Not many musicians actively encourage boos, but Vancouver singer/ songwriter Dave Hadgkiss aka Folk Thief says go ahead if that‘s what you feel.
“If you don’t like the song I’m
playing feel free not to clap or boo or else I’m just going to play it again. I’m just looking for an honest response. Of course that doesn’t mean I’ll change what I’m doing,” Hadgkiss said, who will be playing the Tongue N Groove, July 26 with Colby Ramsey aka My Boy Rascal.
He released his debut CD on March 22 “Love, Heartache and Oblivion,” because he wanted to do a project which was just him and his guitar, which he could tour with on his own.
“Someone asked me what the songs are about and I said ‘Love, Heartache and Oblivion.’ They are the three driving emotions we have. There are unabashed love songs on the CD and ‘The Devil Behind Me’ is pretty polarizing. People either love it or hate it because my voice gets a little loud on it,” he said.
He has a pretty healthy attitude towards trying to earn a living as a musician.
“I’d rather play for nine people who are listening than for 300 people who are drinking. I used to think that bigger was better, but I’ve done shows for 12-13 people and they were great. I pay a lot of shows by donation. I’d rather someone toss me a twonie and then buy the CD than have a $10 cover and nobody bothers to show up at all,” he continued.
While he has found himself pigeonholed into the folk category, he said that isn’t what he does.
“The only thing I have in common with folk musicians is I sing and play guitar. But I don’t play traditional folk music. When Bob Dylan started, he played a lot of Woody Guthrie, but then he branched out and did his own thing,” he said.
He is doing his first tour which will bring him to Lethbridge on the way to Winnipeg and back home.
“I’ve never been anywhere, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
His CD got play on University of Lethbridge radio station CKXU, 88.3 FM, which gave him his first charts placement ever.
“I’ve never been to Lethbridge before. I’m excited to be there. I’m excited to drive across Canada,” he said, adding he is glad to have completed his CD on his own terms without answering to anybody.
“I wanted to see how far I could go on just the strength of my songs not my marketing plan or the record label I’m on or the clothes I wear. And people have responded to it well. It has been a huge personal triumph for me,” he continued.
“I’m already working on new songs. I want to do three CDs that are a set, like a series of books with the last song on this one leading to the next.” He is also planning a proper cross-Canada tour in the Fall.
