Guess it's time to let one loose from the CBZ dungeon!
I enjoy those reality/regional based type of folk songs..this one (Gerry B) is based the legendary Ottawa (Canada) bouncer Gerry basically regarded as the toughest guy in the world (at least if you were ever unfortunate enough to have him come after you!
). I'll post what some guy wrote in a blog which sums it up pretty well:
Gerry Barber Was One Tough Son Of A Bitch
He was the meanest, toughest, nastiest bar bouncer in the Hull-Ottawa area, and probably the entire country. And me and my friends hold the tremendous honour of being thrown down the stairs by him.
We weren't the first and we weren't the last, but at least I can tell my grandkids someday that I once got tossed around like a pillow by the great Gerry Barber.
He wasn't a giant of a man, this Gerry Barber, maybe five feet, 10 inches and maybe 250 pounds, but he took on all comers - drunken bikers a handful at a time, snotty teenaged kids with one too many quarts of beer in their gut, and shady characters toting guns and knives.
He broke up fights nightly at the Chaudiere Club, busted a lot of heads, and had his own head cracked open several times from pipes and other things that would damage you and me much more than him. Absolutely, Gerry Barber was one tough mother.
The Chaudiere Club sat alone on the road that led from Hull to Alymer on the Quebec side of the river across from Ottawa. It was a testament to a golden era, a massive dirty-white, two-story club built in the 1930s, and it was a monolithic marvel of balconies, rooms, and murals. In its prime, it was one of the finest jazz and swing night spots found anywhere.
Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa, the Inkspots, Duke Ellington, they all played this house affectionately called the Chaud, and folks came from all over the Ottawa Valley tossed their fedoras and mink shawls aside and swung the night away.
But the Chaud, beginning in the 1960s, took a hardcore turn as music and minds changed, and toughs from all over began to make it their beer-soaked clubhouse. Fights, loud arguments, passing out at tables, stabbings, and angry confrontations in the parking lot all came along.
Luckily, so did Gerry Barber.
It didn't matter how many he had to throw out, he just threw them out. Anybody. Any amount. Any time. He did his damage with sheer power, and was willing to takes great cracks on the head and knuckles on his nose to get the job done. And he'd return the favour.
Gerry Barber's reputation grew. National magazine write-ups, stories in the Ottawa papers. Curious profiles. Several years ago, Ottawa Sun columnist Earl McRae held a long and fascinating poll with his readers to determine Ottawa's toughest man ever. Yep, Gerry Barber won.
That's why being thrown down the stairs at the Chaud by the great Gerry Barber is such an honour for me. I don't remember what my friends and I had done to deserve the treatment, but guessing that we were young, obnoxious, drunken morons would be a really good guess.
Gerry Barber has been gone many years now, but I'm sure he's still talked about with reverence and awe in the Ottawa area. The Chaudiere's gone now too, levelled by a wrecking ball that was probably almost as hard as Barber's fist and head. Now, for those who partied there, all that's left are memories, several scars, and a few missing teeth.
The Chaud really had something when it had Gerry Barber to keep things in line. The place might have been out of control if it wasn't for him. He not only rearranged noses, but he probably saved many lives by booting them out head-first into the parking lot before the worst could happen.
He was a man who can be an inspiration for all bouncers who decide to be the best they can be. Just don't try to be like him, because you could get hurt. And I don't want to get thrown down any more stairs.
The only thing I can add to this saga (it's in the song) is Gerry more or less retired after an incident where some scumbag unloaded an entire clip from a .45 semi-auto handgun into Gerry...then to the shooters horror, Gerry kept calmly walking towards him and surgically implanted the barrel into his ear, then scumbag and his buddy were "escorted" from the bar by the nice gentlemen from the Satans Choice motorcycle gang and given a scenic tour of the Quebec countryside tied up in the back of their van and eventually fed to the Pike in a lake somewhere.
Anyway, was a great place to play and cut my teeth there (had a few loosened along the way I might add).
Keep rockin'!
Marc
Title: Gerry B/Traynor-Copyright 2008
Band: Cool Beyond Zero
Mix: Canuk
Gerry B (Traynor)
Born at the stroke of midnight under a blood red moon
Came into the world with a scream and a bad attitude
The doctor took one look at him and then he walked away
Mama didn't have a clue but the devil had a son that day
Many men will try him and many more will fall
Gerry B will nail them to the wall
Slow down mama, forget those plans you made
Your son won't be no preacher man, he's a hand grenade
Lay low brother forget those moves you make
Unless you're looking forward to the grave
He's a nasty boy
The boy grew up into a great big man 350 six feet four
Bouncing bikers at the Chaude hotel out that big green door
I've seen him take a belly of lead and crush the little bastard's head
Then he finished off his buddy who would be better off dead
Many men would try him
Just as many would fall
Gerry B would nail then all to the wall
Slow down mama, forget those plans you made
Your son won't be no preacher man, he's a hand grenade
Lay low brother forget those moves you make
Unless you're looking forward to the grave
He's a nasty boy
Many men will try him
Just as many will fall
Gerry B would nail then all to the wall
Slow down mama, forget those plans you made
Your son won't be no preacher man, he's a hand grenade
Lay low brother forget those moves you make
Unless you're really looking forward to the grave
He's just a nasty boy
A real nasty boy
A super nasty boy
