Back at you again. And what's been going on at National Steel Blues Tour headquarters since I last checked in? Well, we've been busy booking dates and more dates. I should say that "we" now includes the very able Louise Pickett of Mother Earth Management. This is going to be a GREAT tour! We've got some 60 shows confirmed and about another dozen TBC (to be confirmed) in progress. Michael has been to Europe and back, and has also had smaller tours of the eastern seaboard and Florida. I've followed Johnny Winter and have been the street level opener for a bunch of shows. It's funny, I make more money busking the wait line for half an hour than I do when I'm officially on some of these bills. Heck, that's not funny at all. Kim Simmonds was teasing me that I was cutting into his merch sales. Nice guy— always shares the Green Room goodies... But you really want to know about the National Steel Blues Tour, Canada's biggest blues-roots tour of the year, 20000 km of blues highways from coast to coast!
Dates and places are pretty much in order, and are listed in the sidebar here. We've still got the odd date available, so if you're a booker, or maybe a fan who wants to do a house concert, post us regarding any date not already listed in your area! We roll out of Toronto on September 4th and will finish up in Victoria, BC on the 10th of November.
East coast dates are all but sold out— I've got a Wednesday in Charlottetown, anybody want it? We're doing the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton, the Great Atlantic Blues Festival in Halifax, and a bunch of theatres, even some cafes and house concerts... Nearly half the tour dates will be played in Atlantic Canada. Great blues scene— heck, great music scene— with lots of good young players, and a bunch of older journeymen to kick their butts. For sure it's an honor to be invited to the Harvest Blues and Jazz Festival two years in a row. Hands down one of the best blues events held anywhere. The Director of the Great Atlantic Blues Festival lived in Atlanta back when I did, and knows his stuff. He's launching a very, very big festival, and we're pleased to have been the second hire (after Johnny Winter) —even if we're no longer at the very top of the bill! In addition to our concert duties we'll be doing daytime media events all week to help promote the new Halifax festival.
I'll be blogging here on a much more regular basis as we gear up to hit the road in a few weeks time. Jackets and posters are in production... the price of fuel is high. The Tour Book is in production. Next blog I'll ramble on about some other part of the country. I could rant about Manitoba, but perhaps I'll have Friday, October 17 filled by then??? Or do we have to sit in with Big Dave McLean that night? Now that might be an excuse to book a rest day.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tour Now Half Sold!
A busy week at the virtual headquarters of the National Steel Blues Tour! The emails are flyin' and chunks of the Tour are starting to firm up into real route schedules. There's been quite a lot of early interest from Atlantic Canada. This is good, as the Tour gets there during its (currently) 2nd week out— so the early east coast dates will be played more than two months before the finishing west coast dates. With less lead time to take care of details, it is nicer to have the early stuff figured out early!
I'm going to post up some partial routes later tonight or in the morning. You'll see them somewhere to the right of this column. After this I'll simply update them as often as possible.
The spreadsheets tell me we're now about half booked for this adventure. I think this will quickly reach the three-quarter mark as the West Coast starts to confirm. Then, of course, there will be orphan days to fill. Kinda fun! We gotta fill 'em somewhere!!
Lastly, there are quite a few really great venue managers and bookers across Canada who are consistantly patient and helpful while I collect expressions of interest and then hone this info down into time frames, and finally working route schedules. Thanks. Michael and I — and indeed all the independent artists you deal with — really appreciate your support.
I'm going to post up some partial routes later tonight or in the morning. You'll see them somewhere to the right of this column. After this I'll simply update them as often as possible.
The spreadsheets tell me we're now about half booked for this adventure. I think this will quickly reach the three-quarter mark as the West Coast starts to confirm. Then, of course, there will be orphan days to fill. Kinda fun! We gotta fill 'em somewhere!!
Lastly, there are quite a few really great venue managers and bookers across Canada who are consistantly patient and helpful while I collect expressions of interest and then hone this info down into time frames, and finally working route schedules. Thanks. Michael and I — and indeed all the independent artists you deal with — really appreciate your support.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Tour Starts to Take Shape
Well, the Maple Blues Awards have come and gone. What a busy night! All kinds of people I didn't get a chance to talk to! However, many more I DID get to hang out with— so it was a blast! My good pal Big Dave McLean took the trophy for Blues With a Feeling. That's the lifetime achievement award. I was really pleased to see him get it. Thanks everybody for nominating him and for the votes of support. It's always a hard category to decide, so I like to think that our Big Road Blues Tour made a difference... it was acknowledged a couple of times from the podium, too, so that was nice.
But moving right along on the subject of Tours... THIS tour, the National Steel Blues Tour did very well at the Maples in that we are now about thirty percent sold or reserved. This week and next I'll start nailing it down properly. Michael and I got together for coffee at Toronto's High Park, and my son Alasdair shot a couple of pics to get us up and running. Here's what we looked like a couple of days ago...
We've been contacted by presenters in pretty much every Canadian region, so things are going pretty nicely. At the moment I'd have to say that the National Steel Tour is shaping up to be at least as big or bigger than last year's Big Road Blues Tour. I like to set the bar high! One thing's for sure, it's gonna be a good one. I'm very pleased to have Michael Pickett as my tour partner. Hold on to your hats!
But moving right along on the subject of Tours... THIS tour, the National Steel Blues Tour did very well at the Maples in that we are now about thirty percent sold or reserved. This week and next I'll start nailing it down properly. Michael and I got together for coffee at Toronto's High Park, and my son Alasdair shot a couple of pics to get us up and running. Here's what we looked like a couple of days ago...
We've been contacted by presenters in pretty much every Canadian region, so things are going pretty nicely. At the moment I'd have to say that the National Steel Tour is shaping up to be at least as big or bigger than last year's Big Road Blues Tour. I like to set the bar high! One thing's for sure, it's gonna be a good one. I'm very pleased to have Michael Pickett as my tour partner. Hold on to your hats!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Welcome to the National Steel Blues Tour. This Blog will get busier as we move along, and will soon be packed with pictures, dates, sponsors, clips... All kinds of cool stuff. But every tour really starts with the Press Release. You'll find it below! Meanwhile, if you are interested in what a giant blues tour is like, I invite you to visit last year's Big Road Blues Tour blog, http://bigroadbluestour.blogspot.com. Thanks for dropping by!
January 7, 2008
For Immediate Release:
National Steel Blues Tour Announced
Doc MacLean & Michael Pickett to perform 75 Canadian dates
Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett are pleased to announce the National Steel Blues Tour. Hard as nails, tough as steel, but with a warm silver glow stretching from coast to coast. Join two of Canada’s most uncompromising, most travelled and most storied acoustic blues artists as they bring the real deal to your town. Feel the heat from two vintage National Steel guitars, up close and personal. Experience the hard edge and share the inspirations of these veteran artists, together for this unique tour. The Ammo's in the Icebox, and there's a raw steak on a plate, cut like a valentine. So be ready.
The National Steel Blues Tour, September 3 - November 14, 2008. Building upon Doc's highly successful 2006 TransCanada and 2007 Big Road Blues Tours, the National Steel Blues Tour will include up to 75 shows across Canada. A small number of American dates are also under consideration. Tour schedule, corporate sponsors, and routing TBA.
"This tour is going to feature some very, very deep blues. I'm totally thrilled imagining what Michael and I will do over so many shows. The National Steel Blues Tour is going to be an amazing journey." — Doc MacLean
********************************************************
Michael Pickett's past achievements as a bandleader, singer and harmonica player are legendary. With his bands Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth, and the Michael Pickett Band he received numerous awards and nominations and inspired a new generation of harmonica players. Forged in the rough little clubs of Toronto's Spadina Ave., Pickett's bands leaped beyond these humble beginnings to perform on national television and at important concerts such as John Lennon's famous "Live Peace" at Varsity Stadium. Emerging more recently as a solo, acoustic blues performer, Michael Pickett has achieved international acclaim with his intense, riveting performances and compositions. Armed with a road worn National and rack mounted harps, he frequently tours the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe — often in larger halls with artists like Buddy Guy, Lee Oskar, James Cotton, and Hubert Sumlin. "Pickett continues to amaze everyone," — Blues Revue, "He's got it!"— Sing Out! "A truly gifted artist," — Real Blues. Goes for the throat, standing ovations everywhere.
Doc MacLean is a bit of a vagabond Delta songster, as likely to be playing the streets of Memphis or Toronto as opening a show for BB King. In 1972 he formed a duo with Colin Linden and became a popular opener for Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Muddy Waters. Mentored by Son House, Doc toured with Peg Leg Sam the Medicine Show Man, Blind John Davis, Sam Chatmon, and many others. Bare fingers, dead strings and broken glass on an old National. His emotional remapping of Delta rooted music has won him a fan club that includes a who's who of the blues world. "Like an audio version of the movie Sin City," — Blues Revue, May 2007. Sell out shows across Canada.
*********************************************************
Tour Info: The National Steel Blues Tour featuring Michael Pickett and Doc MacLean is now booking and accepting expressions of interest for all Canadian market areas. For further information please contact:
Doc MacLean doc@docmaclean.com
Louise Pickett, Mother Earth Management, mail@michaelpickett.com
Visit:
http://nationalsteelbluestour.blogspot.com
http://www.michaelpickett.com
http://www.sonicbids.com/docmaclean
http://www.sonicbids.com/michaelpickett
http://www.docmaclean.com
http://www.myspace.com/michaelpickettsolo
http://www.youtube.com/michaelpickettsolo
http://bigroadbluestour.blogspot.com
January 7, 2008
For Immediate Release:
National Steel Blues Tour Announced
Doc MacLean & Michael Pickett to perform 75 Canadian dates
Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett are pleased to announce the National Steel Blues Tour. Hard as nails, tough as steel, but with a warm silver glow stretching from coast to coast. Join two of Canada’s most uncompromising, most travelled and most storied acoustic blues artists as they bring the real deal to your town. Feel the heat from two vintage National Steel guitars, up close and personal. Experience the hard edge and share the inspirations of these veteran artists, together for this unique tour. The Ammo's in the Icebox, and there's a raw steak on a plate, cut like a valentine. So be ready.
The National Steel Blues Tour, September 3 - November 14, 2008. Building upon Doc's highly successful 2006 TransCanada and 2007 Big Road Blues Tours, the National Steel Blues Tour will include up to 75 shows across Canada. A small number of American dates are also under consideration. Tour schedule, corporate sponsors, and routing TBA.
"This tour is going to feature some very, very deep blues. I'm totally thrilled imagining what Michael and I will do over so many shows. The National Steel Blues Tour is going to be an amazing journey." — Doc MacLean
********************************************************
Michael Pickett's past achievements as a bandleader, singer and harmonica player are legendary. With his bands Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth, and the Michael Pickett Band he received numerous awards and nominations and inspired a new generation of harmonica players. Forged in the rough little clubs of Toronto's Spadina Ave., Pickett's bands leaped beyond these humble beginnings to perform on national television and at important concerts such as John Lennon's famous "Live Peace" at Varsity Stadium. Emerging more recently as a solo, acoustic blues performer, Michael Pickett has achieved international acclaim with his intense, riveting performances and compositions. Armed with a road worn National and rack mounted harps, he frequently tours the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe — often in larger halls with artists like Buddy Guy, Lee Oskar, James Cotton, and Hubert Sumlin. "Pickett continues to amaze everyone," — Blues Revue, "He's got it!"— Sing Out! "A truly gifted artist," — Real Blues. Goes for the throat, standing ovations everywhere.
Doc MacLean is a bit of a vagabond Delta songster, as likely to be playing the streets of Memphis or Toronto as opening a show for BB King. In 1972 he formed a duo with Colin Linden and became a popular opener for Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Muddy Waters. Mentored by Son House, Doc toured with Peg Leg Sam the Medicine Show Man, Blind John Davis, Sam Chatmon, and many others. Bare fingers, dead strings and broken glass on an old National. His emotional remapping of Delta rooted music has won him a fan club that includes a who's who of the blues world. "Like an audio version of the movie Sin City," — Blues Revue, May 2007. Sell out shows across Canada.
*********************************************************
Tour Info: The National Steel Blues Tour featuring Michael Pickett and Doc MacLean is now booking and accepting expressions of interest for all Canadian market areas. For further information please contact:
Doc MacLean doc@docmaclean.com
Louise Pickett, Mother Earth Management, mail@michaelpickett.com
Visit:
http://nationalsteelbluestour.blogspot.com
http://www.michaelpickett.com
http://www.sonicbids.com/docmaclean
http://www.sonicbids.com/michaelpickett
http://www.docmaclean.com
http://www.myspace.com/michaelpickettsolo
http://www.youtube.com/michaelpickettsolo
http://bigroadbluestour.blogspot.com
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