I met Sid and Phil exactly two years ago. (January 17th 2017) after Phil put out a message asking if anyone wanted to jam some Dylan? We meet regularly to play and to rehearse new material. It started off good, and we are now very good. Harmonies, subtleties and the fine touches that can make or break a gig. We are tight and loose and we trust each other.

We haven’t had as many exploding drummers as Spinal Tap. I hope Tony Odze our present drummer doesn’t explode. It is really fun to lay music over his drumming.

Last night Tarantula Dreams played a couple of sets at L’Escalier which is an Artsy Bar/Café in the heart of downtown Montreal. A small venue for a rock quartet, but a young, hip, artsy crowd. I wasn’t the only bearded, long-haired guy dressed head to toe in black. We play a repertoire that is “limited” to “only” Bob Dylan and Neil Young. We went over very well with this crowd. We rocked. It was transcendent.  It was a night where my guitar could do no wrong…every solo had a contour and told a story. I am thrilled that the Telecaster is glowing these days. Sid and I complement each other very well. He gets outrageous sounds out of his rig and his solos are rooted in Rock. I have a cleaner sound and on the Telecaster I get my Steve Cropper on.

The night could very well have gone differently if our bass player Phil had not found a solution to a particular problem. While setting up, Phil could not get a sound from his amp. We tried the usual tests. my guitar and cable in his amp, my guitar and his cable,  my amp, my cable his bass, the problem was the bass input jack was compromised…dead Bass.

Fortunately the venue is virtually next door to a music store. For the record, Archambault doesn’t rent equipment. Steve’s music is several blocks away and Phil has been shopping there for years (as have we all) and went there to see if he could rent a Bass. Rentals closed. Phil thinking fast, got the manager on the line and it was decided that he could buy a Squier bass and return it the next day and be charged a rental…pretty good. Ironically, Phil owns several dozen basses, but his home is half an hour from the venue. Like having spare tires in the garage, but not having one in the trunk and getting a flat on the highway.

We hit the stage only a few minutes late but made up for it by providing intelligent music from the heart.