- I started writing this month's page weeks ago, before realizing that I had property on the other side of the wall that had become overgrown like the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Now, I did remedy that situation, only to wind up suffering from severe heat stroke for a few days. One of these days I'll start listening to those who know enough to remind me not to push myself too hard. Anyway, this being my birthday, I decided to celebrate the milestone by leaving the house for the first time since Saturday.
- Now, allow me to begin by apologizing to the members of the Alan Gillies & The Blue Blue Devils Fan Club for being forced to postpone the concert which we'd kind of planned to be performing at tonight. I've suggested that instead I'll perform a private solo acoustic show in Winnipeg (for fan club members and their invited guests only), within the week.
- This is the "NEWS" section of the website, so I should elaborate on the Fan Club; it's organized and managed by Karen Speiss in Winnipeg. So far the membership is entirely female, and there have been zero complaints from the band in that regard. Sincerely, we all appreciate their efforts to promote us in the big city, and also the merchandise suggestions.
- Second, please allow me to introduce our new rhythm guitarist and keyboardist, Bill Mantie. The thought of adding a fourth member to our semi-established power trio at this time was something I was debating in my head, but Bill's energy and enthusiam was more than enough to convince me that we'd made the right decision. His vocal ability certainly helped, too, as did his willingness to expand his musical horizons for the band's benefit.
- Twice a year I take a look back; in December I contemplate the previous 12 months' accomplishments, but on my birthday, I usually reminisce about my entire lifespan thus far. Not so this year, as instead I chose to order Chinese delivery and rent a couple of DVDs while I enjoyed the emails, cards & gifts from family and friends. Books, clothes and cheques are always appreciated, but my early gift of a beautifully Mother-Of-Pearl inlaid, string-through-body, coil-tapping dual-humbucker Schecter Diamond Series C-1 Elite is of course my favourite present, and the one I will surely get the most use out of. She's a virginal white, and I've named her Emily, a name I'd always hoped to give a daughter.
- The reason the Schecter (from Faders Music in Brandon) was received early was due to the fact that the entire band had scheduled the 31st off, in order to perform in Winnipeg, but due to my recent health, we opted instead to spend the entire day in the studio going over new material and further familiarizing Bill with our previous repetoire. New originals include "Stand Up", "Teasin'", and "Watch Me Now", and they may mark a slightly edgier turn in my writing, while the lyrics for some are possibly as self-affirming as this website has at times been. With the addition of Bill to our lineup, I've been able to improve the arrangements of much of our repertoire, as well as do justice to cover songs I'd previously been reluctant to perform live, be they 20 years old or brand new.
- To be completely honest, I was seriously concerned about the possible delays that we might incur after adding any new member to the band, both as said musician would require time to learn the material, and of course as Andy, Trevor and I would also need time to adjust. Within the span of 3 practices (granted, yesterday lasted 12 hours, noon until nearly midnight) I have been, as always, amazed at the level of professionalism, patience and musicianship possessed by my current bandmates, and on a personal note, I wouldn't trade a single one of them for any of their predecessors. My special thanks to Andrew for taking on extra responsibilities during this time of transition. It may go without saying, but still, my Guinness is your Guinness, dude; however, I hope the hat is just a phase.
- So much more has changed in the month since we've last performed in front of a live audience, and there are many more in the works that will be announced here within days on the HOME page. The recording process has been proceeding rather slowly, but finally comprehending my own current financial constraints some time ago, I knew that not only would new promo items remain in the design stage for now, but also that the release dates for the CDs would be pushed back until autumn, with the exception of a small, limited number of promotional demos, which will be made available only to industry contacts and members of the Fan Club. Naturally, once I'm satisfied with the final mix, several songs will be included on our myspace page (www.myspace.com/alangilliesandthebluedevils), and naturally they will also be available for download directly from this website.
- Look for several additions to the website over the coming week, as lyrics for the new songs (and some old ones, as well) will be added to the SONGLIST page, and individual bios and gear pages are added and linked to the main BIOS page. There'll also be a Fan Club link on the homepage from which a link to the Fan Club's myspace page can be accessed, and information for anyone interested in signing up.
- Thanks to Andrew, Trevor & Bill for making my birthday party/practice as much fun as it was, while enduring my cooking, and my penchant for on-the-fly arrangements as well (not to mention the "who's-most-whipped" competition).
"the Blue Devil"
