New Years With Mandriana!

[Andriana Duskrose]

For New Years, I ended up being called to do Roadie and Backline work for "The Bear Children's Fund New Years Eve Bash", featuring the bands: Social Code, Bif Naked, and Three Days Grace.

To start off, the venue, called the Shaw Conference Centre, it's one of the larger venues in Edmonton, max capacity is around 4500 people. Since there were tables set up it wasn't at max capacity (but the show was sold out), I'd guess the crowd numbered 3000+.

I'll take a moment to comment that I did my best to make the pics look the best I could, some of them aren't all that great, more so after converting them to smaller sized jpeg's.

So the pictures are:
The floor before the show, the picture was taken from a second floor hallway that runs next to the three green rooms.

The floor during the show, taken from the same spot.

The last picture is the dance floor taken from the FoH position at the end of the night (5 am), after all the PA, lights, and gear was loaded into trucks and we were about to leave.

[Andriana Duskrose]

Here we have Mandriana (aka, Dave) with the bands, and an old friend.


Social Code picture, left to right:
Morgan Gies (guitars), Ben Shillabeer (drums), Dave, Travis Nesbitt (vocals), and Logan Jacobs (bass).

Their drummer, Ben and I know each other, we went through the Grant MacEwan music program at the same time (he was a year ahead of me).


Bif Naked picture, left to right:
Guitar Player Guy (guitars), Scotty (drums), Bif Naked (vocals, bass), Dave (moby), Bass Man Player (bass)

Unfortunately, I don't recall their names. Oooops!

As for their drummer, Scott, I've met him before, when he was drumming for Out Of Your Mouth, my former band Disgrace The Retroman opened for them back in spring.

Yes that is a Happy New Years berette on my head.


Three Days Grace picture, left to right:
Brad Walst (bass), Neil Sanderson (drums, vocals), Dave, Adam Gontier (vocals, guitars, and sexy beast), and Barry Stock (guitars).


Lastly, I once again came across a familiar face, Gillian Foote.

[Andriana Duskrose]

Next, a couple pics of the bands rocking out.

As far as the music goes, I liked Bif's new stuff more then any of the other music that she's released.

About half of Three Days Grace's setlist was new material, and that night was the first time they played any of the songs for an audience. I personally thought it all rocked, but then there isn't much I don't like.

[Andriana Duskrose]

A couple crowd pictures.

First one is the crowd in front from the FoH position during Three Days Grace's set.

The second one is from centre stage just after Three Days Grace finished playing.

[Andriana Duskrose]

Moving along, we come to the more random pictures...


First is a picture of the band swag I managed to pick up over the corse of the evening, including.

Guitar Picks, courteousy of Three Days Grace, and Social Code.
Drum Sticks, the gig sticks I got from the Three Days Grace drummer.
6 pack of Molson Canadian, once again, thank you Three Days Grace.
One slighty used Social Distortion jacket, gift from all the people of Bif Naked. Most likely found left backstage at another show, and pawned off to me.
Bif Naked Poster, signed by her and the band.

Ohhhhh Abyena! Just let me know your postal infomation so I can send you the poster eh.


Second picture is the first of two tubs of booze that eventually ended up in the Bif Naked's green room. The other tub was filled with an assortment of canned beer. By the end of the night, only three cans of beer were left in the green room.


It seems there is a tradition on New Years Eve, that when the calender rolls over, one is suppose to find a hot, young, drunk member of the opposite sex nearby, and do some smooching with them. Well no one told her that she could've stopped with the necking, and I sure wasn't about to inform her... So... Picture three.


And the very last of the pics, my ugly mug, after working a 20 hour rockshow, in a venue filled with smoke of the non-cigarette variety, and being being up for 24 hours on 4 hours sleep.

[Andriana Duskrose]

Happy New Years eh!

[Eomer]

Good to see you had fun, and another picture with Ms. Giant Cans. She's photogenic as hell, isn't she?

I myself also had a fun New Year's, although I think this is the first year in quite a long time that I can safely say I remember everything. I must be getting old or something. Me and 7 friends went to Fernie with 400 others, did some skiing (Saturday and Monday, skipped Sunday and missed out on an incredible powder day, fuck) and that sort of thing. They had pub crawls every night, but we only went out Saturday, otherwise took it pretty easy and just hung out at our condo/hotel room. As per usual, whenever a ski patroller got on the chairlift with me, they'd look down at my old school, non-parabolic sticks and remark "wow, you can actually ski in those?" Fuckers.

On Monday I did my best to kill one of my friends.

*ski in near white out ahead of group, fly off large unseen ridge and land somewhat awkwardly*

"HEY DAN, THERE'S A NICE JUMP BEHIND ME. HIT IT, JUST DON'T HAVE ANY SPEED"

"Okay!"

*friend hits ridge (not a jump, so much) with too much speed, on the opposite side I did which is about twice as high, flies of, tells me to go fuck myself before he lands, then splats on the ground*

"I'm going to fucking kill you man"

"What, are you hurt? That didn't look that bad"

*dodge jab of ski pole*

IMO he was kind of a wimp about it, but whatever. He's got himself convinced that he's broken a leg, which I find doubtful since he ski'd the rest of the day (albeit only on green runs because he could only turn one way due to weakness in his left leg).

I still feel pretty guilty though, I really should have clarified what he was going off before he hit it. Not to mention that's the first time in 10 years either of us has gotten hurt skiing together, and it's pretty much entirely my fault. And I'll never be able to trust him again when he shouts about a perfect kicker, cause I know he'll try to get me back.

[Andriana Duskrose]

Good to see you had fun, and another picture with Ms. Giant Cans. She's photogenic as hell, isn't she?

I myself also had a fun New Year's, although I think this is the first year in quite a long time that I can safely say I remember everything. I must be getting old or something. Me and 7 friends went to Fernie with 400 others, did some skiing (Saturday and Monday, skipped Sunday and missed out on an incredible powder day, fuck) and that sort of thing. They had pub crawls every night, but we only went out Saturday, otherwise took it pretty easy and just hung out at our condo/hotel room. As per usual, whenever a ski patroller got on the chairlift with me, they'd look down at my old school, non-parabolic sticks and remark "wow, you can actually ski in those?" Fuckers.

On Monday I did my best to kill one of my friends.

*ski in near white out ahead of group, fly off large unseen ridge and land somewhat awkwardly*

"HEY DAN, THERE'S A NICE JUMP BEHIND ME. HIT IT, JUST DON'T HAVE ANY SPEED"

"Okay!"

*friend hits ridge (not a jump, so much) with too much speed, on the opposite side I did which is about twice as high, flies of, tells me to go fuck myself before he lands, then splats on the ground*

"I'm going to fucking kill you man"

"What, are you hurt? That didn't look that bad"

*dodge jab of ski pole*

IMO he was kind of a wimp about it, but whatever. He's got himself convinced that he's broken a leg, which I find doubtful since he ski'd the rest of the day (albeit only on green runs because he could only turn one way due to weakness in his left leg).

I still feel pretty guilty though, I really should have clarified what he was going off before he hit it. Not to mention that's the first time in 10 years either of us has gotten hurt skiing together, and it's pretty much entirely my fault. And I'll never be able to trust him again when he shouts about a perfect kicker, cause I know he'll try to get me back.

Skiing for the win! Not that I ski, and you're a jerk, some friend!

[Kirynos]

I noticed Canada got on Maximum Exposure for a big old riot. The police didn't know what to do with these crazy Cannuks! Be careful up there, Angriana


:confuse:

[Eomer]

About that friend:


How's my knee! let me tell you how it is.

I have a hair line fracture in the Fibula and I have partially torn/strained
my MCL and ACL. I have to go see an Orthopedic surgeon regarding the
ligaments. The hair line fracture is minor and the doctor said that if that
was all that happened I would have walked out of the hospital with a tensor
bandage. He said what is really shitty is the possibility of a torn ACL and
MCL which would pretty much fuck my knee up for good. He said I might have just partially torn them or even just strained them which means a full
recovery is possible. I won’t know until I see the Orthopedic surgeon on
Tuesday. Either way the doctor said there is way too much play in the
ligaments and I won’t be doing an impact sports for the winter, meaning no
skiing. So I thank-you for not informing me that the cliff was that fucking
high with such a flat landing.

Damn I feel like an asshole.