Ears and Eyes of Canada Rejoice!

Although as I type this message the Bastards are on a brief hiatus, it’s not for long!!!! I have just updated many websites with our new tour dates. That’s right…..We don’t know if you got the message on our last foray across the great white north!!! So we’re doing it again.

This is the sequel to our most successful tour ever….not wanting to get to technical, we have named it PART DEUX!!! So lets make the sequel out rock the first tour! Check the tour dates, call your Dad, warn your Mom, tell ALLLLL your friends.

The Bastards are coming back to town!
Check the dates often as I am adding more over the coming weeks!
RAWK!

Sep 11, 2010 10:00 PM Doolys Woodstock, NB
Sep 15, 2010 10:00 PM Snooty Fox Harvest Fest Fredericton, NB
Sep 17, 2010 4:00 PM iRock Club Harvest Fest Fredericton, NB
Sep 17, 2010 9:00 PM Mojo Tent Harvest Fest Fredericton, NB
Sep 18, 2010 8:00 PM Barracks Tent Harvest Fest Fredericton, NB
Sep 29, 2010 7:00 PM The Oasis Cobourg, ON
Sep 30, 2010 9:00 PM Mitzi’s Sister Toronto, ON
Oct 1, 2010 9:00 PM The Lavigne Tavern Lavigne, ON
Oct 4, 2010 9:00 PM Buds On Broadway Saskatoon, SK
Oct 5, 2010 9:00 PM Buds On Broadway Saskatoon, SK
Oct 6, 2010 9:00 PM Buds On Broadway Saskatoon, SK
Oct 8, 2010 9:00 PM The Mainliner Pub Medicine Hat, AB
Oct 9, 2010 9:00 PM The Mainliner Pub Medicine Hat, AB
Oct 12, 2010 9:00 PM Rose & Crown Restaurant Banff, AB
Oct 13, 2010 9:00 PM Rose & Crown Restaurant Banff, AB
Oct 14, 2010 10:00 PM Canmore Hotel Canmore, AB
Oct 15, 2010 9:00 PM Mikey’s Juke Joint Calgary, AB
Oct 16, 2010 9:00 PM Rockwater Bar and Grill Golden, BC
Oct 21, 2010 9:00 PM Old Dog Pub Salmon Arm, BC
Oct 23, 2010 8:00 PM The Legion Prince George, BC *Presented by the PG Blues Underground*
Oct 25, 2010 9:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Oct 26, 2010 9:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Oct 27, 2010 9:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Oct 28, 2010 10:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Oct 29, 2010 10:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Oct 30, 2010 3:00 PM Blues on Whyte *matinee* Edmonton, AB
Oct 30, 2010 10:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Oct 31, 2010 9:00 PM Blues on Whyte Edmonton, AB
Nov 4, 2010 10:00 PM Downstream Bar Jasper, AB
Nov 12, 2010 9:00 PM Blue Gator Kelowna, BC
Nov 13, 2010 9:00 PM Blue Gator Kelowna, BC
Nov 18, 2010 9.00 PM Rod & Gun Pub Parksville, BC
Nov 21, 2010 8:00 PM Victoria Blues Society Presents Victoria, BC
Nov 26, 2010 9:00 PM The Auditorium Hotel Nanton, AB
Nov 27, 2010 9:00 PM Mikey’s Juke Joint Calgary, AB
Nov 30, 2010 10:00 PM Buds On Broadway Saskatoon, SK
Dec 1, 2010 10:00 PM Buds On Broadway Saskatoon, SK
Dec 2, 2010 9:00 PM Pump Jack’s Bar Weyburn, SK
Dec 10, 2010 10:00 PM Bearly’s Halifax, NS
Dec 11, 2010 10:00 PM Bearly’s Halifax, NS
Dec 17, 2010 10:00 PM Red Herring Pub Saint Andrews, NB
Dec 18, 2010 10:00 PM Red Herring Pub Saint Andrews, NB

Man. I feel like I’ve been such a slacker and that I’ve neglected y’all in Blog world. Well I have been a lil busy so it’s not like nothings been going on….

We just finished a quickie with Ontario and then did our annual three night run in St. Andrews NB at The Red Herring. We have a long history with the folks who own that bar and it’s always like going home. This past weekend was no exception. We had a killer time and the crowds were awesome. Big ups to everyone who came out on the Sunday. What a freakin’ time!

Since I’m still homeless I’ve been hanging the past week at the family camp at Davidson Lake. It’s been awesome but there is no internet so I gotta come to the city to work. Oh well pros n cons I guess. I Just finished a radio bit with Matt Rainnie at CBC in Charlottetown that will air today. We’re promoting the Cd release show that happens Saturday at The Alibi in Charlottetown. We’re stoked to get back to the island and rock a new joint! Show starts at 9.30pm and the cover is $10. Tell a friend!

Ok, so I FINALLY edited up some more footage of our west coast tour video. This is a little compilation of our time at the amazing Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet BC. We get to see some beautiful places and this joint was right near the top. Imagine The Bastards staying at a world class resort! We were beside ourselves. This is definitely the nicest place we’ve ever stayed. I’m editing some video of the other end of the accommodation spectrum now so I hope to have that done in a week or so! Enjoy this video and remember if you are viewing on Facebook visit www.rossneilsen.com as the video’s don’t play so well. Also the video is from my crappy camera so it’s poor quality but hey, it’s all I got!

I hope y’all are well and enjoying summer! Rock ya soon,

Ross

Hey all! Well after a few NB shows and a weeks vacay we got back into Ruby this AM to trek to Ontario for a week. Today is a drive day as our first shows are in North Bay.

It took us a while to get moving but after a crappy lunch at the 40 Acre in Grand Falls and a stop at the Edmunston Wal Mart for some supplies we we’re well on our way. It’s hot and sunny now which is a nice contrast to the rainy morning.

We tried our new van coffee maker today. I picked it up in bangor at Mardens for 6.99! Great deal. We velcroed it to the cooler for easy, safe coffee brewing. Turns out it only makes 2 cups and takes about 20mins but the good news is once you hit start you just have to sit and wait! Sure enough, tasty van coffee! We’ll see how long it takes is to get too lazy to use it and revert to shitty gas station coffee!

Anyhow, just wanted to let y’all know we’re back out there so come and get it!

MB

Hi all,

Well we are taking a short break in our tour schedule for some vacation/family time. Im heading into Maine to an undisclosed location to recharge. I won’t be taking my phone or computer so if you need something Bastard related please contact Shawn Bastard. Just leave a note on the comments here with your email of number and well get back to ya. Otherwise I’ll be back online on the weekend and will follow up with the emails and calls.

When we get back in action we’ll be rocking Ontario so check the tour dates and get on out to a show!

Rock on

MB

Hi folks,

Wanted to let y’all know that there has been a last minute venue change for tonights CD release in Hampton.

The show has been moved to the new Concert Hall in the Vintage Bistro. There will be free rooftop BBQ from 6-8pm and the rocking will commence at 8pm. Price is $15 and we’ll have lots of copies of the new CD for ya. Hope to see you there.

Ross

Well, first I must apologize for my slackness lately. I know I haven’t been posting updates like I should. Don’t worry. When I get home I ll sort through the memories and post some more.

You can always tell the turning point in the tour when it goes from mindless fun touring to hanging on by your finger tips due to severe sleep deprivation, poor food and long hours sitting in the van touring. Most folks we talk too seem to think 9 weeks is a lot or too much for a tour. If you had asked me earlier this week I may have agreed but today I had a great sleep in a comfy hotel so I feel renewed.

Fortunately the last stretch before we made the long trek home was a string of some of our fav venues so that always helps!

The past week was filled with 19 and 12 hour drives and it really beat is down but we made it. We just played our last non maritime show for a few weeks. It was at the acoustic grill in picton. It’s an awesome place filled with good people beer and food! Now we re waiting for the ferry on highway 33 and then we ll be hitting it hard for home.

We re very stoked to be getting home to friends and family. It’s been our best tour ever. Some kick ass shows, a wedding, good hangs with friends, LOTS of BBQ and great food. Just awesome. Just the same though we re excited to rock our last 12 hour drive to get home and relax for 48 hours before getting back to it. The tour might be over for the west but it’s just the beginning for another leg of Eastern shows. Check out the dates and get on out to a show. As for the Western Canada folks – thank you to everyone who helped us make the tour a success. All the folks who let us crash and of course the peeps who keep coming out to the show! Y’all rock. See you in the fall.

And now?

Onward through the night.

MB

It was pretty cool for me to finally get a chance to chat with Holger. I’ve listened to him for a long time so to be on the other end of the program was a little surreal. We had a great chat. We spoke at great length about the recording of Redemption as well as the life and times of the great Jim Dickinson and his amazing family. Interview is broken into two parts. I hope you enjoy listening.
01 Holger Interview Track 01

And here is Part two:
02 Holger interviewTrack 02

So last Friday at Blues On Whyte we met a lady named Dixie. Dixie is a friend of my best friend Jim. Dixie owns a Tattoo Shop with a dude named Kris Schule. The Shop is called Zen Custom Tattooing. After some chatting about it, I told Dixie we’d stop in to see what’s what on Monday.

Well Today is Monday. We stopped by the shop this afternoon but the young apprentice we spoke with said they were booked until Wednesday. Of course we had to leave town on Wednesday so that wouldn’t work. After a few moments, Kris, the aforementioned owner came by to say hi. After some chit chat Kris suggested we come back at 10pm and he would stay late and tattoo us.

After a brief foray to the Mall and Hudsons, we hit the internet to gather tattoo ideas. Around 9pm we gathered ourselves to head on over to the shop. All went well. Shawn and I got in for some work, unfortunately for our pal Jim we used up all the time so Jim had to reschedule (as he is from Edmontown and could come back later). Sorry Jim!!!! We’d like to say a big thanks to Kris Schule for working late and squeezing us in. This is a great shop folks. If you are in Edmonton hit ‘em up…..
Zen Custom Tattooing.
Email: ink@zencustomtattooing.com
Website: http://64.37.66.221/~zencusto/?page_id=14
Location:
5908 104ST (Calgary Trail)
Edmonton, AB

Here are some pics. Enjoy!

As indicated in Episode 1, we take requests each week for a classic Poison cover by ole Master Bastard. This week we have guest appearance by Jeem. The Edmonton Compound Manager. After sifting through THOUSANDS of requests this is what we have come up with. Enjoy
Poison_song_of_the_week_2

Well we’re halfway through our week long stint at our home in western Canada, Blues on Whyte. It’s been a fun few shows so far. Real nice to be back. This joint has a real family vibe about it for me. The staff are surly, and the patrons are crazy but we love it. Monday and Tuesday were, as expected, slower nights but we still sold some discs and had a nice ease into our week. Tuesday was real fun as the patrons that were there were pretty colorful mentally. There was one old man who referred to himself as Poppa Morocco! He was a good source of comedy! Last night we had a decent crowd for a Wednesday and had a good show. Again, the CD’s were selling! Big Mike was back on shift and I had a great time giving him a hard time. We also had a visit from Peter North – NO, not THAT Peter North. THIS Peter used to write for the Edmonton Journal. For 20 plus years Peter was the guy writing about music in the Journal. It was nice to see him out to put a face on the name.

We’re through the 9pm starts and tonight we kick off the weekend with the late shifts, 10pm -2am. As we get closer to Saturday excitement is building. A little BBQ tonight and then we’ll be rocking again before you know it. C’mon down to Whyte ave and rock out with us will ya?

MB