newsonaut
Turning inner space into outer space
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
It's all about the fans
Music maven Mike Garrett says I got it wrong about why KISS is playing small venues like Kamloops and Bushkill. He says it’s mainly about reaching out to fans:
“I think you are misunderstanding the reason a band like KISS is playing here. It has become quite common in the music biz for large, veteran touring acts, like Elton John, ZZ Top, Neil Young, to name a few, to play smaller towns. And not because they can’t fill the larger venues, but because they’ve played those large venues a billion times, and are looking to reach out to different fans.
“And those fans are going to be a lot more rabid and enthusiastic, which makes for a better show. Plus, it’s easy money, knowing that they can easily sell out a 5,000-seat arena. But I don’t think money is the issue, as most of these acts have plenty. It’s more about the fans.
“I do agree, though, that KISS is way past their prime and should probably hang up their codpieces.”
Those are some good points. I definitely agree about the codpieces.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The kiss of death for KISS?
I’m glad KISS fans will get to see the band perform in Kamloops on June 26. I tend to get a little skeptical, though, when a group with a great past winds up here. If they were still able to fill larger venues, Kamloops likely wouldn’t have made the tour.
Look at some of the other cities KISS is visiting: Everett, Spokane, Abbotsford, Prince George, Fort McMurray, Sarnia, Grand Falls-Windsor and Orillia. They’ll also be appearing in Manchester, Bushkill and Springfield. That’s the Springfield in Illinois, by the way. What’s next? Months-long engagements in Las Vegas?
And just in you’re wondering: Gene Simmons is 61 years old and Paul Stanley is 59. They’ll be getting their pensions soon and won’t have to tour.
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Friday, January 28, 2011
Keep an eye out for Afghan Luke
Sure, filming in the region is in a bit of a slump, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep an eye on some of the movies that have been shot here. The best one will likely be Afghan Luke and the Burgundy of Hash. It’s got a weird name, but the plot sounds great.
It’s directed by Mike Clattenberg, who also did Trailer Park Boys (movie and TV series) so right away we can expect something offbeat. The story involves a Canadian journalist in Afghanistan who does a story about Canadian soldiers possibly mutilating corpses only to find that it gets buried. Determined to get the truth out, he finds another publication to fund his return to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he has to turn to a stoner magazine looking for a story about hashish in the region. It’s been described as a dark comedy.
Production on the film has apparently been completed, but I couldn’t find anything about when it will be released. It will definitely be worth watching, though — if only to see how the area around Cache Creek and Ashcroft was made to look like Afghanistan.
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