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"Music And Story Of The
Beatles" Hal Bruce, along with Scott Ferguson, play hosts to a special Valentine's Week presentation of "The Music And Story Of The Beatles" at The Music Room Theatre where they sold out two shows last year around this time. Doors open at 7 pm and the presentation begins at 8 sharp...You don't have to be someone's Valentine to come out and enjoy the show. Many Beatles classic love songs will be featured, but they will be mixed with a wide selection of Number 1 hits, plus a bucketful of album cuts (which by the way are some of Hal and Scott's favorites!!!) Tickets are only $18.00 (HST included) and they're on the home-stretch of being sold-out again this year...so, for info on ticket sales, please call 902-435-7410 or e-mail halbruce@halbruce.com
A splendid time is
definitely guaranteed for all!!! .............................................................................................................................
Beatles Day Festival Flew from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Brussels, Belgium with a three hour stop-over at Heathrow Airport, London on Tuesday, September 18th. Landed in Brussels where Bernard Maton, one of the festival organizers, picked me up and headed back to Mons to take part in a down home Mons kitchen party, just to get things started off with a bang. Complete with singers and guitars by the plenty. The deal was that any Beatles song that was requested, it had to be played...thank goodness nobody asked for "Revolution No. 9" or "What A Shame Mary Jane Had A Pain At The Party". Dinners in Mons, in general, seem to begin a little later in the evening and last for up to three hours or more, and this night was no exception. Actually, this one along with the sing-song lasted until about 1:30 am. Wednesday was mainly a "kick back and relax" day...with an evening performance at one of the local Mons pubs with many of the Beatles Day organizers in attendance, plus a good supply of pub patrons. Thursday morning, I drove to Brussels to pick up Shelley, Scott and Gail Ferguson. The open highway seemed to have no speed limits...I was traveling an average of 125 kms an hour and all other cars were passing me like I was in "park"! We arrived back in Mons where yet another supper and jam session awaited us. This was Scott and Gail's first trip to continental Europe and what a great way to welcome them to Mons. Friday was the kick-off for the Beatles Day festival...usually this is a one day event but to celebrate their 20th anniversary, the festival was held over two days this year. This year also saw a change in venue...it was held at the historic Royal Theatre of Mons. After a day of preparation by artists and organizers at the venue, everything was ready for the show to begin. Scott and I kicked off our first performance with "Nowhere Man" to a very enthusiastic crowd. Finishing off our set with "House of the Rising Sun", we received a standing ovation, which was a great feeling as Scott and I had never performed together in Mons before. Other acts who appeared the opening night were "Jazz Me Do" from Belgium and "The Beatlemaniacs" from England. Out in the "meet-and-greet" area, we were met by scores of Beatles fans from all over Europe...great to chat with everyone! All in all, a very successful day! Saturday was a day full of activities including many merchandise vendors and displays throughout the Royal Theatre. For our evening show, we were asked to perform a set in honour of John Lennon. We picked some of his classics from the days of The Beatles and mixed them in with a supply of his solo works. Again, we received a standing ovation and encore so we decided that "Imagine" was the perfect song to round off the set. Other acts included "The Prellies" from England, "The Get Back Band" from Scotland and a great group I saw for the first time, "The Afterbeat" from France. We all joined in on the finale of "Hey Jude"...quite a night and a great way to end the festival! On our time off in Belgium, we were taken to the beautiful City of Brugges (Venice of the north) for a great day of sight-seeing, chocolate, Belgian beer and great food...oh, and fantastic Belgian waffles. Bernard Dutrieux, one of the Beatles Day organizers, was so kind to spend the day with us showing us the sights in this beautiful historic city. Back in Mons for our final evening in Belgium before heading back to Canada, we were joined by Alain and Cecile Kicq along with Bernard and Mimi Dutrieux for a wonderful meal at one of the fine restaurants in the city square. All the organizers of this festival are among the nicest people that we have had the pleasure of meeting throughout our travels. A sincere thank you from, Scott, Gail, Shelley and myself. This was my third trip to Mons and we can't wait for a return visit...a bientot! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Abbey Road On The River
Canada This festival, for Hal, got off to a very scary beginning...As he was on his flight from Halifax to Toronto, he became somewhat ill while watching a little onboard television. Quickly, he felt very faint and was assisted to an empty first class seat where he passed out for a short spell. An off-duty doctor tended to him, and concluded that he must've eaten something the night before which didn't agree with him (case of food poisoning was the suspected culprit). As the plane neared Toronto, he started to come around a bit, and was offered a drive to the hospital. Hal assured the doctor that he was feeling much better and would continue his trip to Belleville where he was to perform at The Empire Theatre for his first show, four hours from then. Gary Jacob (organizer of the AROTR Beatle Festival in Louisville, Cleveland and Scranton, USA) met Hal at the exit, and drove him to Belleville where he started to feel much better as time went on, so by the time he took to the stage, he was pretty much his old self again. While performing for the hundreds of Beatle enthusiasts who waited for hours to hear the different performers do their renditions of their favorite Beatle classics, he received his first of three standing ovations for the weekend. Throughout the weekend, Hal did solo shows, then joined up with fellow Hall Of Famers, All You Need Is Love, the host band from Belleville, for their combined delivery of the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Friends from across Canada, The U.S.A., England and Scotland were there to reaquaint themselves with Hal and the different entertainers...It was like an old fashioned Home-Coming of sorts....a great fellowship indeed! Hat's off to Chief organizer and Empire Theatre owner, Mark Rashotte for putting on a great 1st Beatle Festival for the folks of Belleville. Hal has been invited back for their 2nd festival in 2008, in August, and he's really looking forward to his return visit to Belleville. ~ Cavern Music Productions .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
May 27, 2007 and June 2nd
2007 Hal has been named "Music Director" for the 1st North American Stage production of The Beatles new album, "LOVE", set to be staged in Louisville, Kentucky on May 27th and again in Scranton, Pennsylvania on June 2nd. Beatle festival organizer, and president, Gary Jacob www.abbeyroadontheriver.com invited Hal to be, not only one of the key singer/musicians, but also the MD for this huge festival, which boasts to be the largest of its kind in the world. This event has been growing steadily each year since its debut in 2002, to the point where some of the concerts are requiring help from people who have a great knowledege of the Beatles vast repertoire and history...enter Hal Bruce. He began his association with Gary Jacob in 2003, when Hal called him on the phone and told Gary that he would love to come and perform as one of the few Beatles soloists on the market at his festival, which was then, held in Cleveland, Ohio. Since then, Hal has performed at every Abbey Road On The River Festival...quickly moving up into the mainstage concert settings and supported by legions of new friends. He even set a "world-record" in 2004 by performing all 214 recorded Beatles' songs in a non-stop medley, armed with only his guitar, harmonica, piano, and vocal. Last year in 2006, Hal was inducted as the very first member of the "Abbey Road On The River Hall Of Fame"...where he also received a John Lennon Epiphone electric guitar for his ongoing contributions to the festival. So, earlier this year, Gary Jacob, approached Hal and asked him if he would consider being Music Director for the World Premier stage performance of the Beatles' LOVE album...plus a number of other concerts being held in Louisville, Kentucky and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Because the album has so many different pieces of Beatles classics, many being played simultaneously, Hal suggested utilizing up to 4-5 groups of musicians, sometimes all at the same time, to make the album concert sound authentic. So, on May 27th, a little bit of Beatle history is set to be made in Louisville, Kentucky, and again the following week on June 2nd in Scranton Pennsylvania. Hal says to Gary Jacob, "With the musicians and singers we've hand-picked, the concert is not only possible to complete, but I guarantee its success!" .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2nd Annual Maritime Beatle
Event
Saturday, June 9th
Early Bird tickets now on
sale! This past June marked the birth of the very 1st Annual Maritime Beatle Event held at the Olympic Gardens in Halifax. We were honoured to have Julia Baird (John Lennon's sister) as our special guest at the inaugural Event along with a host of other international and regional acts.
The 2nd Annual Maritime
Beatle Event will be held on Saturday, June 9th, 2007.
Hal Bruce and Scott Ferguson
as "Ticket 2 Ride" from Nova Scotia Both Jim "Ringo" Martin and Jay Goeppner are the very best in their respective tributes...Jim Martin performing his Ringo tribute along with his All-Starr Band and Jay Goeppner's tribute to John Lennon. Both artists are highly charged with energy and regarded as two of the best in the world. Also, back by popular demand are The Repeatles and Abbey Road...both acts will have you singing and dancing in the aisles. Guaranteed! As a special feature, the Summer of Love Concert will spotlight the music of The Who, The Kinks, The Stones, The Byrds, The Monkees, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, and many more. This 12 hour Beatle marathon will be one that you will remember for a long time to come, so get your Early Bird tickets soon to ensure that you don't miss out on this Event. These tickets would be a great Christmas stocking stuffer for any Beatle fan! Tickets can be purchased by phone at 902-435-7410 or e-mail halbruce@halbruce.com. Additional information can be found at www.maritimebeatleevent.com. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Australian Beatles Festival,
Adelaide, Australia Though Canada is just getting into the autumn season, Australia is just beginning their late spring/early summer...so the days were beautifully warm and pretty sunny throughout the festival and following week. This is another example of a Beatles Festival, though small in stature, but huge in Beatles spirit!! The three day fest played host to Australian groups such as The Fab Four, Back Beat, The Highlights, Modern Britain, Dallas Atkin, and Imagine John Lennon. Hal was the only International Act to perform throughout the weekend. The festival started off by having Hal open with a one hour concert of Beatles' classics (aren't they all?) His show at The Cavern Club was met with great enthusiasm, so it was really exciting to connect with the Adelaidians once more...having done so two years in a row before. The crowd seemed to know every word to every song, especially the 6 and 7 year old Sgt. Pepperettes. The real treat of the weekend was a four song performance by 1960's sensation, Little Stevie Wright of The Easy Beats. He completely rocked the house, especially when he sang his world-wide hit "Friday On My Mind"...The crowd went wild!! Hal says that Little Stevie has been quite an inspiration for him and for a lot of people who saw him perform. Another highlight for Hal was when he got to perform in the "Solo Years Concert" on the last night of the festival. He has the great fortune to front a 14 piece band, and kicked off the concert with Paul McCartney's "Jet", followed by "Band On The Run" and George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You". "It was quite a rush playing with the horn section, drums and percussion, two sets of keys, three back-up singer, three guitars, bass...and God knows what else!" The following week, Hal got a chance to perform a few concerts on his own at The Cavern, playing songs that he grew up on back in the 1960's (giving away his age...just a little). Played for a college crowd, so Hal pulled out some songs by REM, Proclaimers, John Cougar Mellencamp, Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, Stones, just a pinch of AC/DC...and a few Beatles songs as well. All in all, it was a great time meeting up with many familiar faces and getting introduced to new ones. Also, a highlight was the imprompt jams in the band room with Danny, Kelly and Andy..."That was so much fun that we found ourselves playing right through the afternoons and evenings without even looking at the clock. The Aussie crowd was so cool to play for!" Hal is hoping for a return visit next year down under. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Toronto Beatles Celebration,
Toronto Organizer, Peter Miniaci (Toronto) approached Hal a year earlier to be a part of the 2006 celebration of The Beatles last concert in Toronto in 1966...40 years ago. Held at The CNE Exhibition Place, it was definitely a large enough venue for the Event. Special guests for this fest were Pete Best (former drummer for The Beatles), May Pang (former girlfriend of John Lennon), Denny Doherty (former singer for The Mamas and The Papas), and other key speakers...as well as acts like The Fab Four and David Wildsmith (Ontario), and The Tribute 1964 (USA). Merchandise and display tables, guest speakers and concerts were the order of the weekend Hal's concerts were followed by a "Meet and Greet" area where he chatted with hundreds of folks who came to hear their favorite Beatles songs. He also, sold copies of his three Beatles tribute CDs, and copies of his limited prints of his Beatles drawings. Although it was one of the shorter festivals he has performed at, Hal made a legion of new friends...from the Toronto area and abroad. Hat's off to Peter Miniaci and company for a job well done!! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
International Beatle Week,
Liverpool, England Although Hal sustained a serious back injury just a few weeks before the annual Beatle Week in Liverpool, England, nothing was going to stop him from performing his 12 scheduled concerts, including his medley of all 214 recorded Beatles songs. He had been shut down on his previous attempts to perform his medley in Liverpool...once because he attracted too big of a crowd in an open-air concert on Church Street. His first day in Liverpool started off with a double length concert at The Cavern. Once again, the crowd sang along with all of his renditions with great enthusiasm and support. It was also really nice to meet up with with fellow performers...The Repeatles, Instant Karma, Frank Agnello, Back From The USSR, and all of the other artists...as well as friends like Julia Baird, Roger Keys, Pete and Roag Best, Andy and Linda Birch, Vicki and Maria, Bill, Neil, Ray, Davey and all the CCT Gang. Concerts at The Cavern Front, Back and Pub were all extremely well attended...but the one that will stand out will always be the "Fire and Smoke at The Adephi Hotel Concert". Fellow musician/singer Frank Agnello and Hal had begun their Midnight Show at The American Bar, when part way through "Hello Good-bye" the fire alarm sounded for everyone to evacuate the hotel immediately! Thick smoke and stench followed as hundreds of people filed out onto the front steps of the historic hotel, where a misty chill awaited everyone. As firemen did their thing in the building, Hal decided to continue the concert on the steps...so it quickly became an audience participation medley of sorts. When clearance was finally given, hundreds of patrons and Beatles fans filed back into the ballroom to continue the imprompt concert, which lasted until the wee hours of the morning. One other highlight, and the most demanding of the weekend, was on Sunday afternoon when Hal performed his 214 song "Deadly Medley". Although his back was giving him some grief throughout the week, Hal completed the feat in 2 1/2 hours. Though he felt somewhat faint at the end of the ordeal, Hal answered the Standing Ovation with a performance of "A Day In The Life". All in all, it was a great week...met some old friends, made many new ones...and got to share some of the greatest music ever written by The Beatles! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1st Annual Maritime Beatle
Event From the time the doors opened at noon, until the last song finished after midnight, the audience was treated to their favorite Beatles classics by performers and guests from different parts of the world...which included The Repeatles (Stockholm, Sweden), Jay Goeppner (Chicago, USA), Mark Rashotte of All You Need Is Love (Belleville, Ontario), Abbey Road (Halifax, Nova Scotia), and Hal Bruce and Ticket 2 Ride featuring Scott Ferguson. Special guest was Julia Baird, John Lennon's sister (Liverpool, England). In addition, there were a number of solo acts performing as well...Michelle Gill, Donna Scaglione, Allison Crowe, Kim Kinrade, Kristina Trites and Glen Roache. Special thanks to our Mountie, Tim Campbell as well as our bagpipers, Madelyn Evans and Bev Sample...you all definitely added a touch of Canadiana to our Event! From the opening introduction of Hal's rendition of "Here Comes The Sun" to the finale of "Imagine", the capacity crowd was kept busy singing, clapping, dancing, cheering...very reminiscent of the early days of rock and roll, with some Beatlemania wildness thrown into the mix. To say that the Event was a success, would be quite an understatement! It seemed that no one who was there wanted the Event to come to an end. Although the main power breaker had an overload during the last scheduled song of the night, "Hey Jude", the crowd kept on singing, in the dark, without the help from the finale musicians...refusing to "Let It Be". It was quite a magical moment! So, an additional classic Lennon song, "Imagine" capped off the night. Hal said the scene from the stage was very much like the excitement witnessed at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England during the annual International Beatles Festival held every August. Hal and his wife, Shelley have just finished their 1st Beatle Event ever held in the Maritimes and already they're planning for next year's Event. They say that the next one will be even bigger and better than this year's inaugural Event...if that is possible! Special thanks go out to all of the talented artists, guests, hosts, volunteers, sponsors and audience...without any of you, it would not have been the success it was!
CAVERN MUSIC .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Abbey Road On The River Once again, Hal made the jouney to Louisville, Kentucky for the "Abbey Road On The River" Festival. Travelling with him from the Maritimes were two of his great friends, Fred Giles and Robert Feener. Along the way, they stopped for two days in Port Perry, Ontario for Hal to perform two shows at Beatties In The Country...then onto Kentucky. Although the festival boasted a roster of over 50 acts, the organizers put Hal right to work so he was on stage performing only an hour after arriving in Louisville. Throughout the hectic weekend, Hal performed in 12 shows as well as acting as Music Director for the three tribute concerts for John, Paul and George. The big surprise and highlight of the festival came on Saturday when Gary Jacob inducted Hal as the first person in the festival's "Hall of Fame". Then on Sunday evening, David Dean presented Hal with an electric Epiphone guitar for his musical contribution to the festival over the last number of years. To say he was honoured would be an understatement! Hal sends out a special thanks to Gary Jacob, David Dean, Eric Weigel and all the AROTR crew, along with all the musicians and Beatle People...Abbey Road On The River ROCKS! CAVERN MUSIC .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The 1st Annual Maritime
BEATLES Event Finally...42 years after The Beatles landed in North America and took the world by storm, Halifax, Nova Scotia is hosting its first BEATLES FESTIVAL. This event will be a Magical Mystery Tour down Memory Lane to a time and place where everyone sang their favourite Beatles songs and worshipped their heroes, John, Paul, George and Ringo. We will take you back to that very special time in history on Saturday, June 3rd as we give you some of the very best Beatles acts from our area and from abroad. Beatles connoisseurs and newcomers alike will all enjoy the excitement this day will have to offer. From 12 noon til 12 midnight we will give you 12 hours of concerts, movies, film clips, guest speakers, memorabilia, and even a Beatles singing contest. It will be a non-stop extravaganza to say the least!! Beatles Event organizer Hal Bruce, who has toured around the world (Australia, England, Belgium, U.S.A., Luxembourg, South America, and Canada), with his Beatles show, will mainstage the day-long festival along with drummer-extraordinaire Scott Ferguson (drummer for The Rankin Sisters). Already scheduled to perform is The Repeatles, a band from Stockholm, Sweden. This dynamic 4 piece rock and roll group has performed onstage with Hal Bruce in England, Kentucky and in Belgium to sold-out shows. Hal says, "These guys have the spunk and energy to get the crowd worked into a frenzy!" There will be three or four other Beatles acts to perform. The names will be added as details are finalized. There will also be a few surprises for you all throughout the event.
Tickets $35.00 (HST
included)...tickets now on sale by contacting
halbruce@halbruce.com or by
phone at 902-435-7410. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
January 19, 2006 This event in Halifax marked the first concert of 2006 for Hal Bruce and Scott Ferguson with "The Music And Story Of The Beatles". This concert completely sold out in just a few days, so the energy for this gathered steam pretty early on! Although the show started at 7pm, folks were at the door at 6 just to get good seats (although there are no bad ones in the house). People were buzzing as they talked about what classic favourites they might hear that night. One of the little gems of the evening was when Donna "Marilyn Monroe" Scaglione made her frequent appearances onstage, and she kept the crowd in stitches as she shared the M.C. spot with local radio personalities Paul Kennedy (Seaside FM), and "The Beatle God" himself, Jamie Patterson (96.5 FM Beatle Brunch host). From the opening tune "Two Of Us", folks seemed like they were taken back in time to a pretty happy place as they sang, clapped, smiled, cheered, laughed, and cried. An encore performance of "Hey Jude" netted the duo with another standing ovation. Hal and Scott performed a total of over 3 hours worth of Beatles classics and favourite album gems. After Hal finished his version of the only non-Beatles song of the evening, "House Of The Rising Sun", the crowd gave a thunderous standing ovation...followed by a few more throughout the evening...one in particular was when talent search winner, Michelle Gill joined Hal in a duet for their explosive version of "Oh Darling". Scott's drumming seemed to just lock everything into place, all night long! "he's the best in the business!", Hal says with confidence. It was just one of those nights you don't want to see come to an end. Definitely a night full of Beatles Spirit! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
September 26, 2005 Hal finally gets a chance to see one of his all time heroes perform in Boston…Sir Paul McCartney. Guaranteed to be a magical and electric journey…also an emotional one, no doubt! We’ll report on that journey shortly! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
International Beatle Week This August marked the 6th consecutive year for Hal appearing at the International Beatle Week in Liverpool…he was joined on stage by drummer extrodinaire, Scott Ferguson. Together they call themselves “Hal Bruce and Ticket 2 Ride”. They came…they saw…they cooked up a duetical storm!! The scheduled 14 shows went over very well with the crowds; their schedule was extended by an additional handful of shows. Highlights of the week were The Cavern Club and Pub, The Carling Academy solo performance by Hal, The Adelphi Crosby Room, American Bar and Hal & Monty’s three hour “Apple Jam” session. This jam session saw many of the festival’s excellent artists perform onstage with Monty and Hal. Most requested songs of the week were “A Day In The Life”, “House of the Rising Sun” (a non-Beatles song, by the way) and “Oh Darling”, which happened to be the last official song of the festival. For next years festival, Hal and Scott have a few surprises planned for those who are thinking about a return visit to the Beatle Mecca. A personal surreal moment for Hal was the visit to John and Paul’s childhood homes…an unforgettable experience! Vicki and Maria…thank you for arranging the visit! Special thanks to Bill Heckle, Davey Jones, Ray Johnson, Neil B., Stevie P. and Nina Douglas. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2nd Annual Beatles Festival Hal’s second trip to Adelaide’s Beatles Festival was highlighted by the overwhelming turnout from the Aussie Beatle-Goers. He met hundreds of newcomers while there, plus scores of old friends from last years event. Some of the festival highlights include the on-the-spot acoustic performance by Hal and three of his trusty friends…Peter (Rubber Soul), Marcus Cahill and Monty (Fab Four)…their spontaneous medley went for a jam-packed hour! Hal’s solo performances were filled with obscure album tracks like Julia, I’m Only Sleeping, I’m So Tired, Another Girl and the list goes on; invitations for requests were quickly sent out by Hal without hesitation…and he loved it! Late night jams with Danny and Andrew from Adelaide’s Fab Four were among Hal’s favorite moments.
Special thanks to Teresa,
Monty and Family, Danny, Andrew and Peter, Bruce Hamlin, John “Pembo”
Pemberton, and the staff at The Cavern. As soon as the festival came to a close, Hal’s invitation was extended for June 2006. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Abbey Road On The River This year marked Hal’s third consecutive appearance at “Abbey Road On The River” in Louisville, Kentucky. AROTR saw Hal recreate his world record setting “Deadly Medley” of all 214 Beatles songs in front of a huge outdoor Louisville crowd. He wound his way from “I Saw Her Standing There” to “Her Majesty” in a two hour non-stop medley, alternating from mainly acoustic guitar to spotted moments on the piano for songs like “Martha My Dear” and “Lady Madonna”. All songs were sung and played in the original keys. Also, Hal performed a total of eight shows with the finale being one of his finest ever. His tribute to John Lennon was hailed as one of the best in the concert…where he sang “Rain” and “A Day In The Life”. Other highlights for Hal included being part of Jim “Ringo” Martin’s All-Star Band along with his musical friends from all over America; “Hal and Friends” acoustic jams were quite a success; and late night hotel sing-alongs were a blast! Special thanks go out to Hal’s buddies Fred and Robert who joined him on his journey from Nova Scotia to Louisville. Special thanks to Gary, David and Eric; it was an incredible success! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
February
9, 2005 With only four days notice and preparation, Hal (along with drummer Scott Ferguson), staged a highly successful tsunami relief concert on January 8th at The Halifax Olympic Gardens to a full house. Hal and Scott performed as the newly formed, "Ticket 2 Ride", and with the help of a handful of trusty volunteers, they raised over $11,300.00 (second only in the Maritimes to the concert held at The Halifax Metro Center). This concert actually turned instantly into an all-out dance from the very first song, "Here Comes The Sun"...to the finale songs "Hey Jude" and "Twist And Shout". Much thanks for the support from the crowd, sponsors, friends and families for the great success of the night...Everyone should be very proud for supporting such an important cause. 100% of the proceeds were forwarded to The Canadian Red Cross. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. January 6, 2005: Tsunami Disaster Relief Concert/Dance and Silent Auction Saturday,
January 8th, 2005 8:00 pm WITH: Hal Bruce and Scott Ferguson "Ticket 2 Ride" Hal Bruce brings his Beatles Tribute Show home to the Maritimes after a successful World Tour of four continents which wrapped up the end of November. Joining him on stage at The Olympic Gardens will be Scott Ferguson, former drummer for The Rankin Family. Their duet, now called "Ticket 2 Ride", has a strong focus on classic Beatles music, as well as many 1960's and 1970's favourites. Because of the enormity of last week's devistation in South East Asia, Hal and Scott felt the strong need to reach out and help in the best way possible...and that is with their music. 100% of the proceeds from this event will be forwarded to the Canadian Red Cross, which in turn will be used in the international aid efforts. Your attendance and support of this event would be greatly appreciated. The ticket price is $15.00 per person, as well as other donations being accepted at the door. Also, a silent auction begins at 8:00 pm. Reserved corporate tables and advance tickets are available by contacting Hal (902-435-7410) or Scott (902-452-1479) directly. Remaining tickets will be available at the door on Saturday evening. Come
One, Come All CAVERN
MUSIC .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Hal Bruce and Scott Ferguson officially kicked off their newly formed "Ticket 2 Ride" group at The Thirsty Duck Pub in Halifax to a packed house. Their musical format includes everything Beatles with a huge supply of classic songs from the 1960's and 1970's. Their full sound (like most four piece groups) was hailed in England at The Annual Beatles Festival held in Liverpool in August. At the end of the performance, the crowd did not leave disappointed. ................................................................................................................................................................. November
2004 Hal performed at the 4th Annual Latin American Beatles Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a half dozen packed concerts. The Argentine crowd showed their appreciation by giving standing ovations at every show. Highlights were meeting up with friends David Jones of Liverpool (Beatle Week Festival Organizer), Alfonso Morales Bustamante (Buenos Aires Festival Organizer) and Julia Baird (John Lennon's sister). Hal also had the pleasure of performing with Brazil's musical sensation...Acustika! ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. News Update July 2004: Hal invited to perform at "Beatles Day" in Mons, Belgium in October. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. News Update April 2004: In June, Hal will be travelling to Adelaide, Australia to perform in the first "Australian Beatles Festival"; this festival marks the 40th anniversary of The Beatles tour in Australia. The event also marks the grand opening of Adelaide's very own "Cavern Club". ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. News Update February 2004: In July, Hal will be travelling to New Kent, Virginia to perform in a Beatles Festival called "Abbey Road At The Races". This event is to commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Beatles first U.S. Tour. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. News Update January 2004: As a result of the success of "In My Life...", Hal's first tribute CD of Beatles classics, he has embarked on another 20 song tribute CD project. Hal is presently recording at Ferguson Music Productions in Dartmouth, NS; a Spring release is scheduled for his newest project entitled "I Will". In early August, Hal will be travelling back to Cleveland, Ohio for the second consecutive year to perform at the "Abbey Road on the River" Festival. His performances there will be highlighted by playing a non-stop 209 song medley of every Beatles song recorded; all in original keys and in order of release. Hal is definitely up for the challenge! Later in August, Hal will be returning to Liverpool, England for the fifth consecutive year to perform at the "International Beatle Week" Festival. He is presently slated for eleven shows, including the world famous Cavern Club. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Hal
Bruce at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool Try to imagine the scene; It is just after 12 noon in the Adelphi hotel in Liverpool on Sunday August 24th 2003 (Beatle convention day). The fans have rolled in from far and wide with local "scouse" accents mingling with those from every part of Britain, Europe, America (North and South), Japan, Australia … you name a place where Beatle music is played, they were there. Every second person seemed to be wearing a T-shirt bearing some image related to the "fab four" or alternatively be dressed in Beatle or sixties style attire. At mid-day the doors were opened and the fans had streamed into the old city centre hotel. Most of them immediately made for the dealers room where the merchandisers are cashing in on what is probably their best pay-day of the year. Of course some of the fans head straight to the bar but, after all, this is England. A glance at the entertainment itinerary shows that this year the live entertainment commences not in the main hall but in two smaller, more intimate, side rooms. Down in the Crompton bar there is a heavy metal band. Meanwhile in the Crosby suite we have a Canadian singer / guitarist called HAL BRUCE. The Turner family along with a few others have decided to take up a spot on some comfortable furnishings just outside the latter. The dull murmur from the dealer room drifts through the air. The unintelligible sound of a thousand conversations occasionally punctured by a familiar riff or lyric. "You tell lies thinking I can't see…" "Had you come some other day then …". It is a cocktail of all things Beatle, and the fans are drinking it down. Then suddenly through the incoherent din, an acoustic guitar, clear and shrill pierces the air and commands attention. Hal had taken the stage. It was immediately obvious that here was a man who knew his craft both vocally and musically. The playing was distinct and precise. The singing warm and confident. No need to guess how Mr Bruce had spent his teen years. The Beatles catalogue of songs must have been under constant siege until they finally yielded their secrets. The repertoire was delivered with charm, enthusiasm, passion and sympathy in equal measure. The whole 35 minute show was a total delight. It is hard to pick an individual highlight from a hugely consistent performance. However, a glistening version of "Here Comes the Sun" would be hard to beat. All the family agree it was … a splendid time. Michael Turner August 2003 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. International
Beatle Week - Liverpool, England (August 2003) "Beatle Week 2003" began on Thursday, August 21st with a very pumped up crowd. They had a chance to mentally prepare themselves for a year to hear a barrage of Beatle bands and acts perform their favorite classics and a slew of obscure album tracks. It seems that no matter what Fab Four song was played in the past, the audience seemed to know every word, every punctuation and every breath of every single gem. I was still on a natural high just having returned from my first "Abbey Road on the River Festival" in Cleveland, Ohio just a week before. Gary Jacob, Festival Organizer, hired me as the only solo Beatles performer to come from another country. I got a chance to headline six of my own one-hour shows and was also invited to be a part of the Grand Finale. It was during "Abbey Road on the River" that I met for the first time Beatle performers, British Export, Tim Piper, All You Need Is Love, Lawrence Gilmour, Mark Staycer and others…a great bunch of folks! As a result of the huge success of the series of concerts, Gary Jacob has invited me to perform at two other festivals in 2004, one in Orlando, Florida in February and the second back in Cleveland, Ohio in August at "Abbey Road on the River". Driving home from Cleveland with my buddy Fred Giles was definitely a trip where we had instant flashbacks of the festival's great moments, all the way back to the Maritimes. So, anyway, I'm here in Liverpool, England just about ready to take to the stage…I am so up for the task of keeping The Cavern full of Beatle fanatics happy for my one hour show. Even though it was only mid-afternoon, the Cavern was already a hot and sticky repeat of last year's events…but it was great! It's part of what gives The Cavern it's character and charm. Each year I visit Liverpool and this is my fourth journey, I make new friends and get reacquainted with old ones, so I know quite a few people there from all over the world…Germany, Italy, Russia, Scotland, U.S.A., Mexico, South America, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and of course, England. During my first day at The Cavern, my two one-hour concerts were stretched to three and a half hours. The crowd was definitely in the right frame of mind. On every table, there were at least four to six glasses of Guiness and people lined up right in front of the stage when there wasn't enough room to join the seated. The audience seemed to really like songs such as, Jealous Guy, Grow Old With Me, I Am The Walrus and especially A Day In The Life, which kind of became my little signature song for the week. My wife, Shelley and friend, Heather Larder were busy throughout the week snapping pictures of the crowds, surroundings and goings on. When I took my breaks, the two gals set up shop and sold CD's as fast as they could keep up with the demand. One of the highlights of the week had to be when I performed at The Royal Court Theatre for a full house. My set was a spot just before the U.S. group "The Fab Faux" took to the stage and performed The White Album..all 30 songs! So it was quite an honor for me to play at such a venue…just me and my guitar armed with a few of my Beatles favorites. And another Beatle Week draws to a close…usually the last performance on Tuesday is a wind down of the week, with a smaller, quieter crowd on hand, but this year there was a very responsive crowd getting into every single song…almost like it was their last hurrah! It was great to see people there like friends Andy Birch, Heinz, Beatle Jane, Steve Panter, the folks from Cavern City Tours. Also some of the bands who I got to be good friends with such as Gavin Pring, Jim Martin, Paul Lynch and John Graham of British Export, Lawrence Gilmour, The Repeatles, Ringer and many others. Once again, playing in "Beatle Land" has made my dream come true all over again, for the fourth consecutive year. I can't wait to do it all over again in 2004! .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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November
26th 2004