CHRIS “KLONDIKE” MASUAK TOP SEVERAL FOR 2023
1. APPARENTLY, THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY GENOCIDE.
This year has demonstrated beyond any possible doubt that the human race is blithely and psychopathically genocidal.
And if daily reminders of this sad and truly distressing reality aren’t enough, next to nothing has been effectively done to redress the horror because of the not entirely surprising confirmation that a great number of the people you know are …
a. Cruel and nasty.
b. Wilfully ignorant.
c. Racist.
d. Chickenshit.
e. All of the above.
Protest, agitate, donate … do something. Anything.
Let’s at least pretend to be interested in creating a better future.
Chris Masuak with Dog Soldier, Stu Wilson and Tony Bambach.
2. A VERY LONG TIME BETWEEN DRINKS.
What an exhilarating and terrifying ride it was!
What with the global lockdown and the subsequent scramble to rip off the consumer and touring nitwit at every conceivable opportunity (because “covid”), the DOG SOLDIER tour of oZ was a very long time coming.
STU WILSON and TONY “THE CHIEF” BAMBACH threw themselves into that 7000 kilometre joy ride with the insane courage, vigour, enthusiasm, and good humour that you can expect from the confidently talented.
And it goes without saying that without the consummate and arcane skills of CRAIG “THE BARMAN” REGAN and PETER “ROSSY” ROSS, I’d still be paddling my canoe around the cape.
Somehow, DOG SOLDIER even managed to record!
(Yeah, I know. Fucking streaming.)
There were many highlights on that run, especially in venues off the beaten track. And, that was largely thanks to the tremendous talent that popped up to support us!
So, extra special thanks to POCKETWATCH, STAR CRAZY, THE DARK CLOUDS, THE SILVER DRAGONS, RIVER OF SNAKES, THE FICTION, IL BRUTO, JUPITER 5, JOEYS COOP, EAST COAST LOW, THE NIKKI WEBSTERS, THE SQUARE TUGS, and last but by no means least, MICK MEDEW AND URSULA.
Another run?
Woof!
Chris Masuak with Los Revelators.
3. THE EPISTOLARY, APOCALYPTIC, AND PROPHETHIC?
Not from the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, but from the Roman walled conclave of Lugo in Deep Galicia came an unexpected li’l treasure trove of garage band tomfoolery.
BAMBI, ANDRES, and FITO roped me into a project that has taken over my life like mould on a Galician ceiling and from which there is no solution but graceful surrender.
LOS REVELATORS are still feeling their way, but man! what a way! Listen here.
4. SERIOUSLY. THE WHOLE THING IS GOING TO THE DOGS!
Once more, I embraced the madness and mayhem that I’ve come to expect from a tour in France.
The JUNKYARD DOG project seemed doomed from the start, with GREGORY J. BOWEN forced to bail out at the last minute, hospitalised due to a hideous infection.
But, LAURENT CIRON (LES DOGS), GOOLOO (HOLY CURSE), and BRUNO PERRIN (GUNNERS, MONDO BIZARRO), ignored the stink of defeat and drove JUNKYARD DOG headfirst into the freezing expanse of Normandy and Britanny and onto a kind of glorious and joyful trainwreck of victory.
Every gig was an raucous epiphany!
And once again, FABIAN LE LOCAT and ISABELLE LE GALL ROBERT were our generous hosts at the end of the travail!
Shall we do it again?
Mais oui!!
5. DOIN’ THE SURFER STOMP IN GALICIA!
EL KARA and ABE RIDER had a grueling year, being sent hither and yon to do the brutal work of the thanklessly heroic nine to fiver.
Somewhere in all that cauldron of activity we managed to record. Stay tuned for news of that release on an American label.
And of course, THE VIVEIRO WAVE RIDERS saw out the year in the kind of barely controlled anarchy that we love and expect in Spain.
6. LOVE, LIGHT, HOPE, COMPASSION AND PEACE!
There is no greater joy than that of family and friends. New guitars. Pedals.
I wish that for each and every one of you! Yeah, even you annoying ones!
And if you’re having a tough time, I dearly wish for you to enjoy some respite, if not a decent hunk of peace.
Let’s work towards that, shall we?
Assalamu alaikum Wa rahmatullahi Wa barakatuh!
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