When
      we
      park
      across
      the
     
     
      street
      from
      my
      mother’s
      house,
      Mike
     
     
      is
      concerned
      about
      waking
      my
      mother
     
     
      up.
      I
      assure
      him
      that
      she
      is
      probably
     
     
      already
      awake
      and
      ready
      for
      work
      by
     
     
      now.
      My
      mom
      asks
      me
      if
      anyone
     
     
      wants
      some
      breakfast
      as
      she
      prepares
     
     
      to
      leave
      for
      work,
      but
      I
      tell
      her
      that
      we
     
     
      already
      ate
      at
      Subway.
      I’m
      pretty
      sure
     
     
      Jay
      doesn’t
      want
      any
      more
      food
      after
     
     
      he
      threw
      up
      out
      of
      the
      window
      of
      the
     
     
      van,
      in
      front
      of
      Baba’s
      earlier
      tonight.
     
     
      After
      I
      give
      him
      some
      Rolaids,
      every-
     
     
      one
      finds
      a
      place
      to
      sleep
      and
      shake
     
     
      off
      the
      sand
      from
      the
      beach
      on
      various
     
     
      couches
      and
      blankets
      on
      my
      mother’s
     
     
      living
      room
      floor.
     
    

    
     
      Mike
      doesn’t
      bother
      going
      to
     
     
      sleep,
      because
      he
      has
      to
      take
      the
      van
     
     
      to
      a
      garage
      soon
      and
      get
      the
      steering
     
     
      checked.
      It
      only
      costs
      him
      thirty
      bucks
     
     
      to
      fix,
      which
      is
      a
      relief
      because
      the
     
     
      band
      didn’t
      expect
      to
      spend
      a
      huge
     
     
      chunk
      of
      their
      travel
      budget
      on
      last
     
     
      night’s
      bar
      tab.
      It’s
      also
      a
      relief
      that
     
     
      the
      steering
      is
      all
      right
      on
      the
      van.
     
     
      Now
      there’s
      less
      need
      to
      worry
      while
     
     
      driving
      120
      km/h
      on
      the
      highway
      to
     
     
      Nova
      Soctia.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pe
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      have
      to
      get
      to
      Halifax
      by
     
     
      6:30
      so
      Slowcoaster
      can
      do
      a
      sound-
     
     
      check
      for
      a
      show
      they
      are
      playing
      in
      a
     
     
      tent
      on
      Halifax
      Harbour.
      The
      show
      is
     
     
      part
      of
      a
      series
      of
      showcases
      spon-
     
     
      sored
      by
      a
      Maritime
      brewery.
      It
      was
     
     
      obviously
      planned
      by
      people
      unfamil-
     
     
      iar
      with
      the
      bands
      because
     
     
      Slowcoaster
      and
      Rock
      Ranger
      are
     
     
      supposed
      to
      open
      for
      some
      local
     
     
      celtic-rock
      band.
      Last
      night,
      Halifax’s
     
     
      most
      outrageous
      metal
      band,
      The
     
     
      Heelwalkers,
      played
      the
      showcase
      and
     
     
      almost
      scared
      the
      sponsors
      and
      bar
     
     
      owner
      into
      calling
      the
      entire
      series
      of
     
     
      concerts
      off
      after
      the
      band
      played
      too
     
     
      loudly,
      and
      the
      lead
      singer
      humped
     
     
      some
      guy
      standing
      in
      the
      audience.
     
     
      When
      we
      arrive
      for
      the
      soundcheck,
      a
     
     
      representative
      from
      Music
      Industry
     
     
      Association
      of
      Nova
      Scotia
      (MIANS)
     
     
      is
      waiting
      and
      she
      promptly
      warns
     
     
      Slowcoaster
      to
      behave
      appropriately
     
     
      for
      the
      show
      because
      of
      what
      the
     
     
      Heelwalkers
      did.
     
    

    
     
      Slowcoaster
      are
      smart
      and
     
     
      know
      not
      to
      step
      on
      the
      music
      indus-
     
     
      try’s
      toes
      when
      confronted
      with
      a
      sit-
     
     
      uation
      like
      this,
      but
      when
      the
      MIANS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Come
      Join
      Us
      at
      The
      Smuggler’s
      Jug
      Pub
      for...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      STEAK
      &
      STEIN
      MONDAYS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      T-Bone
      steak
      &
      stein
      for
      $8.99.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TRAVELLERS’
      TUESDAYS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Complimentary
      finger
      foods.
     
     
      Seen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WING
      NIGHT
      WEDNESDAYS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Just
      45¢
      per
      wing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      oem
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
     
     
      WA
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rodd
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      Confederation
      Inn
     
     
      '
      &
      Suites
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
      anada
      Highway
     
     
      ;
      Satta
      ese
      td
      we
     
     
      (902)
      892-2481
     
    
   
   
    
     
      STUDENT
      NIGHT
     
     
      THURSDAYS
     
    

    
     
      Ble
      eigrelel
      siaash
      74
      olata-
     
     
      with
      student
      ID.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pe
      ay
      a
      te
      diy
      ha
     
     
      Join
      us
      at
      8:00pm
      for
      trivia
      with
     
     
      “Doc”.
      Great
      beverage
      and
     
     
      munchie
      specials
      —
      great
      prizes!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      See
      you
      at
      The
      Jug!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      yo
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rep
      left
      the
      van,
      the
      morale
      of
      both
     
     
      bands
      went
      down.
      The
      had
      enough
     
     
      difficulty
      dealing
      with
      the
      fact
      that
     
     
      this
      show
      was
      nothing
      more
      than
      a
     
     
      chance
      for
      a
      beer
      company
      to
      slap
     
     
      their
      logo
      on
      a
      tent
      full
      of
      musicians
     
     
      lending
      their
      credibility
      to
      the
      event.
     
     
      But
      it
      was
      a
      gig
      that
      would
      pay
      $500
     
     
      to
      each
      band
      up
      front,
      and
      it
      was
      also
     
     
      associated
      with
      a
      larger
      battle
      of
      the
     
     
      bands
      which
      both
      bands
      are
      in
      the
     
     
      semi-finals
      for.
      If
      either
      Slowcoaster
     
     
      or
      Rock
      Ranger
      wins
      this
      battle
      of
      the
     
     
      bands,
      the
      House
      of
      Rock
      will
      benefit
     
     
      from
      a
      much-needed
      shopping
      spree
     
     
      at
      a
      large
      music
      store,
      and
      studio
      time.
     
     
      Playing
      the
      show
      according
      to
      the
     
     
      rules
      of
      the
      sponsor
      is
      a
      tough
      pill
      for
     
     
      either
      band
      to
      swallow,
      but
      these
      high
     
     
      paying
      gigs
      are
      needed
      to
      fund
      their
     
     
      tour.
     
    

    
     
      Slowcoaster
      play
      to
      a
      relative-
     
     
      ly
      unreceptive
      crowd.
      Despite
      the
     
     
      show
      being
      sponsored
      by
      beer
      compa-
     
     
      ny,
      the
      drinks
      inside
      the
      tent
      are
      not
     
     
      free
      for
      the
      band,
      and
      not
      cheap
      either.
     
     
      To
      the
      credit
      of
      the
      organizers,
      there
     
     
      was
      one
      feature
      of
      the
      show
      that
      Steve
     
     
      particularly
      appreciated:
      beer
      bottle-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      holders
      were
      installed
      on
      the
      mic
     
     
      stands.
     
    

    
     
      After
      Slowcoaster
      played,
      and
     
     
      before
      Signal
      Hill
      took
      the
      stage,
      I
     
     
      escaped
      to
      The
      Marquee
      with
      my
     
     
      brother
      and
      some
      friends
      to
      see
     
     
      Guided
      By
      Voices.
      Small
      beverage
     
     
      holders
      would
      prove
      futile
      for
      con-
     
     
      taining
      the
      amount
      of
      alcohol
      con-
     
     
      sumed
      by
      the
      members
      of
      GBV
      during
     
     
      their
      set.
      After
      the
      first
      song,
      guitar
     
     
      player,
      Nate
      Farley,
      drowned
      himself
     
     
      in
      half
      a
      bottle
      of
      Jack
      Daniels
      while
     
     
      lead
      singer
      Bob
      Pollard
      guzzled
      a
      bot-
     
     
      tle
      of
      Bud
      Light
      after
      each
      song.
     
    

    
     
      Besides
      the
      great
      music,
      the
     
     
      highlight
      of
      a
      Guided
      By
      Voices
      show
     
     
      is
      watching
      the
      liquor
      consumption
     
     
      catch
      up
      with
      the
      band.
      Nate
      Farley
     
     
      looked
      wrecked
      by
      the
      third
      song
     
     
      when
      he
      tried
      to
      kiss
      bass
      player
      Tim
     
     
      Tobias
      on
      the
      lips
      in
      the
      middle
      of
      the
     
     
      tune.
      Surprisingly,
      the
      band
      survived
     
     
      over
      two
      hours
      of
      drinking
      and
      play-
     
     
      ing.
      Jay
      from
      Rock
      Ranger
      was
     
     
      impressed
      and
      vowed
      to
      not
      be
      out-
     
     
      done
      by
      GBV
      at
      Rock
      Ranger’s
      gig
     
     
      the
      next
      night
      at
      The
      Attic.
     
    

    
     
      (continued
      on
      page
      8)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mind
     
     
      Set
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RESEARCH
      SHOWS
      a
      link
      between
     
     
      concentration,
      learning
      behaviour
      and
     
     
      essential
      fatty
      acids.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Learning
      Factors
      contains
      a
      balanced
      blend
     
     
      of
      all
      the
      essential
      fatty
      acids
      for
      optimal
     
     
      brain
      and
      visual
      performance.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      gives
      you
      something
      to
      think
      about.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ie
      CHARLOTTETOWN
     
     
      .
      ~~
      Charlottetown
      Mall
     
     
      —
      -
      Confederation
      Court
      Mall
     
     
      "
      SUMMERSIDE:
     
     
      County
      Fair
      Mall
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Waterfront
      Place
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [7]: