Guitar Licks and Tips

As you know the good people at Luminato Festival got together a bunch of like minded souls to gather together and attempt to break the Guinness World Book of Records for the most guitarist in a musical ensemble. We did set a Canadian record in this category in the process.

This is just a small sample of the atmosphere at Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday June6th, 2009. This was when we were attempting to break the Guinness World book of Records for largest guitar ensemble. For more pictures of the event take a look at our flickr account.

The weather couldn’t of been better. I was to meet up with a buddy of mine, Sean, who works with me at the hospital. We also played a talent show at work a couple of years ago and we came in second place for the show. The winner was this lady playing the saw, yes a saw! In her defense it was very unique to say the least!

I ending up getting there early so I thought that I’d go to the Hard Rock and get us a seat on the patio. It took Sean and his beautiful bride to show up, so I had to earn my keep outside and started having a few light refreshing liquid beverages. Man that was fun!

I met tons of interesting people there. Also on the patio, there were tons of musicians hoisting pints before the show and we showing off their acoustics to anyone interested. I came across this guy named Mark McCreary who walked past my seat. He was carrying around a custom made guitar case that he created. This one was made of shaved bark and pine cones, REALLY COOL LOOKING! If you are looking for something like this for yourself or that special guitarist in your life, then give him an e-mail. uniquelydown@hotmail.com

This is a sample of the work that this guys does for his custom made guitar cases.

I remember this tall guy standing at the front of the stage with a hollow body guitar. He had his buddy there video taping the event. As it turns out, this video was taken by him and his buddy!

You can see Sean and myself on it at counter number 0:05. The counter is located on the bottom part of the video, and when the video is playing you will see numbers moving. I’m the guy with a white baseball cap on backwards with rectangular dark glasses. I am in the bottom part of the screen. I am holding up my beige top Larrivee. I am holding the guitar upside down and my guitar strap is hanging at the back of it. I’m wearing a light blue shirt. Sean is behind me directly to MY right YOUR left, with dark hair taking a picture with his head turned back to the crowd. He has a blue wristband on his right hand. You have to freeze the tape in order to see us.

The suspense was so think you could cut it with a dull butter knife! At one point, the announcer said that we were 5, YES 5 people short for the record. I looked back at Sean and the excitement level in our eyes was off the radar screen! Surely we can find 5 people at the busiest intersection of Toronto, Canada’s largest city, 5th largest in North America that plays guitar that wants to join in!

Then after performing the song, some guy from The Guinness Record group said that we were short 123 people! what the F–K! Didn’t they say we were 5 guitarists short a couple of minutes ago?!

At that point we quickly departed back to The Hard Rock Patio. Sean’s wife graciously was waiting for us, along with our guitar cases, I really appreciated that young lady!

Just a side note here, while in the head, I met this really excited guy. He told me that when he was on the patio and he heard that we only needed 5 more people for the record he begged and pleaded with the Hard Rock’s manager if he could get a guitar down from the wall and go over to join in. The manager hemmed and hawed for a split second. He then proceeded to grab this guitar off the wall that they used for employee of the month and let him go over! Can you believe it!

After a couple of drinks and some crying in our beers we headed off home.

We were sooo close but … Well there’s always next year!

P.S. Pinhead, you better show up for next years attempt, got it!!!

Keep on Jammin’

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Well today is the day that I, along with a few buddies, will be heading off to Yonge Dundas Square in Toronto to hopefully join the Guinness World Record of the largest guitar ensemble! This is all part of the Toronto’s Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity.

We, 1803 or more participants, will be collectively playing Neil Young’s Helpless for all to hear. We’ve all got a good night’s sleep, tuned up our guitars and practiced this one to death!

I hope you wish us all luck! Let’s also pray that the guitar god’s will be smilin’ down at us favorably.

Keep on Jammin’ at Yonge and Dundas Square!

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So it’s official, Neil Young’s 1969 classic Helpless is the song chosen by voters for next Saturday’s gathering of guitar players in Toronto’s Dundas Square.

This is the song that will hopefully bring Toronto the Guinness World record for the most guitar players playing in an acoustic ensemble at once! The record currently stands at 1802. That is how many gathered in 2007 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, to play Smoke on the Water.

I hope that some of my readers from the area will be attending this event. I know I’ve got a few buddies of mine showing up from in and out of town.

The link for the tablature is here so check it out and start practicing! BTW it’s 2:pm Saturday June 6th, at Dundas Square, Toronto.

Remember, if your going drop me a line and we’ll hook up before the gig!

Keep on Jammin’

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Ever want to have your name put in the Guinness World book of Records, well here is a real simple way to be a part of it! As part of the Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity, the organizers are attempting to break a previous record of the largest guitar ensemble. The number to beat is 1,802. Sorry, but only 6 or 12 stringed guitar players are needed.

Well if you live in southern Ontario and you wish to participate then check out this link and follow the directions to sign up.

Go to the site, check out a list of Canadian Songs and chose one that you think that you can play. The site provides you with tabs for all the songs to help you out if you can’t play it! The winning tune’s tablature will be posted on their site on Saturday, May 30th, 2009. That gives you a full week to practice!

If you happen to be under the age of 18, you have to have your parents fill out this form in order for you to take part of this historic jam session! More then likely you will not get proofed, that’s just what I think.

It will be held at Yonge Dundas Square (corner of Yonge and Dundas) at 2:00pm on Saturday, June 06 2009.

So get up off your computer or guitar chairs and sign up NOW! If you plan on taking part of this then PLEASE write me back and we’ll get together for a jam after the show!

Keep on Jammin’

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The Nuance Festival was at the Black Swan on The Danforth and this year and the talent did not disappoint us at all. At this years show, Counterpoint opened up the seminal event!

To illustrate CounterPoint’s musical prowess in detail, takes up way too much time and I’ve been on the old soap box so many times that I’m getting dizzy … but to me it’s more then worth it! They are pure progressive rock god’s! At last years showcase, they kept me at the edge of my seat all night and this night they added even more dept and colour to their musical masterpieces.

They have now added another layer of sound to their arsenal with a Toronto guitarist called Neil Harvey.I’ve only seen them live twice, and I am eager to see what happens when all their magical alchemy comes together. If you love this genre, then just go out and see them live to fully understand what I mean.

First tune they did was Track 9. The intro to this one, in comparison to last year, was very refreshing in many ways! Some new portions were quite inventive. Chris Noto pulls these bass harmonics right out of thin air it seems. Without notice, Led Zeppelin has made an entry into their sound?! During Chris’s solo, Rick and Neil do some fine and very tight harmonizing together. Neil will finish this one with a solo that rounds it off nicely! Neil just adds a nice intrinsic feel to the band.

The next one up is Morphine. For some reason, the boys didn’t put this video up on there site so I can show ya. Once again, they pull this one off flawlessly. Rick changes up some keyboard parts that tend to make the song flow in subtle ways. Joe is the backbone on this one, he keeps it all together. Chris is … well Chris. He gravitates in and out of the limelight like only he can.

Ritual is next on their set list. The beginning is something right out of a RUSH, Farewell to Kings or Hemisphere’s album. All that is missing on this one are some wind chimes and wood boxes played by Joe the drummer! I am really looking forward to watching this guy do a drum solo, on his own kit someday. At this point, Chris is using a wah, wah pedal and performs with it to perfection. There tends to be this 70′ish sound rising in the background with some Nirvana thrown in for good luck, admirably done boys.

Now the original Ritual rears it’s mighty head! This Ritual of old has all the early ear markings of the embryonic sound and feel to it. Rick’s keyboard has that primitive Hammond B3 ambiance and aura to it. Rick has introduced some subtle suspended touches to it, skillfully done sir. His sound is building up gradually throughout the piece. You’ve got to see these guys live to bring into context what I am talking about.

Then to finish off the night, the audience asks them for one more! CounterPoint then decides, reluctantly I think, to just jam.

So that is what I experienced that night. Next Nuance, I hope to see ya there!

Keep on Jammin’

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