Canada

Hello!

My name is Bill, I play the drums and I am from the United States (Vermont). I am in the process of putting together a CCR Tribute Band and will hopefully lead into an "original classic rock blues band" someday. I am looking for "good" venues in Canada to play? How would I find them? How can I tell the "good" from the "bad"? The one's that "pay well" and the one's that don't? Which area of Canada seems to have the most to offer the musician/band? Toronto? Montreal? Winnipeg?

Also, I am interested in any hassles anyone may have had crossing the border into Canada with all their equipment? Anything I should be aware of and what is the best way to make it a smooth crossing?

Thank you,
Bill

Pretty sure you need some kind of work permit to play shows in Canada - they want their tax money, so if you don't have a Social Insurance # (same type of thing as our SS #), you need to start looking at that part of it.
You have to have a complete itemized inventory list of everything you bring into Canada because they will check and if you leave anything in Canada (in other words, you brought it up there to sell it), they will charge you big import duty/tax.
From what I've read (here and other places) Canada's pay to musicians/bands sucks worse than the US! Haven't been to Montreal in a few years, but when I lived there in the 70s there were no rock clubs at all. Ottawa has some.