If everyone who posts here could check-in and let everyone know you are okay and well it would benefit us all. No need to state the obvious regarding the current world situation but a word from each of you would offer some relief. Just a note to tell us how you and your loved ones are faring in all of this. Taff, you mentioned your wife was ailing; no need for details just an update on how everyone is doing.

Hi Don,all well here in Germany just bored with nothing to do as everything is closed.My last concert was a year ago and it was actually a Canadian band called The Dreadnoughts,they do a mixture of punk folk polka and shanties,mad stuff but I like it.Never thought it would be my last concert for a long time.Hope all is well.

Mine was another Canadian band called Reuben and The Dark. I am a fan of Passenger and they are somewhat similar sans the accent. I am glad you checked in. Very difficult times for all. The last show I sent to was on February 28. Great show, scored a free toque from a radio station giving away stuff, wear it on my hikes. Just killing time, hiking, walking, hiking, reading and so on. There has to be something we can do as a group of fans. Write a story, write a song, tell a story, sing a song.
Thanks for replying. You added a star to my darkened sky.

Took this picture in the fall as the Larch trees were hitting the peak of their golden colour. It was in October. A few days later the entire area received heavy snow and now impassable until June.

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I tinted this because of the artwork on TUCOF - I liked the effect and used it on this picture. This is Athabasca Falls during the spring runoff. A day after we left my vantage point was underwater as the runoff from melting snow surged resulting in highways being closed in the area.

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Hi Don, Digger and anyone else out there,
all in my (small)circle doing well. Work Office / Home office not as bad as I thought it would be. Social life on hold. Music sessions also on hold. Despite that using spare time to catch up on things that I had been planning for ages - within the confines of apartment,garage and garden.

best to All,

Mike

Greetings from Co. Meath. WFH since March. Air cargo, was manic for a time. Immediate family and friends all fine. I personally know no one who passed from Covid thank God. Daughters partners granny (80) got it, not sure which came first bronchitis/Pneumonia or covid. she`s home and she`s fine after a week in and on oxygen for a few days. Missing gigs, live football (Mon the Gypsies!) and going for a few beers and eating out. Music has helped a lot. Late to Spotify and exploring the wonders of checking out albums i knew of but never had or heard. (Chris Squire/Fish out of Water this morning).

Four sets of tickets wondering if they`ll ever get scanned. Our Heroes, Simple Minds, Retro Festival, and, gulp, eh, Johnny Logan! (The wife, honestly!!!!)

Hi Don,

All well here sir, wife and I had a strain but all good to go, Wishbone Ash cancelled until next March 2022.Hoping to catch them again. Prayers this nightmare ends sooner than later. Best To All

Mick

Anseo!

All well here thanks Don, looking forward to getting to some semblance of normality over the next few months.....I even booked a place near Ballyshannon for a couple of nights of tge Rory Gallagher festival in June,our heroes are down to headline on the Friday night, so hopefully that might go ahead, if not we'll do a bit of sightseeing in Donegal.

Hopefully they bring the summer with them.

It would be good to see life begin to get back to normal, although the new normal might be slightly different. Hopefully going forward when people have the flu or common cold they won't be reluctant to wear a mask.

My wife who treats children exclusively has not had one child with a cough or sniffle since last March. Normally they are walking and talking Petri dishes but with the masks and hand sanitizing protocols, none of them have been ill. In Alberta, flu inoculations reached an all-time high and to date not one reported case of the flu. As employers discover some roles can be accomplished from home, those who are ill can continue to work from home rather than go in and potentially infect others. So some positive knowledge and changes in behaviours has been the result, albeit at a very high price.

We hopefully will get to France and Italy for our hiking trip but I honestly do not believe it will be this year. I hope it is but still I feel there is far too much work to be done to make things right again, but hope springs eternal so one never knows! I will be back in Ireland again as I missed a great deal on our last trip over, including all of the north.

Looking forward to hearing from others as we move forward. Be safe.

Quote:

Try this link at about 5 minutes in RicochetMan. I started it about 4:30.




Covid free here up until now Don. Fingers crossed, we could be gone in 2 weeks if luck is bad. Roll on the roll out of the vaccines!

Good to see the old faithful names checking in. Gook luck in 2021.
Stefan

Is this like Gordon Ramsay Cooks Every Song Every Written?

Mein Gott, zatt vas funny.

Sweet Jesus Stefan, never knew that! Can we get him impeached for something?? Desecration of a National Treasure?, Attempted Murder? Sedition??!!

Having said all that i would have a morbid fascination to see the whole song, is there such an X rated video available on the dark web?

Hi,

I am also one of those with the Johnny Logan tickets so might see you there whenever it finally happens.

I am WFH in the attic and have been as busy as we we ever were in the office. Really missing live gigs but enjoying a lot of the regular live streams people put on. I have regularly joined Pat McManus, Leo O'Kelly, Mary Coughlan, Blackbird & Crowe, Mongoose and caught snippets of gigs by Brian Kennedy and Jack Lukeman. There was a particularly good Scullion gig streamed a few months ago that I never heard about until afterwards but did get to see it.

I got a bad dose of tonsilitis in the first week of Jan which involved having to have a precautionary COVID test which was negative luckily. Still getting over that bout, I thought I was past it last week but then the throat infection came back over the weekend so on another round of anti-biotics this week.
Delighted that is all it is, I have a couple of friends who caught COVID and needed oxygen support in hospital. It has been a scary few weeks with the level of transmission we have at the moment, finally the numbers are going in the right direction but it has been rampant in recent weeks.
My mother is in a care home and they got their first dose of the vaccine last Wednesday so that is a relief. Due for next dose on 17th Feb.

Hope we all continue to avoid the virus and hang in until the gigs come around again. Just had Genesis postponed again to September but I think that is even too early so suspect Q1 2022 for their tour.

Regards,
John

Glad it was nothing more than that but still not a great thing to have to contend with. I personally have known only a few who have caught it, in their early to late 20's-two of whom are grade school teachers but apart from losing their sense of taste and smell for a month, they have recovered fine while another had nothing other than normal flu-like symptoms.

Genesis gigs-wow, they must have a lot of extra players. The last time I saw them was in Buffalo, at The Aud, for the Wind and Wuthering tour when they carried an extra drummer as Phil stepped into the breach. It would be nice since Mr. Gabriel is likely hanging about in Bath if they could get together and do a retrospective of the early albums. I still really like From Genesis to Revelation. In Hiding is probably in the top five songs they do for me.

Hi hope all and their own are all well in these mad times.
I am looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel now ( and hoping it is not an express train! ) I am looking forward mostly to going to see and hear live music again.
My, have we not taken that for granted the last xxx number of years. The last live acts I saw was in Sept 2019 at Feile with Sinead, The Stunning, Frank & Walters, and some lads called er The Horslips or something like that who I predict we could hear more of in the future.

My question is ( and be honest now ) what were your first music gigs (or concerts as they may have been known as back then)
My first gig was in 1967 at the age of around 10. my Mother and her old school friend took me to The Royal Albert Hall in London to see one of the first Irish boy bands, The Clancy Brothers. My next two gigs were in 1973/74, Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher. Although it was about 3 years later that I first actually saw those Johnny come lately's Horslips who were well worth waiting for and remain my all time favourites despite the fact that their fashion sense could never compete with The Clancy Brothers white Arran jumpers!!

Keep safe. Keep smiling, Keep saving to blow on concert/gig/show/ festival tickets
Good night & God bless

2020 a year to forget. Maureen got pancreatic cancer and underwent an op which saved her life. Undergoing chemo now but has had reactions to it.Was looking at Horslips Con 2020 but obviously did not happen ! Miised live music so much, bba has folded when the main man gave it up but I intend to keep going with someone else. Otherwise would have no social life . Have not had a pint of Guinness since 2019 ! Last live performances were Strictly Come Dancing and Riverdance in January/ March 2020. Last gig Proclaimers September 2019, last Horslips twice in McGrorys Culdaff . Best online gigs Pat McManus and Teraways.
Been a long time .....stay safe all and hope to see you down the road

We've all being giving out, but you have had a rough year Taff, give my regards and best wishes to Mrs. Taff, take care of yourself, and here's to better days ahead.

Taff, very sorry to hear the news about Maureen. Sending good vibes your way and hoping she is back on her feet soon. Thoughts and best wishes to her and you Taff. Many will look forward to your efforts once again. You take care and keep posting when you can.
Don

Taff55,

Hang tough sir, been praying for all of you. We need to do that face time you mentioned will try to contact you on face book later today sir would like to try Saturday again know that you are quite busy and have your hands full. Tell Maureen Keep fighting!! Everyone else please stay safe out there.

Mick