March 18, 1997

It's been awhile since I wrote last. Hey, life's like that. For awhile other things became more important (like rent). Besides I'm a shitty letter returner. Ask anyone I've promised to write to. Anyhow, Steve's been improving the page and adding new stuff, and I have been getting requests from a lot of folks via e-mail (send more! I love it!) and in person about getting some new stuff up here. And I must confess, I've bitched myself about other people's "static" websites. So I'll stop being what I hate for a few minutes and let you all into my world.

Last I recall, I was rambling inanely about MMB's impending CD recording project. I said it would be produced by Kobayashi Miru. That was actually Dave Mockford and I, trying to be funny by giving ourselves a stupid "duo" name, a la Stones' Glimmer Twins. Fortunately, we chickened out and went with the names our parents gave us. The CD got recorded and mixed in 89 hours. We used three ADAT digital 8 track recorders. We mixed at the same studio we recorded in (Crowtown Studios). We mastered at Wolfwillow Studios here in Edmonton. Troy Lissoway is currently working on the cover art. It's gonna be called MAD COWS AND ENGLISHMEN, but if you read my last thing you already know that. It's funny, in retrospect, that we had the album title before we started recording. Hmm.

Mad Cows was my second production using what I've called "guerilla recording tactics". As producer, I treated it as a paramilitary operation. I've read enough of those books and seen enough movies to know that successful paramilitary operations are a result of focus, motivation, skill, and training. The operations themselves usually take place within minutes. In and out. That's how the efficient ones go anyways. Those few minutes of highly skilled and intense activity are made possible through rigorous training. Even the most hardened pros will train for a specific mission. I read James Bond novels, and from time to time he too will train. Don't believe me? Read Live and Let Die. Anyhow, we didn't have much money, so all our studio time had to count. That meant all the nuts and bolts work had to be done before we hit the studio. To accomplish this, we chose the songs months ahead of time, and rehearsed the living shit out of them, even making a four track shitty basement version of the whole thing at one point. Duke has looked at me in negative ways many times in the past, but I've never seen a more murderous look emanating from those particular eyeballs than the one he gave me somewhere around the seventeen billionth run through of the songs. It did get tense, but we recorded and mixed in 89 hours!

That isn't the ideal way to record. But in these economic climes, and the indie scene the way it is, these are modes of survival. To walk away believing you did a good job (which we all did) is pretty amazing under those conditions. You must remember, I've made bloody expensive records too. Too Dumb To Quit cost a ton!! (6 figures, no joke). We got to the point we're at to the tune of $3000 so far. It'll cost about that much to go the last nine yards. And that brings us to where we are.

We played some, of course. We did New Year's Eve at Cork's, and it was flattering to see who came, considering everybody was playing everywhere else in town. Shawn Ohler, rock writer for the Edmonton Journal, spent his (they must be rare) night off at our show. It was refreshing to chat with him off the record and relaxed...no business. Kirk and his friends let their hair down without injury, adding to the ambience. Oz was a good boss, despite the "unusualness" of the situation (ask me later). Another notable gig was opening for Capt. Tractor at The Sidetrack, where we took advantage of the full house and decent sound people and rocked. Joey Harris the former Beat Farmer came to town and we opened for him too. I got on stage and did Powderfinger and Southern Cross with them. It's one thing to go and sing backing vocals, but to be invited to participate in the power of a band is amazing. I knew those songs pretty good. A highlight of my career was when Rollie Love leaned over to me during Powderfinger and said "You're playing it perfectly! It's beautiful!" Also, I finally got to see The Plaid Tongued Devils when we co-billed with them (all these gigs were at The Sidetrack). They were the first band I've truly enjoyed front to back in quite some time, I think since I saw The Terror Of Tiny Town.

Aside from that, we've got piles of new material. We can record another record if we had the means. We've also been, as a bit of a hobby, learning songs written by our friends. So far, we do Runaway Lane and Dumb Love by Jerry Jerry, Golden Boy by Terry Morrison, Judessa by Scott Wicken, Great Western by Ford Pier, and currently I'm knocking around Chris Smith's Shadow Of You. Why are we doing this? I don't know, to spread the good word I guess. And to try to instill a sense of community I suppose. And I have an insatiable need to learn other people's songs. It's how I practice. Why run scales when you can jam to The Who?

On the non-MMB side of things, Agent Bumbo is back together with a little change. Shannon Johnson (of Bourne and Johnson...Juno nominees this year for best roots album Victory Train) has joined Jason Kodie and myself to form the most awesome acoustic power trio known to the free world. Really, her fiddle and the third voice just open things right up, and that's a good thing. Watch for us at North Country Fair this year.

Watch for me at North Country Fair as well. I lucked out and got hired on as a solo, and I plan to put a lot of thought into that show. Playing festivals is better and different than playing sleepy lounges and pubs in that you can actually give a piece of yourself at a festival. maybe it's the open air makes people feel they don't have to get away or talk as loud as possible. Also, you don't hear a cash register clacking out receipts in the middle of a sensitive bridge or other equally delicate quiet part of a song. I have some things to say about Jr. Gone Wild that can only be sung to the right people, and my instincts tell me this is it.

Watch for me also on stage with The Bodkins at NCF. I am third rhythm guitar in that band. I know the Bodkins play a lot of covers, but before you get mad at us getting this choice gig, you should know that they asked us. The Bodkins will deal with all complaints after the show if we should fail to satisfy.

Another important part of my life right now is the Painting Daisies. I am currently producing their debut cd FLAMBESCENCE. Yes, I am using "guerilla recording tactics". It's becoming a method for me. One day I'll get a budget and not know what to do with it. These girls are great singers, their songs are killer, and their happiness in music, their drive, and the fact that they can't seem to stop laughing even during the most grueling studio grinds has been an inspiration to me.

What else. I am now a radio producer/host. Once a month I put on a concert at The Rosebowl, record it, and then edit down to a three song segment which is aired on CJSR 88.5 FM, Edmonton's campus radio station. Our first show was with Luann Kowalek, and last night we recorded local honky tonkers Old Reliable.

Reading back, I seem real busy. Not much of this work pays though, at least not well. The capitalist in me is pissed. Oh well, my mission is an artistic one, so fuck society, I'm gonna do it anyways.

Perhaps the most important thing right now though is the fact that I'm gonna marry Juliette Laplante on May 18. She's been in many of my songs over the years, and she stuck by me even when maybe she shouldn't have. So I'm finally gonna tie the knot. Our wedding will be fun. We've hired my favourite Alberta band to play the reception. They are, of course, The Alien Rebels. Then I'm taking the first vacation of my life. We're honeymooning in Europe. I'm not bringing my guitar. I haven't not played guitar for two weeks since I started playing guitar. Should be interesting.

The end of April is 4 years off booze for me. To all of those out there who were worried about me, it looks like I'm gonna live.

Keep your eyes peeled from time to time for articles I write for SEE magazine. I'm not a regular contributor, so it's hard to say when they'll be in print. Thanks for all the feedback, even the bad stuff. Keep the sunny side up, and the dark side down...

MM

Remember, the MMB home page is interactive. Just e-mail me or Steve, and that's all there is to it. Thanks for listening.

Mike McDonald