Hi all!
After more than 10 years of performing all over the world, my wife and I decided to finaly settle down in Toronto. The music scene seems pretty busy up here and we hope to get known ASAP. However, Canada is a beautiful country with lovely, friendly peolpe.
With this occasion, I did a makeover of our Duo's older site.
Please visit it, if you have the time, at:
www.fantasyband.ca
Thanks and good luck to everyone!

Flavie website looks great ...good luck in Toronto make em dance baby!!

First, my compliments on your website which is excellent and your sound which is as well. And you sure don't have any problems with the visual aspect of your presentation! Your wife is beautiful and you aren't too shaby either! I am sure you will have no trouble getting work in your new environment.

The only suggestion I might make is to proofread your songlist (very impressive range of material BTW). I found a few typos there. I am terrible at spelling myself but my wife is an expert (she used to proofread for a living) and I find myself noticing more mistakes than I used to. I only mention it because the rest of the site looks so fantastic!

Best Wishes!

Good luck! You web site looks great.

George

Great looking site and content. Best wishes to you in Toronto.

Thank You very much to everyone for the kind words you've said about my work. However, I pay special thanks to Tracy, who's positive criticism helped me. I need to fix the song list section and also update it with some 50 new hits.
Best regards dear friends and thanks for your time!

************************ www.fantasyband.ca

Nice site!

Love the photo morphing in the Gallery!

You guys look great!!!

BTW....!

We've got the chance to go on an International Cruise Ship (leaving from the UK sailing around the Meditarranean and Carribean) and need to know what "life" on board ship is like.

We're (the missus and me) working as a musical duo:
http://www.chi-chi.com.au/

(sorry it's not as fancy as yours!! lol)

and apparently we get treated and paid pretty darn well - Flights, Accomodation and food (passenger food, NOT crew food) all paid for!!!

Only problem is, it's (probably) a minumum 6 month contract.

Here's the link for the company we're going to be working for:
http://www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk/


We work 6 nights a week (sounds nasty I know, but its really only 3 x 30min sets - maybe 4) in some pretty acoustic only jazzy settings, as well as the "party club" section.

We normally work around 3 (sometimes 4) nights a week back in Brisbane anyway (4 x 45 min sets).

How do things like paying your bills from the ship work (internet?)
Phone calls???
We may get paid in British Pounds (!) - I hope - how does the currency conversion work?
Do you know how small the crew cabins are? (On ships in general)

In other words, is there any downside/traps on a ship???

Never worked on a Cruise ship before - we know nothing about it!


Anyone else on the boards know???????

Very nice site. Your home page photo is as good as it gets!

I vote for your wife to remain a brunette.

I doubt you'll have trouble gettings gigs.

------------------
Bill
Yamaha PSR2000

Hey Greg,

About life on board the ships has both pros and cons. To start with the good things:
- you get to travel and see new places that otherwise would pay big money.
- the acomodation and trasportation it is paid by the company, so you will be able to save a lot. Europe is quite expensive though.
- you get to meet a lot of people and make new friends.
- make sure you bring your own CDs to sell them to the audience. This way you'll make that extra cash so you don't need to spend from your monthly payment.
- the cabins are usually small but they include bathroom, TV, DVD player, WiFi, telephone, fridge...

The cons would be:
- six month contract, in your case is nice cause you relocate to Carribean site so you won't get tired of Med.
- As a first timer on sea both of you MUST attend training courses on board the ship, reg.: security , enviroment, crowd management, medical training....
- Weekly there is a crew fire drill that is mandatory for everyone onboard... eventually you'll get used.

Other than that you will love it! The itinerary is great and also the schedulle looks very good. Usually duos don't get days off. If the payment is good I would say take the job! The company should send your salary on your bank account, or pay you cash. It depends on each company policy.
Best regards and good luck!
P.S. many people get addicted to life on ships!! Everything is secured and well organised on a precise schedulle, so after a while you could feel like you're being "institutionalised" . Which for a while, might work fine for you two!
www.fantasyband.ca

[This message has been edited by Flavie (edited 10-30-2006).]

25 Years ago I worked on board ship Holland Americas "VOLENDAM" with my 9pc show band six weeks of 2 shows a day & a Hurricane later was enough for me.....the repetitiveness gets very boring once the excitement wears off.....although its a great experience for any musician to take a shot at & looks good on your resume!

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-30-2006).]

" & a Hurricane later was enough for me...."
[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-30-2006).][/B][/QUOTE]

Oh yes!! I forgot to mention sea sickness as a downside! I rarely have had any but my wife gets sea sick pretty easy.
But after all, when you look back it is well worth.

[This message has been edited by Flavie (edited 10-30-2006).]

Ok - well that sounds good.

My main worries when it comes down to it would be:

The Accomodation (Cabin size) are they still claustrophobic shoe boxes?

Also, will we go crazy for 6 months (or maybe 3 or 4 months when the novelty wears off like you said.

6 nights a week - so that's NOT bad?
I didn't realise normally you DON'T get days off!!!!

I'm just worried about our voices (we sing and play pretty hard normally 3 nights a week (sometimes 4) back home.

Funny, but we pride ourselves on our "intensity" and showmanship

- I hope we don't turn into one of those dead eyed *ahem* "laidback" duos who perform like they're embalmed!!!!

Flavie did you find your voices fading on you, or do you simply get used to it pretty quick?

Oh and what if you DO get sick (seasick, or cold, voice strain - what have you)

Man,
my wife an I have been performing 6 days a week for the last 11 years and both have been sick or having a cold, but that is NORMAL for a human being. Nobody will complain about that. You can play more instrumental tunes and everybody's OK with that. Everyone in the crew gets sick at least one time during the contract. Not all the evenings are the same, so you will have the time to relax. If the crowd is over 70 years old, which they usualy are, they go to sleep early. cabin sizes are not so small for duos because musicians are treated as "officers". Most likely you will have a decent size cabin with a double bed and window.
Regards!
www.fantasyband.ca

[This message has been edited by Flavie (edited 10-30-2006).]

Great news about the cabin - thanks!

As for the passengers being over 70....

hmmm... I did not mention perhaps that this is a 35-55 age group - essentially a "young"(ish) person's cruise - kinda like Club Med on the sea I guess, and, as such, they expect more energy (well they do on land!)

lol

Good to hear they understand about illness though!

Sharp looking website!

Very well done!

Bill

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill in Dayton:
[B]Sharp looking website!

Very well done!
Thanks Bill!

Don't you worry about anything! Every ship has at least one doctor and if it is bigger that they have a whole medical facility and staff. Free Sea sicknes pills can be found all over the ship and also free medication for cold, flue shots ... As Dnj said , you have to do it at least once! Just go and keep us posted with your first and last impressions!
**** Life is too short!!!****
thanks!
Happy sailing!!

www.fantasyband.ca

[This message has been edited by Flavie (edited 10-30-2006).]