[dyersbay]

:welcome

[laliber]

Bump :jump
cuz its been a while (2004) and it is cool to see lots of the ole hipbasers posting for the 1st time - and for the recent --- we all have a story why we are fans

[The Darkest Canuck]

there are many stages of my journey:

- I've pretty much always enjoyed hearing the hip on the ready, honestly, as long as i can remember (which is roughly 1987), i've been reaching to turn up the volume whenever they hit the airwaves

- My youngest aunt and older cousin have been fans since UTH in 89, so I'd heard nothing but good things about "The Hip" from a very young age, and heard that album in particular quite a bit from the time i was 3 or 4...

- 94, really, the year i had a "musical awakening"...discovered Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Our Lady Peace, Junkhouse, and when i heard Greasy Jungle for the first time it was mind boggling...how music could be both hard rocking and laidback (for lack of a better term) at the same time...it was just a magical songs for me, and still is...

- christmas 95, my father (whom for reasons i won't get into, didn't celebrate with the rest of the family, just me and my mom) got me R.E.M. Monster, which was what i wanted...however, my aunt had also got me Monster for Christmas, however, she'd got my older cousin UTH, so she suggested we just switch presents, and seeing as he didn't mind and was equally interested in Monster, I got UTH! fate is funny like that sometimes...


- in 1997, when my Uncle/Godfather passed away, we had like a draft/lottery system to divide his cd's amongst family members, as everybody wanted certain ones for sentimental reasons, and of course, for musical taste...so, my #1 pick was U2-Under A Blood Red Sky, #2 was Pink Floyd-Animals, and #3...FULLY COMPLETELY...already a huge fan of Meridian (reason why i drafted it so high), i was eager to listen to the rest of it, and that was probably the biggest turning point...to this very day, it is still my favourite album of theirs', shortly after i "borrowed" :lol: Day For Night from my cousin, and still have it to this very day :lol:

- 98, POETS! if FC was the turning point, then PPwas the point of no return! got the album immediately upon its release, bought the rearranged album cover "fast erect" shirt at the mall, video taped the "Something On" (they need to release that as a dvd!) special from much music, waited outside the Sudbury Arena for tix in the cold, saw them Feb 15 for the first time, and it was wild...beyond my wildest dreams wild...and much to my delight, most of the set consisted of material from PP and FC!



- 2000, when i learned that the hip were returning to the Sudbury arena (tix going on sale two days after my birthday!) i went to Zellers and bought UTH (my original had gone missing by that point), Road Apples, and s/t, a week after that i bought TATH and M@W, and my collection was complete! got front row tix to the show, it was every bit as incredible as the show in 99, and ever since then, i've told people that The Hip are my favourite band, surpassing (but not replacing) my beloved Smashing Pumpkins, and tried desperately to seek out every possible bit of hip-related music and knowledge as i can! :thumb:

all that being said, Sudbury Bluesfest in 2004 was kick ass, and I can't wait to add another chapter to the saga January 27th at the Sudbury Arena! they say the third time's the charm, and although i've seen them three times already, this will be my third time seeing them at the arena .

[Sohi]

I first became a hip fan when my dad asked me to attend a concert with him in 2002 and i couldn't go so instead i listend to some of the albums he had, i listened to one or two albums and i liked every song... i didn't become a huge fan until 2004 when i saw them live for the first time, i loved the way gordon downie was on staged and listened to them nonstop for the next few weeks and i have loved them every since.

[TLB]

'Long Time Running' was my graduation song in 1994. Even though I wasn't a Hip fan at the time, it did open my eyes to the band. A year later 'Nautical Disaster' kicked the shit out of me and I've been hooked ever since.

[direwolf74]

The day I became a Hip fanatic was the day I first saw the "Live at the Misty Moon" concert on Muchmusic back in 1990. I knew who they were by that point, and I owned a cassette copy of Up to Here. But when I finally saw what they were like in a live setting, that was it. Instant fan. I think my first reaction was "holy crap, that lead singer is a total nutjob, and I can't believe how much the dude sweats!"

[lilbones]

Me and some buddies were cruising around with nowhere to be--a popular activity when you're growing up in the subburbs--and my friend Dave had made a mix cd of Hip songs. I knew who the Hip were of course, and had no aversion to them, but certainly did not love them. Then every song came on, and I realized I liked them.

So I made my own mix, and slowly but surely, started buying every cd and going to concerts (starting with the Dome in 2003).

I think the cruising took place in 2002. The lesson: downloading music is good.

[Lizard King]

In 1992 my brothers friend sold me his Fully Completely album for 10 bucks, at the time I really didnt know who they were, just what I heard on tv or radio. Alas a Hip fan was born, I joined columbia house shortly after and purchased RA, UTH and the EP.

[Zenith]

Between 2001 and 2005 I worked at a local pub. In 2002, a Canadian guy called Terry, who was over in England as part of his travelling began working at the pub as well. He had relatives, that lived locally and he was living with them (for about 2 years.) Anyway, we became pretty good friends. We both worked together in the Kitchen and we could listen to music. Every now and then, he'd put on Music @ Work, and I just fell in love with it! He told me a bit about the band, and I slowly started buying a few albums.

The rest, as they say, is history.

[cferneyh]

First time I heard NOIS working at a grocery store as a 17 year old in '89. Bought the UTH cassette the next day.

Considering the horrendous crap that was being played on "rock" radio in those days, it was so refreshing to hear music that didn't feature idiot lyrics like "Pour Some Sugar on Me" or "She's My Cherry Pie" or "Love In An Elevator".

[kleh]

back in 1990 (ish) cousin wayne always told me about his favourite band & his adventures w/ them, shortly after that i saw that cbc special full fledged vaniety that's all it took for me

[thompson girl]

In 1991 I was in gr. 9...you know, that first year of high school where you're trying to find out where you fit in. Sometime that year, Road Apples was released and Little Bones was being played all over the radio. Of course, the grade 13's were really into it...and me, being a minor-niner, I wanted to fit in and be "cool" like them, so I started listening too. I bought the c.d. and listened to it all the time. But it turned out that I really liked it. I ended up picking up the the EP and Up To Here, and by then I was hooked.

That's pretty much the "not-so-interesting story" of how I got "into" the Hip. But I've continued to be a fan since then and have been introduced to a lot of other cool artists because of them.

[Sam]

I worked in a music store starting in 1986. I'm not sure when we got the self-titled, debut album as a play copy ('88?) but I loved it. My personal favourite was "I'm a Werewolf, Baby." Anyway, when UTH came out, I was primed to like them and they didn't disappoint. I've been a fan since. I don't think I've ever been disappointed by the Hip - although sometimes it takes me awhile to come around to their way of thinking.

[tigerthelion]

I can't remember great detail like some of you but anyway, I digress. I think I was 12 or 13 at the time and I just signed up for Columbia House or BMG. I couldn't think of what cd's to get and my older brother suggested "Fully Completely". The rest, as they say, is history. I got "UTH" next, then "Road Apples", then I purchased "DFN" when it was released and every release since then. I can't remember when I bought the self-titled debut ep. I think maybe a few years ago. I didn't realize what a masterpiece "DFN' is until years after buying it. Prior to IVL being released, I remember listening to the loop for "IAGLIYDW" on the website over and over and over and over again. I remember picking up "Phantom Power" when I was in the middle of boot camp in Kingston. I remember the fisrt full time listening to it, which was amazing and it happened to be with me borrowing someone's cd player and I remember a huge group of us were crammed into a motel room in Kingston. I was off in my own world listening to the cd while generally chaotic drunk behaviour was happening around me.

My first Hip experience was in 1999 in Saint John. It was my first year (and only year lol) at UNB Fredericton and I couldn't get anyone to go so I just decided to take the trip to Saint John and watch by myself. I had floor seats that weren't that close to the stage but it didn't matter. They put on a great show. I got gas the next day in Fredericton and the guy pumping the gas saw the hat I purchased at the show and asked me about it. "First time?" he asked. I told him it was my first Hip concert. "Awesome, wasn't it?" he continued. I realized that the experience of seeing The Hip for the first time was quite an occasion to more people than me. I also remember a contest that was being run by Canoe.ca for a chance to win seats up front and record a video to be shown on the site. I missed out on winning obviously but had a blast reading the winners in each city talking about the great time they had.

[nstaples]

I was sitting in my room listening to Kingston's CKLC AM radio (its was top 40 back then). Small Town Bringdown came on and I was hooked. At the end of the sondgthe DJ mentioned that the tune was by Kingston's own Tragially Hip. I couldn't believe they were from the same town I live...still can't.