tag:johnguliak.com,2005:/blogs/latest-news?p=2Latest News2019-04-08T10:20:57-06:00John Guliakfalsetag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/57115962019-04-08T10:20:57-06:002024-03-04T22:55:50-07:00A Monumental Secret is out<p>I am pleased to announce that my song "Insectine" is featured in a new film by Edmonton filmmakers Adam Bentley and Paula Kirman called <a contents='"A Monumental Secret"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://vimeo.com/321648828?fbclid=IwAR36OzAHbBsrMqobZNTTCLvoVjNUSEw4Q4jp2Szmclgx2yDnTvckSe1SOdg" target="_blank">"A Monumental Secret"</a> - click on the title and you can view this film online for a limited time.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/54943952018-10-31T16:28:38-06:002024-03-04T22:58:42-07:00Fall/Winter Plans Taking Shape<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/a256f5f14d5456ddeb9ca88eadbd1465be005c4d/original/winter-flounder.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>i have some very exciting projects in the works; from one of my songs being featured in an upcoming, locally produced documentary, to collaborative writing and recording projects, attending a Workshop/Residency with Linda McRae in Nashville, and touring and catching up with old friends in Southern Ontario and Nova Scotia.</p>
<p>I have been talking and working with some folks that I have not worked with before in an effort to shake up how I write and perform. I am planning on working on and recording songs in small batches with these artists over the next year, releasing the odd single and video, and then compiling these recordings into a full-length release. I am excited to be working some local musicians and video and recording engineers who have caught my eyes and ears since my return to Edmonton.</p>
<p>For 10 days in March I will be at the home of Linda McRae to attend a Workshop/Residency where I will be mentored by and collaborate with Linda to write some new material and to take in Nashville. It will be my first time in Nashville and I am excited to soak up the atmosphere and to spend some quality time with some quality people.</p>
<p>On my way out to Nashville I will be stopping in Southern Ontario for some shows performing with some special guests in Toronto and Hamilton and catching up with some old friends before heading off to Halifax for more of the same. I am very excited to finally visit the east coast of Canada where so much of my love of folk music originated. I have some really great shows lined up, again, with some amazing musicians. </p>
<p>I will be unveiling details for all of these projects over the upcoming weeks and months, so stay tuned.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/48759382017-10-03T17:19:21-06:002023-12-10T11:37:11-07:00AB/BC Songwriters in the Round Fall 2017 Tour with Amy Nelson, David P Smith, Carter Felker, and John Guliak<p>I am very excited to hit the road with this very entertaining and talented collection of performers this Fall starting off in Edmonton and finishing up in Salmon Arm for 20 shows in 20 days. i am going to let <span class="font_large"><strong><a contents="David P Smith" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://davidpsmithmusic.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">David P Smith</a></strong> </span>do the talking here:</p>
<p>It’s 1924 and there’s a party going down at the farmhouse, one of the bigger farms, a hub in the district. A banjo player, a couple of guitarists, and an accordion player migrate to the kitchen where they begin exchanging songs. An old mountain ballad, a ribald blues number learned from a street musician, a gospel tune; it goes round and round, each taking a turn, playing along when they can, one of them performs an original tune and more follow, and the party inexorably gravitates from other parts of the house to the kitchen. I imagine a scene like this as the seed of the songwriters in the round, which has become a prevalent format in modern times. </p>
<p>Go to the internet. I did. I was trying to find out about the history of songwriters in the round. The most specific reference I could find is The Bluebird Café in Nashville which has been doing in the round since 1985. But this was happening before, right? Maybe not as a public performance, perhaps more as a sharing between songwriters, a combustive spontaneous interaction, a chance to learn new songs or old songs from peers, to try out that fresh one you’ve been working on, to hear what the others have been fashioning, to exchange ideas, to get advice, to learn that magic chord which was just what that song needed. Now, the format of songwriter in the round has become defined…..and extremely popular. Each performer takes a turn performing one song - it goes round and round. Got it. </p>
<p>So let’s depart from this academic pre-amble and jump into the AB/BC tour. <span class="font_large"><strong><a contents="Carter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://carterfelker.bandcamp.com/releases" target="_blank">Carter</a> </strong></span>and <span class="font_large"><strong><a contents="Amy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://amynelsonmusic.bandcamp.com/releases" target="_blank">Amy</a></strong></span> are a couple of young talented musicians hailing from Calgary. And they’re a couple. I think they’re doing pretty well, I don’t know, I’ve got a painting company to run. They have never met me and clearly, by extension, I have never met them. Still we’re all going to get in a van together and travel thousands of kilometres of highway, play 17 consecutive shows. My ipod broke so I won’t be able to subject them to Shuffle - things should go well. I’ve listened to their recordings on bandcamp ( https://amynelsonmusic.bandcamp.com/releases) I’m a bit of hard-ass, and even though there’s a heart-shaped nugget of C&W deep in my soul, I’d rather listen to Ornette Coleman than to most songwriters. Seriously. That’s not just a cheap metaphor. So I’ll tell you, both these records are compelling well-written and most importantly honest, and I’m looking forward to hearing, maybe learning these songs, to being on stage with these folks. </p>
<p>I’ve known John Guliak for twenty years or so. But the last fifteen or so he was either in Scotland or Edmonton so we’ve seen each other maybe three times in that span. His nickname when he lived in Victoria was The Smoke because he liked to smoke a lot and had - still has - a rich, smoky and compelling baritone voice, the kind that makes another singer jealous. Not naming names, just saying. John had a couple of releases on the happening Vancouver label Mint Records in the early 2000’s, strong records and then he was gone, from our lives anyway, to Scotland, and years and years passed. John’s a smart, articulate, literate guy, well-read and well-listened, his songwriting reflects that and has always been strong. That said I was floored by the writing on Fluke and Flounder, his most recent release. Good thing. We’re about to get in a van for 17 days and play 17 shows and hear each others songs – a lot. </p>
<p>Me? Well I picked up the accordion when I was 30 and heavily influenced by the Holy Modal Rounders and Hank Williams started singing and playing, then writing. I’d been a writer before I could play and while my early material was genre based as time went on I incorporated more unconventional forms and writing into my music. They generally label me “Roots” because I play the accordion, write songs, and they generally don’t know what else to do with me. I don’t know who “They” are but that’s what “They” do. I can still write a hurtin’ whiskey song that’ll have you doing shots and hanging over a toilet into the wee hours – but – I went to Art School and you know what that can do to a person’s mind. I like to stumble into surreality and dance with Dada every now and then. </p>
<p>So now we have 17 days on the road to get to know each other intimately, to get to know each other songs, to perform, to listen, to commune, to create, to connect to audiences. Welcome to the AB/BC Songwriter in the Round Tour.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/47577182017-06-26T12:05:42-06:002024-03-04T23:03:31-07:00New Video for Roger Casement<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="dDeK3Wno8Vg" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/dDeK3Wno8Vg/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDeK3Wno8Vg?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Roger Casement, as performed by myself and Jason Kodie, June 4, 2017 and recorded by Daryl Payne and Jason Gordon at The Empress Ale House in Edmonton Alberta. i wrote this song while on a Banff Centre For The Arts Musician In Residence program and have yet to officially release it</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/47420602017-06-12T12:02:39-06:002024-03-04T23:10:43-07:00New Video for Sail Away<p>last Sunday Jason Kodie and i sat down before First Orders at The Empress Ale House in Edmonton, AB and played a couple of tunes. Daryl Payne and Jason Gordon were there to capture the sound and vision and we all figure it turned out pretty good</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="RB-2MSEHi3U" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/RB-2MSEHi3U/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RB-2MSEHi3U?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/43710432016-09-20T11:51:47-06:002024-03-04T23:05:47-07:00Prerelease Tease - Serving Time (Alt Version 2 - full band)hope you all enjoyed the last blog where i shared an alternative take of <strong>Serving Time</strong> from my upcoming release, <strong>Fluke or Flounder</strong>. today i'm sharing another alternative take of the same song - this time it was recorded with a full band <strong>(Keith Rose - bass, David MacAnulty - drums, Paul Rigby - electric guitar, Tyler Greentree - backing vocals, and myself on lead vocals and acoustic guitar).</strong>
<p>Paul and i quite liked this take too but we were torn between the sparse production of the last version and this one. we talked back and forth until Paul suggested a solution. while he didn't quite get to what he initially figured, he did put together a fine tune - one you'll hear when the record is released <strong>September 22 with a FREE SHINDIG AT THE EMPRESS ALE HOUSE starting around 9</strong><br><br>special thanks to <strong>Marc L'Esperance at Heavy-O-Sonic</strong> for throwing in these two alternative takes for me when mastering <strong>Fluke or Flounder</strong> for me</p>3:02John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/43701482016-09-16T15:49:41-06:002024-03-04T23:09:28-07:00Pre-release treats - Serving Time (Alt Version 1)at the bottom of this page is an alternate version of my song a that appears on my upcoming album <strong>Fluke or Flounder</strong>. i first wrote <strong>Serving Time</strong> more than 25 years ago after a difficult breakup but the lyrics began to feel whiney and cliched so i dropped it but never really forgot it. a few years back i decided to try to revive it by writing new lyrics and, after kicking it around for a while, i managed to do just that.<br><br>when it came time to record Serving Time, Producer <strong>Paul Rigby </strong>and i talked a fair bit about how we wanted to approach it - either stripped and stark, or fleshed out with a full band - both approaches had their merit. i'm going to share with you today <strong>Serving Time (Alt Version 1)</strong> - it has only Paul playing beautiful his old Gibson (which he told me "fixes everything") and me singing. <br><br>Paul and i both liked this version but we wanted to try it out with the full band as well - i'll get that to you all very soon too.<br><br>hope you enjoy it and here's those reworked lyrics for you:<br> <p><strong>Serving Time </strong></p>
<p>I let the back door swing <br>She could keep everything <br>I never liked that chair anyway<br>Leaving it back there would be easy <br>I wish everything was so well left behind <br><br>She threw the books at me <br>I pleaded endlessly <br>And when all was plead and done <br>She said she’s let me off easy <br>I wish everything would just let off for a while </p>
<p>I can’t reverse them <br>These things that seem to eat my life <br>It only seems a matter of time <br>And I didn’t rehearse it <br>And I can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong <br>And I don’t even know the manner of my crime </p>
<p>You call this living free <br>But don’t read your guarantee <br>You should be well on your way <br>They say the money here is easy <br>As if everyone was earning what they buy <br>They say the money here is easy<br>As if everyone could get there if they only tried </p>
<p>I can’t reverse them <br>These things that seem to eat my life <br>It only seems a matter of time <br>And I didn’t rehearse it <br>And I can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong <br>And I don’t even know the manner of my crime</p>3:01John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/43742712016-09-15T16:34:25-06:002024-03-04T23:07:54-07:00Fluke or Flounder - Promo Video<iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="79OxuwcGsVQ" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/79OxuwcGsVQ/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/79OxuwcGsVQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="400" width="640" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br><br>i am one week away from releasing my new recording, <strong>Fluke or Flounder</strong>, and will mark the occasion (<strong>with a FREE SHOW at The Empress Ale House in Edmonton on Thursday night, September 22, starting at 9:00 pm</strong>) by sharing a wee promotional video with you today.<br><br>one of the suprises i had while putting this record together was on the visual end of things. despite having great difficulty drawing even the most rudimentary stick figure, i have a passion for the visual arts. i am particularly fond of portraiture and the art that came out in and around the World Wars - the German Dada and New Objectivity movements and the French Surrealist movement (despite Breton's 'leadership'). I also really enjoy the new work being done with Graphic Novels.<br><br>literature is another love of mine and much of the writing on Fluke or Flounder was strongly influenced by the work of Georges Bataille who wrote through the mid-20th century in France and who managed to out-surreal the surrealists - again here, almost anyone who rejected Breton during this period is a favourite of mine including Dali and Duchamp. <br><br>yet another love of mine is sharing (talking about) what i find dear, important, or interesting. Bob Yiannakoulias was on the repeated receiving end of some of this chatter and in response to this drew up a series of what he called icons that he felt illustrated some of my thoughts. i am really pleased with what he came up with and plan to exploit these images as much as possible over the next while to accompany my new release. Bob managed to evoke the spirit of surrealist Andre Masson (who also illustrated some of Bataille's works) without even knowing it and i am really please with the work he did for me.<br><br>so, as another teaser for next week's release of Fluke or Flounder, please enjoy this wee video that was put together by my old friend <strong>Ben Mikuska</strong>, using the images of <strong>Bob Yiannakoulias</strong> and photos by<strong><a contents=" Eric Newby," data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.ericnewby.com/" target="_blank"> Eric Newby</a>, </strong>and<strong> </strong>with extra sound production by <strong><a contents="John Blerot" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.blerotsound.com/" target="_blank">John Blerot</a>. </strong>the music is taken from the track<strong> Ulysseus Never Sailed Saskatchewan </strong>from the new record<strong> </strong>- hope you enjoyJohn Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/43721222016-09-14T13:27:12-06:002024-03-04T23:10:43-07:00Fancy T-Shirts Now With Bonus<p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/00cdec6309343e32703b73cf1b00cd3fca939fa9/medium/part2.png?1473880654" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><p><span class="font_large">well, i'm gearing up for my big release date and ready to drop some teasers for you all in the meantime. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">i had some great t-shirts made with the help of <strong>Bob Yiannakoulias</strong> and <strong>Travis Sargent</strong> and i think they turned out pretty darn nicely - a good pile of them sold on my recent tour but i have some left. <br><br>if you are figuring on coming down to my release party - </span><span class="font_xl"><strong>Sept 22, at 9:00 at The Empress Ale House</strong></span><span class="font_large"> - i will include a download code for the new record in the already reasonable price of $20 for these beauties (i've been told they're quite slimming)</span></p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/43687542016-09-12T15:46:20-06:002022-04-28T09:02:38-06:00September 12, 2016 - 'Naturally, love's the most distant possibility'<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/f4461f1e5db79dc944b20e4619d55cb74b021576/medium/300cover.jpg?1473716642" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><br>this quote from George Bataille sure resonates with me!<br>after 12 years and many trials i am ready to release a new recording entitled <strong>Fluke or Flounder </strong>and will hold a wee party to celebrate at:<br><span class="font_regular"><strong>The Empress Ale House on Thursday, September 22, 2016, 9:00 - No Cover</strong></span><br>there were times that i was pretty sure i wasn't going to make it:<br><br>1. i abandoned performing and recording for 7 years in order to focus on a career in Community Supports. I moved to Glasgow and earned a Scottish National Qualification in Management in Social Care only to find that i hated being in charge of cutting budgets and supports to the most vulnerable people in our communities. i left the life i had built in Scotland to return to Canada and give another kick at the can with music and to dedicate myself to it like i had dedicated myself to community supports the past 7 years.<br><br>2. i hit the jackpot in rejection letters for funding<br><br>3. cancer<br><br>despite these setbacks i have been able to complete my new recording through the incredible support of friends and family:<br><br>1. <strong>Paul Rigby agreed to be my producer</strong> - having Paul's confidence meant the world to me and i am very excited to share his treatment of my material with you. this is the first time i handed over the complete production of my material to someone else and it has produced some excellent results. Paul also brought on board <strong>John Raham at Afterlife Studio and David Carswell at JC/DC Productions</strong> to record and mix this project - i feel really lucky to have them work for me - they are brilliant and generous technicians<br><br>2. some of my favourite musicians agreed to work with me - <strong>Keith Rose, David MacAnulty, Tyler Greentree, Ford Pier, Shuyler Jansen</strong>, and of course <strong>Paul Rigby.</strong> i have had the pleasure of working with these musicians in the past and to get to work with them again was a treat. all of these musicians were very generous with their time and effort and i can't imagine what this record would have sounded like without their support. here is an incomplete list of the musicians and bands these players have supported - Garth Hudson, Los Lobos, T Bone Burnette, Jakob Dylan, Matt Andersen, Crystal Bowersox, Jackie Greene, Jesse Zubot, Carolyn Mark, Neko Case, Geoff Berner, Huevos Rancheros, The Hard Rock Miners, J Roots Roundup, Royal Grand Prix, Reid Jamieson, The Showbusiness Giants, The Slaters, Louie My, Najah Zaoudé, Throbbing Purple, United Steel workers of Montréal, Lee Meller, Mélanie Gagnon, The Subhumans, Luke Doucet, Zoo Age, Old Reliable, D.O.A., The Five Hole Band, Veda Hille, Rheostatics, NoMeansNo, and Jr. Gone Wild - that's a pretty damn good group of folks to be associated with!!<br><br>3. <strong>Marc L'Esperance at Heavy-O-Sonic</strong> agreed to work his magic by Mastering Fluke or Flounder - Marc mastered my previous two recordings and has a proven ear when it comes to my sound - his generosity also cannot go unremarked.<br><br>4. <strong>i decided to reside in Edmonton again. </strong> this is the third time i've moved here and there's no mystery to it. Edmonton may have some drawbacks (and those are mostly due to it's geographic position - it gets really cold and is too out of the way for many travelling cultural events) but it more than makes up for this by the communities it has nurtured. like many out-of-the-way places, Edmonton has had to develop a strong local arts scene to make up less frequent visits from outside artists. i have definitely benefitted from this scene with support from some of the best musicians in the city (<strong>Tom Murray, Jason Kodie, Darrek Anderson, Marek Tyler, and Kimberley MacGregor</strong>).<br>- i have also benefitted from input from some gifted visual artists. <strong>Bob Yiannakoulias</strong> - Bob developed a series of what he called 'icons' based on several conversations that i had with him about the ideas that inspire me and he really really nailed it. <strong>Travis Sargent</strong> - Salty worked really hard to help me get all my graphic design ready for print and has put together some beautiful posters for me. <strong>Ashely Hollands</strong> - after a long chat about Bataille and The Story of The Eye, Ashley gifted me with a fantastic wee GIF. <strong>Eric Newby</strong> also generously took and processed some great photos. on a side note here - although not from Edmonton, i have also reconnected with my old friend <strong>Ben Mikuska</strong> who has made a wee a promotional video.<br>- <strong>The Empress Ale House</strong> took me on as a doorman (more of a greeter really) when i had zero experience in the service industry and tolerates my absences in pursuit of my music.<br>- i live in a beautiful home thanks to the generosity of <strong>Heather Martin and her family</strong>.<br>- i live only a 10 minute walk from <strong>The Cross Cancer Institute</strong> who made short work of my little battle with Thyroid Cancer.<br><br>5. <strong>my family back home in Saskatchewan</strong> has always has my back. i know that whatever happens, they will be there for me despite the fact that i moved away almost 40 years ago.<br><br>6. <strong>The Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity. i</strong> have had the good fortune to be accepted into The Musicians in Residence program there now for two years running. i can't say enough about this place - my residency there is one of the highlights of what i feel to be a fairly rich artistic career - i have never felt more validated as an artist than during these residencies. i highly recommend that anyone participating in the Arts take a look at the opportunities The Banff Centre holds - it is a world class facility in our own back yard and will be sure to inspire.<br> <div style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_xl"><strong>so that's Trials - 3, Supports - 6 (at least)</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">and the result is <strong>Fluke or Flounder </strong><br>the word that reappears over and over again in this blog is <strong>GENEROSITY </strong><br>i sure hope i can live up to the faith you've all shown in me and that i have the opportunity to repay you all in kind<br><strong><span class="font_xl">THANK YOU</span></strong>
</div>
<div> </div><br><br><br><br> John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/37605582016-08-15T12:53:34-06:002022-05-29T01:50:52-06:00August 15, 2016 - Perspective<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/835bac8a1ef4e3663d65eeacaf6c941cb0437a6d/original/kc-adams-self-portrait.jpg?1471224553" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>I am feeling much more the Edmontonian these days: as the disappointment of the Scottish Referendum begins to fade, the early, hopeful days of a new government here in Alberta begins to inform and lead my consciousness. It's not that I no longer care about the passions of my Glaswegian pals, but that the hearts and minds that I encounter these days are engaged in other conditions. With that said, those 'other conditions' are rooted in the same struggle in Scotland. If you watch the play, <span class="font_regular"><a contents="The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil as performed by the theatre troupe 7:84" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3qbFcLYZc" target="_blank">The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil as performed by the theatre troupe 7:84</a></span><span class="font_large"> </span><span class="font_regular">you might see what I mean. I have always really admired how this troupe engaged its audience, who were actually the subjects of the play, even though they may not have known this at first. The performance of the audience becomes an essential part of the play - the lines between performance and action, audience and actors, and the play and the conditions of its participants, become blurred. I'll make a bold statement and say that this is what Art at its best can do.</span><br><br>Recently in Edmonton there has been a very impassioned social media discussion in the arts community. At its heart this discussion questions the use (exploitation?) of Aboriginal ideas, images, and experiences by non-Aboriginal people, and relates how this practice is used as a tool to further Colonial control. It is a good question and it needs to be asked, especially because Colonial control in this case leads directly to practices that can only be understood as genocidal. Posing this question forced many people in the Edmonton arts scene to assess their position in these practices because we all participate in them whether we want to or not, whether we are even aware of our positions or not. Responses to this discussion have been angry, confused, defensive, heart-breaking-and-broken, and celebratory - I responded in all of these ways as I read about and discussed the positions that arose.<br><br>Throughout my life I have been aware of inequality, that there are some folks who have more than they will ever need and those who go without. Much too often the explanation for this inequality comes from white male figures of authority and rests on race, gender, and ability - those who do not have what they need are in that position due to weaknesses inherent in their biology, and those who have succeeded have done so through hard work and intelligence. The proof is in the pudding (in this case vanilla pudding); successful people are overwhelmingly white males. The natural superiority of white males should have made sense to me but it didn't; the more people I met and voices that I encountered, the more I realised that what people have in common is more significant than what sets us apart from each other, and that reported differences, strengths, and weaknesses are overwhelmingly exaggerated or fictional. <br><br>While attending university I tried to understand this contradiction in my experience through studying Political Economy. These studies left me with no doubt that economic disparities are created and maintained by those who benefit from them - that economic disparities are not the product of in-born superiority or weakness. While my studies in university were very important in shaping how I see the world, late in my bachelors degree I began to feel that many voices and ears were being excluded in the academic world. I began to feel that I was actually re-enforcing inequality through my engagement in academics - that university environments are overwhelmingly represented by middle and upper class males and are significantly isolated from the communities that contain them. I also found that the academic approach did not fully express what I was experiencing and that lyrical and musical means of this expression felt more genuine. At the end of my degree I needed to make an important decision – continue along the path of Academia or find another forum of expression. I decided that writing and performing music gave me the opportunity to explore and share my personal and political observations through a more far reaching and inclusive medium than can be found in academic circles. I have been generally content with this position but every once and a while I get shook - the recent debate in some Edmonton Arts circles has shaken me. Here the argument has been made that the conditions I saw in academic circles that limit and control minority participation are just as active in non-academic artistic circles.<br><br>Does the art world (the world in general) need yet another white male voice representing non-white male perspectives? Is an ally sometimes not an ally despite their best intentions? I try to sidestep these questions by approaching my role as a songwriter/musician not as a spokesperson or ally but as that of a witness - but even here I am at times uncertain of the value of this. I recently took a walk through Glenbow Museum in Calgary where I encountered two brilliant exhibitions: the first was, <a contents="Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.glenbow.org/exhibitions/edward-s-curtis-one-hundred-masterworks/" target="_blank">Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks</a>, that contained a collection of photographs of First Nations People from across the Americas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The second was, <a contents="First Person: Contemporary Indigenous Portraiture" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.glenbow.org/exhibitions/first-person-contemporary-indigenous-portraiture/" target="_blank">First Person: Contemporary Indigenous Portraiture</a>, where, among many other inspiring and heartbreaking works, I encountered a series of <a contents="photo portraits&nbsp;by KC Adams" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portrait-series-fights-stereotypes-about-aboriginal-people-1.2742330" target="_blank">photo portraits by KC Adams</a> that challenged perceptions of First Nations People by asking what we saw in the photo; welfare recipient or mother, student, artist; terrorist or father, teacher, lover; victim or grandmother, author, homeowner - these aren't the exact details but will be enough to give you the idea.<br><br>These exhibits gave me great pause - while the work Edward S. Curtis was beautiful to look at, there seemed to me to be a fair bit of posing and dressup involved - maybe I'm wrong about this but it did appear that way - Curtis' portraits felt romantic and ill-informed to me. The work of KC Adams made me really think about my voice and perspective when chiming in on issues that affect the lives of First Nations People throughout the Americas - am I simply reinforcing stereotypes through what is obviously an ill-informed (read: not the perceptions of a First Nations person) though well-meaning perspective? Likely, but I hope any feedback that I might receive helps me to become less ill-informed and opens the arms of my perspective.John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/43249122016-08-14T18:14:29-06:002022-04-28T09:03:23-06:00August 14, 2016 - Write, Record, Perform<p>So that’s cancer kicked for now – time to get on with it. Since returning to Canada, I have been determined to spend as much time as possible writing, recording, and performing. I’ve hit a few bumps in the road but my tires are still in pretty good shape – so here I go: <br><br><span class="font_large"><strong>Performing </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/bcff584bdea53027c994f979e6e445f544d2b2b6/medium/btg-2.jpg?1468779725" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p><br>I have just returned from touring and while I’ve been home for a couple of days now my body and brain still feel like they are speeding through <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/037af41e3e714785680c9b7874f6cf41cd0b0942/medium/img-3394.jpg?1471218865" class="size_m justify_left border_" />BC’s rainforests – I’ve had a very rewarding 18 days with 20 performances in 18 locations across BC and Alberta on the Behind The Grind Tour Part 2 alongside of <a contents="Kimberley MacGregor" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://kimberleymacgregor.com/" target="_blank">Kimberley MacGregor</a>, <a contents="Curtis Phagoo" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.curtisphagoo.com/" target="_blank">Curtis Phagoo</a>, and <a contents="Levi Cuss" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.levicuss.com/" target="_blank">Levi Cuss</a>. I saw many old pals along the way and met some great new folks who are sure to become good friends. It’s been a while since I’ve had a tour like that and, despite a few bumps and bruises and the grueling schedule (drive, perform, sleep, repeat), I’d happily start the whole thing over again tomorrow. I can’t thank enough all the folks who put on shows for us, fed us and shared their homes, and took the time out of their summer to spend an evening or afternoon with us – we had a tremendously successful tour that could not have happened without all these supportive folks and communities. <br> <br>We sure live in a beautiful part of the world – a place I have often taken for granted - but I’ve gained a new perspective since living in Scotland for 7 years and having the opportunity to see much of Europe and the Mediterranean. I am a pretty social person (talks a lot) and whenever I would chat with local folks and other tourists about how beautiful the locales we happened to be in were, all they wanted to talk about was Canada. <br> <br>To many people around the world Canada’s wilderness is the most exotic place they can imagine. I have been very lucky to experience some of this wilderness; most significantly when my old pal Ben Mikuska guided me on a canoe and portage trip up into northeastern Manitoba where we ended up in places where there was almost no possibility of running into another human or any sign of civilization for that matter. If you look at a map of northeastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario you will get an idea of the wilderness that exists there – so many lakes, rivers, and islands that they go mostly unnamed. I stood on pieces of land that I might have been the only person – past, present, and future – to ever occupy – places where I could almost talk the trout out of the water and into my fry pan. <br> <br>I have also been lucky to take extended boat trips along BC’s Sunshine Coast where your own private paradise awaits in countless hidden coves filled with enough prawns, oysters, and clams to satisfy even my gluttony for those critters. Then there’s the prairies – the vastness where you can watch your dog run away for 5 days - the sky a shade of blue I’ve never witnessed elsewhere - the wellspring of loneliness that rises in the ever distant horizon - driving over soft, rolling hills that move slow beneath me like the body of a lover. <br> <br>My recent travels through BC’s interior and coast and Vancouver Island and out to Drumheller’s Badlands have been a brilliant reminder of how beautiful and varied this country is – I did not take a moment of my travels for granted. Neither did I take for granted the opportunity to spend every day doing what I love more than anything. Getting to share this experience with Kimberley, Levi, and Curtis only enhanced my enjoyment – each of these performers brought so much to this tour and I got lost in their performances as often as I did my own. <br> <br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Writing </strong></span></p>
<p> <br>I am really excited to return to <a contents="The Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.banffcentre.ca/" target="_blank">The Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity</a> this Fall to attend a 5 week Residency where I will be given the space and support of my peers to focus solely on writing. Last year I only spent 2 weeks at the Centre and this was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career – I highly recommend that anyone who reads this and is engaged in creative work in music, literature, and visual arts take a look at what the Centre has to offer. <br> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Recording</strong></span> <br><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/1edf4347eb8b9f0ed38ecac346ebbe10ec748cec/small/1010117-603542156446946-8950014289886379331-n.jpg?1471221811" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/e2c4a0e99135bdd64761377d19be62da2f68002e/medium/10978586-648440618635310-960278318575899356-n.jpg?1471221907" class="size_m justify_left border_" />After nearly a yearlong delay, I am finally ready to announce the release of my third full-length recording entitled Fluke Or Flounder on September 23rd, 2016. I am<br>really proud of this record and for several years was uncertain whether I would ever record the material on it. The first thing I did when I moved back to Canada was give my old friend Paul Rigby a call to see if would like to produce a record for me – not only did he agree to, but he also brought John Raham at <a contents="Afterlife Studios" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.afterlifestudiosvancouver.com/" target="_blank">Afterlife Studios</a> and David Carswell of<a contents=" JC/DC Studio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/JCDCs-Studio-And-Productions-161861357250227/" target="_blank"> JC/DC Studio</a> to provide the spaces and expertise to record my work. <br><br>Next, I called upon my old friends to help me flesh out the songs and was lucky to have my old rhythm section, the original Lougan Brothers, made up of Keith Rose and David MacAnulty come on board. <a contents="Tyler Greentree" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://vimeo.com/99691527" target="_blank">Tyler Greentree</a> agreed to come do some singing with me, and I was lucky to have <a contents="Ford Pier" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://fnordpier.com/" target="_blank">Ford Pier</a> and <a contents="Shuyler Jansen" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://shuylerjansen.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Shuyler Jansen</a> to add some bells and whistles. Paul Rigby not only produced but also played all manner of instruments and has created a really beautiful atmosphere – I am very lucky to have had so many talented folks contribute to the recording of this record. <br> <br>Once all the recording was done I got Marc L’Esperance at <a contents="Heavy-o-sonic" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYOSONIC/" target="_blank">Heavy-o-sonic</a> to do the mastering – Marc mastered my first two recordings and I knew I could count on him. For the artwork, I sat and chatted with Bob Yianakoulias about all the ideas and inspirations that went into writing the songs on this record and from that discussion Bob created a series of what he called icons, some of which you will see on the home page of this website. Finally, Travis Sargent has done a ton of gratis work with the graphic layout. <br> <br> <br>Big thanks to everyone who helped out with this project – I am excited to share it with you this September. WATCH THIS SPACE. <br> </p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/40754392016-03-06T11:14:41-07:002022-04-28T09:06:58-06:00March 6, 2016 - The Life Giving Properties of Pho<p>For those of you who might be wondering why I have not been very active performing music this past month or so, here is a wee story: <br><br><span class="font_small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/8f3bd261d386746a6fef73a1899bdc083f6e2960/medium/img-20160305-160553.jpg?0" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></span>This is a photo of me (looking as goofy as ever) and Rose, who manages Phobulous, one of my favorite places to eat in Edmonton. <br> <br>Pho, as we know, pronounced Fah, is an addictive Vietnamese soup that I believe has life–giving properties. I first enjoyed Pho at a wee family-owned hole in the wall on Kingsway in Vancouver called, if I recall correctly, Mi Han - I think The Black Lodge might occupy its spot now. Here my Pho needs were ministered by two beautiful sisters whose presence almost equaled that of soup; either way, I got hooked and since then have tried to consume at least a bowl a week. <br><br> <br>When I moved to Glasgow a few years back, I hit a big snag – Pho was nowhere to be found. There was one placed that tried to make it but the bowls were wee and dear and the broth did not seem to have much love or tradition behind it. Three things I expect from Pho are: one, that it is served in a large bowl, two, that it is reasonably priced, and three, that its broth has character. So, although leaving Glasgow broke my heart, I have found some comfort in the fact that Edmonton has some great places to enjoy Pho. Myself, I’m a creature of habit and I have settled on Phobulous on 109th across from the Garneau Theatre. I’m there slurping noodles 2 to 3 times a week and this has led directly to me getting my recent bout with cancer addressed early on. <br> <br>Phobulous is managed by Rose who recognises my patronage by giving me extra treats from the kitchen, by every once in a while insisting that my soup is on the house, and by always stopping by my table to ask how things are going. One day, about a month and a half ago, I had hardly entered the restaurant when Rose walked straight up to me and asked what was wrong with my neck. I had no idea what she was talking about and replied that there was nothing wrong. She disagreed and insisted that I have my neck looked at by a doctor. It just so happened that I was on my way to see my GP about a finger injury that I was dealing with so in the course of that appointment I asked the doctor if he could examine my neck. After a quick look and palpation he assured me that I had nothing to worry about. <br> <br>A few days later when I returned to Phobulous Rose asked me how I got on; I reported back to her what the doctor said. She found this unsatisfactory and insisted that I have someone else have a look, I agreed to but frankly was not overly concerned. I did not feel anything was wrong with my neck – everything looked to be normal, I had no pain or discomfort, and when I asked friends if they noticed anything, no one definitively could. <br> <br>Despite my lack of concern, while at another appointment, again in regards to my finger injury, a different doctor was attending me to so I relayed to him the story thus far. After an examination he had me go for an ultrasound, that was quickly followed by a biopsy, and that resulted in a diagnosis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Within a month of this diagnosis I had a radical neck dissection and total thyroidectomy performed from which I am currently recovering. <br> <br>My surgeon feels confident that he was able to remove all of the cancer and that I will likely not need further treatment because, as we know, early diagnosis and intervention is essential in the treatment of cancer. Without Rose’s insistence that I have my neck looked at, this story could have been very different and everyone including my surgeon is astonished that she even noticed anything in the first place. <br> <br>Thank you Rose, I will be having the pleasure of your Pho for years to come.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/40085142016-01-26T13:13:00-07:002023-12-10T09:51:27-07:00January 26, 2016 - Good Start So Far<p>Well that was fun. I'm just back from down south Alberta where I played some shows in Calgary and Canmore with <strong><a contents="Kimberley MacGregor" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://kimberleymacgregor.com/" target="_blank">Kimberley MacGregor</a> </strong>- sure did feel nice to get outta town and meet some new folks. Everywhere we went we were greeted with excellent hosp-o-tal-ity. I haven't been to Calgary - other than through it - for some years now but it seems to have held on to some great traditions while introducing some nice new spots in my absence.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/b179054dd46241f03bad5d69ca3124a337c4677b/small/12573164-10153247618427601-3695484781232182332-n.jpg?1453838401" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /><br><br>Kimberley and I played first at Wine-Ohs along with <strong><a contents="Mariel Buckley" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.marielbuckley.com/" target="_blank">Mariel Buckley</a></strong> - this was a real sweet little space and despite adventurous spelling some we all had a great time telling stories and singing songs to an attentive audience of friends and strangers. We played this show 'in the round' where each of us took a turn playing a solo acoustic song - I sure do love this performance approach mostly because I get the best seat in the house to not only enjoy the other performers but also to observe the audience. I have been lucky to be in the audience at a few Kimberley MacGregor shows but to watch and hear her <strong><a contents="belt it out into the next county" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EikR5f1xE6I" target="_blank">belt it out into the next county</a></strong> from just a few feet beside me is a pleasure few get to witness. It was my first time seeing Mariel perform and she sure was a treat - an absolutely beautiful songwriter, <strong><a contents="engaging performer" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95f01Er4V68" target="_blank">engaging performer</a>, </strong>and all-round all-star - I'm positive our paths will cross again soon.<br><br><strong><a contents="Mike Dunn" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://themoaninafter.com/" target="_blank">Mike Dunn</a></strong> was generous in giving me a lift here and there will all my stuff and offering me a place to crash for a couple nights that even included breakfast, and all this despite his early morning excursions into the working world. I had Friday off to take a leisurely stumble around Calgary before settling into The Palomino Smokehouse to help Mike celebrate his birthday. Big time bonus was that <strong><a contents="HighKicks" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtAitnknWuo" target="_blank">HighKicks</a></strong> tore me some new ears and I got to have a wee chat with Matt Doherty who I hadn't seen since meeting him last fall in Banff. I am pretty sure we had a very good night - I know I met some good folks. The next day we arose quite relatively early and headed off to The Ship and Anchor to attend the open stage - I think it's almost 20 that I was last there and it sure was good to spend a lazy afternoon listening to all the talent in that room including my old pal <strong><a contents="Kent McAlister" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gxCcRd7Mpw" target="_blank">Kent McAlister</a>.</strong><br><br>Kimberley and I then headed up the road to Canmore where we enjoyed the amazing hospitality of Holly Dawson while hosting an Open Stage at The Last Call and then playing a house concert at Holly's home the next day. Folks sure did treat us well and we met so many good people from the local music scene and wider community. I am really enjoying playing house concerts - performing in someone's home breaks down some of the barriers between performer and audience and I had some really nice chats after our performances.<br><br>This was just a mini tour tune up for next week when Kimberley and I will be joined by Levi Cuss and Curtis Phagoo for a 7 night, 7 show Alberta and southern BC swing from Feb 1st until the 7th. More on that later.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/39244512015-11-12T13:11:47-07:002022-05-28T07:22:38-06:00November 12, 2015 - 'Time Flies Like An Arrow, Fruit Flies Like A Banana" (Townes Van Zandt)Well that was some kinda summer! First off, apologies for the blog-lapse but, as you’ll see, I’ve been busy: I got a new record, Fluke Or Flounder, done, was artist liaison for a multi-festival recording project, attended an artist residency at The Banff Centre, and settled into my new home in Edmonton quite well; working at The Empress Ale House and reacquainting myself with all the fine players this city has to offer with the formation of Prairie Flounder.<br><!--[if--> <!--[endif]--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><br><!--[if--><!--[endif]-->On account of all that has happened in the past few months I am going to dispense with my usual long-winded and self-proclaimed elegance and just pass on the facts.<br><!--[if--> <!--[endif]--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><br><!--[if--><!--[endif]-->Okay, Fluke Or Flounder. I am very lucky to have an 11-song recording project completed with the guidance of Paul Rigby in the roles of producer and performer. It was recorded and mixed by John Raham at Afterlife Studios and David Carswell at JC/DC with the support of performances by Keith Rose (Bass), David MacAnulty (Drums), Tyler Greentree (Vocals), Ford Pier (Keyboards, Piano), and Shuyler Jansen (Vocals). The songs for this record have been bouncing around for up to 7 seven years while I lived in Glasgow and I have been keen to record them. There is a wee bit of work to do to get this record out to you but I’m hoping that it won’t be too much longer.<br><!--[if--> <!--[endif]--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><br><!--[if--><!--[endif]-->Troubadour Sedan. Local impresario, Miles Wilkinson, invited me along to act as an artist liaison for a project that involved recording live performances from folk festival stages in Alberta and BC that had an Americana or Canadiana focus. Miles will be putting the recordings we made together for a Radio program that he curates called Troubadour Sedan. I attended festivals in Edmonton, Canmore, and Salmon Arm where I got a unique backstage perspective of many fantastic performances and was lucky to meet some brilliant performers. There were many standouts but a few stood out even amongst them – Small Glories and Amelia Curran probably impressed me most out of an impressive sample of contenders.<br><!--[if--> <!--[endif]--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><br><!--[if--><!--[endif]-->The Banff Centre. I was really lucky to be accepted for a residency at the Banff Centre this Fall. In a life that features many artistic highs, this might so far be the topper. I don’t know if I can adequately express what a rewarding experience this was for me. My residency included a stand-alone cabin with a grand piano and space where my computer and recording equipment was set up. The cabin was set in a wooded area on the edge of Tunnel Mountain and framed by several spectacular mountains. It was Fall and the leaves were in bloom and the weather couldn’t have been nicer. The residency was completely self-directed and I was never under any pressure to perform or produce; the role of the Centre’s staff was to ensure that I had the resources and support to make the most of my stay and they performed this role brilliantly. Add to this companionship of my fellow residents in music, literature, and visual arts, and the opportunity to witness and participate in some inspired performances and works and you’ll begin to understand what a rewarding and validating experience this was. I can’t thank The Banff Centre and the Liz Crockford Artists Fund for this opportunity – it has already borne fruit and will be with me always.<br><!--[if--> <!--[endif]--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><br><!--[if--><!--[endif]--> I will add a final note to this blog on my status as an Edmontonian. This is my third stint in Edmonton and in a life full of travel that is saying something. Edmonton and Edmontonians have always been good to me and despite my fear and loathing of the depths of winter, and the criminally insufficient state of public transportation, I am quite fond of this place and its denizens. Sue Kiernan and Monty Worobec at The Empress Ale House have been incredibly supportive employers and friends – I don’t know how I would have settled back into my life in Canada without their continuing support. I am also really grateful for the welcoming support I am getting from an Edmonton music scene that is chock-full of talent. Presently you can catch me playing In Prairie Flounder which is a rough collection of musicians including Tom Murray, Jason Kodie, Darrek Anderson and Ayla Brook, or performing solo or as a duet along side of Kimberley MacGregor in a series of house concerts and intimate shows. <!--![endif]--><!--![if--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><!--![endif]--><!--![if--><!--![endif]--><!--![if-->John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/36756562015-04-24T14:12:00-06:002022-02-15T07:52:57-07:00April 24, 2015 - DustIt's springtime in Edmonton: geese are goosing, rabbits rutting, squirrels seem squirrellier, and the magpies are flapping and fluffing about it all. The snow has been replaced by mounds and vast skids of grit and Depressionesque dust storms. <br><br>Despite the extremes of the season, I am really enjoying my customary walks these days. You will often find me rattling on about how much I loved living in Glasgow but no matter how much that remains true, I have dearly missed the prairies' seasons these past seven years. I always love how the seasons lend atmospheric substance to the contradictions that constantly trouble, amuse, and amaze me; I particularly admire the seasons just as they change, before they settle into their smug dominance, before they begin their fall into the next.<br><br>Spring here is not green; it holds the promise of green, but mostly it simply reveals all the crap that winter left behind. (A quick tip of the hat here to Edmontonians whose civic spirit ensures that a minimum of general rubbish and dogshit emerges). Snow mould, neglected Fall chores, and lost bicycles begin to dominate the landscape but mostly there's dust.<br><br>Spring here is brown and this colour suits me fine, The Brown Monk. Brown is not really even a colour is it? It's something on its way to either black or white, or (hopefully) in this case, green.<br><br>Spring here is dust-coloured and just as luck might have it, the song I will share with you today is:<br><br><strong>Dust</strong><br><br>He came in the summer with the railway crew<br>Just a farm boy with no farm to go to<br>‘Cause his dad kept gambling ‘till he finally found a rope to hang on to<br>And he hated everybody in that dirty little town<br>Their spit-shined chevys looked like highway clowns<br>A truck was made for working not for polishing and driving around<br> <br>The dust don’t worry ‘bout the day the rain will wash it away<br>Here on the prairies it’ll soon cover everything again<br> <br>She walked so determined in those high-heeled shoes<br>She’d walk right out of town when she finished high school<br>Leave her reputation for the gossips in the coffee shops to cling to<br>But it wasn’t much better in those bright city lights<br>The moon disappeared in the vanity lights<br>And her eyes were the stars, no need to look far for the sky<br> <br>The dust don’t worry ‘bout the day the rain will wash it away<br>Here on the prairies it’ll soon cover everything again<br>The dust don’t worry ‘bout the day the rain will wash it away<br> <br>He broke every cliché in his final year<br>Aced all the parties, never bought the beer<br>Always got the girl but never really took the time to meet her<br>Then he worked for his daddy in the hardware store<br>Selling BBQs and mopping up the floor<br>And it was clear that he wasn’t the town hero anymore<br> <br>The dust don’t worry ‘bout the day the rain will wash it away<br>Here on the prairies it’ll soon cover everything again<br>The dust don’t worry ‘bout the day the rain will wash it away<br>Here on the prairies it’ll soon cover everything again<br> <br>The rain tastes like the sweat from my brow<br>Let it wash all over me<br>I’m drifting again but wherever I’m found<br>I am bound to the lonely prairie<br><br>Unlike the last few songs I shared, this one's lyric did not start with a poem. I wrote it while living in Glasgow and while feeling particularly homesick. Its structure is a bit on the formulaic side but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I recall once years ago seeing one of my all-time favourite Canadian performers and songwriters <a contents="Willie P Bennett" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0EXNCgbvbo" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Willie P Bennett</span></a> give a workshop at the Regina Folk Festival. In this workshop he advised the curious that they should do all they can to write a song, to not allow themselves to get waylaid by the potential end product. If this means using a thesaurus or applying a formula, then so be it. Once the song is done, you can choose to keep it or toss it aside for future song fodder. It's good advice.John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/36477722015-04-08T15:16:47-06:002015-04-10T13:52:02-06:00April 8, 2015 - Ulysses Never Sailed Saskatchewan Still plugging away here at all my social media responsibilities as well as trying to line up shows, get with some players, rehearse, write, apply for grants, keep lining up and realigning all my wee ducks out on the coast before it falls into the sea, and then there's earning cash to eat and be. I'm not complaining here, just trying to bring some balance to the picture I've been painting the past while in these blogs.<br><br>Playing shows, recording music, and getting to share those experiences with other artists and audience members can be very fulfilling but there sure are significant periods of downtime. These are the moments when you don't get the immediate feedback of those around you; when motivation would often rather lie under a nice comforter and watch a crappy movie. I've been trying to battle this urge by being as proactive and constructive as possible and this has meant reaching out to others to get their support and advice, something I have always been poor at. <br><br>Although I've lived the majority of my life in urban centres, I very strongly identify with the Canadian prairies and the experiences of the homesteaders who settled there in the early 1900's. This was the story of my folks who came from <span class="font_large"><a contents="Galicia" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.torugg.org/History/history_of_galicia.html" target="_blank">Galicia</a>, </span>a part of Europe that no longer exists and that contains a family history that I have no details of. With the exception of voyages (from the countryside to Vienna, across the ocean, hauling everything you have and will need from the middle of nowhere to somewhere north west of there with a team of oxen) my families' stories start in Saskatchewan, and even these stories are becoming lost. The small parcels of land that were 'given' to homesteaders, the subsistence farms that used to dominate the prairies, are almost completely gone now. The Dominion Land Act is seen historically as a gift to the immigrants who settled the prairie, turns out (surprise working folks!) that the actual gift was a prairie prepared for profit by those early settlers. The folks who turned that wilderness into the breadbasket of Canada were later judged to lack the business acumen needed to sustain it and have been evicted from the land that is now dominated by agribusiness. The history of my folks is the history of people who have been evicted from the histories and landscapes they were instrumental in creating. This happened to them both here and in Europe and goes a long way in helping me understand my wanderlust and distrust of governments bearing gifts.<br><br>I have very few actual regrets in life but missing the opportunities to engage with the cultures that were available to me while growing up is one of them. My father speaks Ukrainian, my mother, German, and I was taught French in school yet I only speak English. A big part of this was that my grandparents wanted to leave the old world behind, life was very difficult there and history houses many closets that prefer to be closed. Speaking German or Ukrainian in a land mostly settled by the French and British exposed you to ridicule and even danger (speaking German during WWII was not recommended). I grew up with the stigma of an Eastern European background (we were the "Newfies" of the prairies) but I can only imagine how difficult it was for my grandparents and parents.<br><br>These wee history lessons I've written above help me to understand why I find it difficult to reach out to others for help. The experience of the prairie homesteaders was one of pride and self-reliance; one of trying to make a piece of land in the middle of nowhere, with some of the harshest weather conditions in the world, barren of your bloodline, a home. This is my history. <br><br>So, yeah, I've held my hat in hand quite often in the past couple of months reaching out to folks to give me some support while I try to settle my own wilderness. Thanks to all those who have been helping me out here.<br><br>My song today is a product of the experiences discussed above. As has been my tradition, I will share with you here the lyrics for this song followed by the poem I reaped them from:<br><br><strong>Ulysses Never Sailed Saskatchewan </strong><br><br>Sweet yellow songs, clover voices<br>Stir the dust to its feet<br>The black dunes waltz with the fencelines<br>Where the green shadows drift and swell<br><br>Stricken hands, emptied of horses<br>Rust brittle cling to the earth<br>Sink slowly with every winter<br>Where the wheat used to stand and sway<br><br>And I'm bound<br>I seasick weary wonder<br>See me going under (X2)<br><br>Bent over churches, grey fathers' homes<br>Allow the wind their hold<br>The walls billow with emptiness<br>Strained planks scream like gulls<br><br>Big red barn, the last building standing<br>Leans towards its fall<br>Its large doors swinging sadly<br>Like the slow beating of my heart<br><br>And I'm bound<br>I seasick weary wonder<br>See me going under (X2)<br><br>I moved out to the West Coast in the early '90s after spending the majority of my young adult life in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta. The first thing that struck me when moving there, and something that stayed with me ever since, was the contradictory similarities between the landscapes of the ocean and the prairie. The obvious similarity is that they both challenged the horizon, but I was often fascinated by how these landscapes dictated the pace of life they contained. My favourite story to illustrate this is in how Pig Glass is formed. Pig Glass is an inland phenomenon that refers to smooth beads of glass that are formed by the action of soil shifting slowly over pieces of formerly jagged broken glass for decades, and called Pig Glass because pigs, being partial to shiny things, often root them up from their graves beneath the dirt. Anyone who has walked the urban beaches of Victoria or Vancouver knows you don't need pigs or the action of decades of shifting soil to form glass beads, the sea churns out these gems daily. The landscape's role in the process of turning a piece of waste into a jewel fascinates me.<br><br>This fascination, along with how the history and landscapes of the prairie and coast have shaped me, led me to write the following poem that plays with <span class="font_large"><a contents="Ulysses' episode with the Sirens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.johnwilliamwaterhouse.com/pictures/ulysses-sirens-1891/" target="_blank">Ulysses' episode with the Sirens</a></span>: <br><br><em><strong>Ulysses Never Sailed Saskatchewan</strong> <br><br>sweet yellow songs, clover voices<br>stir dust into a slumbering dance<br>black dunes waltz around fencelines<br>green shadows drift and swell<br> <br>stricken hands, emptied of horses<br>fingers rust brittle<br>claw at the earth<br>sink slow under weeds<br> <br>bent churches, grey fathers’ homes<br>allow the wind their hold<br>walls billow with emptiness<br>strained planks scream like gulls<br> <br>and I am bound</em>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/36280292015-03-27T16:45:09-06:002015-04-09T13:01:11-06:00March 27, 2015 - It's Not MeI am now stuck in a bit of a waiting game - big plans and limited resources. Being away from Canada and performing for the past 7 years has meant that I need to work hard at establishing myself as a performer once again. This has involved building a social media presence (this site, FaceBook, and Twitter), applying for arts grants and funding, engaging in workshops and consultations for professional development (thanks especially to <a contents="Alberta Music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.albertamusic.org/" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Alberta Music</span></a> for providing opportunities to do this), and trying to book and play as many shows as possible. <br><br>All that work is quite time consuming and I am lucky to be in a position at the moment where I can dedicate a fair bit of time to this. Getting shows booked is proving to be pretty tough - when I did this several years ago, I generally needed to book things at least 3 months in advance, these days it seems that at least 6 months notice is needed. As you can imagine, this takes a fair bit of forward planning, promotional acumen, and business sense; all skills that don't come easy to me. I am of course hardly alone in this position - many artists find it difficult to market and promote themselves and to approach their art with a business head and because of this they will often will seek out a manger to take care of these things for them. This has always been my mindset - I'm no good at it, so I try to find someone who is good at it rather than working on building the skills I need myself. The problem with this approach is that once you hand over the management of your affairs to another person, that person is going to serve their own purpose and vision rather than yours (quite naturally). I've always liked what <a contents="Steve Albini" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiitifPJkow" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Steve Albini</span></a> has to say on these matters - I particularly like the video I have linked his name to here, but I would recommend you seek out his other online interviews and addresses.<br><br>Presently I have some shows booked locally (Edmonton) for June and beyond and have some other irons in the fire - WATCH THIS SPACE. I also continue to work towards completing and releasing another recording - I have already detailed much of this process in previous blogs on this site. I am hopeful that this work will result in a full album release in the fall of 2015 - so far that all seems to be on track.<br><br>The new song I will introduce you to today is appropriate, in title at least, for what I have been rattling on about above; <br><br><strong>It's Not Me</strong><br><br>it’s not me<br>drifting next to a cruise ship’s bulk<br>that plows through sand as though afloat<br>but I do have a cyclopean view<br>of the party where I first lost you<br> <br>and I see<br>party hats, elastics slack<br>whirl with the wide-eyed blue band<br> <br>the ocean’s sway will lead the way<br>to where the dancers swing with the chandeliers<br>their feet more free than in dance<br> <br>eternity<br>hangs at odd angles but never so graceful<br>than from necks that are swollen with breath<br> <br>the ocean’s sway will lead the way<br>to where the dancers swing with the chandeliers<br>their feet more free than in dance<br> <br>it’s not me<br><br>The progression, vocal melody, and singing approach in this song are all very heavily influenced by the work of <a contents="Scott Engel (Walker)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB8NKS17U98" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Scott Engel (Walker)</span></a> in the mid-60's through until he 'disappeared' in the mid-70's. I have always admired Scott Walker's work; from his early days in the <span class="font_large"><a contents="Walker Brothers" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eAxCVTMJ-I" target="_blank">Walker Brothers</a></span>, through to his <span class="font_large"><a contents="love affair with Europe" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPMYHm7_0sA" target="_blank">love affair with Europe</a>,<span class="font_regular"> (</span></span>particularly his<span class="font_large"> <a contents="interpretations of Jaques Brel" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKtZf62BQzM" target="_blank">interpretations of Jacques Brel</a>), </span>and up to the brilliant one of a kind recordings he has done from the <span class="font_large"><a contents="mid-90's onwards" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ih7KzKLLWA" target="_blank">mid-90s onwards</a>. </span>My admiration of this artist is not only based on his artistic vision (musically and lyrically) and his determined approach to realising this vision (a good read - <span class="font_large"><a contents="Scott: The Curious Life &amp; Work Of Scott Walker" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=CTv_AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT468&lpg=PT468&dq=Scott:+The+Curious+Life+%26+Work+of+Scott+Walker&source=bl&ots=5DKx-KeAsU&sig=9InflcWTN2naHakxNsw47wTUqQY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aNAVVbqNGdPgsATV_4GADg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Scott%3A%20The%20Curious%20Life%20%26%20Work%20of%20Scott%20Walker&f=false" target="_blank">Scott: The Curious Life & Work Of Scott Walker</a>)</span> but also on his vocal style. Like Scott, I am a crooner and this approach to singing has not always endeared me to what many folks consider appropriate for contemporary popular music. Despite this, my voice is my voice and I will stay true to it. Mr. Engel is a great role model for staying true to yourself.<br><br>The lyrics for this song were once again cannibalised from a poem I had written years earlier entitled, Fragment From A Dream In Which I Murder Some Brides. This poem was written after being haunted for years by a dream I had near the end of my first marriage. I had married quite young to my high school sweetheart (dating at 16, engaged at 19, married at 21, and divorced at 23). My wife was an extremely sweet person who was wholly dedicated to me and our marriage; I unfortunately was not. Much had changed for me between the ages of 16 and 23. I went from being a small town farm boy whose interests and goals were mostly materialistic and self-promoting in nature, to becoming a city dwelling university student who was utterly captivated by the Politic Economies of Karl Marx and his followers. This impacted my priorities drastically and unfortunately, my now ex-wife was not along for the journey and this led to us growing apart despite her continued dedication to me. Rather than address our growing apart directly, I started to become less engaged in our life together and behaved in ways that I will forever be ashamed of. <br><br>Sometime near the end of my marriage I had a dream where I had the perspective of an omnipresent narrator looking into the porthole of a sunken cruise ship. Inside I saw the scene of a formal dance where everyone in attendance (dancers, musicians, waiters) were drowned and floating around a grand ballroom. Next in the dream, my perspective suddenly shifted to a long door-lined hallway that I somehow knew was also within the sunken ship. When a door in this hall was opened, a bride sitting in front of a vanity turned towards the open door, would suddenly look horrified, and scream before she was shot - blood bursting from her white wedding dress. This scene repeated 3 times before the fourth bride did not look horrified nor scream but turned to attack the person standing at the opened door. I then heard sinister laughter while this bride too fell to the same fate as the others. It was only during this laughter that I realised that the perspective I was experiencing was not that of an omnipresent narrator but that of my own and the horror of this realisation woke me. Within days of having this dream, I confessed to my wife how distant I had grown from our marriage and asked for a divorce.<br><br><strong>Fragment From A Dream In Which I Murder Some Brides</strong><br><br><em>it’s not me<br>drifting next to a cruise ship’s bulk<br>that ploughs through sand as though afloat<br>but I do have a cyclopean view<br>of the party within<br> <br>paper hats, elastics slack<br>whirl about with a wide-eyed<br>blue trumpet player<br>the ocean’s sway his tune<br> <br>dancers swing on chandeliers of melody<br>their hair more free than in dance<br> <br>bubble-bright pearls<br>hang at eternally odd angles<br>from a neck<br>never so graceful in breath</em><br><br>Stay tuned to this blog for yet more happy tales that inspired the songs on my upcoming recording.<br> John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/36121292015-03-19T15:00:55-06:002015-03-25T04:13:19-06:00March 12, 2015 - My Happy Trip To Vancouver - Part 3 - Where I find life at Afterlife and introduce you to EmilyOkay, for 3 weeks we talked, planned, and practiced. Next it was time to get some of this work recorded for some demos that I will use to apply for funding and to shop around to labels. My other two albums were made for Mint Records but they were not able to pick this one up. Mint Records and Randy Iwata in particular have been very good to me and there were absolutely no hard feelings following this decision. I know from past reviews of my albums that some music writers found it curious and even frustrating that a label with a history like Mint's would sign an artist like myself. I always took a fair bit of pride in being the oddball on the label by virtue of not being an oddball, but I also always knew that Mint couldn't continue taking chances on artists like myself, particularly in the industry environment today where independent labels' viability is being challenged by downloadable and streamed music.<p class="p1">Paul Rigby suggested that I record my demos at a studio that he had worked at before, <span class="font_large"><a contents="Afterlife" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/AfterlifeStudiosVancouver" target="_blank">Afterlife</a></span>, not only because he liked the rooms and equipment but also because of the engineering skills of John Raham. Once again Paul was right on the mark. Afterlife is full of all kinds of vintage equipment and the main studio space is a strangely proportioned and beautiful sounding room that John knows every square inch of. John has a knowledgable and straight forward approach to recording and he ensured that no time was wasted - so long as I kept him fuelled with San Pellegrino sparkling water and herb chicken sandwiches he worked tirelessly at making sure I got the best bang for my buck. He and Paul worked really well together to coach and coax the best performances out of all of us. John is particularly adept at giving people instructions without them noticing that they were receiving instructions. I am really looking forward to returning to Afterlife to record my songs in earnest once I am able to raise the funds.</p>
<p class="p1">As promised last week, I am going to introduce you to another of my new songs, this week's song is:</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Emily</b></p>
<p class="p4"><i>The day the plane arrived </i><br><i>South Indian Lake was alive with an ancient song </i><br><i>Then promises were made </i><br><i>There were lives there to be saved and brought to God </i><br><i>And saved and brought they were without a whisper or a word</i><br><i>They flew like birds </i><br><i>And still the elders search the sky through the tall and solid pine </i><br><i>For their return </i></p>
<p class="p4"><i>Who are you Emily</i><br><i>What is the name that they hid</i><br><i>Who are the people they kept from your life </i><br><i>And where's your family </i><br><i>Among the dead and wasted </i><br><i>The hated and raped and tossed aside?</i><i> </i></p>
<p class="p4"><i>They wouldn't let you speak </i><br><i>Until The Word and kerosene had wiped you clean </i><br><i>And then the World War came along </i><br><i>And took the only man you loved away to sea </i><br><i>And then your children's haunted doorways </i><br><i>In those dark and drunken dog days </i><br><i>Would set the table </i><br><i>With more than one life's worth of bottles </i><br><i>Empty now but not forgotten </i></p>
<p class="p4"><i>Who are you Emily</i><br><i>What is the name that they hid</i><br><i>Who are the people they kept from your life </i><br><i>And where's your family </i><br><i>Among the dead and wasted </i><br><i>The hated and raped and tossed aside?</i></p>
<p class="p1">Sometimes songs start with a lyric but this one started with a progression that was partly ripped off from my pal Gary Anderson and partly influenced by the song Please Don't Let The Starman Come Again by Dougie MacLean. Years ago I had given it lyrics that were adapted from a short story I had written but I was never comfortable with them. Sometime in 2013 I cannibalized some old poems I had written years previously while living in Winnipeg and made them fit a lyric for this song. <br><br>I will often plumb the reams of old poetry I have written over the years to fashion lyrics. The poems I based this lyric on were written to celebrate the life of a Cree woman I met in Winnipeg's notorious North End. The events that dominated her life are unfortunately all too common for Native American people across Canada. Whenever I perform this song I feel it is necessary to point out that it was inspired not by tragedy but heroism. <br><br>I do not have any Native American ancestry and do not always feel comfortable telling stories that are not my own to tell; I try very hard to ensure that I am writing as a witness rather than any sort of authority. I feel it is important to recognize the historical and contemporary conditions of marginalized people and to combat genocidal practices by speaking about these practices and their effects on the people they target - sometimes art can do this.<br><br>Here are some voices that should be heard:<br><br><span class="font_large"><a contents="Truth and Reconciliation Commission" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=3">Truth and Reconciliation Commission</a><br><a contents="Cree Culture and History" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.native-languages.org/cree_culture.htm" target="_blank">Cree Culture and History</a><br><a contents="American Indian Movement" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.aimovement.org/" target="_blank">American Indian Movement</a><br><a contents="Idle No More" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.idlenomore.ca/" target="_blank">Idle No More</a><br><a contents="Hidden No Longer" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://hiddennolonger.com/" target="_blank">Hidden No Longer</a><br><a contents="Urban Native Magazine" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://urbannativemag.com/" target="_blank">Urban Native Magazine</a></span><br><br>There are some excellent links in these website to tons of great information so please, fill your boots!</p>
<p class="p1">I will also share you here the 2 poems from which I stole some lines and images:</p>
<p class="p1"><b>Emily (I)</b></p>
<p class="p1">she contained<br>was set strong<br>under flesh worn callous<br>gentle Cree scrubbed in kerosene</p>
<p class="p1"> <i>(What is your name Emily?) </i></p>
<p class="p1">an angry wooden tongue shapes the moon’s song<br>around the sound of sorrows<br>of war-lost love<br>its name left behind and held<br>where darkness is the war alone<br>of closet-blackened eyes<br>the open wound of her children’s fears<br>where names are lost and forgotten<br>in fiddle memories and drunken dog years<br>when love became too hard not to be true</p>
<p class="p2">but tonight Emily sings<br>and tall and solid shadows<br>at South Indian Lake<br>sway with her song</p>
<p class="p2"><b>Emily (II)</b></p>
<p class="p1"><i>“…so I told him to get the – and you know I don’t say this very much – but get the fuck outta here!”</i></p>
<p class="p5">it would be someone<br>who was not welcome to<br>but none the less was<br>drinking too much<br>and her rye to boot<br>someone who’d stir that low burning memory<br>into hot tongues of hate<br>saying <br><i>one day I’ll kill those bastards, I’ll…</i></p>
<p class="p2">but he’s dead<br>beaten and river bloated<br>and legend is stood on its head<br>the children grow wise and die<br>their stories silent<br>his paintings of moonlit cats<br>dark faces submerged in black<br>his photograph<br>that turns up out-of-date<br>whispering through the late news<br>him urging children<br>to pull their beautiful brown faces<br>from the wrinkled mask of paper bags<br><br>but he’s dead, fallen<br>to the blunt whip of fists<br>and they’re still dying<br>and she says<br><i>get the fuck out!</i></p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/36026742015-03-16T13:04:22-06:002015-03-16T13:04:22-06:00March 15, 2015 - Post GigJust a quick little note here. Thanks everyone for coming out to my show at the Cask and Barrel this past Saturday afternoon - it was a beautiful day and I don't take for granted that you chose to come spend the afternoon indoors, listening to me. It is always so inspiring to look out from my spot at the microphone and see all of you in various stages of attention; your smiles, hoots, and applause help lift my songs and performance to levels I can't achieve on my own. This show was particularly enjoyable because the venue was licensed to allow children to attend so I got an opportunity to meet some of my friends' kids and even though some of their wee hands were over their wee ears at times, it was a real pleasure to have them in the audience. I wish there were more venues like this where more mature folks can spend time with their kids in a mixed atmosphere that doesn't cater completely to what others might define as appropriate.<br><br>Thanks also to The Cask and Barrel for supporting artists with a nice little venue and real decent treatment, and to Brent Oliver for putting together this weekly event and doing everything from promo to bottlewashing when needed. John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/35958162015-03-12T19:00:57-06:002015-05-13T11:46:57-06:00March 12, 2015 - My Happy Trip To Vancouver - Part 2 - Where I get Rhythm and start to introduce you to some songs Throughout my stay in Vancouver I was lucky to stay at my old pal Keith Rose's place, a house I had lived in before; this gave me a good base for all the nostalgia I was feeling. Yet another lucky perk was that I was sharing a flat with David MacAnulty; not only is David an excellent drummer, but he is also a real live Brewmeister who was happy to bring some of his work home with him. David and Keith have performed together for years in bands such as Roots Roundup, The Hardrock Miners, and The Royal Grand Prix, they were also the original Lougan Brothers. Together they are a seasoned rhythm section and a pretty entertaining couple of sorts. Keith is an eternal teenager who has always infused my music with an energy I find impossible to capture on my own and David is a solid drummer and native Motherwellian who brings a no nonsense approach to rehearsing and performing and I don't think he has ever been any younger than 65 his entire life. This was kinda like being in a band with Carrot Top (I know Keith prefers Don Rickles but Carrot Top fits my narrative better) and Henny Youngman - let the hijinx commence. As we were all 3 living in the same house, we had lots of opportunity to hash out many of Paul's arrangement ideas and to develop some other ideas based on Keith's and David's input before sitting down to record some demos. <p class="p1">I sure love what other people bring to my songs - playing in a band gives me an opportunity to enjoy the talent of those around me, it also makes me hear new things in the songs that I've been carrying around with me. </p>
<p class="p1">Okay then, the songs. Some folks feel that art should speak for itself, that the artist's intent or interpretation are not only irrelevant to but, moreso, get in the way of the audience's experience. While I agree that the audience should be given the opportunity to experience and interpret art without additional input from the artist, my experience of art has always been enhanced by knowing the artist's perspective and biography. Sometimes I've gained greater respect for artists and their work and other times additional insights have made me uncomfortable with a work of art or its maker; either way my experience is enriched. So, at the risk of making you feel uncomfortable: </p>
<p class="p1"><b>Sail Away</b><br>(You can hear me perform a version of this live and unplugged on the <a contents="Satan's Cabaret" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://satanscabaret.com/" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Satan's Cabaret</span></a> Podcast in my January 29, 2015 blog) </p>
<p class="p1"><i>It's been 14 mornings on the kitchen floor</i><br><i>You'd think by now I'd know what I did the night before</i><br><i>But the kicks and the wince, the drugs and the kicks</i><br><i>Come down with the weight of the guilt that I'll wash away</i><br><i>When I get down to the water</i></p>
<p class="p1"><i>You can let yourself run fast and loose like the Grievous Angel's wild goose</i><br><i>And let love hurt you every day</i><br><i>Or you can lay down in the bathtub with the fat man blues and sail away</i></p>
<p class="p1"><i>I'm always leaving behind what I'd like to hold</i><br><i>The same old story in the rear view mirror on that same old open road</i><br><i>And the lips that I'll miss, the words and the kiss</i><br><i>Her voice a distant melody that I'll wash away</i><br><i>When I get down to the water</i></p>
<p class="p2"><i>You can let yourself run fast and loose like the Grievous Angel's wild goose</i><br><i>And let love hurt you every day</i><br><i>Or you can lay down in the bathtub with the fat man blues and sail away</i></p>
<p class="p1"><i>So here's to 14 mornings on the kitchen floor</i><br><i>Here's to the same old story in the rear view mirror on that same old open road</i><br><i>Here's to the friends that have been, the good times and sins</i><br><i>The bruise of a heart on my sleeve that I'll wash away</i><br><i>When I get down to the water</i></p>
<p class="p1"><i>You can let yourself run fast and loose like the Grievous Angel's wild goose</i><br><i>And let love hurt you every day</i><br><i>Or you can lay down in the bathtub with the fat man blues and sail away</i></p>
<p class="p2">This song was written with two of my favourite songwriters and performers in mind - <span class="font_large"><a contents="Lowell George" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1AWV3F8muI" target="_blank">Lowell George</a></span> and <span class="font_large"><a contents="Gram Parsons" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zee05t906M" target="_blank">Gram Parsons</a></span> - and muses on the lifestyles that killed them far too early in their lives. I wrote this when I got to thinking about my own lifestyle and about being careful what I wished for. Is burning out unavoidable in some cases? Can measured passion still be passionate?</p>
<p class="p1">I have once again used the Golden Progression for this song - 2 free passes to any one show I play to the first person who can identify in a message to this site my 2 other songs that exploit this progression (a prize worth potentially in excess of $10.00).</p>
<p class="p1">I will introduce you to Emily in about a week's time.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/35633632015-02-27T16:56:02-07:002015-03-08T12:45:10-06:00February 27, 2015 - My Happy Trip To Vancouver - Part 1 - Where I arrive and am placed on The RackWell that was a nice wee trip. I'm just back from spending the last 5 weeks in Vancouver with a way too short trip to Victoria. It's been around 11 years since I was last on the coast and I had much catching up to do. It felt so good to peel back the layers of my Edmonton attire and expose my grey, flaking flesh to the sun. I almost succumbed to my Glaswegian impulse to go <span class="font_large"><a contents="taps aff" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/u/only-in-glesgow-taps-aff-man-features-in-partick-google-maps.1423736223" target="_blank">taps aff</a></span>.<br><br>Vancouver sure is beautiful. Much had changed and much had stayed the same. Some folks were older and wiser, some folks were just older. There were some new stools for me to grace and some old haunts to flesh out. Strangely, there were several places that were both old and new at the same time - Red Cat Records, The Main, The Railway Club, Slickity Jim's - this made some of my more tattered memories even less reliable. Happily, there were some new places to manufacture yet even more questionable memories - thanks to The Lido and The Black Lodge. <br><br>I was real lucky to be free to get out to see tons of local, live music - Ford Pier (on his own, including interpretive dance, and with his killer Vengeance Trio), Big Top, Invisible Ray, Sarah Wheeler, David Chenery, DOA, Tony Wilson, Dave Lang, Stephen Nikliva, David P Smith, Robin Hunter, Paul Rigby with Skye Brooks, The Slow Learners, Caroline Mark, Cloudsplitter (Skycracker), Geoff Berner, The Neon Stars - I also went out to see Lucinda Williams, who was in excellent voice and played some great new songs and many classics - Lake Charles was particularly devastating. <p class="p1">Oh, and Pho. Pho, Pho, Pho - I ate Pho nearly every day as well as some fantastic sushi.</p>
<p class="p2">But besides all that, I had come out to make music with old friends and to start the process of recording some of the songs I have written since my last cd way back in 2005. To start this all off I met with Paul Rigby and we began to explore some of the ideas he had for my songs. This was both a very challenging and satisfying experience for me. The first thing Paul asked me was whether we were aiming to serve the songs or to capture my performance of the songs. </p>
<p class="p2">Taking a hiatus from performing the last 7 years revealed two things to me:<br>1. I really love performing and get a huge buzz from sharing this experience with, and drawing from the presence of, an audience<br>2. Despite #1, I see myself primarily as a writer; I continued to play and write music daily even though I was not performing in public. </p>
<p class="p1">These revelations along with the fact that I would not always have the pleasure of the accompaniment of Paul and the other musicians who were on board informed my decision to serve the songs on this recording. I was happy to continue to perform these songs live as I had been despite how different they might be performed during the recording. I could tell Paul was pleased with this decision.</p>
<p class="p1">I had been playing some of these songs for over 10 years and in the past 7 years, with the exception of a few performances over the last 6 months, I had been playing them on my own in my living room to my cat (who was big fan by the way). This meant that when I performed these songs, I felt compelled to fill up all the sound spaces on my own with just an acoustic guitar and my voice. It soon became apparent that Paul's first mission was to break me from feeling that I had to make all the noise on my own. <br><br>Hand in hand with this one man band approach was also my tendency to go all out when singing - this is partly because my 2 biggest vocal influences are <a contents="Rick Danko" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHzODm-Ik8" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Rick Danko</span></a> and <a contents="Van Morrison" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY8T35WsQfU" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Van Morrison</span></a>, and also because I've performed for years in venues where I had to be loud to be heard above the din of the punters. I do also recognize my tendency to overemote but I don't always recognize this as it happens. Paul is an amazing guy, not only is he one of the finest musicians I've ever met, he is also a genuinely kind and considerate person who has a knack for bringing out the best in those around him. He drew my attention to my lyrics and told me that the words were powerful on their own and just needed to be delivered as a gift rather than as a birth. This appealed not only to my vanity but also made good sense and when I tried his suggestions the proof was in the pudding. Within moments of listening to his ideas for my songs I was won over by his approach to and feel for the music. I became determined to take advantage of this opportunity for growth by trying to stay as open as I could to Paul's ideas and direction. </p>
<p class="p1">Wanting to take and follow direction is not the same as executing those directions. Probably the busiest part of my performance style is my right hand - this is partly due to trying to make up for the large chunk of ham that is my left hand, but also due to me needing to be my own rhythm section when performing solo. Paul wanted me to 'straighten out' my right hand; keep it simple and leave room for other instruments. I was tied to Paul's straightening out rack quite often - actually it was more like a deep muscle massage than a torture technique but it was at times very challenging. <br><br>Not only was Paul asking me to play straight rhythms with contained dynamics, he also wanted me to change or simplify the actual chord progressions and leave off a whole bunch of fancy bits. I wrote, enjoyed playing, and was habituated to those progressions, and I was just starting to get kinda good at adding fancy bits after 35+ years of playing guitar. <br><br>I do not have the musical sophistication that Paul possesses and could not hear everything as he was hearing it in his head - all the things that seemed to me were being eliminated from the song were actually being replaced (and often improved) by other instruments in that head. I knew this was happening by <span class="font_large"><a contents="the now famous constipated-cat-taking-a-shit look of concentration on Paul's face" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp7evCQWBgU" target="_blank">the now famous constipated-cat-taking-a-shit look of concentration on Paul's face</a></span> as I played, but I couldn't hear it. My vocal melodies and performance were often cued or accommodated by particular changes and rhythms that I was playing on the guitar while singing, when some of these changes and rhythms were changed, I sometimes found that my phrasing, cadence, and even tone were difficult to execute. Despite these difficulties, I knuckled down and practiced, practiced, practiced, and with Paul's support and at times monumental patience, I got a pretty good handle on what I was doing.</p>
<p class="p2">Next it was time to bring in the rhythm section, enter Keith Rose and David MacAnulty but you'll need to wait for part 2 of this trip blog which will be available in about a week or so…</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/34943792015-01-29T16:48:50-07:002022-05-10T11:30:19-06:00January 29, 2015 - Sputter and tossyou can listen to me channel a myriad of Looney Tunes speech impediments whilst spouting a load of bollocks here - <a contents="http://satanscabaret.com/john-guliak/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://satanscabaret.com/john-guliak/" target="_blank">http://satanscabaret.com/john-guliak/</a><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/158772/9a539dac920b0dfcaec292f5d27a360dc7000cbc/original/satcab-slider-s1ep62-epi.png?1422575303" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/34828552015-01-23T13:47:45-07:002015-02-27T16:59:56-07:00January 23, 2015 - Vancouverwhen i awoke this morning it was raining. for just a minute i thought i was in Glasgow - but this rain was juicier - they call it a Pineapple Express (i don't know what kind of weather 'express' Glasgow gets when it rains, but it's definitely not a Pineapple one). after the cobwebs cleared, i found myself on Canada's west coast. like a few other places, Vancouver feels haunted to me. these grey, rainy skies and the fact that i am staying in the house i used to live in, almost clothes the ghosts and echos (thanks to casa Keith Rose and to David MacAnulty for letting me invade his space). i hope this doesn't sound depressing to you; it's just ol' maudlin me. <p class="p1">i've been in Vancouver a week now, running into old friends and preparing to do some recording which is the main reason for this trip. so far, all is on track (stops to knock on wood-substitute-head). <span class="font_large"><a contents="Paul Rigby" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf1bG0yt-9M" target="_blank">Paul Rigby</a></span>, who will be producing and playing on the above mentioned recording project, has already charted most of the material and suggested some really good approaches; i knew he was the right person for the job. my last two recordings were co-produced by myself and <span class="font_large"><a contents="Tolan McNeil" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5odRhOPc_q0" target="_blank">Tolan McNeil</a></span>; i am very proud of this work and really enjoyed the 'given'er' approach we took. this time around i wanted to step away from my songs and have someone else handle the production duties completely. as soon as i decided this Paul Rigby came to mind and, as my good fortune would have it, he was available and happy to oblige. anyone who knows Paul knows that he has a great ear and is very a talent player; you will also know that he always carries with him a potent combination of infectious enthusiasm and a calming confidence in himself and others. after the couple of sit downs we've had, my instincts are panning out (stops to knock on wood-substitute-head). </p>
<p class="p2">last night Paul and i played a show over at <span class="font_large"><a contents="Skinny Fat Jack's" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.skinnyfatjack.com/" target="_blank">Skinny Fat Jack's</a></span>. this is a wee venue tucked in the back of Slickity Jim's that holds around 30 people, maybe up to 40 if you push it and the folks last night were close to pushing it. i was really lucky to have an attentive and appreciative bunch last night that mostly consisted of old friends but was also sprinkled with a few new faces. the nice thing about playing a small room like this is that it makes it easy for me, <span class="font_large"><a contents="as a comic in all seriousness" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onlyRc1XeiA" target="_blank">as a comic in all seriousnes</a></span><a contents="as a comic in all seriousness" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onlyRc1XeiA" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">s</span></a>, to connect with my audience while only requiring a few claps and hollers to make the noise of an ovation. thanks to everyone for coming out on a rainy school night and infusing my plans with some momentum, to Chandler McMurray-Ives for running the room so well and for taking such good care of Paul and i, and to Paul for jumping in with both feet - even when there wasn't any water in the pool.<br><br>i also recorded a Podcast with Rob Malowny's <span class="font_large"><a contents="Satan's Cabaret" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://satanscabaret.com/" target="_blank">Satan's Cabaret</a> </span>here in Vancouver which will soon be posted for all to hear. Rob is a terrific guy who has a genuine love of music and a passionate curiosity for what makes musicians tick. we had a lovely chat and i attempted to play a couple of tunes. Rob generously let me have my way with a bottle of cask strength Aberlour which produced some mixed results - on the one hand, i really opened up, but on the other hand, i really opened up. we unfortunately waited until the end of the interview to record a couple songs and they may have been a wee bit tarnished by my indulgence. anyways, i'd like to thanks Rob for inviting me on his Podcast and for treating me so well.</p>
<p class="p2">okay, less blogging and more rehearsing for now.</p>John Guliaktag:johnguliak.com,2005:Post/34643782015-01-13T13:56:25-07:002022-04-05T01:52:25-06:00January 13, 2015 - Hello Againas usual, i can't resist a <span class="font_large"><a contents="Neil Diamond" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUVkiWWszu4" target="_blank">Neil Diamond</a> </span>reference. so it's been a while. for those who may not know, i just spent the last 7 years living in Glasgow where i took a hiatus from performing to focus on my career in health and social care. during this period i spend my time and earnings on seeing a bit of the world rather than sinking every penny and spare moment i had in pursuit of a music career as i had been doing over the previous 30 years. i also felt that i needed to step away from performing to gain some perspective; Glasgow suited this purpose perfectly.<br><br>my time in Glasgow was amazing; it is a beautiful city full of character and history, you see this in the architecture and feel it in the people. the Scots are very welcoming to Canadians - most everyone has a near or distant relative scattered somewhere across Canada - and i was offered more than an angel's share of drams in exchange for tales of ice truckers, Red River dancers and the fiddle and drum music that moved them, unimaginable wilderness, and the dismal social conditions that some of Canada's poorest citizens are subjected to (this last topic was always a big surprise; most everyone believed the worst had passed). i am going to miss the friends i made in Scotland, the beauty of the countryside - the lochs, highlands, and isles - and the pride that Scots take in being Scots. i am also really going to miss being able to pop over to London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, or Budapest for the weekend to revel in art, food, and history.<br><br>music is a big deal in Glasgow - i am an obsessive fan of live music and i have never encountered more consistently knowledgable and appreciative audiences as i found there. to me it seemed that Glaswegians approach music as a cultural necessity rather than a commercial entity. the shows i went to were always well attended by the young and old and almost everyone seemed to know the lyrics to most the of songs being performed. i saw the look of surprise and appreciation on <span class="font_large"><a contents="Gary Louris'" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On71vA-f5ps" target="_blank">Gary Louris'</a></span> face when, during a solo acoustic show, the audience expertly provided the background vocals to a number of his songs; i saw a very shy and hesitant <span class="font_large"><a contents="Barry Adamson" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXODs5Bry3I" target="_blank">Barry Adamson</a></span> blossom into a performing dynamo in the audience's enthusiasm; i saw <span class="font_large"><a contents="Jim White" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOUG-9hJqwQ" target="_blank">Jim White</a></span> nearly come to tears when he explained that he was not used to the respect he was being shown. i found this all very inspiring - thanks for that Glasgow.<br><br>after 7 years of attending to other priorities, i am back in Canada (in Edmonton, where i have always been treated so well) and am feeling ready to once again sink every penny and spare moment i have into pursuing a music career. hence this fancy new website and my recent presence in all kinds of social media. while i did take a break from performing while living in Glasgow, i continued to sing, play guitar, and write daily. the result of this is a new batch of songs that i am very excited to be performing and recording. i am presently preparing to take a wee trip to Vancouver where i plan to catch up with some old friends, play some shows, and record the songs i have collected. i am extremely lucky that Paul Rigby is going to produce and to play on this new recording and that my old pals Keith Rose and David MacAnulty will provide their expert services on bass and drums.<br><br>so yes, hello again, stay tuned for more musing and notes on progress in blogs to follow.John Guliak