Greg Adams–“I’m gonna say winter 1980. The band was booked for a week at a club in Halifax. I can’t remember the name of it. Perhaps someone reading this might. Who knows? But, it was a good weeks engagement and we played to big audiences. It wasn’t snowing the day we arrived, but it came later in the week. And, oh boy did it snow.
The motel we stayed at was across the water looking at the downtown area. It was located at the top of a moderately steep hill that road that took you to the motel’s location. Great view. But when it started to snow later in the week, that hill would become quite a challenge to get up in the rental cars late at night after the gig. And coming down the next day since the road entered the highway immediately at the bottom was dicey at best. As I said, the gig was great every night, and the days, well I’m sure you’re aware of the seafood in Halifax. One word: Lobster. I think I had lobster for lunch everyday. There wasn’t a restaurant at the motel so we’d drive into town for lunch. It was served at most restaurants in several styles, but my fave is plain old steamed. Can’t beat it. Butter and lemon. Yum!…
OK, enough about food. Although it was getting harder to play my horn since I was now developing claws for my hands. The band toured probably 200 plus days a year in this era. Several of us had purchased Halliburton suitcases because they were considered indestructable. Even airtight. They were aluminum and weighed a ton. At the time it was quite the status symbol for the extensive and seasoned traveller. I’m on my third one but only use it internationally because fo the weight. Chester Thompson was the latest and newest member to our little Halliburton club as he’d just purchased one for this trip to Canada. Have you ever checked a brand new suitcase at the airport? You kind of wonder what it’s going to look like at the other end at baggage claim. C.T., that’s what we called Chester, opted for the deluxe model with the copper-rose tint to the exterior. OOOH. The rest of us had the standard aluminum color. To tell the truth, his made the trip unscathed for the most part. He was very relieved. But not for long. Oh boy…
Well, the week has come to an end and we have to bid Halifax a fond farewell. We’re in the parking lot of the motel packing luggage into the cars to leave for the airport to fly home. Remember that icy driveway down to the highway? Well, C.T. apparently had placed his new suitcase in a precarious spot next to one of the cars. He’d just turned his back and boom! It fell on it’s side and was off and sliding down the road. It looked like a luge that was gaining speed with every second. Got air a few times. Boom Bam Boom Bam! It must have been goiin 35 or 40 mph by the time it crossed the highway and landed in the ditch on the other side. Oh boy. There was nothing we could do and C.T. was now in shock. We got him in a car, finished packing and went down the road to retrieve the body, er, suitcase. It’s a good thing there was no traffic at the time, huh?
All in all it couid have been worse. The locks held so at least it didn’t open up and spew his belongings all over. When we reached the ditch on the other side of the road it really didn’t look to much different than the rest of ours. His initiation to the Halliburton club was now complete!
Oh, by the way, I did manage to bring 2 two pound lobsters home with me. They sold them at the airport in a box with dry ice. Yum with melted butter and lemon that night at home with Andrea”.
Check Greg out at www.eastbaysoul.com or www.gregadamsmusic.com