Check out this 1972 cover of The Georgia Strait covering the opening night of the 72 tour. Funny how the edition is dated two days before show but the cover suggests a violent expectation!

For those not familiar with the magazine I believe it remains the second longest running music review magazine next to RS. It personified the west coast hippie movement with cartoons such as Harold the Head and Fritz the Cat. Tommy Chong came from Calgary to Vancouver so the Cheech and Chong mentality was well covered by this mag. Did you know that Chong is a Vancouver stereo type, stumbling out of smoke filled van, no joint too big (ten papers give or take), this was youth!

Trivia Quiz: What major music artist got his musical motivation while working as a band reviewer in the GS? Story goes the GS covered as many big and small acts a possible and got to the point they were reviewing shows they had no time to attend. The artist had written a review of a show and a reader called him out on it stating he could not have been there and added if he was so smart he should start his own band. He was sleeping in the back of the offices dodging immigration and they were closing in. His musical bio in Wikapedia states he retured to Irland in 75 and did what was suggested. As part 2 of the quiz more for locals what other very successfull Vancouver band leader worked with him before they were both famous?




[www.google.ca]

Bob Geldof worked for the Straight. Not sure about part 2 though. Band leader, perhaps Bryan Adams?

I read this title 10 times trying to make sense of it before I realized that it was not talking about the country singer George Strait.

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spsimmons
I read this title 10 times trying to make sense of it before I realized that it was not talking about the country singer George Strait.

Haha. I did that too! Not 10 times but more than once.

My fav Vancouver band is Spirit of the West, though their lead singer, John Mann would be too young.

sorry been away from the computer.

DGA35, a local got Bob Geldof as the the Irishman. As for the singer/songwriter that also lived in the back offices at the same time as BG was Doug Bennet of Doug and the slugs.

Would anyone outside of the Vancouver area know who Doug and the Slugs are? I think I had the 45 of Too Bad, their biggest single from around 1980ish.

Yes, I had the 45 of Too Bad over here in Victoria. Good tune.

Looks like Wiliam Stout did this one...

I remember Doug & the Slugs. We get a little of the Vancouver stuff in Seattle. They were a fun band. I remember records from my early days in the Seattle music biz. A little off topic but a band from Vancouver that I really liked (& still do) was 54/40. Those guys were (dk if they are still together) excellent.

I believe 5440 are still around. Tamara Taggert, who is a local anchor lady on CTV Vancouver news, is married to one of the band members. 5440 opened for the Stones in Calgary I believe. I remember on a broadcast, Tamara was mentioning that when she met the band then she was surprised at how short they were!
There were several bands from Vancouver in the 70's and 80s that were pretty big in Canada and some had success internationally: BTO,Trooper,Prism, Bryan Adams,Loverboy, DOA, and more recently 5440, Sarah Mclachlan, Nickelback, Diana Krall, Michael Buble.