John Mayer

Went to John Mayer last night at GM Place,

Micheal Franti and his band spearhead opened quite favourably. The 6 foot 6 Franti and Spearhead took to the stage at 8 and delivered a very crowd pleasing and crowd involving performance that saw Franti all over the garage in the crowd even inviting all the kids in GM Place up on the stage for a song. They delivered their happy go lucky reggae hip-hop fusion music for about an hour, Franti was able to involve the audience and acted as a perfect warm up for Mayer.

Then 7 time Grammy winner John Mayer and his band took to the stage at about 9:25PM, kicking off an electric set that touched on all four albums including songs from Continuum and Battle Studies. His musicianship and live performance was second to none, producing tones and sounds out of his instrument of choice, a Fender Stratocaster, which defy all measures of music. During the show he involved the audience and had some funny comedic relief. He also played very worthy covers of Bill Withers, Ain't No Sunshine and Don't Stop Believing by Journey, Incorporating guitar work that make him arguably the best player of his generation using subtle but noticeable, pull offs slides and hammers on top of already complicated guitar. Another highlight was grammy winning drummer, Steve Jordan, who’s toured with Eric Clapton and the Stones, doing a 5 minute drum solo that included funkadelic beats and wicked quickness. Next, the band took a break and Mayer remained on stage performing a 6 song acoustic set showcasing his talent on beautiful Taylor acoustic guitars breaking into experimental solo acoustic work that sounded amazing. After the Acoustic set the band returned and finished up a set that included Gravity, and Why Georgia. Mayer and the band then finished to a roaring crowd of 12,000. The band returned for an encore including Who Says and fantastic version of Gravity using a few Hendrix tricks for kicks.

Overall the show was one of the best I’ve ever been too, Mayer seemed funny and easy going, not what you might expect from a hugely famous rock star that tabloids have an infatuation with, he played for over two hours straight and the crowd loved it. Would have liked to see him cover some Hendrix, which other than Stevie Ray Vaughan(RIP), Mayer is about the only one who can do it properly.

Death Penalty

Up Until July 1976 Canada, Had the use of the Death Penalty written into law, the last executions taking place in Canada were in 1962, In Toronto for separate convicted murderers. For all of Canada's capital punishment history, the method was by hanging, and for military offenders by firing squads. In Canada’s history 1481 people were sentenced to death, with 710 being executed. During the 1960s and 1970's opposition began to grow towards the law, over concerns of wrongful convictions and the penalty not really being a good deterrent for crimes of that magnitude. The Death Penalty was abolished by a narrow margin in a vote of confidence, 130-124 in 1976 and the death penalty still remained in military law but not practiced in Canada until 1998.

John Radclive was Canada’s first executioner starting in 1892, on the federal payroll as a hangman, he died in Toronto in 1911 from alcohol related disease. In the military the death penalty was administered by a firing squad, and if the victim was not killed on the first attempt they would receive an automatic life sentence and not be put to death. Many developed nations have abolished this form of punishment in recent history. Most Nations that still use the death penalty mostly utilize the lethal injection, sodium thiopental to make the condemned unconscious, pancuronium bromide to stop breathing, potassium chloride to stop the heart. Developed nations still employing this form of punishment include The United States, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Cuba and Jamaica. In The United States over 60% of the populations still supports Capital punishment, However the United States has dropped its rate of Death penalty convictions dramatically in recent years

China tops out on the list with using the death penalty which has come under increasing worldwide public scrutiny in recent years, China has executed more than four times as many convicts as the rest of the world combined in the last year. China's Official numbers for execution are a State Secret, Amnesty International says the number could be as high as 8000 people per year compared with 60 in the U.S. There is also significant evidence the Chinese government is desecrating the bodies of victims and selling organs out of the bodies due to their high value, which is a sickening practice. In China 68 different crimes are punishable by death, with over half being non violent offences such as tax evasion, Theft, and piracy.

1962



1987



continued



Mobile Death Vans Used all over china to excecute people because it is cheaper to use these than build facilities to excecute people

High School

Computer just got repaired and many pictures that i had no idea about re-showed up

Some funny memories from high school

1. Must have been D Block


2. Must have had a party, looks like a good one too




3. Good nights








5. Rough Nights










4. Rough Mornings






5. Day Time FUN

John Butler Trio Busking Song

Song, ocean, by John Butler played on 12 string, would be pretty cool to see him busking playing such intricate music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAkOhXIsI0

Live Hendrix

Hendrix genius from Woodstock 1969 with classic reverse strung white stratocaster, voodoo child (slight return)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8DNM2UNTag


Wicked live recording of Little Wing from 1969 at Royal Albert Hall, London.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo_WAbnKCPc

North American Music Industry

The North American Music industry is divided up as so

EMI Group: EMI Group is the fourth largest record label representing 10% of the market. Artists on this label include; Nat King Cole, The Band, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Coldplay, Gorrillaz, Iron Maiden, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead. EMI is based in London, England.

Warner Music Group: Warner Music Group is the third largest music label representing 15% of the market. Key artists of this label include; Madonna, Alanis Morissette, My Chemical Romance, Michael Buble, James Blunt, Fleetwood Mac, Green Day, Doobie Brothers, Guns and Roses, Jay-Z, Third Eye Blind, Frank Sinatra and ZZ Top. Warner Music Group is based in the United States.

Sony BMG Music Entertainment: Sony BMG is the second largest record label representing 26% of the market. Artists on this label include; Kings Of Leon, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, AC/DC, Bob Dylan, Micheal Jackson, Foo Fighters, Roy Orbison and The Clash. Sony BMG is based in Japan.

Universal Music Group: Universal Music is the largest record label representing 38% of the market. Artists include; Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, Duffy, Blink 182, BB King, Johnny Cash, Sublime, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mariah Carey, Tupac, Bob Marley, Eminem, Elton John, Dire Straits and Nine Inch Nails, to name only a few. Universal Music Group is headquartered in New York City, and owned by French media conglomerate Vivendi.


These four massive companies, all of them having subsidiaries for niche markets and different areas represent about 82 percent of all contractual recorded music you hear, the other 18 percent is represented by a large multitude of indie labels. I think these huge record companies have reached a capacity to manufacture or produce talent, many of their artists are supremely talented, don't get me wrong, but I think they push projects that sell based on this formula rather than talent. As with most companies they are profit oriented and the more sales they have the better they do. These four major record labels have such a power and understanding within the music industry that they can artificially create what they think will sell, and not based on artistic integrity. For instance,

Warning, these songs may be terrible or catchy as hell


1. Miley Cyrus, Party in the USA



Start off with this overly catchy tune with 100 million views on Youtube. This song has replaced actual lyrics with catchy phrases and words that people like, "Party", "USA", "Hands Up", "DJ Plays My Song", And the hammer of "and the Britney song was on', Overlayed on a backtrack with an infectious hook and guitar track, loved by millions and millions of North American teenage girls in a town near you. Take a good looking 17 year old girl who is already adored in droves from her highly successful Disney Show and you have a major hit on your hands. Songwriting credits go to Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, A songwriter and record producer, his other collaborations and songwriting has been used for artists like Katy Perry, Flo-rida Britney Spears, Paris Hilton And My next victim Ke$ha.


2. Ke$ha, Tik Tok



This Next one is another collaboration with songwriter and producer Lukasz Gottwald, Who obviously has made a name for himself in terrible music, in my opinion. Tik Tok celebrates the party lifestyle, and who doesn't like a good party, just do it without a bubblegum anthem and do it with some integrity. Unfourtuanetly a couple name drops and late night talk show appearances later this song is a big hit based on nothing in particular other than some record label excecs who know how to get the ball rolling with some good placements and timing that can really sell this one.

3. Lady Gaga- Disco Stick



This song is self explanatorily terrible i really dont have to say to much, yet Lady Gaga Is a massive commercial sucess, catchy song good looking girl, big seller.

Few Others Could be

Justin Bieber- one time

Anything made or sang by anyone with the name Jonas or brother attached to it


End her off with an example of something proper and legit,


End of it might Get Loud



Ana Free, Walking In Memphis

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald,
written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot. The song is a rememberance of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a doomed American Freighter that broke apart and sunk on Lake Superior during heavy hurricane force winds, on November 10, 1975. The entire crew of 29 men perished into the icy water and no bodies were ever recovered. The song is a somber reminder of the dangers of waterways and one of the most tragic wrecks on the great lakes in recent history. The great lakes are no stranger to tragedy, in their 300 year history of shipping it is estimated nearly 25000 people have been claimed in shipwrecks. The song is a canadian classic and reached number 2 on the billboard chart in the states in 1976, it has been covered by the dandy warhols and the tragically hip, it has also been referenced in Tv shows like seinfeld and other songs by such bands as weezer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw