August 27, 2010

With just over a week left before the first ever Electric Mountain Music Festival, slated for the Labour Day long weekend, the performing acts have been lined up.

The Tito Deville Band will open up the festival at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4. The festival had originally been planed to begin on Sept. 3 at the Active Mountain festival grounds, but early this month promoters announced the show would be reduced to just two days.

Because of the change, promoters say ticket prices will be frozen at the early bird rate of $120 and will not go up as the start date approaches

The reduced festival is not the only setback that has plagued the promotion. Earlier this summer, headliners Gorillaz Sound System cancelled, and festival publicist Meghan Edmondson resigned. Organizers were also waiting on the approval for a permit from the TNRD, which has now been granted, according to Electric Festival promoters.

Promoters say ticket sales have been slow, but an influx of walkups is expected.

www.electricmountainmusicfest.com

The most recent additions to the festival lineup are Vancouver's Swollen Members and Excision.

The two-day festival lineup looks like this:

Saturday Night – PK Soundstage (6 p.m. - 8 a.m.)

6 p.m. – Siavash

7 p.m. – Sage

8 p.m. – Woodhead

9 p.m. – Myshell

10 p.m. – Timeline

11:30 p.m. – Kissed with a Noise

1 a.m. – Lazy Rich

3 a.m. – Hyperfunk

4 a.m. – Gatringer

5 a.m. – Korina Bliss

6 a.m. – Kearce

7 a.m. – Nemesis

8 a.m. – James E

Saturday Night – Stage Molly (2 p.m. - 8 a.m.)

1 p.m. – Tito Deville Band

2 p.m. – The Kids

3 p.m. – Special K

4 p.m. – B-Funk & Dizze Miss

5:30 p.m. – BZ Black

6 p.m. – Boom Box Saints

6:30 p.m. – Autokrat

7 p.m. – Sticky Buds

8:30 p.m. – The Rascalz

9:15 p.m. – The Funk Hunters

10:15 – Dope Tito

11:45 p.m. – Tre Funk

12:30 am – Hot Pink Delorean

2:30 a.m. – Matt the Alien

4 a.m. – Lt Dan

5 a.m. – Kit Kat

5:30 a.m. – J-Lau

6 a.m. – Dr Jones

6:15 a.m. – Stylust

7 a.m. – Elbow Kickin

Sunday Night (PK Sound stage)

5 p.m. – DJ Leo

6 p.m. – Ryan Seven

7 p.m. – Eddie Santini

8 p.m. – Lando

9 p.m. – Dirty Politics

10 p.m. – Sync Fyller

11 p.m. – Dave Amrstrong vs. Norrie Taylor

1 a.m. – Junior Sanchez

2 a.m. – Hirshee

4:30 a.m.- Ollie Ple

5:30 a.m. – Destineak

6 a.m. – Jeff Daniels

7 a.m. – Shaun Gregory

8 a.m. – Maurer

Sunday (Molly Stage)

12 p.m. – Scale Breakers

12:30 p.m. – DJ Hubs

1:45 p.m. – Little T

2 p.m. – C-Styles

2:45 p.m. – Freshest Kids

3:30 p.m. – Tragic n Hydro

3:45 p.m. – Pro Fresh n Ill

4 p.m. – Stim J

5 p.m. Flipout

6 p.m. Bry

x7 p.m. – Headspin

8 p.m. – Flipout (House set)

8:30 p.m. – Kraig

10 p.m. – NoMayo featuring Kahlla

11 p.m. – Downlink s. Mark Instinct

1 a.m. – Excision

3 a.m. – Max Ulis vs. Self Evident

4:30 a.m. DJ Brukout

6 a.m. – Uknown Duck

7 a.m. to close – Chemical DJs

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Aug. 30, 2010

Ministry of Forests and Range - Kamloops Fire Centre

KAMLOOPS - Effective immediately, campfires will be permitted across the Kamloops Fire Centre's jurisdiction due to a decreased risk of wildfires.

Campfires must not be larger than 0.5 metres wide or 0.5 metres tall. Anyone who lights a campfire must have a hand tool such as a shovel, or at least eight litres of water, nearby to fully extinguish it. Never leave a campfire unattended, and make sure ashes are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area.

Although small, contained campfires are now permitted, open fires of any other description remain prohibited. This prohibition includes fireworks and burning barrels.

The rescinding of this prohibition applies to all BC Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Please check with civic authorities for any restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban may be issued a ticket for $345. Should a wildfire occur as a result of recklessness, a person can be fined up to $1 million or spend three years in prison and be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Kamloops Fire Centre extends from the northern border of Wells Gray Park, north of Blue River to the U.S. border in the south, and from the Bridge River Glacier west of Goldbridge to the Monashee Mountains east of Lumby.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire please call *5555 on your cellphone, or toll- free to 1 800 663-5555.

For more information on open fire prohibitions, area restrictions or for updates on current wildfire activity, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.

Contact:

Michaela Swan, Fire Information Officer
250 554-5532 (office)
250 318-7456 (cell)

Kayla PepperFire, Information Officer
250 554-5964 (office)
250 376-5439 (cell)

For Immediate Release

August 20, 2010 - 1630 hours

Ministry of Forests and Range - Kamloops Fire Centre

KAMLOOPS – The Jade Wildfire is now 100 per cent contained after nearly a month of diligent fire suppression efforts from the BC Forest Service and out-of-province personnel.

Remaining fire activity is within the 2000 hectare fire perimeter and crews will complete fuel reduction burning on Jade Mountain if weather conditions are favourable. Firefighters are working to extinguish hotspots 50 metres in from fuel free zones. While fire officials are demobilizing unnecessary resources, mop-up and patrol will continue.

The Tweddle Creek wildfire, now estimated at 450 hectares, had an increase of fire activity overnight. It grew approximately 200 hectares in size as winds pushed the fire eastward down the Tweddle Creek drainage.

There is an evacuation alert in place for five homes on the east side of Ashnola Road below the wildfire. Residents affected can call the Lower Similkameen Band Office at 250 499-5528 for more information.

Hand guards are being established by nine firefighters on the east flank closest to structures. In addition to four helicopters bucketing on the fire, a dozer and an excavator are supporting ground crews. Airtankers completed work to lay fire retardant between homes and the fire perimeter. The Tweddle Creek wildfire is still in modified response because the steep terrain is inoperable and not safe for ground crews to action.

There is also an air quality advisory in place for the Kamloops and the Similkameen Valley areas. For more information please visit www.bcairquality.ca.

Since yesterday, the Kamloops Fire Centre has responded to two person-caused wildfires both of which were contained at less than one hectare in size. This season, the fire centre has responded to 230 wildfires: 134 person-caused and 96 lightning-caused.

For the latest information on fire activity, bans and restrictions and current conditions, visit the Wildfire Management Branch website at www.bcwildfire.ca. For Facebook and Twitter updates, as well as details about evacuation orders and alerts, road conditions and air quality advisories, go to www.firesafebc.ca.

Contact:

Michaela Swan
Fire Information Officer
250-554-5532
250-318-7456

Published: August 17, 2010

Legendary Folk singer-song writer Valdy will be performing tonight at Spirit Square for Music In The City.

The all-ages free show starts at 6 p.m. and goes till 8 p.m.

The Merritt Herald caught up with Valdy after a private show in Toronto this week. Q: Do you write all of your own songs?

A: I do write a lot but I also cover songs by other writers that I enjoy. Songs that I think are relevent and worth sharing with people.

Q: Of your own music, do you have a favourite song or album?

A: No. I would say my last record is the one I’ve had the most fun with and I have a whack of new material I’m going to be recording in September or October, so I’ll be featuring some of that as well.

But right now, I’d say the old standards are just as much fun to play as the new ones, ‘cause they have legs – they’re good tunes.

Q: What’s your technique for song-writing?

A: The core of it is usually a concept or an idea or an ethic. And then I couch that in either a community or an individual or a couple or a world movement and just personify that ethic somehow to make a narrative of it.

Generally I like to have an idea of a verse chorus structure prior to finishing the lyric, so that it gives it a matrix to put the lyric on.

Q: You’ve been doing this for a few decades now?

A: Yes, it’ll be four decades... this year!

Q: Do you still live on Saltspring Island?

A: Yes, my wife and I have an acreage on the south end of Saltspring. I’m a logger by attrition, because the trees are getting so old and crowding each other out.

Q: So your style is classic folk music, right?

A: I’m a folk singer, but folk music is everything; rock and roll, rap, ska, all of the music comes from folk music, so I have a very broad brush to choose from.

Q: Are you planning on putting out another album soon?

A: I’m putting one out this fall. I do like collaborating with people, because I’m a good lyricist, but I’m a better musician. I’d rather come up with melodies and chords. Co-writing is quite exciting ‘cause you get more than just the sum of the two parts.

Q: What’s it like being one of the best-known Canadian musicians?

A: It’s an honour that my songs still have legs and I’m able to make a living at what I’m doing. It’s a great career. It’s not much money, but it’s a great living.

Q: How did you get the name Valdy?

A: It’s short for Valdemar, which is my middle name. Paul Valdemar Horsdal. My dad was Paul Valedmar Horsdal as well. He got the Paul, I got the Valdemar. He asked me not to use the family name in show business. So I became Valdy on my front porch as I left home.

Q: What were your two Juno Awards for?

A: Folk Singer and Folk Entertainer of the Year, I think. And nominations were all for Folk Singer of the Year.

Q: What can the Merritt audience expect from your show tonight?

A: Old chestnuts and newer tunes sprinkled in.