Darker Days

"Darker Days" is one of the last tunes that got cut from our record. It certainly fits with the bleak landscape of the songs that did make it, but it just didn't fit perfectly. It was written about Brantford, but it could have been written about St. John as well. A once vibrant and hopeful, small city now with pockets of it shut down, boarded up and forgotten. We had a great time in St. John. We played at the Blue Olive (where Ron Sexsmith had played only a few months ago!) and the staff and crowd were beyond kind to us. There's nothing as encouraging to a performer as 6 or 7 couples getting up and dancing to a song they've never heard before (The Only Way Home in this instance).

But despite the joy we found, we couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that permeated the city. It's also the home of a darker secret. Or at least it was when we got through with it. In classic TFP fashion, we crossed the line, drew a new one and crossed it again. The item in the pictures and video you are about to see is the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms. One of our members (who may or may not be pictured) found it on the wall of the hotel and decided it might make a suitable companion for this portion of our journey. Although it was not harmed in the making of this tour, it came perilously close.

I couldn't help but note #12.

"Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment."

Note the pizza sauce...and remember.