[andrew sharpe]

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/conten...d60f89RCRD

"Although The Hip will be playing their last Toronto shows, their iconic music will continue to make its mark on Toronto's musical and cultural scene."

Aarrrgh. Nobody ever said this was the final tour. All this eulogizing does is puts pressure on them to make it the last. Gord's doctor just said he has another patient with the same tumour who is going on ten years since her diagnosis.

In the words of Walter Sobchuk, has the whole world gone crazy?

[Chris Tanz]

Could he have said "final" a few more times??

I was reading the first sentence and thought, ok, maybe they're finessing it: "final shows of their MMP tour" ... but nope. Last ever. Roll up the rug. Sweep up a little on your way out. Throw the walls into the fireplace.

ct

[schaggs]

I knew we should have voted for Doug.

[guitar101]

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/conten...d60f89RCRD

"Although The Hip will be playing their last Toronto shows, their iconic music will continue to make its mark on Toronto's musical and cultural scene."

Aarrrgh. Nobody ever said this was the final tour. All this eulogizing does is puts pressure on them to make it the last. Gord's doctor just said he has another patient with the same tumour who is going on ten years since her diagnosis.

In the words of Walter Sobchuk, has the whole world gone crazy?

well in all fairness I feel like the band has been treating this as their final tour. My take is that they arent using the word "final" so as not to focus on gords illness, but to make it a celebration and a fun night, not just a sad farewell. I personally think this is the last TOUR but that that kingston hopefully wont be their last ever concert.

[mark]

i get why people are upset when they hear "final concert" but don't you think it is time we accept it as fact? i get that we, as hip fans, don't want to believe it but we also have to be realistic.

we all know his diagnosis and it isn't good. just because he may not succumb to it any time in the near future, doesn't mean they will continue to tour. would you rather they go out on top now or try and force out another tour when he can't remember any lyrics and just stands there not "being Gord"?

if they continue to produce new music, we will all be grateful for that. but if this is it, then let's just enjoy it and focus on how great the last 30 years have been.

[schaggs]

i get why people are upset when they hear "final concert" but don't you think it is time we accept it as fact? i get that we, as hip fans, don't want to believe it but we also have to be realistic.

we all know his diagnosis and it isn't good. just because he may not succumb to it any time in the near future, doesn't mean they will continue to tour. would you rather they go out on top now or try and force out another tour when he can't remember any lyrics and just stands there not "being Gord"?

if they continue to produce new music, we will all be grateful for that. but if this is it, then let's just enjoy it and focus on how great the last 30 years have been.

I don't think it's about 'not accepting it'. I think that it's up to Das Hips to tell us when they're done, and nobody else should get to say it but them.

At this point, I think we're fortunate to see them again and happy for anything we get, but the media is all too eager to drive the nails into the plywood. I guess it helps keep them employed or something.

[guitar101]

i get why people are upset when they hear "final concert" but don't you think it is time we accept it as fact? i get that we, as hip fans, don't want to believe it but we also have to be realistic.

we all know his diagnosis and it isn't good. just because he may not succumb to it any time in the near future, doesn't mean they will continue to tour. would you rather they go out on top now or try and force out another tour when he can't remember any lyrics and just stands there not "being Gord"?

if they continue to produce new music, we will all be grateful for that. but if this is it, then let's just enjoy it and focus on how great the last 30 years have been.

I don't think it's about 'not accepting it'. I think that it's up to Das Hips to tell us when they're done, and nobody else should get to say it but them.

At this point, I think we're fortunate to see them again and happy for anything we get, but the media is all too eager to drive the nails into the plywood. I guess it helps keep them employed or something.

I feel like they have told us they're done, they're just not hitting us over the head with it. If this wasnt it, i dont get why they'd agree to broadcast the kingston show. Everything they've done, in my opinion, implies that this is it.

[Rye]

i get why people are upset when they hear "final concert" but don't you think it is time we accept it as fact? i get that we, as hip fans, don't want to believe it but we also have to be realistic.

we all know his diagnosis and it isn't good. just because he may not succumb to it any time in the near future, doesn't mean they will continue to tour. would you rather they go out on top now or try and force out another tour when he can't remember any lyrics and just stands there not "being Gord"?

if they continue to produce new music, we will all be grateful for that. but if this is it, then let's just enjoy it and focus on how great the last 30 years have been.

I don't think it's about 'not accepting it'. I think that it's up to Das Hips to tell us when they're done, and nobody else should get to say it but them.

At this point, I think we're fortunate to see them again and happy for anything we get, but the media is all too eager to drive the nails into the plywood. I guess it helps keep them employed or something.

Totally agree Schaggs. I'd hate for there to be backlash if The Hip continue to play shows because the media incorrectly has claimed this to the final tour. The band has never said this and it should not be held over their heads if they keep playing shows.

[Moof_Milker]

I knew we should have voted for Doug.

Dougie "Stardust" Ford

[mark]

i get why people are upset when they hear "final concert" but don't you think it is time we accept it as fact? i get that we, as hip fans, don't want to believe it but we also have to be realistic.

we all know his diagnosis and it isn't good. just because he may not succumb to it any time in the near future, doesn't mean they will continue to tour. would you rather they go out on top now or try and force out another tour when he can't remember any lyrics and just stands there not "being Gord"?

if they continue to produce new music, we will all be grateful for that. but if this is it, then let's just enjoy it and focus on how great the last 30 years have been.

I don't think it's about 'not accepting it'. I think that it's up to Das Hips to tell us when they're done, and nobody else should get to say it but them.

At this point, I think we're fortunate to see them again and happy for anything we get, but the media is all too eager to drive the nails into the plywood. I guess it helps keep them employed or something.

Totally agree Schaggs. I'd hate for there to be backlash if The Hip continue to play shows because the media incorrectly has claimed this to the final tour. The band has never said this and it should not be held over their heads if they keep playing shows.

have they come right out and said it? No. has everything they done so far point to it? absolutely. the CBC broadcast is one of the biggest indications that this is it, unfortunately.

i highly doubt they will feel guilty about doing more shows in the future just because we thought it was the end. that's a little crazy.

[schaggs]

I like to liken the CBC broadcast to agreeing to broadcast "Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals".
It's the last time you know there's gonna be a game, so you'd better put it on TV.

If you only plan to show Game 7, you might end up airing a re-run of "Little House on the Prairie" instead.

[thebends]

If you watch the medical news conference from a couple of months ago the panel was asked a couple of questions that included the term "final". There was no pushback on the use of the term by the management team nor the physician. There is a finality to everything that is happening that cannot be denied, let's all enjoy what is left however much thre is. After all, the media wants ratings and politicians want votes, we want Hip.

[andrew sharpe]

have they come right out and said it? No. has everything they done so far point to it? absolutely. the CBC broadcast is one of the biggest indications that this is it, unfortunately.

I have yet to see the band say or do anything that implies any sort of finality. It was the CBC that pitched the broadcast, and the bad only agreed to it after specifically insisting that there be no advertising regarding "final show". If anything I think the band have gone out of their way to make this tour NOT an ending.

i highly doubt they will feel guilty about doing more shows in the future just because we thought it was the end. that's a little crazy.

Sure they would. Tragically Hip Day and all this other eulogizing BS makes them look bad if they play again. I can already hear the knuckle draggers and their comments.

To me the band are treating this tour as if it COULD be the last. The lead singer has brain cancer, so that's definitely a possibility. But his doctor just gave an interview saying another of his patients with the exact same tumour is going on ten years since her diagnosis. And we all know stories of people that have lasted years beyond the estimated date.

I'm certain GD is cringing at all this stuff and wishing they had done the announcement differently so as to disassociate the tour from the diagnosis. I'm glad people are getting behind the band, but I wish we could have just let them play instead of making it a thing.

[tonyd]

i get why people are upset when they hear "final concert" but don't you think it is time we accept it as fact? i get that we, as hip fans, don't want to believe it but we also have to be realistic.

we all know his diagnosis and it isn't good. just because he may not succumb to it any time in the near future, doesn't mean they will continue to tour. would you rather they go out on top now or try and force out another tour when he can't remember any lyrics and just stands there not "being Gord"?

if they continue to produce new music, we will all be grateful for that. but if this is it, then let's just enjoy it and focus on how great the last 30 years have been.

I don't think it's about 'not accepting it'. I think that it's up to Das Hips to tell us when they're done, and nobody else should get to say it but them.

At this point, I think we're fortunate to see them again and happy for anything we get, but the media is all too eager to drive the nails into the plywood. I guess it helps keep them employed or something.

I feel like they have told us they're done, they're just not hitting us over the head with it. If this wasnt it, i dont get why they'd agree to broadcast the kingston show. Everything they've done, in my opinion, implies that this is it.

^^^ agreed ^^^. Though, selfishly (im sure like many of us), I hope they are able to do one off's in the future!

[Killer Whale Tank]

I was just thinking about this yesterday. Yes, the Hip have never, ever said this is their "final" tour; and yes, every last thing about the way they have approached this tour does indeed suggest that they ARE approaching it as their final tour. And without question, this is how the fans and media have understood it - which is quite appropriate, given that latter fact. After all, it's very unlikely the CBC would be broadcasting the final show of the tour if it were "just another tour."

The question, then, is: what if Gord does go on to live for many more years, as we all hope? Two years from now, do the Hip reassemble and embark on *another* 'maybe final' tour? cratch: If so, will audiences embrace it as an incredibly lucky chance to go at it again, or will people tune out, sated by all the drama from this tour, and revert back to the level of indifference that had settled over the Hip prior to Gord's diagnosis?

Or, is it possible that Gord will approach this tour and album as having closed the book on the 'Hip' phase of his career - promises fulfilled, duty done - and just make solo records/collaborations on an ad-hoc basis for as long as fate allows? I wonder about that. If I were him, I'd be sorely tempted to keep it local, just work with the Skydiggers or whoever happens to be around in TO, and forego all the hooplah (and pressure) around the Hip, given the health condition.