Laurie:

In the meantime, I have to say…

Olga:

What???

Laurie:

Olga and I went to Bourbon Street West on Thursday evening compliments of Steve Traynor and Bourbon Street…..and we went to see APRIL WINE perform….

Olga:

And you know what…this Jerry Mercer character…..

Laurie:

Wow!!

Olga:

Who we had in studio and I had even no idea who the man is…..

Laurie:

I knew he was a drummer..when I told my cousin Judy….we brought Judy

Olga:

And my husband Wayne, and it was a show and a half..

Laurie:

Unbelievable! Bourbon Street was packed ….absolutely packed, it was fantastic!!

Olga:

Anyways it was fantastic!!
 
 

Call-in show continues…….
 

Laurie:

Oh look at that Graeme Bishop is on the phone…..

Laurie:

On air right now we have Graeme Bishop who we had on our show a couple of weeks ago when we had Jerry Mercer. And Graeme Bishop, what a man! He loves APRIL WINE…

Olga:

With a passion!

Laurie:

I wish he loved us as much as he loves APRIL WINE…..

Graeme Bishop:

Hey, I still do love you girls!

Olga:

Ahhhh, Graeme I have to tell you that show was….ohhh….truly awesome!

Graeme Bishop:

We didn’t keep you up too late now did we?

Laurie:

We stayed ‘till the end Graeme, but it was so crowded!

Graeme Bishop:

Yeah, Steve was mentioning that he had never seen the club so packed!

Olga:

Rightly so, I think those guys….. that band did more for Canadian music than a lot of people realize, and they have never received the recognition that they truly should…and this was …and is their hometown

Laurie:

That’s right!

Olga:

And it was a wonderful tribute to them!

Laurie:

They must have been beside themselves with the response from the crowd Graeme, you have first hand knowledge, you were with the band.

Graeme:

Yes, yes they were, we were backstage afterwards and Jerry and all the guys were saying that they were floored with the response. But they have received it basically on this whole tour…every stop has been a sell out..except for the date in Moncton that they had to postpone from Friday to Monday (weather problems) just due to that, that was the only stop that wasn’t a complete sell out.

Laurie:

No but still, they are doing phenomenally well. I’ve got to tell you a funny story when you are talking to Jerry Mercer, my cousin Judy that you met that night, she remembers Jerry Mercer from The Wackers. I think?

Graeme:

Well, Jerry actually sat in on a Wackers album, the Shredder album because basically their drummer had broken his arm in a swimming-diving mishap.

Laurie:

Oh my goodness. Well my cousin Judy remembers during one song Jerry Mercer would take the sticks and do like the whole universe thing, after his drum solo. Well when Judy met him on Thursday night she said "oh my god I was in love. I used to sit by the stage, I loved this guy when I was a teenager!".

Olga:

He was phenomenal! I had no idea, to be honest with you Graeme, I mean I knew them from my high school and I knew their music and everything, but I had never seen them. I mean when I was that age I was more interested in The Archies or something stupid….

Graeme:

When we left the studio on the Saturday that we were in with you, Jerry was saying…"you know I don’t think the girls really knew who I was".
 

Group Laughter
 

Olga:

No we didn’t because I came home and my is like "you had Jerry Mercer on?!"

Laurie:

My husband too! "We’ve got an APRIL WINE album downstairs why didn’t you get it autographed?"

Olga:

And I’m looking at him and he’s saying "did you get it autographed?" and I said no….

Graeme:

Well, we solved that problem for you anyway!

Olga:

No, I know, but you know its funny when people don’t know who you are…and you come in..and he just sat with us like he is just some guy….

Graeme:

Well that’s the way….. everyone in that group is really down home…..you know they are so approachable… you know I heard you guys talking about Celine and all the hastles, but you know a lot of it…when you are that much in the public spotlight I have to admit a lot of it is pure rumor and speculation. And you heard it first hand or second hand from Donald’s wife, you know you don’t hear the good side….everyone focuses on the negatives.

Olga & Laurie:

Yeah, I know.

Olga:

But, I have to tell you, this guy Jerry Mercer…how old is he Graeme?

Laurie:

Sixty.

Graeme:

I would not admit it, because he is slightly larger than me, his forearms are about as big as my thighs.. as you saw!

Olga:

But you know what, can this guy play drums! He ……. Ooof!

Graeme:

And I was glad, Laurie, that you finally got to meet Ritchie face to face.

Laurie:

Yessss!

Olga:

He got a haircut, he looked like a different human being.

Laurie:

He did, he looked like a stockbroker.

Graeme:

We all got haircuts!
 

Group Laughter
 

Olga:

Anyways Graeme we just wanted to thank you for setting that whole thing up, it was an amazing show. Please keep us informed when they do get another CD, I understand they are putting out another CD….

Graeme:

This Spring…Yeah and we will try and swing something with the station for when it’s released.

Laurie:

You know what, I’d love to have you and the boys back in, anytime Graeme it’s an open-door Graeme!

Graeme:

And we wanted to thank you for all the support Laurie and Olga.

Olga:

Aahh!

Laurie:

You are very welcome.

Laurie and Olga:

Thanks Graeme!

Laurie:

Thanks for that photo, by the way!
 
 

Show draws to a close.