Status: Single
City: Montreal
State: Quebec
Country: CA
Signup Date: 1/11/2006
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November 9, 2009 - Monday
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Less than two weeks ago we were playing our first stadium ever and it was in Mexico City. The stadium was called Plaza Del Toro and it is for bullfighting. It rained, but we played the best show of our lives. 2 inches of water was on stage, the tarps were falling and creating these waterfall explosions onto us. Needless to say, the 45,000 people scheduled to be there, didn't all stay out in the tropical post hurricane storm we played in. But those who did stay are die-hard party animals and music fans, which made it an incredibly fun show to play (that and getting soaked and banana sliding on the catwalk!)
Today we arrived in Mexico again. I just had enough time to fix my keyboards back in Montreal from the water damage (thank you Boite A Musique!!!!) and we were on the plane.
We arrived this afternoon on absolutely no sleep, aand instead of heading for bed, we were invited by the Castro brothers (two seriously hot men who take care of international bands at the label) to see The Killers play.
It was a great show and we went out for drinks with The Killers crew afterwards. No I am sitting in the hotel room trying to figure out how come when you pass your tired stage and get a second wind you seem to have more energy that ever.
I think all my energy is coming from adrenaline: we are playing the 2nd largest stadium in THE WORLD on tuesday. Aaaaaah!!!! 100,000 people attend this event.
And they are announcing good weather. I'm freaking out. Viva Mexico!!!!
Love, CowBella
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October 3, 2009 - Saturday
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I just saw one of the most inspirational musical performances of my life.
His name is Irving Fields and he is a 94 year old pianist.
From difficult Rachmaninoff pieces to songs like New York, New York the old man played for two hours, not using any sheet music. No joke, he played every song by memory -- and he even played requests.
He stood up between each song to explain why he'd chosen to play the following composition, and, an hour into it, he said,
"Okay now it's time for intermission -- not because I need a break... I can keep playing for hours... But this piano needs a break from ME."
The man simply loves music and that's what keeps him going. I was totally inspired, I don't ever want to quit.
Irving Fields is my new role model.
Supposedly he plays NYC 5 nights a week!!
Amazing.
Love, CowBella
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September 21, 2009 - Monday
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I was always bad in math. I did great in art class, loved music and writing and science was alright, but I get superstitious when it comes to numbers. They have to add up to equal my lucky number or else I feel I'll have bad luck.
That said, music has never been about counting for me, which is why I dropped out of music in University. It's about feel. I'd be caught dead playing music all the while going, "1,2,3,4.. 2,2,3,4...3,2,3,4." Instead, I bop my head and feel it instinctively.
I understand why musicians have to count and that it is important for many styles and forms of music. I understand that numbers are universal and so is music. I understand that music is space in time and time in our culture moves forward in numbers, but I don't like this about our culture.
Numbers, for me conjure images of competitiveness. What size are you? How much can you bench press? How much money do you have in your savings account? These are all negative things to me because they are comparative and create a competitive distance between people.
I don't like to count when I am playing music, and I don't like to count when I am talking about music. How may albums have you sold in Canada? How many times does your song play on the radio? How many people were at your show? 134,666,777,999 and 99 cents. That's how many.
I think music should be about togetherness and not competitiveness. I have been as inspired by a "successful" band as I have been by a lonely busker trying to make a dime.
When I playing in my band, I am not counting or thinking about numbers. My head is bopping and that's it. When I am watching another band play, I am not counting how many people are in the audience. I am bopping my head.
If you are a musician and you are talking to me and see me me bopping my head, it's because you are talking about numbers and I am trying to block you out.
CowBella
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September 12, 2009 - Saturday
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We're really excited to be opening up for The Sounds. They suit us just right, it should be a good team up. They've got a punk vibe with great pop sensibility. Reminds me a lot of The Ramones, actually, with a hot, aggressive blonde chick in the mix.
This is my favorite song and video of theirs, it's called Hit Me. Love the rompiness of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQN7gdiyyak&feature=related
Can't wait to see them live and warm up their crowd.
CowBella
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September 1, 2009 - Tuesday
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Hi. We're in the beautiful city of Monterrey, Mexico. The Mexican people we've met so far have a high appreciation for music that makes your booty shake. They are so aware of all the work and artistry it takes to make a song groove, be it the use of percussions, the relationship with the drums and bass, or the rhythmic gestures of guitars and keys.... so far, every person who has interviewed us has appreciated the musicality behind danceable music.
Needless, to say, they like us here! Finally! Someone likes us! Ha ha ha. We are on the top 10 of a major radio station, and made it to #2, ahead of Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas, and Beyonce. Crrrrrrrrazy.
We woke up in Montreal after a long tour of the east coast. It was 4am and we had to be at the airport at 5am.
We landed in Monterrey at 5pm, so 12 hours of traveling and they drove us to the hotel to change for 10 minutes, then boom, we were soundchecking in a stadium that fills 15,000 people!
In the car, we heard our song playing. So cool.
We then did a few interviews and they took us out for a local delicacy that, like many delicacies, is a vegetarian's nightmare. Baby goat. Huge plates of unidentifiable meat came to the table. Chunks of white fat bubbled out of bones and this was accompanied by tequila and beer.
Our sound man, Dan, said, "This is a German's dream come true. Lots of meat and beer!"
Tonight we play that stadium. Wish us luck, CowBella
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July 22, 2009 - Wednesday
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Our tour for the Maritimes started off with us bringing all our gear down to the sidewalk and waiting for hours with no van coming to pick us up.
All the vans in Montreal had been rented and we were in a crisis. Five hours later, we found the machine that would take us on an east coast trip that would be roughly 10,000 kilometers: a van with no windows, wood paneling and sheep shit on the floors. It stuuuuuunk. But it was OUR van, damn it! So we decided to make it our own.
We light incense daily and I have been making a collage on the left wooden wall to replace the beautiful scenery we keep missing.
We've played Nova Scotia, PEI and now were in Charlottetown.
So far it's been party time in the Maritimes, along with walks in the woods and building sand castles on every beach we can stop at.
We just took our 4th ferry to the Magdalene Islands and are playing 2 shows out here, at one of our favorite venus in Canada: Pas Perdu.
Then we drive to Halifax and open for Akon at Summerfest, we hop on a plane to Toronto, open for Akon out there, the fly back to Halifax to finish our Maritimes tour in our little sheep-shit van.
Love,
CowBella
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June 20, 2009 - Saturday
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I think we might be Vampires.
The AZ Party was... WOW.
We played our fucking HEARTS out!!!!! If the French don't like us, there is nothing we can do, because we went up there with our souls on fire, our minds set ablaze, and our feet off the ground.
The party continued long after the show ended. Models and men in fancy suits covered every wall. We laughed backstage and went to a girl named Elodie's place. Meli and Kim played acoustic guitar and had the whole room singing along as the sun rose pink over rooftops and landed on the carpet around us.
We got to bed at 7am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woke up at 5pm, and Meli said, "Phew! We woke up just in time for supper!" We went to dinner and said, "No booze tonight!" And before we could say "No thank you," wine was poured into our glasses.
We went on a cab ride tour of Paris. Passed by Transvestite areas where chicks with dicks and better hair than me walked with their fake tits out in the open night air. We were in TOTAL SHOCK.
Meli Mae and I came back to the hotel at 3am, not at all tired, so we ended up drinking two bottles of wine until 11 in the freakin' morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We listened to music in our hotel room, dancing, crying, giggling, playing favorite song after favorite song. We watched the sun rise and turn into a haze. We walked out to by water at 9am, totally wasted off our asses. It was like we were in a dream. People were opening their stores, we were drunk and reckless.
It is now 7pm and I woke up an hour ago. Once again, I am proud to say that I have not missed dinner. Oh, jetlag. You are so weird.
Love, CowBella
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June 17, 2009 - Wednesday
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Today was our second day in Paris. We woke up at 6am and played Pop Culture live on Virgin France.
Then we hit another radio station called OUI fm 102.3 and did an interview with a very sexy lady named Linda -- who should be on TV, not radio, she's THAT cute. We had a blast in there. Meli Mae got up on the table smack in the middle of the interview and started dancing... I was so proud, I think a tear formed in my eye...
Next, we went to play four live songs at MOUV fm and their studio was HUGE. Gorgeous wood paneling everywhere, 20 foot ceilings... but the best part was their collection of vintage keyboards. They had a rhodes, a hammond, a harpsichord and a grand piano.
I fell in the love with the feel and sound of the grand piano within seconds. Then I layed my fingers on the harpsichord and my mission in life was decided: I must own a grand piano and a harpsichord in my lifetime. Even if it means I must live in a space that can only fit these two instruments, I will throw away my fancy clothes, get rid of the fridge and stove and play these instruments all day.
At the very least, I absolutely have to have harpsichord and grand piano on our next album. It can be like Eminem & Dr Dre styles mixed with The Beatles St Pepper's. Boom, done.
Tomorrow we play a private party for our record label, AZ and we look forward to extravagance extraordinaire. If I don't write for a few days, it's because I'm too hungover.
Love, CowBella
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May 21, 2009 - Thursday
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China tour: The Great Wall
13 jours de pur bonheur! J’ai décidé de faire ce blog en quelques parties parce que c’est carrément trop intense!! Nous sommes atterri à Beijing dans le plus gros aéroport du monde… nous avons eu une 1ere impression de grandeur à l’image de ce pays! Si je décris en quelques mots qu’est-ce que c’est de jouer en Chine, ça donne ça : on sent une envie de découvrir et beaucoup de complicité avec le public (j’ai bien aimé ce que Cowbella a dit après un de nos show…’’on ne peut pas se comprendre avec nos langage respectifs mais on sait qu’on se comprend quand on danse ensemble’’) …tout le monde fume à l’intérieur, il n’y a jamais assez de toilettes pour la capacité du bar, jamais de papier de toilette, les toilettes = un trou par terre, les toilettes c’est dégueu et je bois moins de liquide pour aller moins souvent au toilette parce que toilette = waaaaaaa! Ce n’est pas que mon plus grand souvenir de chine soit une pièce de 3 pieds par 3 pieds mais disons que c’est un choc culturel et surtout hygiénique!
Je pourrais écrire un blog de 200 000 mots pour essayer de décrire notre trip à la muraille de chine mais je vais essayer vous condenser le tout….on nous a donné 3 choix de visites dont 2 qui étaient touristiques et 1 plus aventure ... nous avons choisi l’aventure...bien sur!! Une mini van (je dirais des années 70) est venu nous chercher a l’hôtel et nous avons roule pendant 2h pour s’y rendre. Nous passions dans des petits villages à flanc de montagne et ces montagnes, c’était juste vraiment trop grandiose... le chemin pour s’y rendre était magnifique. Il y avait des vieux monsieur qui dormait le long de la route sous des gros arbres en fleurs ..tout blanc. Des jardins en étage, des ponts de roche super étroit mais de 50 pieds de haut. Ensuite nous avons tourné dans un petit chemin tout bossé et roulé vers la montagne …nous avons bien ri quand nous avons vu une pancarte qui disait : accès interdit au touristes!!
Nos guides étaient 2 filles et un homme et ils ne parlaient pas un mot anglais...comme la majorité des chinois. Mais David (notre soundman) avait un petit livre avec des phrases clés et on réussissait drôlement bien à se faire comprendre. Ensuite la randonné a commencé et nous avons grimpé la montagne pendant environ 30 min pour finalement arriver à la muraille. Vue que l’endroit n’était pas touristique, nous avons pu voir la muraille dans son état naturelle, c'est-à-dire, en ruine! Nous avons même du en escalader une partie pour atteindre le dessus! La vue que nous avons eu en se levant était juste malade...j’espère que mes photos vont rendre le 1/10 de ce que c’était en vrai!! À certains endroits nous marchions sur des rebords de 2-3 pieds de large avec le vide à nos côtés...quel trip. Et dire qu’une des filles qui nous guidait avait des souliers à talon!! L’expérience était très intense et assez cardio car la muraille se promène de haut en bas suivant le top de la montagne...nous étions vraiment en plein milieu de la jungle chinoise...j’ai vue des petits lézards et des super beaux oiseaux avec une longue queue. C’était la journée parfaite, gros soleil pas de nuages avec une petite brise qui est la quand tu en as besoin!
Après s’être promené quelques heures sur la murailles nous sommes revenus sur nos pas ...c’était dur de s’arrêter pour s’en retourner...On voulait toujours voir plus loin... sur chaque bout de montagne il y avait une tour ... alors on voulait toujours aller voir si la prochaine vue allait nous donner plus de frisson que la dernière!! Sur le chemin du retour Kim a demandé au guide de nous emmener dans un restaurant et il nous a emmené dans une place trop cool. On a mangé dehors sur le bord d’un ruisseau dans un espèce d’auberge en plein milieu de nulle part. La bouffe etait vraiment bonne. Nous étions 5 + les 3 guides ...nous avons commander 8 plats différant avec de la bière et nous avons paye le repas de nos guides et ça nous a coûté l’équivalent de 7$ canadiens chacun. Le coût de la vie est vraiment bas. Notre trip nous a coûté 250 yuan chaque…soit 40$ canadiens pour le trip de notre vie... c’est vraiment rien.
Suite du trip en Chine bientôt!
Love, Meli Mae
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May 14, 2009 - Thursday
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Were we just in China????? Man, traveling is fucked up.
20 hours on a plane and then you're on the complete other side of the globe.
We got picked up at the airport and stepped out into the steamy, polluted haze of Beijing.
We saw the Forbidden City and climbed a "No Tourists Allowed" part of the Great Wall and we played a show at one of the only bars in Beijing that houses rock bands.
We were shocked to find out people smoked in bars. It was like living in Back To The Future -- The Chinese Version. We played with Final Flash and fell in love with their music and sound.
We next flew to Shanghai were everyone gets Shanghigh on Shanghash. Played for 350 Chinese people and felt like the language barrier was finally crossed. People danced and clapped and sang the melodies with us. The whole, "Music is a Unversal Language" was really felt by us, it was great.
It was incredible to watch So-Called sing his Jewish hybrid hip hop songs and have the Chinese people dancing around. picking up the words and rhythms.
We then flew to Shenzen, where literally thousands and fucking THOUSANDS of markets are clustered together, divided by ATM machines, it's like Vegas for shoppers, and while I was there, a song started to form in my head. The words are pretty complex but I'll share it with you anyway. It goes like this:
BUY BUY BUY
BUY BUY BUY
BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY
BUY BUY BUY
BUY BUY BUY
BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY.
Our show in Shenzin was rockin. The night before we played, Hollerado played and, man they are AWESOME. Mark my words: Hollerado are going to be HUGE. We made tons of new friends there (humans and cockroaches) and the next morning we were driven to Hong Kong.
When we arrived, all we wanted to do was decompress so the five of us ferried to Lamma Island, a fisherman's island where no cars exist. Once there, everything I bought in Shenzen was useless and eaten up by lizards and jungle ants.
The only thing I wore was army pants, a turban, and a loose shirt. The turban picked up most of the spiders and caterpillars dangling from bamboo tops in the jungle, and... I never want to eat sea food again.
Love,
CowBella
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