Wee Fest - November 7th 2007

Well, Big Bubba Tres spent a lot of time preparing for this show. Bubba Cook wrote all new songs - with a theme. Yes, Zombies were the focus of this "over the top" show. Titles included 'Zombies Must Die' (nothing but keyboards and pounding drums), 'Zombies on a Chain', 'Zombies in the Snow' (not a new tune, but significantly re-formatted), and others.

The show was also different in that BBT did not use a drummer (ok, Mike did pound on a bass drum for one song - with two big plastic mallets), and there were no guitars in the set. Keyboards, electronic beats, bass, horns, and ukuleles made up the wall of sound. This set showed the continued evolution of the sound, as the audience heard sounds come and go as the songs moved from verse to chorus. More and more of Big Bubba's work includes the layering of instruments to support the vocals, instead of competing with them.

The group took the stage following in the path of 6 foot white rabbits, aliens, and Satan himself. Then, with a 6 foot rear-view projection screen dominating the stage, smoke filling the hall, and confetti and streamers exploding into the audience (of course, the requisite balloons were bouncing around too) the band rocked into their set. Lasers (green and red) filled in for the highlights and added immeasurably to the 'cool factor' of the whole experience.

Lets not forget that everyone in the audience was wearing their viking hat - this year's take home souvenir of the show.

Forty minutes later everyone was finished. Finished until David P. Smith and Dad's Juice took the stage for an amazing 90 minute show.

BBT spent the time since September preparing for this, writing, creating, practicing, inventing, and it seemed to pay off, as the audience was very appreciative of their efforts.

I for one can't wait for the next show.....

Taste of Fernie 2007 version

The 2007 version of the ‘Taste Fernie' went off as planned on September 15th. In reality, the show really began months before when Troy and the band began discussing the show – effects, songs, and so on. The summer season of playing and touring seems to have come to a successful end with ‘the taste’ show being the closing show of the season.

‘The taste’ was a full on visual treat for the crowd. Jim the lighting guy brought LED flood and spotlights, lasers, and some flashing mirror effects as well as a huge rear projection screen for the various videos Troy had created for the show. Two smoke machines, confetti and many confetti bombs rounded out the visual cornucopia of thrills.

Stage set-up began about 8:15 and the sound check was underway about 8:50. The sound guy had serious problems getting sound onto the stage monitors so the show didn’t start until 9:15 or even later. As a result, the band shortened up the set so that the ‘B Movies’ could begin their show on time.

As the video of toy soldiers began to a classical piece of music, the band went out wearing flashing glasses carrying 6’ balloons. After tossing the balloons into the crowd they took the stage and jumped into ‘3 – Eyed Farm Boy’ while the confetti machine ran at full tilt.

‘Zombies in the Snow’ came next, followed by ‘Sea Monkey Drug Binge’ with lasers and smoke. ‘George Forman Grill’ rocked with Mike on keyboards. ‘Mud Bound in the Prairies’ was followed by ‘Viva Las Vegas’ with smoke and lasers. It was great. ‘Utopia’ and ‘War Pigs’ rounded out the show.

The B-Movies played a hot set, and they were well worht listening too.

Fernie Fest is coming

Rumour has it that the band will be on stage at 9 pm - with an updated set list, videos, lights, and aliens. Should be a great show. I have heard that they'll be using new tempos, new intros, and new instruments....

Don't miss it.

Arts on the Edge - Kimberely

BBT was one of three bands who performed on the main stage at this festival. It was the first year for the venue, and there were some issues - the stage was over home plate of a ball diamond, and the crowd was miles away in the outfield. Troy kept referring to being in a crop circle.

Two small generators supplied almost enough power to run the gear, however the band and the crowd survived the brown outs and power outages.

The audience loved the show, and Troy was great with the audience - including the children who picked up all of the confetti that he shot into the air.

I hope they play this show again. they got great reviews and they generated a lot of interest from up the valley.

The Summer Tour

Well, this little road trip took off like a rocket, and it landed as successful as the best of them. A headline show at Logan’s Pub in Victoria followed by a solo show by Bubba at a singer-songwriters evening in Mill Bay, then another headliner at ‘The Main’ in Vancouver and a final show as a warm-up act for ‘the Buttless Chaps’ at the Railway Club in Vancouver.

The band loaded up the ‘meat wagon’ (the ambulance) the night before and they hit the road early in the morning. They were well prepared for this trip, having spent a lot of time honing their ‘power set’ for these shows. Troy knew that the purpose of this trip was exposure, not income, and so they focused on what was needed to get their name recognized as a band to watch for in the future. Three-eyed Farm Boy, Utopia, Mudbound In The Prairie, George Foreman Grill, Sea Monkey Drug Binge, Squirrelly Monkey, Zeppelin’s a Balloon, War Pigs (the encore song, sort of), and other original tunes were practiced and refined beforehand.

The first gig of the tour was at The Main, a pub in Victoria. They shared the stage with two other bands – David P. Smith opened up the night (and hosted the whole show) with his unique blend of lyrics and accordion sounds, Stitchripper played hard driving country rock and warmed up the dance floor, then BBT closed the show with a nearly perfect set. They had the medium-sized crowd cheering and dancing up a storm. A great night was had by everyone.

Troy traveled up to Mill Bay (Steve drove so Troy could stay after the show and catch up with old friends) so he could be part of a Singer-Songwriters show. The venue for this show was amazing. The host had built a loft-like building in his back yard – with a number of other out buildings as well (all out of found lumber too) and he regularly hosted these shows. There must have been 60 people who showed up from the town – and all by word-of-mouth advertising too! It was a really fun evening.

‘The Main’. A small restaurant/bar, it is fairly well known in the music scene – and it is well known for its high quality Greek food too. They had to wait until the two tables on the stage were empty before they could set up – which happened about 9 PM. The stage was very small – we were as close together as you could imagine. Add to that, it was hot and humid, so their instruments kept going out of tune.

Having said that, the place remained packed, as people showed up specifically to hear them play. And play they did – another bang-on performance was done by the, with Troy doing a great job of interacting with the crowd.

The last show – the big show of the trip - was at the ‘The Railway Club’.

The show went really well. BBT went on first and their set was fast – Troy was nervous and everything was ‘double speed’ – and the crowed loved it. By the end of the show they were standing at the stage and taking photos.

The Great Outdoors and the Buttless Chaps both put on great shows.

All in all a great trip.

Check out the article in 'Fernie Fix' on the tour:

http://www.ferniefix.com/september-07-issue-10#attachments

Roadtrip - Summer 07 tour news

The ambulance is bought. Its been seen around Fernie - including parked behind the stage at the Fernie Fest - and it has the look of a serious touring machine.

The boys have been seen daily hiking down into their 'space'; in Fernie to work on their summer show set list. Seen on the deck have been steve, Mike, Troy, and Andrew, so it looks like the full 5 piece band will be on tour this summer. Mark is likely working away up in Calgary. His drums will be there when the lights go down I suspect.

Rumours abound that the band will be at the 'Main' and 'The Railway Club' in Vancouver, as well as at two sites in Victoria and one up island in Ladysmith. They'll be opening for David P smith, and the Buttless Chaps on this tour, as well as having a full show or two on their own - a definite step up the ladder in the music business I'd say.

Well, I'll be following in their footsteps as they haul ass down to the coast in the ambulance, and I'll let you know how things turn out as I find out.

Their number one fan signs off for now....

Canada Day Weekend Report - late

3 shows, 4 days. The fundraiser was somewhat of a letdown, as the fundraising committee may not have done the best job of promoting the event - so a good portion of the money raised came from the tickets the band sold.

Having said that, the band had a good 'practice' - in front of a very small but appreciative audience. The fellows loaded up Steve's truck and Troy's car and headed to Calgary Saturday morning - where they set up for a wedding (private party) show. The afternoon was marked by the hunt for 220 Volt power - which took too long and involved too many people, but was finally accomplished thanks to the hard work of Mike. Set up on the ample-sized stage was a breeze after that.

The night was shared with a rather overly energetic DJ (who, truth be told, did the job she was hired to do - she got people up dancing).

BBT closed the night with a short but well delivered set of all of the requested songs - to a responsive audience of wedding goers.

Sunday began early with the return trip (Troy MC'd the show in Fernie, so he left really early) to Fernie and a set up for the show at the first annual Fernie Fest.

Now that was a festival that may have a future - BBT's show was short and very tight. Feedback from the audience afterwards certainly showed that the guys did a bang up job on stage.

Summer is on now!!!!!

Canada Day Weeekend

Since I am as busy as everyone else, this'll be a short one.

The band played to a small but steady crowd at the Brickhouse last night - and we did quite well.

No drummer though.

A couple of the local guitar players joined us in a jam at the end of the night - we did Johnny Cash proud, that's a for sure. We had some serious fun as a group of musicians getting together and just playing for fun.

Tonight the band is packing up for the trip tomorrow to Calgary - a private function also known as a large wedding) for use to rock out at tomorrow night.

Sunday night sees the band in action on stage 'B' at 8:00 PM (Fernie Fest). We will be the closing act.

Should be a great show to see - lots of effects to participate in.....

Bull River Inn

What a place. We did a fundraiser up there for a local family who were burned out of their home. We loaded up in the mid morning and drove up to the ranch, set up in the afternoon and played through the night.

The ranch is located in a beautiful spot, surrounded by mountains. The buildings and grounds are fantastic.

The staff was beyond expectations.

The food and hospitality were superb (although the roast pork was not everyone's favourite meal, it was very tasty).

We played to the crowd - which dwindled down in size as the night progressed - it is a long drive home on country dirt roads.

We stayed overnight.

Packed out at about 9 am the next morning and home we went.

June is a busy month

From what I've heard, Big Bubba is spending the month of June playing gigs to raise money for all sorts of causes, from the Fernie Arts Council to helping out people who have had house fires, BBT is doing a series of socially responsible gigs. Yep, At the Bull River Guest Ranch, Island Lake Lodge, and at the Fernie Arts Station BBT will be rockin' out the house.

Check out their website for dates and times.

The summer tour is pretty well firmed up too - with at least three big dates in the lower mainland area.

Steve is back in town after missing three gigs due to other commitments, and so now the band can once again play their full gig-list using all the various instruments of destruction - tubas, baritones, violins, electric guitars, basses, and keyboards - plus special effects up the ying yang.

And more new songs to make you think.

This weekend sees the band at Island Lake Lodge, next weekend sees them at the Bull River Guest Ranch and The Fernie Arts Station, then the month ends with gigs in Fernie and Calgary (boy, is Canada Day weekend busy or what?) - see you there.

Exciting opportunity for fans

This Sunday will see the band perform with Great Aunt Ida in Fernie. This should be a great night. Also coming up, the band is on the list of shows for the Fernie Festival at the end of June (July 1st weekend).

Rumour has it that the band is re-working some songs, and bringing back a few more Johnny Cash tunes (done as only Big Bubba can interpret them) for the upcoming gigs, including the June 30th show in Calgary.

Also on the band website (bigbubbacook.com) is a fund-raiser gig at the Bull River Guest ranch.

Just wait until you hear the new songs - Planet Cold with its weird wandering sound space and Sea Horse Drug Binge with its driving rhythm and a flow that will get you out of your seat and onto the dance floor.

The show with the Buttless Chaps is listed on the website - all us fans are very excited about this one. Mark your calendar for sure.

The Summer Tour

Well, it looks like the summer tour maybe coming together. Dates at the end of June in Calgary and Fernie should act as warm-up gigs for the band, then a few days to fine-tune the sets, load the 'beast' of burden, and off to the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

As of this second, it looks like there may be dates with David P. Smith, Linda McRae, and possibly a date at the Railway in Vancouver - on stage with a mainliner of some fame. Additional dates will be shared as I hear of them through the grapevine.

Lets hope the weather is sunny.

Big Bubba Tres - The unofficial story

skip to main | skip to sidebarBig Bubba Tres continues to grow.

As the band continues in its exploration of alternative music - death country, alternative country, and pure alternative music - they continue to push the bounds of creativity. Some of their latest covers run from Black Sabbath to 'Like A Virgin' - and you won't recognize it until you hear the chorus.

When playing live, the band intersperses these covers into their own huge (and growing) catalog of original tunes.

Big Bubba Tres has a number of unique and different shows that they can put on - from the stage show to a quiet acoustic show.

When performing at a festival or on stage the band uses confetti, videos, costumes, black lights, strobes, smoke, and many props to visualize the music. When playing for a bar crowd, you'll see video backgrounds, confetti bombs, smoke, and volume. For an acoustic set (at a coffee house etc.) you might see a harmonium, or a stand up bass, as well as acoustic guitars (lead, rhythm and bass).

In all shows you'll hear original music with lyrics and phrasing that will draw you into the feel. You'll walk out humming a tune and singing a chorus about a three-eyed farm boy. You'll also hear cover tunes of Johnny Cash, Black Sabbath, Elvis Presley, and others - all interpreted in a way that makes them 'Big Bubba Tres' tunes.

Who (or what exactly) is Big Bubba Tres?

An Alternative music band. The core is Bubba - a hyperactive continuously creative musician/poet/creator who plays, well he plays everything. Bubba writes about rabbits, tourists, mass murderers, and those who society has forgotten or abused. He then converts those words into music. He then takes those tunes and explores them through the use of instruments that range from acoustic and electric rhythm guitars, ukuleles (with overdrive and distortion), accordions, sirens, flashing lights, synthesizers, keyboards, and effects pedals.

Bubba is joined by Mark, the percussionist - and a gifted musician as well (he has a passion for guitar blues and loud music) who also messes with synthesizers. Mark owns more drum kits than some people own CDs - a stand up kit, a green kit, a red kit, an acoustic kit, a bar kit, and a practice kit.

On lead guitar is Mike - and here is a man with dedication and skill. There isn't an alternative chord form that Mike doesn't know - or use. You'll find him filling in the space on electric guitar, octave mandolin, standard mandolin, keyboards, baritone (a type of tuba), acoustic guitar, slide guitar, and anything else that Bubba wants to use to express his words.

The bass line is held down by Steve, who joined the project last fall. Easy going and dependable, Steve stands off in the back picking up the rhythm that Bubba selects for the tune, and away he goes. He seems to like to toss in the odd passing note and if you pay attention you'll hear bass note slides sneaking into the mix.

The latest addition to the project is Andrew. Andrew is an extremely talented musician who can make a tuba, or a trumpet, or a bass guitar grove. He hears a tune once, and its his for ever.

Look up the official website at www.bigbubbacook.com