Hey folks,
I've been asked by the production company currently making a documentary about the boys to come up with some questions from the fanbase.
They need questions by Friday, that's just 60 hours from this posting.
So, if you could ask Gord two questions, what would they be?
If you could ask any other member of the band one question, what would it be?
Thanks,
S
Sing to end all songs.
1. The background vocals are a beautiful almost separate story within the song. I find myself singing along to the background on many songs rather than following the lead.
It is what I consider a signature of The Hip that not many other bands are able to utilize.
Who came up with the idea and who was the genius that keeps carrying it on?
2. What the hell are all the background lyrics to Poets? (And I. Can't find. The time. To mind)
What are the rest?
3. I was at one of your shows (Grape Jam, Erie, PA) where the snow fence in front of the crowd rush gave way and the crowd collapsed on top of each other. What is your scariest concert moment?
1. Of all the songs that ended up on the cutting room floor over the years by far my favorite is Get Back Again. My question is do you have a favorite song of those that fell short of making an album and has there ever been talk of releasing "Now for side B"?
2. What are your top 3 best written songs in the Tragically Hip library?
3. How hard has it been to select the songs to play through the years? Certain songs haven't been played in 20 years , certain played for the first time in 20 years in the past couple of tours.
Thanks for letting us know Stephen, Cheers - Glen
For the band:
1. why, after 15 years of resolutely never playing it, did fiddler's green become a common pick in the setlist after 2006?
2. Why have you not played a song off the EP in 20 years?
For Gord:
3. What prompted you to start playing acoustic guitar live? You're one of the most evocative frontmen ever, and it seemed to restrain you...what was the thought process?
For Gord Downie: Every tour you seemed to re-invent yourself both visually and creatively on stage. I imagine this was a conscience decision but I'd like to hear more about this process. It is certainly fun for us fans. What was your favorite period (tour/album) of the band? Who or what inspired you to start ranting/poetry etc during instrumental interludes of songs?
Paul or Johnny: GD's antics on stage are legendary. How difficult is it to keep songs together when Downie is off the rails (ranting, antics) and not even close to where he should be. It always amazes me that the band never wavers.... Paul (for some reason GD seems to gravitate to him on stage more than the others) holds it together during some of the most hilarious Downie moments. Out of all the zaniness on stage, how do you keep it together and not crack up or lose where you are in the song?
Any member: Was there ever a time that someone was going to leave the band? A situation or argument...or even outside influence that nearly tore the band apart.
Johnny: As much as GD re-invents himself on stage each tour, your drums and playing to a small extent change from tour to tour also. Obviously some of this is from endorsement commitments but who are your drum influences? What made you start playing drums? Favorite players? What age did you start playing?
All: Do you guys always go from gig to gig on bus? This seems like a very trying situation even for the best of friends but you guys seem to dig it. How do you guys cope? Does anyone ever get on the nerves of the others more than the rest? Who gets control of the bus stereo?
All: When was the very first time you guys got together and jammed? Was it magic or simply another rehearsal? Where was it? When was it etc...
My brain is coming up blank.... I'm sure there are better questions but that's a start....lol.
Very cool Stephen, thanks for thinking of us!
To Gord: When you participated in "If You Could Read My Mind" with Gordon Lightfoot, Laurie Brown shared pictures of your notes that you prepared with respect to the song writing process. I was fascinated by those pages and wonder if there are more like this out there? I also pored over the liner notes in MMP, so thank you for sharing those.
To the band: I often feel that people were "born" to do something, and you all were clearly born to be musicians, performers, artists, producers, etc. If you weren't an artist, is there a career that you could have seen yourself pursuing? Are any of you "suits and ties" kind of guys, or number crunchers?
Thanks Stephen.
1. What venue/city do you enjoy playing?
2. Was "Another Roadside Attraction" successful? Why did the band not peruse more festival style tours?
3. Did the band ever consider a acoustic tour?
For the band:
I've seen you play live 23 times, and out of those shows there are a couple that really stand out for me. Most notably, the second Fort York show on June 24, 2006. It was the first time you played 38 Years Old in over 12 years. Are there any specific shows that stand out for you guys, and if so, what is the reason?
What song was the easiest for you guys to write in terms of everything just coming together quickly, and everything falling into place right away. On the other hand, what song did you guys have to work the hardest on to get just right?
For Gord:
How has your approach to writing lyrics changed over the years, or has your process stayed relatively the same? Can you describe your process, or is it wildly different song to song, or album to album?
For Gord:
How much did having a family change or influence your songwriting?
What's in your record collection?
For band:
If you could pick one band to cover one of your songs -- who, and what song?
....man, there are a lot of really specific questions I'd like to ask about words or phrases in songs, but I guess the intent of this is a bit more band history and insight into their relationship, versus, "what does trace of mint" mean?
Gord, what's the story behind your belt buckle?
The love and respect you share for each other were clear over this last tour. Was there ever a time during your career that was difficult for the band?
Where is a place you have never toured but would really like to? Why?
For each member of the band: Is there one album in the band's catalog you are particularly proud of? Why?
1. How did you construct the set list for the Kingston MMP show, knowing how many people were watching and knowing most people believed it could be the last Hip show ever?
2. Was there a special significance to the Jaws t-shirt worn on the MMP tour?
3. Of your entire career, what specific moments and shows stand out to you the most, and why?
- After Phantom Power, the band had planned to take a train (to New Orleans?) and write along the way but this got nixed. I believe the writing session for Music @ Work then happened in a more conventional fashion, when the record was done it leaked months early, and didn't sell as well as previous records and the band promoted it less than the previous records (only one video). Did the band sense a shift in their popularity, and musical tastes at the time? To an outsider, this seemed like a shift were some casual fans got off The Hip bandwagon, was this a challenging time for the band?
For any of the guys: in a documentary (Full Fledged Vanity) from earlier in the touring life of the band, you noted that one of the challenges of life on the road touring was keeping busy during the downtime between shows. Did that remain one of the big challenges over the years, or did you grow to appreciate the down time? How have the downtime activities evolved over the years? Still touring the finest mini-golf courses across North America?
For any of the guys: what calendar year of the band's career would you most like to relive again? Why?
For any of the guys: I've always enjoyed the last lines of Sherpa as an explanation of where that line in the sand is, on whether to keep going or to end something. Whether the lines were intended to refer to the band itself or not, has the band ever got to (or was headed in the direction of) the point where you "neither love nor hate it", and thoughts of "laying down and obliterating it" began to creep in? If so, how did you/ the band get back to caring enough to love or hate it again, and to continue on together making music?
1. You guys have shared the stage with many incredible bands/artists over the course of your career. What are some of your favorite memories from touring with other musicians? Is there a particular tour that stands out from the others?
2. For each member: After making 14 albums together, which one stands out as your favorite recording experience, and why?
3. For each member: What are your top 5 desert island albums?