Summer and (growing up…or not… on) George Street in St. John’s, Newfoundland

(this actually appears on a T-shirt)

This picture was taken from:




http://www.tidespoint.com/clothes/george_street_wh.shtml

Could there BE a more personal thing! I am very conscious of my audience at this moment. There are folks who have never been there, there are folks who could go down it backwards, blindfolded hopping on one foot, and there are others who are going for the first time.

I never know where to start the postings that have so, so much to them. I’m going to have a lot of ‘crediting’ to do on this one too. Eesh! Let’s just see where it takes us.

Well, George Street is technically just a street like any other in downtown St. John’s. That is to say…it’s a ‘street’, it’s not a bar, not a park, blah, blah. It is indeed a city street. However… (how inaccurate would THAT be…to say it’s ‘just a street’?)

This is just my personal perspective. George St. is how you gage your youth. You are not 15…it’s 4 years until you can go to George St (really only 2 years if you look older and can get fake ID…uh oh... police…especially RNC… look away…wink). Mind you, there were no photo id’s on the go when we were under age; I’m sure it’s different now (phew, nice save for me - wink).

Ahem, I am quite serious when I say that it is very much a rite of passage for Newfoundland youth to say (all cool), “Yeah, I went downtown (which means ‘I went to a pub/bar on George Street’) Friday night”. I had never thought of it until this very minute, but when it comes to social activity “Downtown” is synonymous with “George Street”. Kinda like “fish” is synonymous with “cod”. We’re like that!

Anyway, George Street is a milestone and you ‘graduate’ to it. It is very big to teens in that way. There is nothing like George Street when you FIRST start going regularly. You’d been waiting sooooooo long to be able to go. Oh, the lies that are told just to get there (not reserved for under age folks either)!

Guinness, as you well know, has a book of world records that they release every year. I’m not sure when, but George Street, St. John’s, Newfoundland held (and maybe still holds…though I haven’t heard it in a while) the world record for “The most pubs/bars” per square kilometre” anywhere in the world. There y’go…yet some more trivia fer ya.

There are literally bars/pubs on top of bars/pubs. Bars, clubs, pubs, taverns, and saloons (not REALLY saloons though…no gun-slinging cowboys). I would be here a munt-o-Sundays to try to do it justice. That’s why Baby Jesus invented cameras!


(left): George Street at dusk
Picture taken from: The City of St. John's



It really is a part of our heritage (and I don’t say that mockingly). There are paintings, t-shirts, posters, and keychains of George St., all tourists and celebrities visit George St., and it gets mentioned in songs (what’s the name of the GBS song… “the George St. Queen standing in line and spending 2 hours on her hair”), and we’re all happy about all of that and can’t really imagine St. John’s without it.

I think most of you would have heard of Great Big Sea (does anybody know if there is a difference in .ca and .com with these guys?) if you are more than 2 months of age. Anyway, Alan Doyle (who hails from the beautiful town of Petty Harbour) of Great Big Sea somehow met and befriended actor Russell Crowe…yeah…THE Russell Crowe (cuuuuuuuuutie) in the last year or two (if I get some of this wrong…pals, please help out). Apparently, Russell Crowe is quite musical and worked on some musical project with Alan. They ended up in Newfoundland and that’s all I know. I would DIE if I walked in to O’Reilly’s expecting to see Dermot or Arthur and saw Russell Crowe. I’d definitely have to do a double take and look twice.


(above): Russell Crowe and Alan Doyle at O'Reilly's Pub

Picture taken from: http://www.murphsplace.com/crowe/band/article-links.html

Not to be outdone, our Premier Danny Williams (WOW…I just said ‘our’…I guess he’s not 'my' Premier, but… OK, now I’m sad…………. I will always consider myself one of the Newfoundland people… it’s who I am) is a fine fellow. Please don’t let my blog get political! I just think a fellow who does his job for nothing and who will take part in the festivities on the George Street stage is all right. I express no political views whatsoever! I think he’s an interesting person and I’d love t’have a chat with him; he seems very nice and very intelligent. I like people like that! There you go. Go Danny!

(above): Newfoundland & Labrador Premier Danny Williams

Picture taken directly from the Web-site of The Office of the Premier of Newfoundland & Labrador


(I found the following list on Wikipedia, but I should really link to all these, shouldn’t I? … attack of conscious!)
List of St. John's Pubs/Bars (2005)
Bridie Molloy's (no Web-site...site coming soon though)
Lottie's Place - no site
Trapper John's
O'Reilly's Pub
Trinity Pub - no site
The Attic - no site
the 5th Element - no site (maybe this will be easier than I thought - wink)
Kelly's Pub - no site
The Rob Roy Pub - no site
Konfusion - no site
Turkey Joe's - no site (am I missing something? does ANYONE have a site?)
The Black Dog Pub - no site
The Fat Cat
The Carriageworks - no site...but the first thing Google gives you is Carnell's funeral home (if you put Carriage Works as 2 words).
Peddler's - no site
The Martini Bar - no site
Greensleeves - no site! Surely you're kidding me! I don't get this! What the...?
Greensleeves Too - no site
Robin's Nest - no site
The Ale & Lager House - This is mad! Is this Dick's place there by Sleeves?
Malibu - nada...but you can get plenty of used Malibus (car)
Club Etomik - no site
180 - no luck...but... the Holiday Inn is on 180 Portugal Cove Rd.
Club One
Sundance Saloon
Dexas
Jungle Jim's (YEAH, BARRY!!)
Normies
CBTG's - no site
Roxxy's - no site
Curious on George - no site
Bubbles - no site, but oo la la, Google says it's a peeler bar!
The Cornerstone - this is showing nothing...but they MUST have a site
The Cotton Club - no site
Dooly's
Christian's - no site...but I'm not even going to tell you what comes up when you enter "Christians St. John's Newfoundland"
The Bull & Barrel - no site
Lenny and Buddy's pub - no site
John and Peter's Black Rum Bar - no site

I remember George Street like this but with different pubs (though some have remained).

I first went ‘downtown’ in June 1988 (almost 15 years of age). God! I went to the Cornerstone (of course) with my cousin’s ID and a gang of people 3 and 4 years older than me. I remember Leticia (an exchange student from Mexico) was the only one of age. Of course, the big hair was in, we weren’t giggly, we wore skirts… and… well… that’s all it took really (I won’t mention the doorman’s name because he eventually became a friend and I know his mother).

I was a nervous WRECK! There is nothing more difficult than trying to look cool, calm, and collected when you are ANYTHING BUT! You’re almost shaking, your heart is racing like never before, and your temperature is so through the roof! There is nothing else in the world at that time. Then… you get in. Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. You try to contain yourself and find some dark place to talk to your friends about the fact that you just got in. Then, of course, you’re at your coolest! Best ever (kinda got a ‘king of the world’ thing goin’ on)!

A couple of years later (still WAY under age), I had the privilege of looking a little older for my age AND having a boyfriend who worked the door of the Majestic and then The Sundance (Saloon). So, not only did I get in under age… I didn’t even have to stand in line or pay cover!

A couple of years later, finally of age! That’s when I believe my ‘glory days on George’ start because you move freely from place to place completely free of stress, palpitations, heart failure, and fear of seeing your high school teachers (now, THAT’S a whole other story).

This was 1992 for me. I took a job working at Greensleeves 1 week after my 19th birthday. They always have women on the door and that’s what I was…a doorgirl.

Oh, in my day, the school grades of George Street were. Grade 1: Cornerstone…moving on to Grade 2: Sundance, and then to Grade 3: Greensleeves. This was the way of things because of the age groups that hung out in these places. The oldest of the three was at (Green)‘Sleeves’. Again, just getting cooler and cooler! I remember “Bill & Ted’s Big Adventure” (or something like that) came out that summer. This is actually where and when I first met Jimmy C., Campbell, Bob Garland, and that gang. The laughs started there and really haven’t stopped.

Greensleeves then opened Greensleeves Too (upstairs). Boy, was THAT ever the place to be on a Friday night.

Anyway, we would also hang out at the Blarney(stone) and see Jeannie on the door, give her our 2-dollar bill (Cover Charge) and in we’d go to see Connemara, Colcannon (now Masterless Men), Stogger Tight (Maureen’s song for Billy K. “The Long Harbour Burgler”), Evans & Doherty, the Irish Descendants (who went on to win a Juno). Great Big Sea was not in existence. They were Rankin Street and Alan (a friend of mine from high school – St. Kevin’s High School- our school is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2013) wasn’t playing with them then (Jacky St. C. was still there). I remember Chris Hennessey, Derek Harrington (with the end of his guitar string coiled around itself as a cigarette holder… he’s the only person I’ve ever seen sing, play, and smoke at the same time), and others playing solo acts too.

The Garrett existed above the Blarney for a short while too while Arthur owned it.

I also remember when Celtic Connection played their first gig in a pub. It was at the Blarney the weekend of the Ferryland Folk Festival (late July). They left there to go to the Blarney to play. I remember Scott was 16. I remember we left the FFF to go see Scott play at the Blarney too. We were pretty glad we did because around midnight… a gang from the shore arrived and apparently, the cops (Mounties in that neck of the woods) raided the festival and shut it down!

Leo would bring bands over from Ireland. So, the Blarney crowd would be at these festivals/concerts too. It really was one huge party after another night after night during the summer.

I haven’t even gotten to actually GOING to the Ferryland Folk Festival (Now called the Shamrock Folk Festival), Bannerman Park Folk Festival (Jaysus, apparently the real name for THIS one is The Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival), The George Street Festival, and the Regatta, and PRE-Regatta (which all happen on consecutive weekends starting in July and running right on through the summer). Again, I’m still excluding the Salmon Festival (Trooper’s there this year) in Grand Falls, and the list just goes on and on and on. I believe Kelligrews, Manuels, and Outer Cove do something too, no? Nonetheless, there is no shortage of festivals and "times"! Oh, and Leo has the festival at the Glacier in Mount Pearl AND brings bands/acts from all over to play throughout the whole year (and in the summer). Then, just in case you haven’t had enough, there are the Garden Parties, “Days” (ex: Petty Harbour Day). Jaaaaaaaysus, Mary, and St. Joseph in d’garden…it’s a wonder anybody gets a thing done!

If that’s not enough for you… there are also office (work) parties, people’s parties, people’s cabin parties (usually better and totally different than house parties), various ‘customer appreciation’ nights at pubs, and sports teams parties (which kind of happen after every game…but I’m referring to ‘the end of the year’ team/league parties), stags/stagettes, weddings, and birthdays. Of course, this is heightened if you have “someone home from away” because you HAVE to be hospitable, make them feel welcome, and show THEM a good time. Oh, and you start this as soon as you are physically able and you only stop when you can no longer physically able. I guess I’ve just explained to myself why we have a pretty high tolerance for d’drink!

The thing is… this is not a rare occurrence… this is EVERY summer like clockwork. You can bet on this more than you can bet on the toast popping out of the toaster, my friends.

You save up all winter for May 24 weekend. Then, back to the piggy bank for July when the follies of summer begin!

I don’t think there is one Newfoundlander reading this that would even suggest this is an exaggeration.

Things on George Street have all changed now. The faces are younger (or mine is just older), I don’t know people around like I once did; there was a time I would know at least 75% of the people in the pub (now I just know the old guys on the stage – wink… but der gorgess!). I really would only know Glen and Paul Hiscock, Arthur O’Brien (Navigators - who I've known since the age of 2), Blaine (Kilkenny Crew), Con (often by himself or just another guy) or Larry Foley (Punters) The ‘feel’ just isn’t the same. I’m sure that’s me and not George Street, but I guess that’s a part of the ‘schooling’ or ‘graduating’ on George Street too. People grow up and move on. Priorities change and wee ones are born. Responsibilities shift and hangovers ‘hang’ a little longer, and time seems to tick by at a different speed. AND THE HOT DOGS! There’s nothing like a George Street hot dog at 3:00 am. The best! Incidentally, if you are ever in Newfoundland and see someone with mustard on their shoe… they were on George Street the night before. Ahhhh, the romantic nostalgia of it all!

I think George Street holds big memories for most people. I think it is/was a stage of life for most of us! I think it is a place that is different for everyone too. No two people would tell “their George Street story” the exact same way (like anything else, I guess).

Oh, the only thing that has remained the same is that STEVIE LANE still graces us with his dancing and lovely smile. Stevie is an older gentleman who has been married 50+ years. He and his wife have an understanding that he is going downtown to dance every Friday night (and I do mean EVERY Friday night). He does Irish set dancing by himself. He gets up to a jig or a reel and gives the audience a free show. I don’t know anybody who DOESN’T know Stevie. He does it to this day.

(left): Stevie Lane doin' his thing

Picture courtesy of Siochana

Speaking of Stevie… to my friends who know him… does anybody know his wife? Does anyone know where he lives or his phone number? How would we ever know how to reach him if he were sick? Obviously, the answers to those questions do not need to be posted here, but I would like to know.

Oh, I’m being unfair; I have totally left out the Erin’s Pub Scene/Crowd. I guess I just never really got into that scene, as it wasn’t on the strip (it’s on Water St). However, I believe Erin's is the oldest, still-standing Irish pub in St. John's. could that be true? The Sons of Erin are a big part of Newfoundland music, and largely influenced this generation. I think of guys like Dermot O’Reilly and Fergus O’Byrne (two Irish guys who have called Newfoundland home for a lifetime now) who really ‘set the stage’ for the generation at the helm now. I believe they play 7:00 – 9:00 (or something like that) on Fridays at O’Reilly’s now? I’m sure I saw them there a couple of times last summer. By the way… you can spell “O’Reilly” a million different ways in Newfoundland! Sorry for any errors. Sometimes it looks right to me one way, then next time… it looks right another way (same thing with Keiley). Jeeeeeez.

I want to finish this posting with a picture of the stage on George Street. This stage is where people play when they say, “We played the George Street Festival in (whatever year)”. I don’t know anyone who actually uses the proper name of that stage (which I believe is the King Edward Stage or something? Help.). We have all just always said, “You know, that outdoor stage on George St...” I wonder who has played on that stage. It would be interesting to find out! If you’ve played on that stage, in any pub on George St. (past or present), or at any of the Newfoundland festivals, PLEASE post a comment. I’d like to see how many we can come up with. I’ll then do a separate posting of the compilation.


George St. Stage

This picture was taken from: http://www.shorock.com/


...as the moon gazes down over George Street... details are scanty!









Copyright to James Long