Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Oh well..... we'll get over it, I suppose!! Double the fun in December, eh, Brian?

In the meantime my wife and I will be going off to St. Lucia for a bit of R&R.

Hang on closely to your wallet in Castries and don't check anything valuable in your luggage.

Also, the jump down in Rodney Bay is exceptionally dangerous for tourists, no matter what they tell you; last time I was there a drunk cop shot a visitor on the street.

Yeah it is a bugger Darren, but I have learned to go with the flow. There's no sense peeing into the wind, 'cause you know what happens when you do that?

It will give us more time Aitch to get our "chops" together. I am really looking forward to seeing "Stevie Ray" Trott in action.

Thanks for the advice John. We always travel light when we are in places like St. Lucia. Our passports are always on my person along with my camera.

This will be our second trip to St. Lucia. We were treated extremely well the last time we were there and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Sometimes you can be simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I learned that in Puerto Rico. Thankfully I recognised the signs of growing unrest and we left just before a riot broke out. It was sparked by a very vocal political rally that we just happened upon when we were looking for a camera shop. I needed batteries. I bought them and promptly left the area.

St. Lucia's a lovely place, and many of its problems can be found in any city.

However, one problem of interest to musicians was fairly unique. In the past there was no legal music whatsoever in St. Lucia- it was 100% bootleg, all downloaded. There was no place you can buy a CD legally on the island, as a record store simply couldn't exist, what with all the out-of-the-trunk sales of burned CD's. The only genuine CD's you'd ever see are those brought in by tourists. Even the state controlled radio and TV used pirated music.

After consultation with BMI (of which I am a member) and the Performing Rights Society in the U.K., I started to organize the headliners of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival with the threat of possible boycott which subsequently placed me in contact with their Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony. I persuaded him to begin true enforcement and collection of artist royalties; he empowered their IP officer and the Hewanorra Musical Society to act unilaterally and now there's actually a few CD shops!

By the way, the last time I was there, we had two suites; the previous occupant of one had been Nelson Mandela, and Smokey Robinson the other!

Sorry for the thread drift . . . but Australia, St. Lucia- what's the difference?

>>Also, the jump down in Rodney Bay is exceptionally dangerous for tourists, no matter what they tell you; last time I was there a drunk cop shot a visitor on the street.<<

Sounds like NYC in the good old days.

"Sorry for the thread drift . . . but Australia, St. Lucia- what's the difference?"

You can buy CD's etc legally over here John

And the occasional Rick, too!!

I was thinking more along the lines that both are paradises . . .

I'd agree, both sunny, with good diving, and quaint natives !!

Now you're really getting close to the mark, John. Some parts could hardly be compared but we do have our 'Gardens of Eden'.

Quaint natives? In Oz? Really? Cor blimey what have I been missing? I thought they were all top notch, beer guzzling musicians.

I am gonna have to keep my eyes peeled in December.

Me? Quaint? Never!!

Awwww, Aitch! I though that fit you to a tee! Darren too!

Oh yeah? Come over here and call us "quaint" ya dang varmits!