Rocket To Russia

Out now! Order athousepartyrecords.ca or if you’re in Halifax you can pick one up and avoid the shipping bullshit. I can also do deliveries if you aren’t too too far away. Email me at sales@housepartyrecords.ca.

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The Rocket To Russia New Years Eve Special is now up in the archive. Not only do you get my top 5 singles of the year and my top 10 full lengths of the year, but you also get guest top 10s from such notables as Justin from Suspect Parts, Jon L of the Dopamines, Adam from It’s Alive Records, KTG Warrior from Brutal Knights and a whole bunch more!

You can check that out right here: Rocket To Russia Episode 51

Also, I’ve uploaded the “Angry GG Allin Fan Calls R2R” Mp3 from a few weeks ago, because it is too ridiculous to ignore, so here it is: Angry GG Allin Fan Calls R2R

Don’t miss the show this week, when my guest for Celebrity Punk Rock Top 10 will be Jon Lewis of The Dopamines. He is a pretty funny guy, don’t miss it.

HNY
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As I write this I am listening to part of what will comprise the 2nd release on my new vinyl record label, House Party Records. The 1st release shipped today, which means that it will be in my hands by the new year or shortly after. I’ll probably start pre-orders on the weekend. Within a few hours housepartyrecords.ca will be launched and one of the last pieces of the puzzle will be in place.

Wish me luck

Tonight, in what is sure to go down as the most amusing episode of R2R to date, Devin Hextall of The Hextalls joins me to talk a bunch of shit and count down some of his favorite punk rock records ever.

Click here to listen live at 9PM (8PM EST, 5PM PST)

It’s hard to believe a year of R2R has gone by already! When I last did radio regularly in 2002 I was completely burned out on it after 5 years of regular programming. My shows were painful, both to program and to listen to, they had no focus or direction, and to be truthful, when I left the air that year, I vowed that I would never do public radio again.

But the itch came back. I needed everything to be perfect though, or it wasn’t going to work. Quite truthfully, I concieved the idea for Rocket To Russia close to a year before the first episode aired. I knew what the show would be called, I knew I’d do the Celebrity Punk Rock Top 10 segment, and I knew that it would be a punk rock show. I had to play the waiting game for the right timeslot to crop up, and I’m glad I did. Wednesday nights are often the highlight of my week now, and I couldn’t see me not doing this at this point. I love making radio again like I did when I was 17.

Anyway, yeah. One year down. On this weeks show I edited together a whole bunch of the highlights from the 2008 Rocket To Russia shows. Check it out: DOWNLOAD: Rocket To Russia Episode 47

Wednesday December 3rd: R2R 1st year recap (highlights from the first year)

Wednesday December 10th: Celebrity Punk Rock Top 10 w/Devin Hextall

Wednesday December 17th: TBA

Wednesday December 24th: R2R Xmas Eve Special (Punk Rock Xmas songs, Many in-studio guests)

Wednesday December 31st: An R2R New Year with Gerry’s top record picks of ‘08

Two shows tomorrow.The Creeps are from Ottawa and are fucking amazing. Fear Of Lipstick are from Moncton and I shouldn’t have to tell you about them. Tongan Death Grip are from here and they don’t have a myspace yet.

First show is at 5PM sharp. It is 3 dollars (or pay what you can… no one will be turned away) in the basement of 2627 Connolly Street. Here is a map to show you how to get here (click to get it biggie):

Find the red dot, and you’ve found the show!

Ok, the second show is at Ginger’s Tavern on Barrington Street. It is 5 dollars and it is 19+. It is the first time we’ll have done a punk rock show there, so come out and show some support so we can keep doing shows there. The show will start around 11. See you all tomorrow!

Here’s some pics and a few words from my travels to see some bands.

This is me in the Ottawa airport where I had a bagel at the exclusive all-asian Tim Hortons restaurant and took a poop.

D4 from the NOFX show where I didn’t throw up at all. Paddy still has his beard.

This is my only NOFX shot. It’s Melvin playing accordion….. He did it for 25 minutes to end the set.

This is Statues lovin’ it before the Ergs show. They are worried that I’ll publish this photo and Crass will find out. The system got them.

Statues! Guantanamo Bob!

Jeff Erg! ARRRRHGHGHGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

The Ergs!!!! Not pictured: Me pumping my fists and screaming along like a little girl.

Books About Myles Davis. I will miss you, The Ergs!

Homies in Montreal. We had all just eaten poutine and hotdogs. Hence, the shame.

Mitch Statues in Montreal.

Statues. Contracts in crayon.

D4. Beard gone.

Fucked Up

I don’t know which one is “10000 Marbles”, but whoever that one is, that one’s my favorite. Or Melissa Buote, who plays bass.

I had slept 5 of the last 50 hours. So I went home for a nap.

I did interviews with members of Dillinger Four and The Ergs as well, check out episode 42 on the sidebar for all that good stuff. HPX is upon us so I am seeing Jay Reatard, Monotonix, Statues, Endless Blockade, Brutal Knights and likely many more this week(end). I’ve been sick since I got back from the above trip, and I’m convinced I’m never gonna get well.

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Hey fuckers.

So, I’m sure all 12 of you noticed that I didn’t do my show this week. It was obviously because I skipped it to go see Bad Religion. Aduh.

Anyway, I am doing it again. Because I’m a fucking prick, or something. Actually, you may think I am a prick when you find out why I’m going to be away. I will be seeing these shows:

That’s right! I am seeing the fucking ERGS again before they break the fuck up next month!!!!!! There is also a secret Dillinger Four show that I should be at, and I will also be seeing a little band called NOFX on this trip.

Sorry everyone, I really need to get my priorities straight. I’ll try to get some work done while I’m gone.

Greetings Greasers!!

Well, the funding drive went well. Much more well than could have been anticipated or asked for. I went into the funding drive with a CKDU sanctioned goal of 365 dollars. One dollar for every day of the year. What happened when I got up to the station was a complete surprise.

The pledges started coming in strong right away. There are 3 phones in the front room as a precaution, and they all rang so consistently that our stations technical coordinator, Ray-Ray Bethune had to be enlisted to man one of the (god damn) dialers. The data entry systems were locked up, and as a result after 60 of my 90 minutes it was reported that I was around 500 bucks. Which was then well above and beyond my show goal, and had me jumping up and down with my buddy Chris Murder who came up to help out.

As the show was coming to its closing minutes, and the prize pile shrunk to a bare minimum, one of the phone jockeys did the math in his head. I was actually at about 900 dollars. I needed 100 bucks to hit 4 figures.

As my show came to an end and Hardcore Nightmares on Wax began I collapsed in a corner of the room. I had been on the air screaming and begging for money to keep my beloved CKDU, the radio station that changed my life forever in my youth, healthy and running for another year. My throat was sore and I was on a major high, fueled by the excitement of what had just happened.

I went down to the phone room to help out with the final tallying, sort prizes, have another free Propeller Cream Soda, and thank the phone monkeys for their help. Once the tallying was done, I had raised $970.00.

One of the guys operating the phones just happened to be Derrick Generrick, host of the One Inch Punch, formerly known as 7200 Sloppy Seconds. 7200 Sloppy Seconds was the radio show that turned me on to punk rock. The radio show that changed my life. I ended up hosting that show.

Derrick Generrick taught me everything I know about being a radio show host, and when it came down to it, he kicked in the last 30 bucks. I was at 1000 dollars. Punk rock had proven itself again. After 3 days the funding drive total was at 9k. 1k of that had been raised during my 90 minute program. Punk rock had won.