# Tragically Hip's Last Tour???



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Just received this in my inbox this morning.

_*An Important Message From The Band*








Hello friends.

We have some very tough news to share with you today, and we wish it wasn't so.
A few months ago, in December, Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Since then, obviously, he's endured a lot of difficult times, and he has been fighting hard.
In privacy along with his family, and through all of this, we've been standing by him.

So after 30-some years together as The Tragically Hip, thousands of shows, and hundreds of tours... We've decided to do another one.
This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us.

What we in The Hip receive, each time we play together, is a connection; with each other; with music and it's magic;
and during the shows, a special connection with all of you, our incredible fans.

So, we're going to dig deep, and try to make this our best tour yet. We hope you can come out and join us this summer
- details and dates will be coming this week. And we sincerely thank all of you, for your continued love and support,

Paul, GordD, Johnny, Rob, GordS_


----------



## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

Sad... I really respect his decision to tour. I find it very noble to finish your life doing something you love.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Heard the news this morning. Lost a friend to brain cancer. Sadly, it's one of those kinds where they can't just surgically remove the bad stuff. And of course, since neural tissue doesn't generally regenerate under most conditions, blasting it with radiation and drugs does not mean one can grow a new brain after the bad stuff is killed.

The hip have become a sort of tradition at many places. Hard to think of a Bluesfest where they didn't play, and I'm sure there are many other festivals or venues where a summertime appearance by the guys had become something you just expected. Not to underestimate the contribution of the other band members, but I can't see them continuing without him.

In any event, I wish him a painless journey, and plenty of time to spend with his three families: his own, the band, and the audience.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Sad new indeed. I hope they can get out this summer and have a blast together one more time.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

This will be a tough loss all round. Family, band, friends, fans, and everyone who invests love, effort, time, money...

The last shows will be emotional events. I've mentioned it before that I was at Jeff Healey's last show where everyone knew he was a goner and the band played exceptionally well and the audience hung on every note. The Hip's last efforts will be the same, I'm certain.

Brain cancer took my only aunt, also took a good neighbour from across the street. It can be nasty and unforgiving and I hope it's not in this case.

Fuck cancer.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I lost an uncle to brain cancer almost two years ago. 

I haven't been a fan of them since their second album, but I wish them well and hope they can complete their tour. 

Brain cancer can turn fast.


----------



## Guest (May 24, 2016)

A constant in my life. Gord is a poet of the highest order. Really happy they stopped in San Francisco last fall. The world we be a little more empty and a lot less interesting when he departs.

Sure reframes the new single in new ways, eh?


----------



## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

The Hip were in their prime when I was in HS/Univ. and I absolutely loved them...still do. I don't even know how many times I've seen them but I'm sure I'd need to use both hands and even a foot, maybe two, to count.

One fond memory I have about them was sitting around my residence's common room at STFX and arguing (while drunk as a skunk) with a bunch of guys and gals about who loved The Hip more. We bragged about how many CDs/cassettes we had, how many concerts we'd been to, and how many Hip T-shirts we'd bought. But the "winner" was a Newfie who went to grab a guitar (played it Hendrix-style, upside down lefty) and belted out Wheat Kings and he did a great friggin' job of it...heck, if I can still remember it 20+ years later it must have been pretty good! Good times...

And on a whim I just Googled the guy's name (can't believe I can still remember it...lol) and sure enough he's still playing!

CBC Music


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Sad news, been a fan since almost the start. The 'Tired' vid is no longer available, I haven't heard the tune


----------



## Guest (May 24, 2016)

keto said:


> Sad news, been a fan since almost the start. The 'Tired' vid is no longer available, I haven't heard the tune


Click through to YouTube? It's showing for me here.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Gord has a glioblastoma. Not explained in many of the articles posted around is that while the tumour IS in part of the brain, glial cells are not nerve cells, as such. Glial cells are the brain's support cells that help to maintain functioning of the nerve cells. Normally, we think of tumours involving cells that multiply out of control. While nerve cells can regenerate under certain circumstances, they do not divide and multiply like other tissue, including glial cells.

So a glioblastoma wouldn't necessarily interfere with cognitive functioning, except by way of being big enough to crowd out proper blood flow to various areas, causing strokes. At least that's how I understand it.


----------



## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

was never really a fan of their music, but I sure wish him and his family the best.


----------



## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

Their debut on SNL:
CBC Music


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

JHarasym said:


> Their debut on SNL:
> CBC Music


Grace Too, and a fabulous performance of it. The also did Nautical Disaster on that show but it's disappeared from Youtube. As good as Grace Too was, Nautical was off the charts amazing.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Diablo said:


> was never really a fan of their music, but I sure wish him and his family the best.


I'm in the same boat.

All the best to him, his family and his fans.


----------



## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

So now that the dates are out, whats the best way to land tickets? Who's got a system? Pre-sale? Passwords? Industry insiders?


----------



## Guest (May 26, 2016)

vadsy said:


> So now that the dates are out, whats the best way to land tickets? Who's got a system? Pre-sale? Passwords? Industry insiders?


I use the fan club.


----------



## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

Does the fan club get advance access to tickets? And what does it cost to join? It is ultra imperative that I score good tickets to the Ottawa show. Last time I tried to buy tickets online it was a debacle and sold out to resellers almost instantly.


----------



## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Fan club is free - just sign up for the email notices on their site. Got 4 in the 4th row for Oshawa last time around using their presale the morning they went on sale. Believe they had a password that was emailed out to people on their notice list an hour or so before they went on sale. Last I looked, TM only had the Hamilton show with numerous presales starting Monday - but I was only looking for the GTA shows. Expect if one has them, others will as well.

I am admittedly a seat snob - but will be waiving my personal sense of entitlement for a couple of these shows just to be inside the arena. They will be snapped up within seconds given all the news surrounding them recently - no doubt the toughest ticket to score this year in any market they're playing. If you get tickets, I suggest grabbing them. If they are not to your liking, look to trade - but actually having tickets will give you leverage rather than just paying out the nose on secondary markets.

As for any sort of system - just know the particulars when the show you want tickets to go on sale, what site is the official seller (don't believe Ottawa uses Ticketmaster, but I could be wrong), have a TM account set-up, etc. I shake my head in disbelief at the number of posts on here by people that go through resellers then bitch about prices. It will take a bit of effort just to get tickets - but rest assured the scalpers will be putting in their time and will know exactly the when and where to get tickets.


----------



## bluesician (Mar 14, 2007)

deleted


----------



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

you know...they said he is temporarily healthy...while i forsee this being their last tour...i doubt this will be the absolute last you will see of them...


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I watched a few Hip concert videos yesterday. This morning, while lolling in bed and channel flipping, I caught Drake's "Hotline Bling" and realized that all the goofy dance moves he caught so much razzing for are stolen directly from Gord Downie (just like the music track to Bling is a sample of Timmy Thomas' wonderfully minimalist "Why can't we live together"). Seriously. I'm guessing no one caught it because there won't be that many who watch/listen to the Hip *and* Drake. But you should give a view to both.


----------



## Guest (May 29, 2016)

mhammer said:


> Seriously. I'm guessing no one caught it because there won't be that many who watch/listen to the Hip *and* Drake. But you should give a view to both.


Yea, I could see a similarity there. That sort of in-the-throws-of-musical-ecstasy sort of spasming.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Just received this in my inbox. I'm not sure if it will help anyone get tickets but here it is.


_Thank you for signing up and showing your support for the Man Machine Poem Tour.

The password for tomorrow’s registered users pre-sale through __Ticketmaster__ is _*machine*
_
This password can be used for all dates on this tour including tickets sold through Ticketmaster and the affiliated partner sites listed on Ticketmaster.

To purchase tickets please visit Ticketmaster. Do not visit thehip.com as tickets are not available there.

Please take note of the following tips in order to have the most enjoyable experience during Monday’s tour pre-sale.
_


_*1*. To speed up the checkout process, create an account with your payment information on ticketmaster and ensure you are signed in before the pre-sale starts at 10am local time on Monday, May 30th.

*2*. GO TO Ticketmaster to purchase tickets and NOT www.thehip.com

*3*. Please follow the ticket limit guidelines set out on Ticketmaster

*4*. If you encounter an issue during the checkout process please visithttp://help.ticketmaster.ca or call 1-855-985-4357.
_
_The pre-sale will start on Monday, May 30th at 10am local time and run untilThursday, June 2 at 10pm local time. Please note there are a limited quantity of pre-sale tickets available. The general ticket onsale will start at 10am local time on Friday, June 3._


----------



## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

Here's a shout out/good vibes/good wishes from my friends' band.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

*Man Machine Poem Tour*
Thank you for the support in this morning's registered users pre-sale. Due to overwhelming demand the following four shows have been added to the Man Machine Poem Tour.

The registered users pre-sale will be available for these four new shows beginning at 10am local time on Tuesday, May 31st.

The password for that pre-sale is *machine*

Tickets will be available on Friday, June 3 through Ticketmaster and their partner websites.

July 26 – Vancouver, BC - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena

July 30 – Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place

August 3 – Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome

August 14 – Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre


----------



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

This is showing up all over my Facebook Feed:

Something Really Stinks About the Presale for the Tragically Hip Tour - A Journal of Musical Things

I don't know how this bullshit with Stubhub is legal.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

torndownunit said:


> This is showing up all over my Facebook Feed:
> 
> Something Really Stinks About the Presale for the Tragically Hip Tour - A Journal of Musical Things
> 
> I don't know how this bullshit with Stubhub is legal.


No idea. I saw them in Cobourg a couple of years ago so I'm good. Just posting in case someone else wants to see them.


----------



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Guitar101 said:


> No idea. I saw them in Cobourg a couple of years ago so I'm good. Just posting in case someone else wants to see them.


I saw them last Canada Day, and I am happy with that. I am only posting this out of frustration because this Stubhub and Ticketmaster Resale bull is getting to be common with pretty much any show.


----------



## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Myself and a bunch of buddies were going to put off our annual golf trip for a day to see the show with our wives but after logging in within 2 minutes and seeing only second deck available Imma goin golfing instead.


----------



## Guest (May 30, 2016)

Stubhub here in the Bay is endemic -- truly a blight on the live arts scene, it is.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I'm curious to see what comes of the presale fiasco. My coworker told me about it today, which tells me it's ridiculous!


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Someone needs to hit TM with a big class action suit.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Stubhub here in the Bay is endemic -- truly a blight on the live arts scene, it is.


That's the trouble with "convenience". Very often it's not convenient at all.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

keto said:


> Someone needs to hit TM with a big class action suit.


I'm very curious to hear the band's response to this.


----------



## Guest (May 31, 2016)

mhammer said:


> That's the trouble with "convenience". Very often it's not convenient at all.


I'd be okay if it was absolutely an aftermarket ticket sales outlet, but from all I've read tickets are getting funneled directly to Stubhub, they don't even see the primary market before they're marked up and resold here.


----------



## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

I hit refresh 300 times and managed to get 2 tickets at around 10:30am for the Ottawa show. It looked as though it sold out instantly but I kept at it and I suppose my pair had been sitting in someone's basket which they let expire. This show is a big deal for me so I'm glad I got a pair but something is off with the whole ticketmaster thing. I tried to buy tickets for GnR and it sold out instantly too. I'm sure there is some business that is either in collusion with ticketmaster or has a computer program that outsmarts ticketmaster by snatching up all the tickets right away.


----------



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Lord-Humongous said:


> I hit refresh 300 times and managed to get 2 tickets at around 10:30am for the Ottawa show. It looked as though it sold out instantly but I kept at it and I suppose my pair had been sitting in someone's basket which they let expire. This show is a big deal for me so I'm glad I got a pair but something is off with the whole ticketmaster thing. I tried to buy tickets for GnR and it sold out instantly too. I'm sure there is some business that is either in collusion with ticketmaster or has a computer program that outsmarts ticketmaster by snatching up all the tickets right away.


Ticketmaster forwards you to a resale site they own, with massively marked up tickets for a show that sold out literally minutes before. There are definitely bots buying tickets, but I have a really tough time believing Ticketmaster isn't up to some bullshit here as well. At a minimum not doing anything about it because they see commissions twice for the same tickets.


----------



## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Stubhub has no plans to attend any shows. If no one else did either, they would be stuck holding the bill for nothing and eventually go under. 

But as an amateur musician, I don't recommend boycotting shows. Seems to be the classic rock/hard place quandary. I'd love to see them get stuck for big bucks though. Serve 'em right.


----------



## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

Beyonce was in town recently and my brother-in-law bought floor seats when they went on sale for the sole intention of selling them for profit. He sent me a text the day of the concert asking if I'd take the pair for the price of one of them. Haha!

I still don't know if he was able to unload them or not but he definitely took a bath (and a very cold one at that) on them one way or another as it rained the entire show!


----------



## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

If this turns out to be the final tour, this mess will be somewhat of a blight on their legacy. 
Too bad they can't just cancel it and re-start the ticket sales via some other outlet. I doubt they could do that contractually, but I bet the fans who already have tickets wouldn't mind.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Ticket Master (well named) was supposed to be investigated for the underhanded way they were supposedly doing business a year or so ago. It looks like not a lot happened.

On the news of the concert, though, CBC may broadcast it live.

Late-breaking concert on the CBC? Network in talks for Tragically Hip 'final show' broadcast

*Late-breaking concert on the CBC? Network in talks for Tragically Hip 'final show' broadcast*
*CBC interested in airing Kingston concert, says it is having conversations with band*
By Haydn Watters, CBC News Posted: May 31, 2016 6:21 PM ET Last Updated: May 31, 2016 7:07 PM ET









Members of the Tragically Hip pose for photographers on the red carpet as they arrive at the Juno awards in Winnipeg in April 2005. (Marianne Helm/Canadian Press)

Frustrated Tragically Hip fans — some who couldn't snag presale tickets today or yesterday — are calling on the CBC to broadcast the band's final concert, and the CBC says it is interested in doing just that


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

As good as that is, I along with many others want tm taken to the cleaners for doing this time and time again.


----------



## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Scalpers (TM, Stubhub, and the like) made going to concerts out of my price range a long time ago. I don't even try any more.

All the best to Downie, his family, friends, and the band.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

This has been going on for years folks. The problem is people continue to pay the premium pricing. Don't pay it. The tickets will sell before the show date.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I just cancelled my membership to Ticketmaster and the Tragically Hip websites in protest of their handling of ticket sales for the Man Machine Poem Tour.
Ticketmaster did ask why I was cancelling and recorded my reason. Not much but something.


----------



## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Don't pay it. The tickets will sell before the show date.


One other thing I've been reading is that "people shouldn't be getting worked up, this is just pre-sale".
Can someone fill me in on just what pre-sale is about, at what it's purpose is?
Is it possible that the regular ticket sales will not be plagued with these issues?


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

jb welder said:


> One other thing I've been reading is that "people shouldn't be getting worked up, this is just pre-sale".
> Can someone fill me in on just what pre-sale is about, at what it's purpose is?
> Is it possible that the regular ticket sales will not be plagued with these issues?


Pre sales can be offered in several ways. The band could offer one to the fan club. A sponsor such as American Express or Cola cola or a radio station etc etc. They DO NOT necessarily have the best seats in the house. Amex usually has mediocre seats at best. The fan clubs typically have seats within the first 10 rows but very often don't sell them all . Each concert has its own ticket allocation. There are sponsors and promoters and guests which can affect what gets offered to the general public. But it's safe to say that you will rarely get anything on the floor within the first 20 rows for a show today without either paying premium or kmowing someone. Being the first on ticket master means nothing. All the best seating has already been allocated before they hit the general public. Most of what you see on stub hub and secondary sites are tickets that were allocated to the promoter and they are reselling them. The bands are aware of this it's part of the agreements. Some bands have tried to fight it in the past with little success. There have been many shows in the past to the really big bands playing at a 20,000 seat venue and maybe 3000 seats made it to the general public. That is not uncommon at all today


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Tragically Hip cancels tour after band members unable to acquire tickets - The Beaverton - North America's Trusted Source of News


----------

