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I love playing guitar and writing songs.It is something I have always enjoyed.I remember seeing a documentary by Wim Wenders and Ry Cooder a few years back called The Buena Vista Social Club and man could these cats play,the guitarist Eliades Ochoa in this Cuban Ensemble was 67 years old and he was the youngest in the ensemble of musicians.Well after seeing this film I said to myself,you are never to old to rock n roll!...I have a degree in music from The Professional Musicians College in Winnipeg as well as a diploma in Information Security Management,Management Certificate and Project Management Certificate from the U of W.My brother gave me my first guitar at age 12.My first guitar lessons were from Glen Willows from Harlequin.Glen got me started and afterwards I received lessons from Steve Mcgovern(Orphan),Chet Breau,Bobby Bilan,Brian Tataryn,Greg Lowe,Paul miller and many others(thanks guys!)I started working part time at age 11 and I continued to work day jobs all the way through high school,by the time I was 19 I owned $30.000.00 in gear and owned my own vehicle.Life ain't easy for a poor boy!.At age 17 I first moved out of my family's home and lived in a bandhouse on Walnut St aka The Wild Side(1983)with Darrell,Billy,Murray,Lorne,Mark,down the street from us Harlequin had their bandhouse aka sincity.We had a 3 storey house and I sound proofed the basement where we rehearsed with egg trays and carpet and it worked great.This is when most of the hard rock clubs were still around and when we would have party's people from at least 5 different clubs would show up and we would play for them and rock n roll all night long(2 to 3 hundred people and sometimes more)the girls always out numbered the guys by at least 4 to 1,we didn't dig wiener party's and I never will and with all the crazyness going on I went to high school and graduated and I was playing the clubs at age 16.As long as you have a good day job,you will not starve or be exploited in doing gigs that are less than favourable.I play lead guitar,rhythm and bass.I play all style's - rock.hard rock,classic metal,blues,blues rock and of course psychedlic rock and punk rock, jazz and flamenco,country, western and folk and reggae.If you can not give me a open A in 440,don't waste my time.Record spinners,scratchers and samplers are not musicians.This effects the integrity of real musicians who spend their lives working hard to be the best they possibly can with true heart and soul.Thank you.My friend Michael Lambert told me about a band that he was bringing to town called Soul Asylum(1986)from Minneapolis and I should come out and hear them at a club called Verna's.They were great and over flowing with energy.Michael hosted a party for them after the gig and I was introduced to them.We bonded quickly as they were all nice guys and we had simular interests.We had a blast that night,we smoked and drank till the sun came up.Soul Asylum played a sold out show at The Circuit Cabaret in 1989 and I was asked to be a guest guitarist for them and I was more then happy to play with them.When it was time for me to go on stage with them,the light man put a spot light on me and I proceeded to go to the stage from the packed crowd I was standing in,even before I got on stage a guitar was thrown to me from the stage and I was playing with them on the floor in front of the stage,after about a minute of playing I swung around with my guitar and hit someone in the forehead with the headstock of my guitar,it was crazy! and the fellow didn't mind.Someone from Calgary has a video tape of this show and I would like to have a copy.The next night I entered from the side of the stage and we had a smokin time playing together!Hypnotic Wail : band life span two years 1987-1989 Band personal : Jenn Wilson(Gerry Jenn Wilson) - lead vocals,rhythm guitar. Jordan Whiffen - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals. Karen Cyr - bass, vocals. Paul Moore - drums,vocals. Sound and Lighting Crew: Sound - Robin (Rockin Robin) Griffen. Lights -Charlie (Whats Happening) Pyle. Gigs: We played the winnipeg scene exclusively with bands like honest john,the hoover effect. We were a semi-regular bill sharer on the Royal Albert stage. labels: Independent. Band history: The band was first called the love ghouls, Steve Hamlin played guitar with the band at that time. Steve left the band to pursue other interests.I joined the band shortly after, we were rehearsing in a house at Balmoral and Ellice, We found another house on Gerrard St in Osborne Village,We always enjoyed going to fun party's.We also had some real humdingers at the house on Gerrard St. We had so much energy back then that our lifestyles did not effect our songwriting or rehearsing time. My band mates and I were serious about the band and we changed the bands name to Hypnotic Wail, we designed a huge back drop with our band logo on it. The back drop glowed in the dark. We had some really good times back then.The music scene was happening in those days,Top 40 bands were popular then as they are today, most bands that played original music in clubs had record deals,if you didn't have a record deal you didn't play the major clubs(a-circuit). We got around that by playing the Albert and opening up for other bands. We booked and promoted our own gigs. Band Influences: Ramones,Dickies,Bad Brains,Joan Jett, mainly punk rock influences. Philosophies: Every gig we would make sure our buckets were overflowing with corrosive psycho pop power.We would burn incense before every gig and let the room that we were playing fill up with the sweet smell.We played mainly original music and some cool covers.We published a band fanzine called Hyptrip.It was Winnipeg's mind altering tabloid.We loved our fans!. We were alternative, before the label was even coined. We were to be the first original alternative band in winnipeg to be interviewed by much music, the band was starting to get noticed by a lot of people who heard about us by word of mouth,but fate had its way.Jenn decided vancouver would bring her bigger and better things in the rock world,so with out a lead vocalist, the band broke up.Rock and roll history!. Winnipeg Sun-1989 Peggie Awards-falling off the bandwagon honor roll - to all the bands that didn't make it through 1989: The Vice, Freebird, Lional Desjarlais, Karen Wylde & The Boys From Paris, Voodoo Dog, Fire In The Night, Hypnotic Wail, Rumours, Dutiaume Bros, In A Sense, Hypno/Wild Blue Yonder. Rock and Roll is truly a vicious game. Written by John Kendle. Gigs of repute: Johnny Thunders / Hypnotic Wail. August 28-30 of 1989, the Circuit caberet.Chalet Hotel. We were to open for the heart of the new york dolls,The legendary Johnny Thunders. At the border they wouldn't let half of his band into canada ,to make things worst johnny's methadone was consficated by the border patrol. It was crazy to say the least. At the Circuit there was alot of winnipeg musicians there to check out the bands.So we made the most out of it and invited musicians up on stage to jam with johnny.It was to be the last time they would see him or jam with him. Six months later he was found dead in a New Orleans hotel room. July 27-29 of 1989- The Gotham Lounge.Osborne St at Stradbrook St. This club was owned by a friend of ours named Ron and it held about 75 people comfortably.They had a stage floor done in black and white tiles with a tie dyed back drop and lava lamps at each table.We packed the Gotham 3 nights in a row,as i said this club held about 75 people,each night their was any where from 150 to 200 people waiting to get in. Needless to say Ron loved it. As usual we burned incense before each show,we had a black lite for our fluorescent back -drop,it really glowed!.Our shows were well rehearsed for this gig and we had the p.a. cranked as loud as it would go. It was unbelievable.The crowd loved it,even those left standing. Our fans did their talking between sets,they had no choice-haha.The Gotham will be missed by those who played there and those who were involved in the short but happening scene at the Gotham. P.S. Ron bring me another J.D on the rocks! September7/1989 The Royal Albert Arms - Albert St. This was our last show,the farewell show.Hypnotic Wail started here and this is where we said goodbye to each other and our fans.The Bowery Boys opened up for us. The Abert was soldout and their was people lined up down the street. We Played two sets that night and for a encore we played our version of Train Kept A Rollin and at the end we surprised everyone by smashing our gear to bits. This was the end of a very promising band from winnipeg. I toured and lived from from the east coast to the west coast by the time I was in my mid 20's and have lived in almost every major city in Canada.Home is where the heart is and that would be Winnipeg!,although I miss my family in Newfoundland and the rolling hills and all the wonderful people and pubs.Lord thundering jesus boy! Starting a band that is going to be successful requires a lot of sacrifices and and in some aspects,it's like a marriage,the members form as one for the good of the band and it requires perseverance, persistence,determination and patience.It helps if your members are like minded,in other words on the same wave length and have the strength to endure all the ups and downs that come with the music industry.A band that is already successful and requires a new member is another avenue but you are playing to their rules and most of the time this is not an easy task.It takes a lot of effort and anyone who has been at this for any amount of time, knows what i'm talking about.It costs money to record,money for transportation,money for equipment and upkeep,money to rehearse.money to eat, drink and a roof,ect.My advice is to enjoy playing and not be to concerned with making the big time,if it happens great if not at least you gave all you could. Some of my friends are the best musicians Canada has to offer and while some of them have been successful,the sad thing is most of them have not been,Most of everybody in the industry(record companys,producers,engineers,ect) knows who they are.Their is a reason for this and the reason is, these people have their own agenda's and as well,they want see their friends do well,even if they are half assed players.When you have musicians that can write great songs and play circles around anybody else and they are playing the neighbourhood bar for $50.00 bucks and a case of beer,that is just plain wrong!.When I grew up in Winnipeg,we had an agency called Hungry I,owned by Frank Wiener and his A&R rep was Steve Thompson,you would play usually from wednesday thru to saturday at one of the clubs and be paid anywhere from $2500.00 to $4000.00 a week(in town & on the road).This was the A circuit back then and you were doing covers but you were able to throw in a couple originals.Before the clubs,bands here in winnipeg played the local community centers.Lenny Breau was the best guitarist the world has ever seen and even Lenny didn't have it easy. I have played in all types of bands and have jammed or worked with a lot of different artists and crews:Tim Butler,Colin James,Big Dave Mclean,Jody Charbonneau,Brian Ratushniak,Dennis(the gear)Lind,Robin(get out of here) Griffin,Rockin(balls to the wall) Marshall,Billy(where's the party!)Brown,Vaughn poyser,Vince Fontaine,Brian BB Gordon,Billy Joe Green,Chet Breau,Johnny Thunders,Paul Cameron Miller,Randy Booth,Barry G.Player,Adrian Peek,Garry Koenig, Rienhold Daniels,Rob Wallace,Joyce Stagic,Kevin Swan,Soul Asylum,The Ludwigs,Chocolate Bunnies From Hell,The Original Riff Raff,Crossfire, Centerfold,The Penetrators,Chris Walter,Gerry Jenn Wilson,Hypnotic Wail,Xtra Large Activators(XLA),Nasty Teeth and many others...Electric Guitars: 1979 BC Rich Rich Bich,1972 Fender Strat,1984 Tokai Les Paul,1999 Ibanez RG series with a floating Floyd Rose and a few klunckers. Acoustics: Late 80's Flambeau guitar,Takamine,Martin D-18 and a trusty ol chainsaw for special gigs. Amplification: 2 Custom 50 watt Hiwatt heads(vintage),2 Hiwatt 4x12 cabinets loaded with fanes(vintage),original owners The Guess Who and I am the second owner.2 Early 80's 50 watt Marshall heads,2 Marshall 4x12 cabs.1 Early 80's 50 watt Legend head and various other bottoms and amps. Effects: Art SGX 2000 effects processor and footboard,1967 Vox wawa(italian made),Crybaby wawa, and various pedals. Roadcases: Guitar and amp cases - Anvil and Bulldog,I also own The Guess Who roadcases from the early 70's. Well that's pretty much my gear.Availible for gigs,studio work,tours(clean record and passport),composing and guitar lessons.Personally by nature, I am a highly motivated, self-starter, dedicated, able to multi-task, establish priorities and meet deadlines and I can work under pressure. I am people orientated with excellent interpersonal skills. I practice a participatory style of leadership and I am comfortable working as a member of a team. I am in excellent physical condition and maintain my health through diet and daily exercise.Support your local musician."I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.†- Albert Einstein (1879-1955).Jordan playing one of his songs and having a good time playing.
Heavy Metal Thunder
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MySpaceTV Videos: Heavy Metal Thunder by Jordan Whiffen
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