' lifestyle,when quite frankly it's far from it.
There are the rock star 'benefits' along the way,don't get me wrong, but 'The Anvil's' of this world have worked their asses off to get to that point.
We both started in the city of Toronto at pretty much the same time (give or take) 1980-81-82
It was and is certainly a long long tough hard road, and we would be proud to shake hands with Anvil,share a few beers and talk about when times were less than great, and also the great moments.
Sometimes at the early gigs it would only take 2 or 3 people in the audience to make the night by singing every song with you ,and then they walk away with a smile and with the satisfaction of reliving their youth....... or experiencing it for the first time.
Every now & then 2 hours of escapism is all you need from lifes daily ills.
it's a film you should see, as it shows the trials and tribulations of a road dog 'overnight' success story .............that was 30 years in the making.
Fans just see the band on stage for 2hours and think that it's all a 'rock star' lifestyle,when quite frankly it's far from it.
There are the rock star 'benefits' along the way,don't get me wrong, but 'The Anvil's' of this world have worked their asses off to get to that point.
We both started in the city of Toronto at pretty much the same time (give or take) 1980-81-82
It was and is certainly a long long tough hard road, and we would be proud to shake hands with Anvil,share a few beers and talk about when times were less than great, and also the great moments.
Sometimes at the early gigs it would only take 2 or 3 people in the audience to make the night by singing every song with you ,and then they walk away with a smile and with the satisfaction of reliving their youth....... or experiencing it for the first time.
Every now & then 2 hours of escapism is all you need from lifes daily ills.
If it wasn't for those 2-3 people man,............you kept us (musicians as a whole) going.........thankyou.
Over our 29 year tenure both Anvil & The Wholigans have many a tale to tell, and have played to major & miniscule crowds,but overall their story is our story............only difference is ,they (Hollywood) didn't make a movie about us (yet) and nor have we been rediscovered and have found new life.
Over our 29 year tenure both Anvil & The Wholigans have many a tale to tell, and have played to major & miniscule crowds,but overall their story is our story............only difference is ,they (Hollywood) didn't make a movie about us (yet) and nor have we been rediscovered and have found new life.
Don't get me wrong ,it's been great :) and it's not over yet,
but the tour bus is slowing down and some would say it's come to a dead
stop or at least it's time for an oil change and to clean the engine out.
But with story's like Anvil's,who knows what the future holds for The Wholigans
'Once a Wholigan,Always a Wholigan'
'Once a Wholigan,Always a Wholigan'
AQO: Anvil and my band in 81 (not The Wholigans) but a metal covers band called 'Trojan' shared
side by side rehearsal rooms at Jane & Finch called 'music media'
(rented by the month after month after month (you get the picture)
Everytime
Anvil would play they would bring in the entire pa system + an entire light rig, and they would practise as loud as possible, and more often than
not blow the power out of a 20 room or so rehearsal studio.
It also despite being somewhat soundproofed ,it was hard to hear what we we were trying to practise....but we did.
Anyway,
bottom line is, Anvil and ourselves went down similar paths playing
'the gasworks', the knob hill,Nags head north,Tony's East and Tony's
west,The Rondun and all over Canada and I mean ALL OVER !
It wasn't till the 2000's before we hit Europe (thanks to the internet , which was not around in the 80's and we had to rely on flyers and phone calls to get a gig )
It wasn't till the 2000's before we hit Europe (thanks to the internet , which was not around in the 80's and we had to rely on flyers and phone calls to get a gig )
All the scenarios you see in The Anvil film happened to us , most of it was unbelievable and you had to be there,
no money ,
no gigs,
broken down vans
cancelled shows
Getting fired or deducted $ for being too loud (see here)
no hotels,
no food & it goes on and on and on.
Stupid thing is, here I am at 52 and I'll gladly get back on the road, and do it all over again.
I'd just have to run it by the wife and make sure a few bills are paid. ;)
Seriously though,if and when the call comes in, I'm out that door !
*SLAM!
My wife says the bill collectors don't allow you to pay bills with adrenalin though :( ...shame really as I'd be rich were that the case.
I love the high you get from a magic audience ,& to playthe fucking great music that has been bestowed on us by the almighty WHO that we are allowed to play at unfathomable volume!
But until The Wholigans movie gets a big financial backer or a jammy lottery win,I guess we'll play when possible,and pray for the impossible.
The ride has been and is bumpy,but worth all the bruises.
The ride has been and is bumpy,but worth all the bruises.
I'M A WHOLIGAN,WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!'
We are
The Wholigans
The worlds very FIRST WHO tribute & are the longest running since 1982 & the fans 'pick' to play as the headlining act for ..THE WHO conventions, of which there have been quite a few.
The conventions were in...
2003 Hamburg ,Germany at the Schlachthof
2003 Hamburg ,Germany at the Schlachthof
2003 London UK at the Astoria/Mean Fiddler
2006 Bush Hall in Shepherds Bush w/Roger Daltrey & Simon Townshend & Casbah Club
2010 at Dingwalls in London UK ,with 'Thunderclap Newman' & Josh Townshend
NYC USA did have a mini 'convention' called 'Wholopalooza'...in 2002.......and we did play that as well.
Rumour has it in 2013 there will be another 'convention', with WHO playing WHO ? ..WHO KNOWS ?
Till we meet again Wholigans, 'Turn everything louder than everything else'
'Once a Wholigan,Always a Wholigan'
http://www.thewholigans.com/
Wholigan WHistOry
The Wholigans you tube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/
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