Long Needed Dance Bar Returns to Cornwall

Shooters Pub and Nightclub is a great spot in the West part of Cornwall, Ontario, close to the ruins of the former Domtar Plant, and Riverdale neighbourhood. The club has had a long story, it’s been an adult dance bar for most of its history, before it was converted into Roadhouse Pub. It was briefly a Joey’s restaurant too.

Now, the place is under new branding, Yogesh Patel; who owns 2 East Side Mario’s, as well as Mexi’s located downtown, near the Cornwall jail museum; amongst other businesses in town, and beyond. I had the honour, and privilege, of being the DJ at the venue over the summer of 2024. It was a retro themed night, a mix of Afro, and European dance from the 1980s. Many good friends turned out to show their support. I have become a regular, and strong, unofficial promoter, ever since. The food is good, pool is free, and the kitchen is open late. They have tacos, nachos, fish and chips, burgers, loaded fries, appetizers, pizza. The specials are really awesome too, and cost saving!

The staff are warm, and friendly; always smiling. Fridays, and Saturdays are packed with dancers. It really becomes a nightclub around 11-2am. I’ve even been here at full capacity sometimes; which is amazing to see, especially with how different, and ever changing the bar scene has become. I miss dance bars, glad to see them start to return. During the day, it tends to be quieter, and feels more like a restaurant. There’s a couple of slot machines if you want to try your luck.

Sundays at 7pm-11pm my good friend, and fellow DJ Glōm, hosts karaoke nights. They are always a good time, and the sound system is incredible. Some of our favourite duets include; Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles, as well as Barbie Girl - Aqua, to name a few…I couldn’t recommend a cooler place to spend your free time, than Shooters Pub and Nightclub. There’s a growing turnout, with people from as far as Morrisburg, and Winchester, coming down to sing.

The venue is located at 830 Second St W, Cornwall, ON, Canada. I look forward to meeting you all in person, for a pint or two at some point. Good friends, good music, good fun.

 

Hopefully I can do some more shows there soon. I’ve been so busy working around town. If you’d like to book me for a show; be it live singing, or DJ mixing the boards, please get in touch through booking forms on this website.

Until next time, don’t ever stop trying in art, business, or life…

James

Looking for Me?

Last summer, was a big leap in my transition, from a mostly studio based artist, into a live setting again. Whilst it is true, that I’ve performed live, I had never toured around with it the way I am doing now, the last performances I had done, of my own original music, prior to 2023, were back in my high school days!

2020, during the whole national closing down ordeal, that all Canadians went through, I spent that time continuing my second album, a project at that point in time that was going to be called ‘Corrupted’, but would eventually become ‘Rescue Me’, as we know it today. All I did during those days was work my full time job, at a local tire warehouse in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, then headed home, to work on my craft in my free time. I was able to collaborate with some surprising people, from all over the world, as well as closer to home. I’ve mentioned these folks in previous blog articles. From Cape Town, South Africa/Old Orchard Beach, Maine/Ottawa, Ontario.

By the time 2023 rolled around, things had started to calm down a bit, and places had reopened fully, as it was before the lockdown. I was able to go out to bars, and began to sing regularly at Rendezvous Restaurant, in Cornwall. It was there I met my friend Rodney Rivette, owner of Rockstar Party Productions, who runs the karaoke nights on a Wednesday, Saturday, every week (as of writing this) starting at 8pm. During my fun, and sometimes wild nights at that great venue, I was able to meet, and sing alongside some wonderful talent. Typically, I would drink 0% beer, which would allow me the freedom to drive wherever I wanted to after, say if I wanted to sing karaoke at another bar, I would not be limiting my transportation options.

That’s where I would meet Jonny Yumang, a highly talented, respected, and seasoned performer who even made a cameo appearance in my music video shot that summer, called ‘Señorita Por Favor’. I look forward to working with him, as well as the other great performers that I’ve had the pleasure of dancing, and crooning beside. No windows broken by our voices yet, and believe me we’ve tried…

Whilst singing karaoke, I met a fan of mine Bertha, who asked if I would be able to perform for the White Knucklerz RC, a local riding club that raise money for children with life threatening illness, and help them get their dream toy. I agreed to meet up with them, and on July 15th 2023 I had my first original live show. It was lots of fun, but a very hot and humid day, I would quickly discover. After that I went on to perform again, for the Martintown Grist Mill on that same month. The crowd was small that day, perhaps 10 people or so, and it was sweltering with heat, but I still managed to pool in $80 in tips, as well as sell one of the bracelets that my friend Mel had made for me to sell to fans.

Pictured: Rescue Me album opened up, it was a CD in a vinyl record style.

Later that year I created my CD versions of both ‘Wine’ (my 2017 album), and ‘Rescue Me’ which I released at that moment. I sold the pair $10 for Wine, and $20 for Rescue Me. In total by the end of the year I’d sold over 30 copies! I sign each copy for my fans. A print shop in Summerstown, close to the local small airport, called P&L Printing, helped me create my labels, and cover cards, I duplicate the CDs myself using a tower.

Pictured: My new album merch has arrived, ‘Rescue Me’ shirts have been selling nicely too. I’m in the process of ordering more as of writing this article.

So as it stands now, if you scroll to the bottom of my homepage on my official website: www.jameshardiment.com

You will find a contact form, which allows you to book me for a live event this 2024 season. My base rate is $250 and that price will increase by $100 based on how many extra performers or crew that I’d require. That base rate is based on a show that lasts up to 4 hours with intermission. I will do charity shows, if I approve of the organization, for free, I just ask that I am allowed to set up a merch table to sell my CDs, and Shirts, etc. to support myself (15% of proceeds will be donated to the host and their charity).

You can also just email: jameshardiment@outlook.com

I look forward to this new season, and can’t wait to engage, and connect with more of my incredible fans!

Until next time…

James

Mixing Things Up…

So for those new to my blog, my name is James Hardiment, I’m a British born, Canadian singer/songwriter based near Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. I’ve been back in the area for many years now. I invested a lot of money this summer on speakers, mixing boards, microphones, and more so I can finally perform my original music to a live audience.

My style, as I have mentioned in previous blog posts, is a combination of pop, rock, alternative, dance, and Italo Disco. I was lucky, and honoured, to perform in front of audiences this past summer, both in Martintown, Ontario, and also a charity event in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. I have more shows in the works, but I spent the rest of my summer trying to finish mixing my album myself. I had about half of it mixed up in Ottawa, by the super talented sound engineer, Josh Hart, who mixed my first album. It’s not my first time mixing music, however I liked to get a second pair of ears on the project, I was also lacking the equipment to do so for awhile.

I finally bit the bullet, and invested significant amount of personal funds into a new laptop, mixing software, plug-ins, video editing software, and more gear to improve the overall quality of my work. Now that’s finally starting to pay off in a big way. The album is complete, as of last week, and the CDs are made, a process in which I was heavily involved in the creation process. I had an awesome local print shop, based in Summerstown, Ontario, print my CD labels, and cover artwork, onto a nice glossy paper. P&L Printing, and I couldn’t recommend them more! The turnaround time was close to lighting fast, and the end result still gives me tingles! As of writing this I’ve sold over 10 copies in the first few days. Which for an indie artist, that does almost all of his marketing by himself, is a pretty awesome achievement.

Special thanks to Yafa Goawily, and Modern Primitive Cornwall Square, in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, for allowing me to sell my CDs, and photography at their Open House Event on Saturday November 4th 2023. It was really fun showcasing some of my work to the shoppers that passed by.

I spent the better part of an evening burning my CDs one at a time using a vinyl style of disc last week on a Thursday evening. It took about 6 hours to create 40 CDs with one burner, I set up in a quiet corner of Jack’s Pub in Williamstown. A great little restaurant, and bar, which I hope to write a piece on soon, a lovely spot nestled just outside of Cornwall. Their food is so good, the staff so warm, and friendly, and it doesn’t seem as dramatic as the city bars can be sometimes, which is a nice change of pace.

It feels good to finally complete this album, another accomplishment to be proud of in my life, which I try to make the most of while I still can. So many people I have known over the years are no longer with us anymore, some unfortunately younger than myself. I try to work on my passions, dreams, and help others with theirs along the way.

‘Rescue Me’ album interior of the CD, I went with a retro vinyl style for my discs. ‘Cute 4 Ya Height Records’, was a name inspired by a drunkard fellow I encountered at the bar once who was measuring girls with a tape measure, telling them that they were “pretty cute for their height”, it was rather bizarre and amusing at the same time. The same fellow once gave my friend an Asian pear as she was working, tried to give me a block of caramel straight from his jacket pocket in no packaging. Keep in mind I did not know who he was either. That’s part of the fun of entering the nightlife of your local town!

“Wine” CD is currently selling for $10

“Rescue Me” CD is currently selling for $20

Contact me if you would like a copy, on social media, or email, all the links to my socials are at the top of my website as buttons. Be sure to like, follow, share, and subscribe to my channels.

Thanks again fans, for your continuing support,

James

Calling for Backup!

(Pictured: Jonny Yumang singing some backups while I snap a quick photo in my garage. I chose the garage for the extra natural reverb.)

If you are new to the blog, my name is James Hardiment, and I am a singer/songwriter that is about to release a new album called “Rescue Me” in the coming months. I will also be doing a live tour with backing tracks around the local area, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada and the surrounding places. I was heavily inspired by ‘80s and ‘90s dance music from Europe, North America, and South Africa. I was also inspired by old Doo Wop tracks from the 1950s, think to songs like Rama Lama Ding Dong by the Esdels, from that era where people cruised in cars as big as boats around to the drive-in diner, rollerblading waitresses would serve them milkshakes. Think “Grease” type of time period, with John Travolta, and Olivia Newton John. The greasers, nerds, jocks, cheerleaders to name a few of the groups of those days. For some of my covers I require a different voice than my own for the back-up vocals. So I’ve been calling up my friends from the karaoke scene in town to help me out. My friend and performer Jonny Yumang came up to my house in Long Sault and we worked on a song together.

My Rescue Me tour will consist of me playing between 30-40 tracks (mostly originals) with some covers too, my various inspirations in my own music mainly. Most of which are not well know in this market, with a few exceptions, so I’m hoping it will make for a nice change. I see plenty of country, rap, and rock acts in the area, but not too many doing dance music from the 1980s from Europe, and South Africa. I’ve mentioned before my genres include Italo Disco, which came after ‘70s Disco, and before ‘90s house music. I also enjoy South African Bubblegum, Funk, and Synth Boogie styles, all from the 1980’s and ‘90s as well. If you are curious you can always go onto YouTube and take a browse, thats how I discovered it all back in high school.

I’m actually looking for a backup singer live right now, I think I may have found a candidate but if anyone else is interested please feel free to get in touch. I typically perform on weekends, since I work during the week at present. Looking for female at present, but also male eventually as well. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page, you can find all my socials there.

My first event as I’ve mentioned before is July 15th 2023 at the White Knucklerz place at 527 Pitt St. Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. It’s going to be from 12-3pm. Looking forward to it as they are raising money for a sick child called Ewan who has Cystic Fibrosis, trying to buy him his dream toy! I’m so honoured to be able to perform, I hope he enjoys the upbeat sound. I will also be at the Martintown Grist Mill, selling some merchandise (fingers crossed) as well as singing my songs on a stage out front on July 23rd at 10am-3pm (probably not the whole time obviously, there will be a break) check back on my website in the coming weeks for more details.

Remember to like, follow, and share the blog posts with others if you can. I really appreciate everyone, and their support to me as an artist in this awesome community that we have here. Lots of creativity, and love for music, art, and entertainment. Let’s keep it going for the summer ahead!

James

Catch the Release...

This month, I (singer/songwriter James Hardiment) teamed up with upcoming filmmaker Jake Adamson, to help him create the soundtrack to his short film, “Down by the Bay”. The project stars Evan Bridson as the lead, the plot is reminiscent of Jonah and the Whale, meets Jaws. Filmed and edited in both Long Sault, and Cornwall, Ontario, Canada.

Last year, I worked with Adamson on another film, called “Murder of Crows”, which we filmed out in Kemptville, with Ottawa actor Olivia Gault, and Kemptville thespian Maxwell Brennan, both in their early 20s. Adamson, and I, are in our 30s at this point! It was screened at one of last years KINO monthly film festivals (or maybe it was our own J3 Pictures screening party at the same location), hosted by filmmaker, photographer, cinematographer, and visual artist Vincent Valentino, and fellow artist Delaney Hinds. Vincent runs the Ottawa Filmmakers page on Facebook, which is a great way to find other like-minded, creative video creators.

KINO is hosted every month at LIVE! on Elgin, which is an event space, bar, and stage above Zak’s Diner at 220 Elgin St. in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Vincent knows the owners, and they are very supportive of the arts. Many live music shows pass through the space, so be sure to check out their page to see what’s coming soon. A projector is set up on the stage and the laptop is plugged into the sound system as well. They usually screen around 15 films, and there is typically an intermission between, about the half way mark. There is a fully staffed bar, and tables to sit at for the show. Vincent and Delaney typically pick the theme for each month and post on their official KINO page onto Facebook. This months theme was "Catch & Release”.

For the “Down by the Bay” film, Jake chose to create a black and white look, which appears to be a consistent theme with his two independent projects so far, since he got back into creating his own original pieces. The film is all about a man who heads out onto the bay in his kayak to go fishing, and the crazy adventure that ensues. I really love the ingenuity of filming on a micro-budget, using a smartphone to shoot, and utilizing the space that surrounds you. The kayak belonged to Evan, so it wasn’t bought just for the project. Jake has been honing his Special FX skills, blending CGI, and stock footage to create impressive, cinematic scenes on a shoe-string.

Evan Bridson plays the lead character of the short, a Kayaker who ends up going for a wild ride!

Building the music, Jake wanted me to adapt the melody from an old nursery rhyme tune called Down by the Bay (the same as the title of the film.) and he gave me rough ideas of what he had in mind. He wanted some discomforting sounds from time to time, so I tried to play some eerie string noises. I chose an old, off-key piano sound for the main melody, which would speed up in tempo, or slow down, dependant on the scene. On the other hand, for the calmer sequences, he desired a more upbeat version. So I used happier sounds, such as brighter, higher piano, accompanied with brighter pad synthesizer chords.

The film, along with the other entries, shall be screened this Wednesday June 28th, 2023 at 220 Elgin St. in Ottawa, as mentioned before above. Tickets are $10 at the door. Here are the links below:

https://ottawafilmmakers.com/pages/kino

That’s all for now folks, I’m very busy this week!

James