| THE FREIGHTLINERS REUNION 2008 | ||
| Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival,
Fredericton, NB |
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| David Palmer | Rollie Waddingham | Tom Blizzard | Peter Palmer | Stewart
MacDougall |
| It
was magic. Being back in
my favourite band, if only for a week, will be the
highlight
of my year (and the next two or three as well unless we do it again
soon). I credit whatever foundation I have in the traditions I've followed to building the chops I needed to keep up with these guys. I miss them already. This was only our second reunion in more than thirty years. The first happened accidentally on July 21, 2007 while I was attending a wedding in Fredericton. When my brother Gray invited me to be a groomsman at his marriage to Janie Clarkson, he also informed me that Rollie would be singing at the church ceremony and that Matchstick Mike and The Chain Smokin' Alter Boys, the Alter Boys being Tom and Pete, had been engaged for the party. At that point I had advised him that I would be taking the liberty of sitting in. Upon arriving at the hall I was delighted to discover that Dave had decided to do the same. It was such a great time we all agreed we should reconvene as soon as possible. My brother Mark, who was only eight in 1974, suggested we consider doing so at the next Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. It seemed like a good idea. Fortunately for us festival director Brent Staben and more than five hundred ticket holders thought so too. |
 poster - Mark MacDougall / Valley Graphics |
FRIDAY Sept 12 Stewart McKelvey Hoodoo House 560 King St. The Electric Boogie: Freightliner Re-Union 11:30 |
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| SET LIST | iPhone photos courtesy of Pat Flannagan |
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STEPPIN’
OUT GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT SIX DAYS ON THE ROAD MOVIN’ ON WORKIN’ MAN BLUES WILD NIGHT BABY WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO / BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY DON’T BE CRUEL I THINK I’LL JUST STAY HERE AND DRINK PANAMA RED JAILHOUSE ROCK RIOT IN CELL BLOCK #9 PEACHES EN REGALIA SKIN IT BACK COME AWAY ROCKING MY LIFE AWAY HOT ROD LINCOLN IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS ROUTE 66 BURNING LOVE EVERY FOOL HAS A RAINBOW I AIN’T LIVING LONG LIKE THIS A WHITER SHADE OF PALE |
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HJB PROGRAM BIO The reunion of these five Fredericton-bred musicians might be better described as the continuation of a collaboration that began in the seventies. Originally billed as Vince Packard and the Freightliners, Tom Blizzard (drums), Peter Palmer (bass and vocal), David Palmer (guitar and pedal steel) and Rollie Waddingham (lead vocal), all veterans of the Fredericton rock scene, |
 iPhone
photo courtesy of Pat Flannagan
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| got
into country
and began playing local
taverns, initially employing Cedric Bidlake (steel) before recruiting
Stewart
MacDougall (keyboards and vocal) as the fifth piece. The “Freightliner” incarnation with vocalist Ted Tweedie was still well down the road. Tom, Pete, Dave, Rollie and Stew had the longest run, packing ‘em in with a set list that veered from Frank Zappa to Merle Haggard and back to Little Feat, and have remained committed to the vocation that first brought them together over thirty years ago. Big wheels rollin’. Movin’ on. |
 iPhone
photo courtesy of Pat Flannagan
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| Many Thanks to John Draper Visit his site @ www.johndraper.ca | ||
| more
Freightliners photos by John
Draper
on Facebook - click
here |
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