The Twelfth Concert

Saturday February 3 2007 – The Evergreen Theatre, Powell River, BC

On this morning, all the members and crew of All In All It’s Just gathered at the BC Ferries Little River Terminal in order to board a ferry and cross the Salish Sea on their way to Powell River. The advance ticket sales were very strong. The citizens of Powell River were both excited and curious to see this band from just across the water, and the band was equally excited to be going to another new venue to wow the audience. The last return ferry would leave during the concert, so the band and crew would be staying overnight in Powell River. This fact would prove to be a significant circumstance for the people of All In All. One disadvantage of being based on Vancouver Island; the ferry is time-consuming and very expensive.

Some photos from the performance

Whenever a band travels to do a gig, there are always stories to tell afterward. This trip was the origin of more than one:

> Powell River is a smaller community on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, somewhat isolated and removed from the larger communities. The citizens often travel across the Sea to the bands’ home base of Comox Valley for shopping, medical care or passing through while travelling onward to Nanaimo or Victoria. So, as mentioned earlier, they were quite curious about the mostly amateur musicians from the Valley coming over to their community and charging money to hear them perform at their Theatre. They were so curious that they sold out the Theatre, both seating and standing room! Saying that the audience was surprised, amazed, awestruck with the performance would be an understatement. They couldn’t believe their ears.

> After packing up and leaving the Theatre, one of the equipment vans was heading to the hotel when a Police Officer pulled them over. The Officer wanted to know who they were and where they were going. He was told “We’re the Pink Floyd Tribute Band who played at the Theatre tonight. We’re heading for the hotel.” The Officer smiled, chuckled, and said “Oh yes. I heard about that. Ok, carry on.”  Everyone in town was aware.

> A few of the band & crew dropped into a Pub in town for some refreshment before going to the hotel. The locals in the Pub had been to the show, or knew about it, and started whispering among themselves “That’s the band that played at the Theatre tonight.” There was a jam session happening that evening. A few local players got up and wanted to play Roxy Roller, but nobody volunteered to be lead singer and play guitar. They kept calling out for someone to come up to be lead (they were angling for one of the All In All musicians to do it). Finally Doug said “Oh ok, I’ll do it.” He marched up to the stage, grabbed someone’s guitar, and absolutely nailed the song. Absolutely nailed it. The local’s jaws hit the floor. They remarked “This isn’t one of the musicians, this is the lighting guy!” Little did they know that Doug Supple was an accomplished musician who was originally asked to be a musician in All In All It’s Just, but declined, saying that he would much rather do the lighting for the project.

> The next morning, February 4 2007, as everyone was rising from their beds in order to catch the ferry back across the Sea to home, all were sadly informed that the patriarch of the band, Len Hawes, father, father-in-law, grandfather to several members of All In All, had passed away in the early morning hours of brain cancer. Please see below.

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During the Powell River concert, Dan Hawes, lead guitarist and band leader, voiced a tribute to his Dad, Len Hawes, before the band performed Learning To Fly. Len (Dad) had been an Air Cadet at the end of World War II and had a fascination with aircraft all his life.

Dan’s tribute at the beginning of the video: “I want to take a moment to dedicate this next song to my father, who has, uh, fought a very long battle with cancer, and uh, he’s in his last days. But he loved airplanes, he loved to fly. And this one will be for him.” At the end of the video: “Thank you all so much. Fly forever Dad!” 

Side Note: This video contains video clips of an airshow recorded at Base Borden, Ontario by Randy Hawes, as a tribute to Len Hawes, who loved aeroplanes, who loved to fly. Lyrics below video. From the Pink Floyd album A Momentary Lapse Of Reason released September 1987.

LEARNING TO FLY

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Can’t keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to guide my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone
A soul in tension that’s learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try

Can’t keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer,
My grubby halo, a vapour trail in the empty air,
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

There’s no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, A state of bliss

Can’t keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Writer: JON CARIN, BOB EZRIN, DAVE GILMOUR, ANTHONY MOORE
Copyright: Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

Thanks for coming out! If you landed on this page first and want to start from the beginning, go to The First Concert and view them one-by-one. May the Floyd be with you!