Music: Tragically Hip Farewell Concert Discussion | Stream

[PG Canuck]

And you know what, for all of you who grew up to bands like The Hip, I sure hope to hell you treasure that. I'm in my 20's and my generation will likely never have such great bands like The Hip to treasure and hold on too. Maybe I'm just drawing a blank right now, but I can't think of a band that will live on in popularity when I am six feet under. Music has gone to ****, in every genre really.

I was drinking last night with an ex-NHLer who had some cups of coffee in the NHL, and we listened to a handful of Hip songs. One reminded him of when he was driving and found out he made the Winnipeg Jets, and a Hip song was on the radio - perfect timing. He was in tears last night knowing The Hip is done.

Even though I am in my 20's I still grew up hearing The Hip on the radio but it won't be the same memories like the one I mentioned.

God bless Gord and The Hip.

 

[Xelebes]

The Hip were part of the nationalist wave that broke out in the late 80s in southern and eastern Ontario. The wave hardly registered in the Vancouver or the Halifax scene. So a band like Sloan fits a very different mould.

Of course, the reason for the wave came down to a few things:

• The emergence of large independent labels in Toronto like Anthem and Duke Street and the subsequent investment in recording studios in Ontario during the 1980s. In Vancouver, they always had Little Mountain Studio so bands like Trooper, Prism, and Skinny Puppy could record with high quality and control the quality of their sound.
  
• The end of the policy adopted by CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts Sciences) to shoo artists to New York, Nashville, Los Angeles or London (UK). This was the major reason behind the protest by Stompin' Tom in 1976: he had no intentions of recording in Nashville. The end came around in 1986 and A&R offices like EMI-Capitol Canada would re-open and sign artists in Toronto at that time.

 

[Warden of the North]

Or the BNL... but they at least deserved it.



Well yes, of course. It's weird, Nickelback is so popular, yet, everyone apparently hates them. Who actually likes them?

(I admit, I liked their early stuff a lot, even right up to 2003!)

Soccer moms

 

[Dr Pepper]

I'm still surprised CBC threw away all that advertising money and did the whole show commercial-free. Good on them for staying live the whole way through.

 

[Sens Rule]

I'm still surprised CBC threw away all that advertising money and did the whole show commercial-free. Good on them for staying live the whole way through.

I don't mind it. As a taxpayer. I bet they did not pay for the rights to broadcast it, because there were no ads. This is the kind of Canadian Cultural moment that shows why we need a public broadcaster.

 

[Sniper99]

I'm still surprised CBC threw away all that advertising money and did the whole show commercial-free. Good on them for staying live the whole way through.

I'm not surprised, it would have been stupid for the people going to that last show to have to wait a minute or two after every 2-3 songs before they played another bunch of songs. I'm glad CBC didnt have commercial breaks.

What surprised me is usually when you watch a CBC broadcast of a hockey game or whatever they'll have a small add at the bottom of the screen for Mr. Dee or Dragons Den, I was thankful for that too.

 

[canucksfan]

I don't mind it. As a taxpayer. I bet they did not pay for the rights to broadcast it, because there were no ads. This is the kind of Canadian Cultural moment that shows why we need a public broadcaster.

Exactly.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Watched the stream at the cottage on my iPhone and a portable speaker. Had about 15-20 people huddled around the phone for the whole show. What an amazing performance

 

[canucksfan]

The CBC's broadcast and livestreaming of The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration concert reached 11.7 million people on Saturday night, according to preliminary audience figures.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tragically-hip-cbc-broadcast-ratings-1.3730276

 

[Chainshot]

sorry.

if it helps, lots of things happen nowadays that make me feel really old. I guess that probably doesn't help.

Considering the last time I saw them in concert was December 13th, 1996 at Maple Leaf Gardens, age is relative. For example, if Gord's nephew who he wrote the lyrics for Fiddler's Green for would be 33 now if his heart had been sound. Moments in frozen in time.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I'm not saying they're bigger, because clearly they're not... true, I am saying they're better, but that's a subjective point. And I personally think every song on their first 4-5 albums is iconic too, in an AC/DC sort of way, but that's subjective too. Stylistically though, there should be no argument, Sloan is the Beatles and The Hip are the Stones.



Bahaha, that sounds awesome. I've downloaded the whole series and am looking forward to watching it.

Before the show, I explained to my six year old what the situation was and the significance of this show. Near the end she asked me, "if he has brain cancer, how is he able to sing like that?" I was barely able to keep it together to answer her.

For Hip were a poor man's REM. But that is just me

Watched the stream at the cottage on my iPhone and a portable speaker. Had about 15-20 people huddled around the phone for the whole show. What an amazing performance

Remember the old days when we would all gather around someone's phone and watch something on it?

 

[NFITO]

The Hip were part of the nationalist wave that broke out in the late 80s in southern and eastern Ontario. The wave hardly registered in the Vancouver or the Halifax scene.

I grew up through this era in Vancouver first becoming a big fan in the late 80s.... cousins in Winnipeg were fans through that same era..

We were all fortunate enough to have a reunion for the Kingston concert.

Just amazing. The emotion inside that arena was .... perfect... from the spontaneous O Canada from the fans before the start to the final goodbye.

And being their last show (presumably) in their home town - small town Canada... in a junior hockey league arena no less... it made it epic.

And the reason why the Hip haven't been big anywhere else is because they've embraced all things Canadian and their music speaks that. A great Canadian poet with a truly Canadian sound.

 

[v-man]

I don't mind it. As a taxpayer. I bet they did not pay for the rights to broadcast it, because there were no ads. This is the kind of Canadian Cultural moment that shows why we need a public broadcaster.

How's that? CTV could have carried it just as easily. They've been the nation's true national network for over 30 years as it is.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tragically-hip-cbc-broadcast-ratings-1.3730276

Holy crap that's nearly a third of Canada.

 

[seventieslord]

Holy crap that's nearly a third of Canada.

The online numbers won't count towards tv ratings, of course. I'm still waiting to see where this ranks all-time.

 

[Roughneck]

How's that? CTV could have carried it just as easily. They've been the nation's true national network for over 30 years as it is.

CTV giving up primetime ad revenue?

Yeah sure, I could buy that.

 

[NyQuil]

I'm glad his voice improved as the concert went on.

The encores were almost vintage Gord.

 

[tony d]

Great show and if this is the end for them then they went out the right way. I DVRed it and will watch it soon.

 

[ACC1224]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tragically-hip-cbc-broadcast-ratings-1.3730276

Holy crap that's nearly a third of Canada.

How do they arrive at their numbers? (not saying it should be more or less, just curious)

I know about 20 of us watched in my neighbours yard and there were parties going on everywhere.

 

[seventieslord]

How do they arrive at their numbers? (not saying it should be more or less, just curious)

I know about 20 of us watched in my neighbours yard and there were parties going on everywhere.

that's a good question. On one hand, if they only count screens on (times 2.5 or whatever) then they'll probably greatly underestimate it since there were parties everywhere. On the other hand, this is a rock show, which is still fairly limited in scope despite their status. Many kids, teenagers, old folks, squares would not have cared one bit.

 

[Xelebes]

I grew up through this era in Vancouver first becoming a big fan in the late 80s.... cousins in Winnipeg were fans through that same era..

Hey, it didn't stop them from getting fans in Vancouver or Halifax (or Winnipeg). Just that the wave wasn't reflected in the musicians of Vancouver and Halifax. Heck, on occasions they poked fun at it.

 

[MsMeow]

Great show and if this is the end for them then they went out the right way. I DVRed it and will watch it soon.

I watched it and also PVRd it but something was wrong with my brand new Nextbox and I had to trade it in. No more recording.

The show was amazing. I was bawling my eyes out before the show when they were backstage and Gord was kissing everyone. I was glad they got the music going quickly so I could get myself together. Gord sounded rough at first but I find the same thing happens with all older singers, it happens with Springsteen and you always wonder how much longer his voice will last, then it gets better as the show goes on.

Do you guys think Gord was really crying during Grace, Too? I wasn't sure when I saw it because he seemed to snap out of it pretty quickly and I know he's an actor. Friends who have seen the Hip alot think it was part of the show and not him breaking down. It's so hard to say. The one thing that really surprised me is they all kept it together while people in the audience were crying.

 

[Sens Rule]

How's that? CTV could have carried it just as easily. They've been the nation's true national network for over 30 years as it is.

Not without ads.

 

[PullHard]

still waiting for them to play 38 years old

 

[NFITO]

I watched it and also PVRd it but something was wrong with my brand new Nextbox and I had to trade it in. No more recording.

The show was amazing. I was bawling my eyes out before the show when they were backstage and Gord was kissing everyone. I was glad they got the music going quickly so I could get myself together. Gord sounded rough at first but I find the same thing happens with all older singers, it happens with Springsteen and you always wonder how much longer his voice will last, then it gets better as the show goes on.

Do you guys think Gord was really crying during Grace, Too? I wasn't sure when I saw it because he seemed to snap out of it pretty quickly and I know he's an actor. Friends who have seen the Hip alot think it was part of the show and not him breaking down. It's so hard to say. The one thing that really surprised me is they all kept it together while people in the audience were crying.

Gord was definitely emotional... I was choked up throughout.... even when our section started the O Canada chant just before... then when Courage came on and the Wheat Kings.... and then later during Fiddlers ....

So emotional.... but not just in a sad way... there was a special aura through the whole event... never seen so many grown men tear and cheer equally through an entire concert. I've been to a lot of concerts in my life.... and some great memorable ones... none of them hold a candle to this though because for me and the guys I was with it was more than just music.... it was about our roots... our childhood and our love for our country... this concert brought all of that out like nothing else I've been to - including the gold medal game in Vancouver.

Just a special moment in Canadian history... and I'm grateful I was able to be a part of that in a 5700 seat junior hockey arena in their hometown.... as once in a lifetime as it gets.