On Foreign Soil: Fleur Jack - North America on $10 a Day!

Canada, September 1
After three plane rides and 24 hours of travel, I made it to Vancouver… but my luggage didn’t. I’d decided before leaving home that I was going to buy a guitar overseas, so I wasn’t completely freaking out, but I did stand in front of the baggage claim guy bawling my eyes out with total exhaustion, until he gave me directions and an overnight bag. My luggage turned up a day later, by when I’d already got myself a brand new acoustic guitar – a Taylor 710ce. I was also able to rent an amplifier from the guitar store (Long and McQuades) for my five Canadian shows for only $50. I didn’t want to buy an amp and have to cross the border with too much stuff, so that was a great option.

Vancouver, September 3
My first show was at the Railway Club in Vancouver for the International Pop Overthrow Festival. The festival tours all over the U.S. and also travels to London and a few other places. I was invited to play the festival all through the west coast of the U.S., as well as Canada, but they were starting in the opposite direction to the one I wanted to travel in and also a month before I was ready to leave (so I just decided to book my own shows outside of the festival).
The venue is one of the oldest in the city and specialises in live music. A miniature train runs around the entire ceiling. There were eight bands on the bill and I played first, to around 80 people, though the venue packed out later. I met an old ex-pat Kiwi who’s lived in Canada for 23 years and after he said he’d missed me play, I played again out the back of the pub for him and some locals. They threw me money and the cocktails flowed freely, which was really nice. I think I made a hundred bucks just from doing that back-room gig!
For anyone who loves 3am food after a gig, Canada may not have steak and cheese pies but they’ve got Poutine, and it’s my new favourite post-gig mess food. Hot chips with mozzarella and cheese curd melted on top, then smothered in gravy  – it got a smiley face and two thumbs up from me.

Kelowna, September 6
Rocking up to Budget Rentals with my booking form it wasn’t until I tried to use my credit card that I realised I’d overlooked something kind of major. All my money was tied into a loaded-for-travel card and they wouldn’t accept it. I tried to transfer money back to my regular credit card, but Kiwibank was offline. Although it was nearly lunchtime in Canada, the banks weren’t open for me to call and I only had the exact amount of hours I needed to drive to Kelowna in time for my next gig. My friend Ken saved the day and we used his credit card, though it ended up costing more because they had to put him down as an extra driver. Fuck you Kiwibank! What’s the point in having money you can’t access?
I got to my gig at the Minstrel Cafe in Kelowna and it was the first time I’d ever seen my name up in lights. I played for a couple of hours but there were only around 30 people there. The food made up for it though, and as well as being paid by the bar I sold a few CDs. The local hostel organised a gig there for me for the following night, to around 40 travellers. I got to know them quite well over the few days I was in town and got to do some tourist stuff too; like kayaking the Okanagan Lake, swimming, and I even climbed Mt Knox.

Kamloops, September 9
It’s my birthday back home in NZ, but not until tomorrow here – so this year I get two birthdays! I’m on the road to the desert in Kamloops to play the local Pogue Mahones Irish bar and it’s stinking hot. I have no reception and no internet. My sister called me from the Coromandel, which was the only call I got. The gig was fine but I didn’t have any accommodation sorted, so slept in my car.

Vancouver, September 10
I woke up on my Canadian birthday down by a river and drove back to Vancouver for the last of my five shows … crying most of the way. It was really hard not being able to talk to anyone on my birthday, but I did (for the first time ever) go to Denny’s for a free birthday breakfast. I figured it was mandatory. My birthday went from bad to worse when I turned up to the Princeton Pub for my show. There was no sign of a door person, sound person, promoter or the other bands. I was told to play at 8pm and although there was a full house of 60 year olds, there was still no crew. I pieced together the PA and did my own sound, which I’d never done before. It’s hard to know how to get EQ and levels right when you’re on the stage, and as for doing the door from the stage, yeah right. I went on at 8pm, as planned, and during my last song the other band turned up. Nobody should ever be alone on their birthday!