September to November 2007
The chapter you’re about to read is one that will have many layers… we are well into the fall counting down the days to winter and I have left a big gap between my last entry. The reason for this has been because I’ve been busy…
Let’s get you up to speed… August… this month was a ‘work’ month for me. I was able to do some filming with the back story of my project and capture some intimate interviews with some of my friends that are part of the reunion sub-plot of the documentary. ‘Work’ though was referring more to cash flow for the dream. Primarily I work on film and television sets to pay the bills and for the passion known as GGN but this summer due to marriage, a new place, and the always unforeseen expenses I dawned the apron one more time for tips. I worked at this patio driven Italian restaurant in Toronto known as The Standard. This place certainly set a STANDARD… let me tell you… but I don’t think it’s going to be winning any awards this season. In all my years serving and bartending I’ve never worked at such a fucked up place where the staff steps in then steps out all in one breath and the intoxicated cooks and bartenders set a new level of excellence on speed and quality. We should have been shut down so many times on our lack of health regulation quotas but for some odd reason in the summer this place was crazy busy… The clientele was certainly a mixture of middle to low class and I guess the place had a little charm but when you’re there for as many days as I was clocking in during August the charm runs thin. Life is all about doing what you need to do to survive and achieve a greater sense of self-worth and satisfaction so this was my step towards that. August wrapped, more bills were paid, and as the Labor Day weekend approached I got excited! I was planning on filming the big event at the Guvernment and get interviews with Armin Van Buuren and Sander Van Doorn which was purely an accident of sorts due to the fact that I’m not a huge Trance music guy. This accident ended up being one of the highlight surprises of my journey thus far…
It was Sunday… Labor Day weekend… and thanks to Cyrus, a great supporter within the Guvernment family, he arranged getting these talented artists to agree to some interviews. I was dead tired from the shift at the restaurant the night before but when I woke that Sunday afternoon I was energized for a late night of killer beats and great insight from these artists. Armin has been ranked in the top 5 in the world for many years and this year actually made it all the way to number one which was well deserved for his style of music within the electronic genre. Sander cracked the top 20 and is a new comer of sorts but his music and presentation behind the decks is something that will surprise any skeptic… especially someone like me, who is only now growing an appreciation for Trance music. The night was all about spectacle… The Guvernment rolled out the red carpet for it’s patrons with Brazilian type dancers shaking ass outside for the lined up crowd, trampoline acrobats showing their skills, and outside d-jays entertaining the anxious crowd waiting to get inside. I really admire the Guvernment for trying to give as much bang for their buck to the crowd… it’s a highly competitive industry and it’s nice when you see the peeps who have coin actually show you that they will not spare any expense to give the crowd an experience. I’m certainly a fan of the simplicity’s but you need both to create a balance within the community and culture. It’s about the celebration of music and this was certainly that…
The interviews went amazing with Armin and Sander and if you get a chance take a peak on the site you’ll get a taste of it. I have a newfound respect for these two artists and actually plan on getting more in depth into their crazy worlds when I travel to Europe in the New Year.
Another highlight within the Guvernment family interviews was my chance to speak with the resident d-jay for the past 11 years Mark Oliver. This guy is truly an interesting character with a genuine heart and passion for the music he plays. Throughout the years that I partied hard during the late nineties I would pop up at events where Mark was the maestro and it was always a highlight of the party. Mark is one of those rare talents that have such an amazing catalogue of music choices that he can sustain a party for 9 hours behind the decks. The crowd will never be bored when he’s in control and he is one of the few d-jays today that still incorporates vinyl into his set. The conversations we had were very insightful in the back story of the Toronto scene back in the nineties as well as just his own inspirations as an artist. Along with interviews from other major players during the old school Toronto days, you, the audience, are in for a treat of what the SCENE use to be here in the city. His sneak peek will be available later this month so make sure you check out the site…
The month of September flew by and with many hours put down in the editing room to catch up on all the footage we had shot, the process of putting a project like this together really came into scope. You have an original vision about things and as you start the process it changes and evolves in your head. Along with these changes you have to deal with the limitations of finance, scheduling, and the unknown… it really has taken its toll on the mind so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress of the film, the brand, and the vision of what GGN is becoming but I’m continually being drained. I have an amazing team of camera peeps, editors, and business affiliates that have jumped on board to help the cause but sometimes the time lines that we try to meet are trying and unrealistic on paper. I have to say though this is been truly a test in patience and determination and it’s still several months away from me putting to bed… but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… and certainly I’m a different person for the better because of it.
October… let’s start with a word to describe it… EVOLUTION.
When I say evolution it refers to my original ideas being shaped by the environment around me. As I stated on numerous occasions you sometimes become a product of your environment. You have to roll with the punches and sometimes the path that you think you’re choosing ends up choosing you. This couldn’t be anymore true when it comes to how my reunion has shaped up for execution at the end of November. Originally I had a grand concept of throwing a big party at the Guvernment with a huge line up of d-jays that I’ve been interviewing and play out the reunion on camera in this setting. Due to some financial setbacks we had to change the plan but in its own weird way it kind of changed and evolved for the better. The party now is happening at the end of November at This Is London in Toronto and the headliner is the one and only DJ Dan. This couldn’t have played out any better then I could have imagined due to the fact that Dan was the first d-jay that we as a group really connected to and over the course of this shoot I’ve gotten to know Dan and his peeps on such a greater level of friendship. Connection, family, and tribal tendencies that are the core messages addressed in the film will have a true home and event to be the back drop for. I can’t wait until the 30th when all the familiar faces get together for One Night Only. A big party will happen sometime in the future for the brand GGN but for now this is the path that chose me…
The rest of the month has involved a lot of amazing things but instead of highlighting more and more stuff for you I think this would be a great opportunity to take a peak at the site… we have updated it with mixes, sneak peeks, bios, links, and so much more… to truly experience what were trying to do as a movement you need to do some viewing… check out www.groovetheglobe.com and join our network of electronic music lovers…
Stay tuned… highlights of the reunion; interviews with Steve Angelo, Blank and Jones, Satoshi Tomei, and Hector Romero are just around the corner!!
