| If you ever want to see BTO play, you're going to have to roll on down the highway -- because the band vows it's never going to perform in Winnipeg again. Members of the classic Canadian rock group say they are boycotting the city because they believe they aren't appreciated by the media and industry reps in their old hometown. "I'm pissed off at Winnipeg," says drummer Robin Bachman. "When we did The Forks last year we cancelled two U.S. gigs and dropped our price two-thirds because we were told The Forks didn't have a lot of money -- and this year Big Sugar goes in and plays for twice as much money as we did. "And we drew 50,000 people and didn't get one sentence in the paper the next day," Bachman adds. (For the record, no media outlets reviewed their Canada Day SpiritFest show, although The Sun interviewed the band for a preview story.) The band is also upset about a Manitoba showcase at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles on June 30 which only used a still photo from the 1970s during a tribute to local artists. The band gave organizers five minutes of live footage and photos, none of which was used, complains bassist and vocalist Fred Turner. |