Do what ya can and make the best of the situation, follow the rules and find ways to keep people working and the fans engaged" — Gord Bamford on coping with COVID.
Country music fans from the Lakeland were supposed to be listening to Canadian award-winning singer Gord Bamford raising the Bold Center roof tonight — but due to COVID restrictions, organizers are hoping a third rescheduled date is a charm.
Originally scheduled for April 17, and then postponed to Nov. 13, the #REDNEK tour featuring Bamford, along with Saskatchewan's award-winning country talent Jess Muskaluke and other country bands will roll back into Lac La Biche on March 19 ... hopefully.
"How and whether or not our March 2021 show goes ahead will be dependent on the situation the province is in regards to COVID," says Bamford's tour promoter Randy Martin. "We have set a firm January 18 date to determine whether the March concert goes ahead or gets cancelled altogether."
The Lac La Biche show is one of dozens of tour dates cancelled for Bamford's cross-Canada tour. Covid restrictions on crowd sizes, social distancing and other health concerns have halted almost all traditional music and stage shows.
So what does a country music star do when he can't swing a guitar and give the fans a live show with new music and classics from the back-catalogue? You keep on keepin' on, as best as you can, Bamford tells LakelandToday.
"You do what ya can and make the best of the situation, follow the rules and find ways to keep people working and the fans engaged," said the singer who was born in Australia, but moved with his mom to Lacombe in central Alberta at an early age.
The 44-year old has 26 Canadian County Music Association awards, two Nashville County Music Award Global Artist of the Year awards and released nine studio albums over a 25 year career. His list of 39 Canadian-chart reaching singles includes 2014's platinum-selling When Your Lips Are So Close from the album Tin Roof that hit number one on the Canadian county music charts and broke into American top 50. In 2015, the single Don't Let Her Be Gone from the same album, peaked at number three on the Canadian country charts. His success continued with the 2018 release of the album Neon Smoke that produced the number-one charting single Dive Bar.
Bamford hasn't been letting the tour postponements slow him down. In recent weeks, he released his latest single Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass, and jokes that even before the COVID-shutdown, he had been working on enough new material to fill two new albums.
"I have written a bit, but I had so much music recorded before this pandemic that we are pretty set for the next two album projects," he said.
Charity continues
While he's disappointed the #REDNEK tour has sidelined all the performers and staff, he's looking forward to coming back stronger. And even though he's not on tour, Bamford is active in the virtual world, sharing some of his recordings and 'down-time' with fans. He's also still actively collecting donations for his Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation, raising money for initiatives across the county to help youth access music, sports and recreation, proper healthcare.
When asked if fans can still donate, the entertainer said of course, directing anyone interested to find the link on his www.gordbamford.com website
"One hundred percent. That would be amazing," he said.
Lac La Biche County officials say they hope COVID restrictions have eased by next March to allow for a full concert event in the Bold Center's fieldhouse. Concerts held in the venue in the past have offered seating for up to 700 people.
When asked if alternative styles of concert settings might be explored, like drive-in style events that several artists have arranged in recent months, municipal event planners said they would prefer the larger, big-ticket event.
"Our preference is to have the same concert formats of the past," says Lac La Biche County's bookings and events coordinator Reno Larocque.
Anyone who had purchased tickets for the Nov. 13 show from the Bold Center and would like a refund can do so through Larocque's office. Those who want refunds for tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, should go through that agency. For more information on tickets, Larocque can be reached at 780-623-6370 or by email at [email protected]
With the uncertainties still surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, Larocque says the #REDNEK show is the only 2021 event date currently scheduled.
"Until such a time the all clear is given from the province, we won't be giving consideration to future concerts in 2021, outside of this March date," he said.
The Lac La Biche date for the #REDNEK tour is one of 20 slated to run from February of next year to the middle of June. The Lac La Biche show is the only #REDNEK tour stop currently in the Lakeland area.
Check with the Lac La Biche POST / Lakeland This Week and LakelandToday.ca for updates on the country singer's tour.
Ticket information for the upcoming tour will be made available in the coming weeks, say Lac La Biche County officials.
