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Tragically Hip to play for the Governer General
The Ottawa Citizen.Com
By Peter Simpson

Where, you Tragically Hip fans in the National Capital Region may be asking yourselves, can I next see my beloved band play live? Scotiabank Place? no. Bluesfest? No.

Though you can see the Hip play their annual Bluesfest gig in July, the NEXT time you can see them live is next Saturday night, May 3, in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre. The Hip are among the recipients at the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards - the annual, black-tie hoohaw to honour some of the nation's great artists - and they will perform during the gala show.

This is uncommon. There's always one musical recipient each year, and usually they do not perform. Typically, another musician will perform one of the recipient's songs. For example, a few years ago k. d. lang was a recipient, and one of her songs was performed by a rising but still largely unknown singer named Feist. The only recipient I've seen perform during a GG gala was the Guess Who, who were honoured in the same year they reunited for a tour, and they were keen to get up and play. There was a false start, to accommodate the demands of the TV crews, but it was all good.

The only questions is, which song(s) will the Hip do? For the Hip fan, it's a bewildering choice - Last American Exit? Blow at High Dough? Wheat Kings? Grace, too? Little Bones? Locked in the Trunk of a Car? Any would do, but the Official Big Beat Choice for Which Song the Hip Should Play is 50 Mission Cap. Could a song be any more Canadian, any more quintessentially Hip? Furthermore, it rocks like stink.

Tix for the GG gala are available through ticketmaster.ca, or at the NAC box office.


Below, a taste of the Hip from way back.

[youtube]1xO1M3c6aSs[/youtube]

And now the betting begins...

I'll start things off by guessing they play a new tune.

Either that or fireworks and coconut cream. Ha.

I bet twenty dollars that one of the songs will be Ahead By A Century.

It will be Courage or Looking for a Place to Happen :music

A little Jacques Cartier for the Governor General :thumb:

Damn, would be nice to catch another peak at The Hip before the Bluesfest/Belleville shows, but $47.50 is the cheapest tickets I can find and its only for what, one song and a bunch of other stuff that isn't all related to The Hip? Methinks i'll hold out on this one. Cool nonetheless!

Anyone know if this is getting any T.V. coverage?

Ok...just got back from the gala...a little in the bag right now so ignore the spelling mistakes

The Hip had a video introduced by Strombo...it looked like they put a bit of the Kingston show into the video....unfortunately, Gordie wasn't part of the video but the rest of band were...hopefully they will post that video on the website

The Hip finished the show with:
Fully Completely
World Container
Ahead By A Century and
Family Band

I saw Gordie, Johnny and Bobby at the after party and met Eugene Levy and Martin Short during the intermission.

Overall good show but unfortunately the crowd wasn't into it and I believe Gordie mentioned that they may be misunderstood by this crowd before they started into Family Band...but I could be wrong...but my friend TTH700FT broke the silence with a few screams and HIP chants at the NAC...lol
and Gordie did the Harley/Baton thing during Fully Completely and was ready to do a speech at the podium after the song but changed his mind...
so that's it...now I'm looking forward to Bluesfest...see you there...

There's a good shot on the front of the Citizen this morning of Gord and his wife arriving at the Gala. In all my 20 years of following this band, that's the first picture of Gord's wife I have ever seen.......

Anyone got a scan?

Found these on the Ottawa Citizen website

Spark beat me by a minute...

Did the boys have a wardrobe change halfway through the event?

The boys played their 4 songs in their suits. Pretty classy.
It was the first time The Hip had played at te NAC, and the first time the Governor Generals Performing Arts Award/National Arts Centre Award was given to an entire band.

I got to speak to Gord in the VIP room after the show. He said he and the band were honoured to received the award, that he was overwhelmed by the inspiration of not only the other recipients, but also from Michaëlle Jean. I was really taken by his sincerity. The boys were recognized not only as a great rock band, but as true artists, and masters of their craft.
My friend asked if they had a title for the new album yet. Gord sais they had spent the night before really discussing it, but said nothing yet. I'm sure he might not have wanted to let the cat out of the bag, as they was a reporter with us.

Anyway, one of the best nights in my life.

Quote:

Gord D could at least have worn a suit that fit him... :lol:

Same here, in all the years, I have never in person caught a shot of Gord's wife. Well, at the intermission, while I was having some libations on the house, he was walking out the door hand in hand with her. I was more in awe to see her than Gord himself.

Great night all in all. Definitely some sleep periods throughout the evening, but the Hip definitely lit things up at the end of it all. I mean 4 songs, no complaint there. And, ending the brief but well sounding show with Family Band was definitely appropriate....no need to explain why.

To see the Hip perform and recieve such a presitigious award, as well as the free flowing libations at the intermission and at the after party, and lest we forget, Martin Short. I mean, that was just amazing.....all for a cost of only $80. Well worth the price of admission.

Looking forward to a great show and a couple newbies in the summertime at LeBreton Flats. Cannot wait to trample over all of the lawnchairs.