So after 2 posts about shows that took place 7 years ago, I thought maybe I should add some recent content. My memory's probably a little better about the events of last summer, hopefully...
The last Phantom Shifters show took place in the Dominion Tavern December 15th 2001, playing with Ottawa Hardcore Legends, Grave Concern. The show was thrown together by former Rhythm Guitarist Greg "Daniel" Cockburn so he could actually recoup any money the band owed him before he moved to California. In fact we all were able to recoup our losses with the band after this show... Seven years later, I hadn't talked to Ryan Kerr (Bass, Vocals) much, even though he's my cousin, we weren't really in touch. It was mostly the same with Chris Lee (drums) but for some reason, I'd been toying around with trying to get us all together again... Maybe for one show, maybe for more. Cockburn was in California and it was clear he wasn't going to be coming back to Ottawa anytime soon (or ever)... Even before I approached Ryan and Chris with the idea of a reunion, I spoke with Dave Martindale from Ottawa's Double Pumpers and Ukrania about jumping into the Shifter's second Guitar spot. Something that excited him very much...
By July 2006 everyone was on board and a date was booked for the 19th of August at the Babylon Night Club. A venue in Ottawa we'd actually never played before as the Shifters. Clubs like Bumpers and the illustrious Dominion Tavern were the regular stops in town back when we used to "gig". After about 6 practices we had 8 songs down from the old CD (Given Half a Chance We'll Wreck It for Everybody, GAS records) down solid, as well as BTO's "Not Fragile" a song the Shifter's have played so much alot of people think it's an original...
The last Phantom Shifters show took place in the Dominion Tavern December 15th 2001, playing with Ottawa Hardcore Legends, Grave Concern. The show was thrown together by former Rhythm Guitarist Greg "Daniel" Cockburn so he could actually recoup any money the band owed him before he moved to California. In fact we all were able to recoup our losses with the band after this show... Seven years later, I hadn't talked to Ryan Kerr (Bass, Vocals) much, even though he's my cousin, we weren't really in touch. It was mostly the same with Chris Lee (drums) but for some reason, I'd been toying around with trying to get us all together again... Maybe for one show, maybe for more. Cockburn was in California and it was clear he wasn't going to be coming back to Ottawa anytime soon (or ever)... Even before I approached Ryan and Chris with the idea of a reunion, I spoke with Dave Martindale from Ottawa's Double Pumpers and Ukrania about jumping into the Shifter's second Guitar spot. Something that excited him very much...
By July 2006 everyone was on board and a date was booked for the 19th of August at the Babylon Night Club. A venue in Ottawa we'd actually never played before as the Shifters. Clubs like Bumpers and the illustrious Dominion Tavern were the regular stops in town back when we used to "gig". After about 6 practices we had 8 songs down from the old CD (Given Half a Chance We'll Wreck It for Everybody, GAS records) down solid, as well as BTO's "Not Fragile" a song the Shifter's have played so much alot of people think it's an original...
First Show in 5.5 years. Dave Martindale on the far right, photo by Andrew Carver...
It was a pretty good night at Babylon. The audience was fairly small but very enthusiastic. Also on the bill that night was my other "Big Rock" project The Long Timers as well as Ottawa bands The Army of St. Joan, and The Death March Volunteer's. There was a lot of band member carry-over that night. Justin Gobiel played Guitar in every band but the Phantom Shifters (and if he could've he would've) and Rene LeClair played Bass in for the Long Timers and Death March. And I played back to back sets as the Shifters followed the Long Timers...
The Long Timers, (L > R) Rene LeClair, Bass. Greg Kerr, Guitar. J.P. Sadek, Drums. John Nash, Vocals. Justin Gobeil, Guitar. Photo by Andrew Carver...
This show was also the first time I'd played my 1975 Wine Red Les Paul Deluxe with the Phantom Shifters. It had already been my main Guitar for Long Timer shows for about a year, I wish I'd had this guitar back when we recorded our CD, it's Seymour Duncan P90 pickups are perfect for the Phantom Shifters style of 70's influenced RAWK. I enjoyed this guitar so much I went straight out and bought a 1980 Sunburst Les Paul Deluxe and threw some more P90's into it too. As it turns out these guitars suited the Shifters so well that Dave started to play the Sunburst Les Paul in practice and I ended up selling it to him so he could play it in the band... The night also marked the end of Ryan's Purple Music Man copy Bass that pretty much fell apart at the end of the last song... Total shows played by Ryan with that Bass: 2!...
Dave with his '80 Les Paul, me with my '75 Les Paul and case of the sweats. Photo by Andrew Carver...
All in all it was a real fun night for the band, and from the response, the audience too. After playing all 9 songs we'd practiced and all the songs we knew, they were still screaming for more. Pretty tough spot to be in. We agreed to try and did a little blues jam in "E major" of everyone. My guitar was still in an open tuning from playing slide on the last few songs. In my attempt to tune the guitar back to standard I got a pretty big shock from my pedal board which was starting to fall apart from all the abuse that night... So I gave up on tuning and played some (probably terrible) Blues Slide Guitar... I'd managed to put back a numbers of beers down by then and really wanted to get some more, it was time to leave the stage...
Looks like we're playing the Bridge to "Not Fragile" here. Photo by Andrew Carver...
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