George On Golf

Greetings All,

I was out golfing the other day with David Budzak (original Harlequin drummer) and AJ Chabidon (current Harlequin drummer) and ironically, an original roadie (Bob Robinson).
It was a very relaxed outing as we are all comfortable in each others presence due to our years of acquaintance and frankly, the soothing effects of just the right amount of alcohol! We also send out the odd “smoke signal” to the mosquito population warning them our blood is no good to them. We do like to have fun and don’t take ourselves too seriously as athletes.
There are only a handful of sports that can be played while consuming alcohol and I dare say … I enjoy them all! Pool, bowling, curling, darts and softball. Don’t get the wrong idea …I’m not a hopeless drunk but rather I’m a casual imbiber. I like to temper my intake with a little physical activity so as to maintain a certain balance … on my feet…
It was a beautiful day, about 23 degrees, a slight breeze working to our advantage on most holes and just enough cloud cover to keep those nasty UV rays from causing us any more wrinkles.
Golf is all about camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the pleasure telling of lies, jokes and in our case … road stories. It is also a great place to vent about your life away from those all seeing and all hearing … spouses!!
My wife understands that the safety valve needs releasing on a regular basis and let’s me golf anytime I wish … excluding her birthday which … Thank God … is in February. I always come home in a great mood which she appreciates.
I started out the day with a par as did Bob who was riding with me. We high-fived each other and smirked at AJ and Dave who share much in common: they both play drums, they’re both lefties and they both … started with bogies.
The next hole was a Par 5 and it is Dave’s nemesis! He always starts out by telling us how much he hates this hole. So naturally … he double bogied it. The rest of us got pars.
On the par threes… which the next hole was … we play closest to the hole for “Twoonies”,… but you have to make the par in order to collect or it’s a carry over.
You can also collect a “twoonie” for a birdie regardless if you made the green or not. It is possible to do both and really cash in! lol
AJ was bemoaning the fact that he’d left his “Aiming Juice” at home. We usually enjoy a little snort from his hip flask on the first par 3. It is, we’re told, an old Scottish tradition that began at the turn of the century to ward off the effects of the cold coastal winds at St. Andrews. Truth or not … we don’t care, we just enjoy!
I managed to collect six dollars on this hole but this was to be my only shining moment of the day.
The next hole is normally a par four but due to a deluge the previous night the tees were moved up and the hole became a par three. Nobody won that hole so it became a carry over.
I’m not going to bore you with a play by play description of the whole day but the real reason for writing this blog was to inform you all that not only did we have a great time but I dare say, we all had one of the best games of our lives!!
AJ had an exceptional day! On the #7 par 5 he managed to put his drive out about 265 yards but it caught the tall grass at the edge of the fairway. His second shot was a monster that put him about 14 feet from the whole. He then blew our minds with an EAGLE putt!
The cart girl happened to waiting for us to come off the green and AJ was cajoled into buying a round for the boys. I think there are permanent creases in AJ’s cheeks from the grin that never left his face for the remainder of the day and possibly the entire week.
If that wasn’t enough … he then proceeded to win a triple carry over with a BIRDIE! Kafriggenching …8 bucks apiece from each of us and bragging rights for life.
Every year we get together for what we call “The Fall Classic” which consists of three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) at an undisclosed cabin which is located near 3 gorgeous golf courses. Some of us go out on the Thursday evening to set things up.
We usually get thousands of old range balls from a connection we have and drive those puppies into the lake from the shoreline before we set out to play. We also have pellet rifles for target practice and a ski boat as well as a small paddle boat you can be put in if you pass out.
In the evenings we enjoy copious amounts of protein and hops.
Then it’s poker time.
Last year I brought a copy of “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” which is in my opinion even a better spoof on the music industry than Spinal Tap.
Our sides were aching the next day but in spite of that I will put forth a motion that we watch it again this fall.
I guess AJ will be talked about at The Fall Classic as a legend has been created. The Eagle has landed and I can only hope the Eagle only flies on Fridays!


Have a great summer!
George

Brief

S'been too long since we've posted, our sincerest apologies.

What's going on? Well the band has decoded the secret to longevity;

1. Do what your heart desires and to hell with the consequences (morals are implied, well with most band members)


2. Be open minded and receptive to change. (Darren finally left his 80's hair on the barber's floor, Nik's just got to splurge for a new hat)


3. Make fans friends and communicate face to face at shows. (We try to say hi to everyone that wants to meet us. Unfortunately there isn't enough room or rider to satisfy everyone back stage, though we often try! Although some bands we often share the stage with don't appreciate our friends in their riders (:)


4. Laugh as often as you can. (see #1)

We are talking about recording some new material for the summer and are working up a new live show.

We are just starting to flesh out our summer tour dates and would like to hook up with you there. You can always find us at the merch booths after every show, so come over and share a laugh.

Till then warmest regards from George, Derrick, AJ, Nik and me, Mr. Dress-Up

A.J. Newsletter

Question: How many clowns does it take to get to Newfoundland and if one or two should happen to fall when there, do they make a sound? O.K. O.K. I'm allowed a couple of inside jokes. After all, I have to travel with this circus (Thank God!).

All kidding aside folks, it's been a helluva year thus far. Our new live CD “ON/Q” is flyin' high and we've been working it from B.C. to the Rock and everywhere in between. Hats off to all you “Quin's Kids” who have joined us in the numerous celebrations this year, celebrating thirty years of Harlequin and the one and only live CD, which was released on June 2nd. A fruitful labour of love, which I'm proud to a part of and a MUST to add to your collection. Hats off to Darren for the majority of the 'labour' portion.

Please see other areas of our website to add ON/Q to your collection, along with a new assortment of t-shirts,hats,hoodies etc. featuring an all new logo! Sorry, a little shameless merchandise plug took over for a second.

The shows have rocked, some of the summer highlights; definitely with Kenny Sheilds of Streetheart and the Pumps at Kenora's Harbourfest, Edmonton's Indy, and last weeks Maritime swing. Lots more to come this summer so keep posted to the website. Thanks once again Kenny and the boys, the Pumps/Ophan, April Wine, Ray Sawyer, Casey and the rest of Dr. Hook, Nazareth, Helix, and all of you friends of Quin, that keep comin' out. Let's keep summer rockin'... as they say on the Rock.. Lord Jesus them Harlequin boys was....rockin'. Keep in touch!

A. J.

P.S. The answer to the first two questions was five and yes! I'll talk to ya’ll again after Labour Day Long. Get well Ab.

Newsletter June 09

THEY’RE HERE!!!
Yes ladies and gentlemen, step right up a get your own copy of the new Harlequin release Live “ON/Q”. Fraught with mishap and misadventure, yet fun as hell to put together, we delivered as promised. We’ve been told by everyone that’s heard it so far that “This is the way the tunes should have been originally recorded!” Soooooooo at our most humble request, please support the starving musicians in Harlequin, by purchasing your copy from your local CD Shoppe or a hard copy or downloadable one from our website.
The sessions were recorded across Canada over the last year and a half. Where? We don’t know, but can make up a few names for you if you like. Just assume it was your home town at the last show you attended. Listen for yourself screaming uncontrollably in the background and tell your friends you were there. The CD is jam packed full of all our favourite tunz, from day one to current sessions:
WAKING THE JESTER
I DID IT FOR LOVE
SWEET THINGS IN LIFE
YOU ARE THE LIGHT
RISE
SURVIVE
HOW LONG
HELL OR HIGH WATER
SHE’S MY GIRL
SHINE ON
INBOUND TRAIN
THINKING OF YOU
SUPERSTITIOUS FEELING
INNOCENCE

We decided to re-release Superstitious Feeling as our single to radio. Why? Why not? Some of us felt that it didn’t get all the attention it deserved out of the gates on original release. The song ends with a ripped off version of Zeppelin’s Heartbreaker. So if you don’t buy the CD the least you can do is call your local radio station and get them to spin Superstitious Feeling.

On our website there is contest to see if you can name the band members and how often they appear on the front and back covers. We have had tonnes of guesses and no one’s got it yet. The first 10 people to guess get a free autographed CD.

Thanks from all the boize……

Darren Moore
Harlequin

George's Ramblings

George’s Ramblings

I’m a bit of a procrastinator at times … I was asked to write a newsletter and had it in the back of my mind, stewing, waiting for the creative juices to infuse my brain with little pearls of wisdom to impart to our fans and friends. I usually wait for a clear sign … you know… to point me in a direction … before I set a course. A starting point is what I require.
I’ve been hearing the expression for years …it’s the catch phrase of non believers … an expression my parents, teachers and other cliché-wielding folks have been using for centuries. “When pigs fly”. Well imagine my surprise this morning when the newspaper headline stated in big bold letters that it has finally happened! I still recall the lunar landing and it was a similar feeling I got then … yep there it was …Swine flu!
There are a few things to tell you. Firstly, our new CD will be in stores June 2nd! It’s called “On Q”. A play on our nickname “Quin”. It’s would have been out earlier but … as you up to date fans will recall … we had a burglary that involved a hard drive that had all our live recordings on it. Thankfully, Darren, our resident computer genius, was able to remove the files from a piece of gear the tunes had been processed through and extracted the raw material and patiently re-mixed and reprocessed all the data. The only problem is we can’t tell you where most of the songs were recorded as everything got scrambled in the retrieval process. We did them over quite a period of time and have only our own memories of the performances in question to go by. So remember, if you’d like o support us head down to your local CD vendor and request a copy!
As you will see by the CD liner notes, I am very pleased to have re-recorded these tunes because I feel the true “live” Harlequin sound has been finally captured. I only wish it were a DVD so you could see the fun we had doing this album. I think if you listen closely … you’ll hear our enjoyment! In fact the CD features not only a live collection of our greatest hits, but we have also captured each of the boys singing a new Harlequin tune too! We always have such a great time together, we’re thinking of putting out a live DVD of what goes on …after the show … it would be played on the Comedy Network, I’m sure. Do they play X-rated material?
Our first opportunity to get “On Q” to you will be at My Bar in the Canad-Inns on Regent Ave. May 30th in our hometown Winnipeg. Admission is free but you can get advance tickets by calling the Canad-Inns… apparently these won’t guarantee you admittance. Go figure!!
Well I think another pig just flu over the house and left a little something … actually it’s a raccoon and as hard as it is to believe … they do their business on my roof with … ahem …regularity. I’m going to the Goodwill to get me an Elmer Fudd hat and a used BB gun to deal with this situation! When it happened the first time, I phoned the roofing company and asked them to fire the party responsible for the offensive deposit. The fellow asked me how “fresh” the “package” was then reminded me they hadn’t been there for weeks. I mumbled an apology and hung up! The other day I noticed one of the little buggers sitting on my garage, doing his thing while looking through my kitchen window. He was watching “Dancing with the Stars” on the TV with my wife. Hell … I never get to do that!!
Hey … as long as we’re on the topic of excrement … did you all do your taxes yet? The “word” got tossed around quite a bit last week in my house. I hope they have a plan for that money to help our economy grow …if not … I have some extra fertilizer I’m not using!!
Well that’s it for me … til pig’s fly!
George

George's Newsletter Feb 08

George’s News

It’s been long c-c-c-ccold winter so how are you c-c-c-c-coping? C-c-c-cac-c-cooning? C-c-c-c-canning kumquats? C-c-c-c-canceling appointments? Hey, it sure is fun running into people that visit our website!! The photos fans send of themselves or of the band are very much appreciated! I only wish we could post them all!! Unfortunately a lot of them haven’t made it past the censors … who have absolutely no sense of humor... “Heavy sigh”… effen guys!! A little nudity and debauchery never killed anyone … in this band … yet!! Oh! The mammaries!! EH! I think there’s something wrong with my spell-check!
Here at Quin Headquarters we’ve been busy writing music for our next project. We’re thinking maybe of two releases this year!! We’ve been accumulating live recordings and have quite a bit of material in the can already, but we’re finding the latest versions only get better! So we’ll give it until the end of this summer. Therefore next time we’re in your area make sure you come out and make a lot of noise so we can get your rowdy behavior recorded for posterity!
It’s been a pleasure having A J on board as our new drummer!! We will be outing our new promo shot with him in it very soon!!
Keep on Rockin’

Update From A.J.

Greetings... Darren says it's time for a newsletter from the rookie. So... for those of you who haven't caught a show in the last few months, I'm A.J., nice to meet ya! First calls for Harlequin stick duties came for me in the spring of '94 and sporadic gigs have ensued since then. The full time position was offered this past spring shortly after the release of 'Waking the Jester'.( Good timing for me! ). In the light of the release of ' Rise' and ' Shine on ', there have been great gigs and great times. Highlights would have to be our October 24th show with Heart at the MTS Centre. Not a bad Winnipeg debut for myself with the band. It was great to see all the support from family, friends and fans. My nephew Austin even caught a drumstick! A couple of weeks ago proved to be one hell of a raucous night in the Kamloops arena with Kenny and the boys. It was great to see a B.C. crowd of a thousand plus on their feet from start to finish. Definitely a prairie party in the mountains. Good times. As for the characters I get to spend these Hallmark moments with, George, Darren, Derrick and Uncle Nik, let's just say recess starts when we meet at the airport. Top notch guys, great players and thankfully all possess a penchant for a good adolescent giggle and an undying devotion to anything Beatles. Even with various projectiles aimed at the drumkit which seemingly always come from stage Darren to occasional tom and cymbal stand tipping from Nik, it's a pleasure sharing a stage with these guys. So... Pick up a CD online and help us decide which song from the album should be released as the next single. Better yet come out to a show near you, if it's not near you, make a road trip out of it. Our Christmas show at mybar in Winnipeg( Sat. Dec. 22 ) should be chalk full of Ho Ho Ho's and Christmas cheer. As a bonus you can sit on St. Nik's lap after the show with your wish list. Nice chatting with you , hope to see you soon. A.J. P.S. Allow me to indulge my inner Nugent for a moment... Any of our rural Manitoba ( or Saskatchewan ) landowner fans needing to rid their pastures of pesky ( albeit tasty! ) four legged critters of the white tail variety, please feel free to contact me personally to help you come up with a solution. Bon appetit!