| February 10th, 2005 05:43 PM |
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| Make It Funky |
by Tom Brodbeck of Winnepeg Sun
Winnipeg rock legend Randy Bachman spends the past couple of years lobbying to help get the Juno Awards to come to Winnipeg for the first time.
He's asked by Juno organizers to contact another Winnipeg rock legend, Neil Young, and convince him to perform at the televised event, scheduled for April 3 at the MTS Centre.
Bachman travels to the U.S. and finds Young and gets him to agree.
And what does Bachman get from Hogtown Juno organizers for his enthusiasm and effort? A pig sticker in the eye.
Turns out there are no plans for Bachman to perform at the Junos.
He wants to. But they won't invite him.
The folks in Toronto didn't mind using Bachman for their own purposes. But when it came time to pick the lineup for the ceremonies, they told Bachman to sit at the back of the bus.
They want him to hand out an award. That's it. So Bachman says he may not show up at all.
"Something's broken there and I don't know how to fix it without being a dink," Bachman told Winnipeg Sun entertainment reporter Rob Williams in Toronto this week. "If they don't want me on the show, what's the point of going?"
I don't think Bachman's the one being a dink here. I think Juno organizers are being dinks.
Burton Cummings, another Canadian rock hero from Winnipeg, isn't scheduled to perform at the ceremonies, either.
What's up with that?
The Juno Awards are -- finally -- being held in Winnipeg and they're not inviting two of Canada's most important rock icons who grew up in Winnipeg and launched their music careers here.
These are the guys who blazed the trail for future generations of Canadian talent.
The Guess Who was the first Canadian band to score a No. 1 hit single on the U.S. charts in 1970 with American Woman.
Isn't there any recognition of that in Toronto among Juno organizers?
Winnipeg has played a tremendous role in the growth of Canada's music industry.
And now that the Junos are finally being held here, shouldn't the industry be showcasing that contribution by having pioneers like Bachman and Cummings perform at the ceremonies?
It's great that Neil Young has agreed to perform at the awards.
But snubbing Bachman the way they have is a low blow.
It's not only a slap in the face to Bachman. It's a slap in the face to Winnipeg.
Perhaps not altogether surprising, though, coming from we-are-the-centre-of-the-universe-Toronto.
Perhaps Neil Young should boycott the Junos if they don't invite Bachman to perform.
After all, if it wasn't for Bachman, Juno organizers wouldn't even have Young for the event.
I say we flood Juno organizers with a petition demanding that they invite Bachman to perform at the ceremonies.
Fill out the ballot on this page and mail it to us and we'll ship a few boxes to Juno organizers in Hogtown to let them know what we think.
Bachman deserves to perform at the Junos.
Let's speak up on this one.
Drop off or mail to: Junos Protest, c/o The Winnipeg Sun, 1700 Church Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3A2. You can e-mail submissions to [email protected]. Deadline is 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005.
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| February 11th, 2005 03:44 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Well if they snubbed Bachman they're obviously hopeless cases. What the fuck are they thinking? |
| February 11th, 2005 04:24 PM |
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| Make It Funky |
My point exactly. The whole reason Neil Young wanted the JUNOS to be in Winnipeg, was for the support and recognition of The Guess Who. For the Guess Who members to get Neil Young to come Winnipeg totally defeats the purpose!
Thanks for voting! |
| February 12th, 2005 10:00 AM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
Make It Funky wrote:
My point exactly. The whole reason Neil Young wanted the JUNOS to be in Winnipeg, was for the support and recognition of The Guess Who. For the Guess Who members to get Neil Young to come Winnipeg totally defeats the purpose!
Thanks for voting!
Well if that's the case maybe Neil will be a no show. But then again maybe they can work this out. |
| February 12th, 2005 12:02 PM |
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| Taptrick |
From Randy Bachman's homepage: if you are a hockey fan and a Guess Who fan check this out, this is an old Edmonton Oilers jersey made up to say the Guess Who. Seems like there used to be a similar one for the Winnipeg Jets as well.
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| February 12th, 2005 12:41 PM |
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| Lazy Bones |
quote:
Taptrick wrote:
Seems like there used to be a similar one for the Winnipeg Jets as well.
I've got two, old Winnipeg Jets jersey's - my wife's birthplace. A shame they left the Peg. The 'sea of white' was one of the greatest collection of fans in sports.
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| February 12th, 2005 03:23 PM |
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| Taptrick |
Ok - that is the Jets jersey...I see it now! |
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