Suzie McNeil / Colin James Tour Blog - 1st Half
02/01/10
Suzie and the band are rockin' and dancing (lol) all the way across Canada!!
I Believe in Believe!
01/27/10
So, I finally heard the CTV Olympic song “I Believe” yesterday and I’ve noticed a few friends out there who are comparing it to my song and seem a bit confused.
Rewind back to June 2009 and I’m waiting backstage at the Halifax Casino to perform in a songwriting circle show with various artists, including Alan Frew from Glass Tiger. We’re all being introduced to each other when Alan notices my Believe bracelet and asks if I have any extra to give him. I knew he had children, so I thought maybe they were fans and I said “of course!” He then exclaimed: “Thanks, that would be great because I just wrote a song for the 2010 Olympics called Believe!”
The whole room went silent and it was comically awkward. The host of the night Bruce Guthro cut the silence and said “Yeah, I wrote a song for the Olympics called Believe too!”
But I knew Alan wasn’t joking… he then went on to explain that he had co-written the anthem for CTV.
Small world! It was a weird and funny moment for me… in genuine Suzie style though, I had to change my set list for that night to include my Believe!!
Alan is a great guy, and I really think his song is great too.
To be clear, I partnered up with Bell Canada in 2007 to release my version and the video for Believe. The “I Believe” song has been released by CTV Canada, and CTV and Bell are two different companies.
The 'Official' theme song? I'm not even sure if there will be one... I guess it depends on what the Olympic Committee decides... Anyway, if I had to guess, I would think there are going to be many companies releasing theme songs for the Olympics this year; and maybe they're all going to be called "Believe"!! Lol
We reached our main objective when we released Believe: It was always meant to get Canada excited about the games, and to raise awareness and funds for our athletes through the Own The Podium program so we can win some Gold Metals in Vancouver!!
That was the intention with the song, and that’s exactly what we did! : )
Furthermore, and also in some ways more important to me; there are so many people who have expressed to me how deeply touched they’ve been by my song. And no word of a lie; that is truly why I make music. That is the ultimate.
Last NYE I had a man say it helped him get by when he learned he had HIV, I’ve had countless messages find their way to me saying the song has helped them through a divorce or family tragedy, last night I had a friend tell me it was the title of her own ‘campaign’ when she was going through a breakup, and I even had someone tell me the song helped them go from having Cancer to becoming Cancer-free. Wow. Amazing!!
So…. Let’s enjoy both Believes!! Lol
Any song that celebrates the notion that we are capable of achieving anything, is a song worth listening to in my book…
And GO CANADA in the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games!!!
I BELIEVE.
xo, Suzie.
Win a custom guitar signed by Suzie!!
01/20/10
SuperGirl vs. SuperGirl?
12/07/09
The Longest Hallway Ever...
11/22/09
"The Shimmy" (Part 2)
11/22/09
"The Shimmy"
08/07/09
Have You Seen SuperGirl? (SuperGirl orders a sub)
07/14/09
Suzie McNeil Pepsi Promo - BLOG 5 (june 09)
06/14/09
Suzie McNeil / Gavin Rossdale Tour - BLOG 4
05/12/09
Suzie McNeil / Gavin Rossdale Tour - BLOG 3
04/24/09
Suzie McNeil / Gavin Rossdale Tour - BLOG 2
04/17/09
Suzie McNeil / Gavin Rossdale Tour - BLOG 1
04/15/09
Am I a total Geek?
03/20/09
Is there anyone else out there as excited for the Battlestar Galactica finale tonight as I am??
I'm such a nerd I can't handle it!!!!! I have to say that working towards the end of the series has been a little disappointing unfortunately, but I'm TOTALLY having my own little BSG party tonight! (Alone, because Scott will be at We Will Rock You BWAAAAAAAAH...) Is there another Cylon out there?? How is Kara going to lead the human race to it's demise??
The first time I saw one of these episodes was on the P!nk tour bus in the back lounge with her keyboard player and Matt Nathanson... I totally passed out and thought it was dumb. However, years later I was at the video store ready to commit to Entourage (which I have still yet to have seen) and there was no season 1 disc 1, so I opted for the next best thing? And Battlestar it was... and here we are many many hours of watching my drug later.... Yikes. Well, enjoy it people! And if you haven't been following go ahead and rent all 5 seasons today to catch up! You still have time!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA............... xo, Suzie.
AFRICA!!
03/10/09
Wow. It was absolutely everything I thought it would be.
World Vision was amazing, the families were amazing, the whole country of Zambia was so peaceful and inviting. There was a lot of traveling involved to get there... over 30 hours there and back, but it was more than worth while.
We visited 2 families and a school in the area of development that World Vision is helping. It's so weird, I had the same reaction when I went to the army base in Afghanistan; you hear about these situations from commercials on tv or the news, but nothing prepares you for when you're finally there, seeing it for yourself. It's really happening.
The poverty over in Zambia is devistating... the simple things that we take for granted affected me the most-- the kids that only have 1 outfit (and they're filthy dirty), the fact that they have no shoes, a tiny hut that 5 people are living in, it takes them hours and hours to walk to school... and the list goes on and on...
The locals were so excited and welcoming, they were sincerely thankful that I had made the trip and was going to represent their struggle in my own country. Africans are filled with music! I got to sing for them, and the songs and dances they performed for me were like nothing I had EVER seen before!! They have a song for everything: welcoming me, saying goodbye, the school kids even created a performance about sexual activity and aids! That would never happen in North America...
I ended up sponsoring a 12 year old girl that I met there named Doris. She was so sweet and kind, and she appreciated everything so much. Doris' grandmother was 109 years old, and all of her 8 children had passed away so now the Grandmother was looking after Doris and her 3 cousins. They had nothing. They ate weeds for their one meal a day and would go 3 days at a time without eating anything at all. Doris slept on the dirt ground every night without a pillow or any blankets. She only had one dress that was ripped and much too large for her. When we visited her and the family we gave them tons of food, I even bought her a matress!! They were extatic... it brought SUCH joy to me (and to them).
I went over there with World Vision to help promote the 30 hour famine that will be taking place on April 3rd and 4th. They are working so hard over there, it's so easy to think that the money we give just goes into this void but it doesn't, its a very efficient system that really gets right to the people who need it. Wow, I sound kind of preachy but I really mean it. This trip really affected me, I've never experienced anything like it.
So appreciate what you have people!! We are soooooooooo lucky over here. So lucky.
I've uploaded some pics onto my facebook page if anybody wants to have a look.
Now, I just need to deal with my jetlag!! I woke up at 4 am this morning but I'm slowly trying to adjust. Travelling is tiring, yo! To quote a South African Airlines sign I saw in the airport:
"We realize that travelling is difficult and stressful, but please don't take it out on us" Lol
xo, Suzie.
