Category Archives: Bruce Cockburn

Bruce Cockburn, songwriter, guitarist, singer, musician master .. the soundtrack to my life.

Bruce Cockburn in San Francisco-GAMH

5 August 2006:

Lucky for me, I asked friend Cristin, who loves to drive and likes the city, to go with me. We had a blast going down to see Bruce! We stayed at a motel on Lombard and took a taxi (what a ride that was!) to the venue. The Great American Music Hall is an ornate old building in a rather ‘seedy’ part of town. The line for will call / and with tickets had already started to form. We arrived right behind my friend Paul from Fremont… how’s that for timing! He had been to the Saratoga show the night before, but was ready to see Bruce in this venue.

We met some great people while standing in line, hi to you Leon and Sherrie! Hope you are enjoying the BC_Live group. And Marsha and Steve… I will be looking for you at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma on November 9!!! I got my tickets in the mail yesterday!!

While standing in line I got a brief hug and kiss from Julie Wolf, love this womans energy and what she brings to the show with Bruce. The show was awesome ..read more details at CockburnProject.net and on the gigs page.

A very special thing happened at this show. Again while waiting in line, someone walking by catches my eye… and low and behold it’s Mark Squire my very old friend and one time boss from the days at the Good Earth Natural Food Store in Fairfax, CA.

I can’t quite describe how glad I was to make connection with him again. It has been several years since we even talked to each other, for no other reason than time and distance and life. Any way, I owe him an email and as soon as all this updating for the Project and blog is done that is what I will be doing. He said, “Of all the places to run into you at, I’m not surprised for it to be a Bruce Cockburn concert”. He claims I turned him onto Bruce and maybe it is so. I worked at the store in the eightys, and played cassettes of Bruce’s all the time.

Bruce Cockburn - Paradise photo by Layne Russell

(Photo by Layne Russel taken at Paradise show, 6 August 2006)

So for the whole show, I was just glowing on the inside. I didn’t take my camera as I wanted to be able to just enjoy the show. Bruce was happy and having a great time the audience was with him and active and that makes for a great performance. It really was one of the best shows I have seen him do in a long time, energy wise. It ended to quickly for me….

Bruce Cockburn at Kate Wolf Festival-2006

I wrote a review of the Kate Wolf festival for the CockburnProject.net Most of what I had to say is printed there. (scroll down for the Kate Wolf show report at the bottom of the page).

Pushing Bruce’s set back by an hour or more didn’t help things. I feel he was put off by that, but maybe I am wrong.. who knows? I didn’t get to ask him. I wish he had talked to us more, the crowd was also more subdued… or just wasted from 3 days in the 110 + degrees! I couldn’t holler as usual either as my throat was taking a beating from the heat, dust and talking.
[I found out much much later that the reason the set was pushed back was because Bruce’s tour bus was having problems, probably overheating as it was just too hot.]

It was great seeing Doug Stacey and meeting his friends. Talking to others sitting around us at the site.

I took pictures during sound check:

Bruce Cockburn at Kate Wolf 2006 soundcheck

Unfortunately Bruce is trying to be incognito. And succeeded for awhile. My camera was soo hot in my hands that I stopped.. the battery doesn’t want to be over 86 degrees!

Bruce Cockburn at Kate Wolf 2006 soundcheck-Photo Margriet Seinen

Bruce at Kate Wolf photo by Margriet Seinen.

I did manage to give to Leslie, Bruce’s stage manager (don’t know what title to give him?!), a cd I had created with pictures going back to the 80’s of him and me and of shots from some more recent shows.

I always want to give him something, and it gets harder and harder to know what he would appreciate. I just want to give back to him.

His words and music have been a constant soundtrack in my heart and mind since the first time I heard him. No matter what was going on in my life, Bruce has been there with me. From the way some of the songs on the new album, Life Short Call Now, sound, it seems as if we, as fans, really need to be with him now. And I don’t know how to do that, short of just telling him that he is in my heart.

The night shots weren’t very good. I really need to learn how to take better night shots, and well a better zoom would help too!

Solfest ’04

Bruce Cockburn coming to Solfest

Solfest. 21 August. Bruce!

I can’t quite believe my luck!

News today that Bruce Cockburn will be at the SolFest down in Hopland, Ca on August 21.

This is a great festival with a focus on alternative living situations. I have always wanted to go. Now I will. Yea Bruce 2x this year!!

Bruce Cockburn – pictures from the Mateel

I wrote an article for the Cockburn Project with lots of pictures. The setlist page is up with a few more pictures from the Mateel show.

These photos (below) were all taken by a local photographer, Kim Sallaway. Check out his website … www.KimbaCan.com.

And remember… all these photos are copyrighted…if you want to use them PLEASE ASK!

Bruce Cockburn - Mateel soundcheck - Photo Kim Sallaway

Bruce Cockburn-2004-Mateel-photo Kim Sallaway

Julie Wolf -2004-Mateel-photo Kim Sallaway

Bruce Cockburn at the Mateel CC

The whole day was wonderful. I will write more soon. I plan a new front for the Cockburn Project with details.

Bruce was gracious as always, and signed this photo I took of him at the Mystic Theater.

Also had a lot of fun talking with Julie Wolf…..keyboardist and vocalist..
and one heck of a sweetheart.

More pictures here.

Bruce Cockburn mode

Counting the days now until he’s here..Sunday the 22nd.

Check it out..
I put up a new front page at the Interview by Bob DoranCockburn Project. [archived to the news section now]
It was an interview by a local journalist, Bob Doran, who writes for the local North Coast Journal, about Bruce’s visit to Iraq.

Any one who comes here knows how much I love this man. He expresses my outrage at the world, he soothes my heart, he can fill me with joy and hope, his music and words can take me any where I want to go.

Bruce Cockburn is back from Iraq

Bruce is back from Iraq, and you can start reading about his trip, Interview by Mike Ferner and Interview by Bob Doran.

He is also back out on tour, this time touring with Julie Wolf. I am so excited!!!

Bruce will be here in Humboldt County at the Mateel Community Center on February 22, 2004 as I stated here.
Check out some POSTERS for this gig from KMUD.

I have been listening to a live show from Hamilton Place, for more info on how to get live shows, check out BC-LIVE, which just rocks.

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Bruce had been playing this song a lot in concert, although he wrote it in 1985, it is still as timely as it was then.

And They Call It Democracy

Padded with power here they come
International loan sharks backed by the guns
Of market hungry military profiteers
Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared
With the blood of the poor

Who rob life of its quality
Who render rage a necessity
By turning countries into labour camps
Modern slavers in drag as champions of freedom

Sinister cynical instrument
Who makes the gun into a sacrament —
The only response to the deification
Of tyranny by so-called “developed” nations’
Idolatry of ideology

North South East West
Kill the best and buy the rest
It’s just spend a buck to make a buck
You don’t really give a flying fuck
About the people in misery

IMF dirty MF
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there’s one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt

See the paid-off local bottom feeders
Passing themselves off as leaders
Kiss the ladies shake hands with the fellows
Open for business like a cheap bordello

And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy

See the loaded eyes of the children too
Trying to make the best of it the way kids do
One day you’re going to rise from your habitual feast
To find yourself staring down the throat of the beast
They call the revolution