Well, I've been out and seen some shows and talked to people, and went to the grocery store, and shovelled, just like the rest of you.

Punk Rods at the Absinthe were great on Hallowe'en. It's the first time that I've been there that the crowd behaved like I would want them to, chests crushed against the stage, fists pumping, and sweat flying. Great! Why can't it always be like that?

Had a pretty good time on New Year's Eve (otherwise known as my birthday!), made it out to the Casbah for the Sons of the Hammer. What I got to see was great, but too packed. I can handle crowds, but there was a point when we said to hell with this, and headed over to the nearly empty Lionshead. I would review Tim Gibbon's set from that night, but by the time we got to the Lionshead, I was sufficiently polluted, so we won't go there.

I missed the Magic Christian (old-time super group with members of Blondie and the Flamin' Groovies) show at the Absinthe, but heard it was a great time, and on a Tuesday night! I also made it to Martin Verrall and the Black Spring CD release at the newly opened Touche bar. Heavy weather lessened the turn out, but what a show. I spent most of it next to Johnny Blitz (Dead Boys), who has recently come back to town. One of the guitar players, Clint, was in his own little world, and part way through the third song pearl harbour jobbed everyone else in the band with the head of his guitar! Scattering the band, and causing a 15-minute break, as the rest of them tried to calm him down, and figure out what the hell was happening. I felt for Martin Verrall, but what a great thing to see. I purchased the CD "Escape Show", but have not really been able to get past the first song, "Song of Stone", it is so awesome!! Martin is what I think any Hamilton musician should be like. Depressed, angry, slightly off kilter. That's Hamilton baby! We ain't got much to be happy about.

Both the Lorrainas and the Poisoned Areos have reformed and will be playing the Hanky Panky Panty Party tonight at the Absinthe. But you won't have the pleasure of seeing me there, as I will be in the bowels of Stelco slugging away.

There are rumours floating around that Agent Orange will be playing Touche, and that the UK Subs will be coming too. I will let you know more as I find out, keep your ears peeled!

Strummer night will be upon us again soon, Good Friday, April 10th, as always. Venue hasn't quite been decided yet, as I've been hoping to take the show to an unusual room. Almost got it figured out, but not quite yet. And cheers to my protege Alex from Sunday Detox for taking over the "musician wrangler" duties from me.

If you can't wait until Good Friday, check out Los Mondo Bongo at the Casbah March 16th. They are a travelling Strummer tribute band with members from the Mescaleros, Simple Minds, and the Alarm. Should be pretty good.

In trying to find an interesting venue for Strummer night, I have entered several strange back rooms along James North. Bars and halls that are upstairs or way in the back (with old Portugese guys wondering "who the hell is this guy?"). Some of them are pretty neat, but have been scratched off the list for one reason or another. The one with a real airplane hanging from the ceiling would have been neat. But the one I had my heart set on is above the Harvest Moon Chinese restaurant just south of York. I'm told it was called the Red Mill theatre at one point. Very Victorian with twenty years of Asian touches added, pretty neat. Ok, this is what makes it so Hamilton, ha. And the guys who have it now don't have clue (oh please tell me how big a shot you are in toronto, all the bars and clubs you've owned there, what are you, 22 ? Get me outta here! sorry, anyway...).

Canada had prohibition before the States did, and in different eras, for different purposes, there have been many tunnels carved out under our formerly fair city. Rumour has it that there was a tunnel connecting the Tivoli to this Red Mill Theatre. I believe this would be for someone like Al Jolson to leave his legitimate performance at the Tivoli, and head over to the booze can/speakeasy up the street to play for a wilder crowd (and probably better money). Another rumour has it that there was a second tunnel that led from the Red Mill to the building on King William that now houses Thai Memory restaurant. Way back when, King William was our Chinatown. It is believed that on the second floor there was an opium den. This is pre- televison, pre-radio, just about pre-everything. A couple years ago, someone ripped down the ceiling in the upstairs of Thai Memory and found this great dome ceiling with all sorts of paintings on it. Hit the pipe, lay back in your chaise lounge, and stare at the ceiling. What a great end to a night of debauchery. Didn't have to go outside once. Cops would never know. Hah! That's pretty Hamilton if you asked me.

One last thing. Ever hear the phrase "He don't know shit from Shineola"? It's old, I don't know where I picked up, some older people seem to remember it, but no one really knows what it means. I always assumed that Shineola was a place. Well, in the course of my local history studies, I came across an entry for Edwin Dalley (Graham Crawford who runs HIStoryand HERitage lives in Edwin's old house). Edwin Dalley took over the family firm of F.F. Dalley that existed on James North where the Shopper's Drug Mart is now (Ughh, the present). They made all sorts of consumer products, but were best known for "2 in 1 shoe polish". I found that in 1925, F.F. Dalley was sold to the Shineola company from the States. Shineola certainly sounds like it was a shoe polish maker too. So, if you don't know shit from Shineola, you know what your shining your shoes with! HA!
Over and out! The Hamilton Kid