Another exciting page from Mike's 
 

The First Step My name is Mike, and I have a banjo problem.  Actually, I also have a guitar problem, a whistle problem and a mandolin problem as well. In fact, I've recently developed something of a flute problem, too, though budgetary constraints keep it from getting too serious.  The upshot of all this is that I'm a traditional music player, specializing in mostly Irish and Quebecois music.  I also have a serious affinity for all things Klezmer and Scottish (including that guy on the Canadian Tire money).  Bagpipes, fiddles and sometimes even accordions are my friends, and if you threw one of each off the top of a 40 story building, I would indeed care which one landed first. What's Here: - Concert Schedule - The Big Band Table - Garton's Crimson Avengers - 139 South - New Traditions/ No Traditions - Good Stuff

 
 
 

While I used to be pretty torn between my commitments to school and my love of music, it's relatively safe to say that school has lost the battle for my attentions, what with the graduating and all. I've become something of a freelancer, so here's an informative table devoted to untangling the mess that is my "career". If you want to know who's playing when, check out the schedule - updated irregularly! Group Name Description Status La Part du Quêteux This four-piece ensemble does some fine Quebecois traditional music, and has pretty much become my main musical group. I oughtta make us a webpage, too. I have inherited LPQ from Yann officially, and our first album should be available as of December, 2003. Gigs are popping up all the time, so go check out the calendar. Garton's Crimson Avengers Four piece ensemble with Joanne Garton, Dave Clark and Nicholas Williams. We play music from everywhere we can think of, and we are nominally a contra dance band. The Avengers, much like similarly charged particles, have a tendency to scatter themselves as far apart as possible. I'll let you know when we're all on the same continent, but in the meantime, we've got something of a CD now. The Heather Cameron Project Fronted by the lovely and charming Heather, this 4 piece ensemble also features Tim Walsh, John Williams and, of course, myself. The HCP is lookin' to record a short album/EP some time soon and does the occasional show at the Olde Orchard pub on Sunday afternoons. Genticorum Yann Falquet, Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand and Pascal Gemme in a smooth Quebecois trad band that goes down easy with no aftertaste. I'm Yann's sub in Genticorum when he is indisposed, and I also play a bit on their debut CD, Le Galarneau. Chantier A dance show featuring Quebecois jigging and South African gumboot dancing. I play guitar for them when Yann Falquet isn't around. I'm pulling the occasional subbing gig in Chantier when it's called for. There's a bunch coming up in February. Tüna Montreal's premiere progressive-Irish group, with Dave and Bill Gossage, Jonathan Moorman, Alex Kehler and Davy Gallant. I'm a sort of rotating member of Tüna, filling in for whichever one of the Daves is missing for any given gig. Les Cinq Printemps Short-lived trio with David Boulanger and Alex de Grosbois, specializing in a mixture of Irish, Quebecois and Cape Breton tunage. Well, it was fun while it lasted, but it's become more or less a non-entity. We may play the occasional gig in the future, and there's a half-finished webpage for us here. Fior Fiddle/guitar duo with Dave Clark. Mostly we just record stuff and post it at MP3.com. Fior is on indefinite hiatus, and I doubt that there will ever be much more by way of music than what exists right now. 139 South Pub divas extraordinare! Myself, Kevin McNeilly and Loic Fanning rock(ed) the house at O'Donnell's on a semi-regular basis. 139 South seems to be by and large dispersed. Loic is off in France, while Kevin and I do most of our gigs with Heather or by ourselves at the Orchard (if ever). The Band that Doesn't Exist Some people experimented with drugs in college; I did this instead. A recording project completed in the bowels of Dawson college in roughly 1998. This project is finished. Some of the music is up at MP3.com, the rest you'll have to ask me really nicely for.   As you can see from that list, I'm a pretty active musician these days, or at least I am when I'm not too busy keeping 10th grade students from hurting each other.  I play in not one, not two, but a whole bevy of traditional Irish and Quebecois traditional bands (although the lines get blurred from time to time).  I session when I can, go to the occasional concert and listen to my fair share of music at home.  I also have a sordid history of playing electric guitar and composing avant garde music, but we don't talk about that too much.  My friends tend to get into the act as well, from time to time, but they're easily distracted. Note: I apologize for the whole stupid paragraph of links thing, but it's just so damn efficient.

   

 

139 South 

Three men and a whole lot of stompin' Next show: no time soon My longest running musical project was a pub group called 139 South.  We were definitely more on the raucous side of things, specializing in uptempo songs and tune sets.  139 South was playing gigs for almost three years, from our humble beginnings at Honey Martin's on New Year's Eve 1999 to our fairly consistent gigs at O'Donnell's Pub in Montreal (until it closed).  The band consisted of Kevin McNeilly on guitar and vocals, Loic Fanning on fiddle and vocals, and myself on banjo, whistles and backing vocals. 139 South is no more, but Kevin and I meet up occasionally to play at the Old Orchard, and of course, I'll let you know if that's going to happen.

 

 

While I, like everyone else in the world, consider my taste in music to be varied, most of what I actually listen to somehow involves traditional music.  Still, in an attempt to show a few of my musical influences, allow me to list 5 albums that everyone should listen to at some point in their life:
 

You Will Listen... Solas - Solas This is my all time favorite album, hands down.  Traditional Irish music played on traditional instruments non-traditionally.  I've never heard a better combination of virtuosity and energy. Too bad their new stuff is so awful, really. Superchunk - On the Mouth A really great album that falls somewhere between indie rock and punk.  Great guitar-heavy stuff with a nice, dense sound. Taj Mahal - Phantom Blues This is my overall favorite blues album.  While it generally lacks the insane guitar riffing that characterizes a lot of blues, it has great songs, varied arrangements and it's just a lot of fun. I've seen Taj Mahal dance, and let me tell you this: he's cooler than you or me, my friend. Rheostatics - Whale Music A fantastic Canadian band with some really great, unusual songs.  It definitely sounds Canadian, but what would you expect from a group that writes songs about hockey and calls themselves Canadian Shield Art Rock? Probably the best of their massive body of work (something like 10 albums, give or take). Cake - Fashion Nugget Here's an album that I grew very attached to over the Montreal Ice Storm in early 1998.  The best the group ever was or probably will be, with interesting lyrics, great guitar playing and some really catchy songs. Don't be fooled by the pop music exterior, there's some bite to these tunes.

 

Take me home!