So I spent the last 4 days traveling to work with Suzie Mcneil and crew on her tour and had such a good time.
I was disappointed that I did not sign on for the whole tour but I am also glad to be home.
Touring is not as glorious and fun as many would think. Ask any touring artist what it is like and you will find that the the work is tiring and repetitive and you spend a ton of time waiting around, sitting in uncomfortable chairs in vans, buses, planes......
I think the best part of touring is the high of getting on a stage to perform and this is what keeps most performers running on empty. After a while though even this can seem too much and Breaks are needed and other motivations are what many find themselves as Artists attracted to.
Artists that achieve some success have been given a gift and a platform that can be used wisely or thrown away.
Being a social activist as an artist is sometimes controversial and therefore you better believe in what you are speaking out for if you are willing to risk the fallout. Just take a look at the negative info online about Bono, Madonna, Angelina and others. Whats wrong with people? These individuals are trying to give back and all these nay Sayer's can do is spend too much time pointing out the negative. If they spent half as much time following these celebrities example the world would be a far nicer place to live.
But I guess when you are craving attention, negativity gets more news attention. Why do we like complainers so much?
Personally I think it is rather foolish and less than mature to knock someone for speaking out. If an artist gains success does this disqualify them from caring or having compassion like real human beings. If we can use the entertainment business and Artists to sell everything else in the world than we should be able to allow the industry and Artists to speak out for Social Change.
Regardless, I think that what Suzie McNeil and so many other artists are doing right now should be applauded.
Suzie is a natural and just got back from Zambia. No she did not adopt an child and bring her home but she did sponsor a Girl named Dorris through World Vision.
Her appeal during her concerts are so sincere and straight forward that you do not feel like she is preaching. But what she has to say is just the plain and simple truth. We do have so much in the western world and so many elsewhere have so little. The injustice in that is not to be debated but accepted.
Tonight she joked in Saskatoon during her performance that she was "going for the Canadian Angelina Jolie thing - only better looking "- and then suggested light heatedly that if you sponsor a child you might end up with Brad Pitt. LOL
It seemed to work because people were moved and motivated to act.
I say fantastic! Good on you Suzie, Angelina, Jann Arden, Bono, Colin James, 54-40, BNL, Faber Drive, Sarah Mclachlan, just to name a few of the artists trying to make a difference in the world.
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