Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Robb Nash: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1587

Episode Date: November 26, 2024

In this 1587th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Robb Nash about his remarkable journey of going from suicidal to significant. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Yes We Are Open podcast from Moneris and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1587 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta – Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville.

The Advantage Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada – Learn how to plan, invest and live smarter. Season 7 of Yes We Are Open – An award- winning podcast from Monaris, hosted by FOTM Al Greggo, RecycleMyElectronics.ca, committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past, and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making his Toronto mic debut is Rob Nash. What's up, brother? I love this setup in here. 1500 episodes.

Congrats, man. That's huge. 1587 today. And what a pleasure it is to meet you. Firstly, thank you for not hitting your head, but I wanna just tell the listenership that for 1500 plus episodes, I've been warning guests not to hit their head during the dip here.

So there's a dip right above the studio, but you actually, if you stood up straight, you would hit your head in the regular part of this basement where nobody's hitting their head, maybe outside of Leo Road. And so how tall a man are you, Rob Nash? Five foot 17. I get to do the math now. All right that's five okay six so you're six foot five. Six foot five yeah we're some big boys in our family. Yeah you're not

you're the the runt of the litter is that right? Yeah I got some big cousins yeah. Wow okay that's what are you eating where are you from? Manitoba right? Yeah southern Manitoba a farm kid but, mom's actually from Mexico. My dad's from Belize, Central America. So it's just my dad's whole family, most of them still live in Belize and visiting there is just remarkable. Like it's just the style of living is so different. How so? Like you're selling me on this, but in Breaking Bad, when they were killing the guy, they

were sending him to Belize. Like that was like code for we're going to like eliminate this guy. But you're telling me Belize is actually, yeah, Belize is actually a really nice place. Belize is awesome. Yeah. And like, well, I think the biggest difference for me, like the last time I went, I went for like a few weeks and I told one cousin I was coming. I just wanted to chill. And then everybody found I was there. Big party. Next day, big party. Next day, big party. And they're like 50 people.

And I was like, I'm like, guys, like we don't have to do something every day. And they're like, well, what do you mean? I was at a big party, next day big party, next day big party. And there were like 50 people and I was like, guys, we don't have to do something every day. And they're like, what do you mean? I was like, well, don't you have jobs? And they're like, yeah. I'm like, what'd you tell your bosses? We told them our family's here. I was like, that's it?

And then my cousin came here a few months later, he's like, Rob, I'm like, hey, I'm here to hang out. And I was like, cool, I can meet you for coffee next Thursday at 8.45. That's just different lifestyles but they've got it figured out you know why do we put commerce and the daily grind why do we put these things ahead of spending time with family and enjoying life like you only have one life to live right? Well for some of us too but yeah. Well you know that's a good way to start actually so here's how I want to start this.

I want to open by telling people, I want to tell people right now, there's a new documentary launching today. If you're reading this dot dot dot. And basically I'm just going to tease the world that this documentary is now available. And then we're going to have a chat. So we get some highlights, some highlights and lowlights, and we're going to capture the Rob Nash essence here.

And then we're going to revisit this documentary with some specifics on how the heck my listeners can consume this very important documentary that I have watched. And it blew my mind. And that's why I'm so grateful that you're actually here in the basement like you're not zooming in from Winnipeg. No. How long are you in Toronto for? I'm here till Friday so doing a little bit of media but I'm here for the launch of the documentary so yeah this was the priority you're coming to see you though. You know what I want to shout out a FOTM that's a mutual friend of ours. I want to shout out Jeff Rogers

So Jeff is the guy who said you should watch this and then I watched it and then I'm like How do I get that you know mountain of a man in my basement and he's like well I can help arrange that and here we are. Hmm. So this is amazing. I hear I wouldn't advertise like that often Like how do I get this mountain of a man into my basement? Like sounds like you're just trying to find one body part at a time, you know. I often say, yeah, I've had that person in the basement. I got to work on my phrasing, Rob. Okay, why is there two B's in Rob?

I don't know, it just happened. But this is on your birth certificate? Something like that, yeah. Okay, you didn't just add it for SEO purposes because there's probably a million Rob Nash's, you know, it is funny though. There is a, cause I do a lot of work with my charity and there is a Rob Nash with one B he's a comedian and um, everybody, I do get a lot of emails from him that say, Hey, these people keep saying you inspired me a whole lot. And

he goes, that's not me. I'm sorry. So so yeah if you're going to look me up it's Rob with two B's and Nash. The Rob Nash project. Yeah. Okay and again the documentaries so if you're hearing this it's launched right like is there a time today where this is available or is it available at like the stroke of midnight last night? Like if somebody listening now is like Mike I'm going to listen to the chat but I'm actually going to watch if you're reading this right now and then come back like can you actually see it right now? So it's at nine o'clock tonight on Eastern time. So this is going to wet the appetite.

We should have timed it better. We could have like said right now. Okay. So if you're reading this is the name of the doc and now Rob Nash and I are going to have a, uh, an unedited, uh, chat about this amazing story here. So this is the order of things for the listenership. You're going to listen to this conversation, then you're going to watch the documentary if you're reading this, and then you're going to share your awareness with someone who needs help, and then you're going to basically understand better the rising issue of suicide

and mental health with today's youth here in Canada. Take me back my friend, really I want to hear about the car crash but maybe set the table like where you grew up and then basically this terrible car crash that you were in as a teenager. Yeah so grew up in a small town Clefeld, Manitoba, literally a few hundred people and yeah yeah, as you mentioned before, I'm a big guy. I'm six foot five. So my identity was playing sports. That's how I made friends. I don't know that I would have, I'm not saying I would have been a pro athlete or anything,

but when your identity is like, this is how I make friends, this is how I'm popular. And so that was it. I played sports. I'm six foot five. And as a teenager, you don't think much about life. I was really sheltered growing up so that plays into the music conversation as we go here because I grew up not having not allowed to listen to mainstream music really or what do you mean by that because I you're right I didn't tease as

appropriately because I'm like we're going to discover along the way but you're a musician. I've got some of your music loaded up there's so many mind blows along the way but what kind of music would you have been exposed to growing up? My parents had like five kids. They were all growing up and they had a family like Bluegrass band, like Banjo and Mandolin and like Southern gospel stuff.

So, and then those siblings had the family band that I was never in and then they were all getting old. It's like the Carter family. Yeah, moving out and then I was born and but yeah, it was super shelter I didn't watch like wasn't really allowed to watch mainstream movies and TV and you didn't own Led Zeppelin for growing I didn't know and no back in black from ACDC. No The only mainstream music I could really listen to is when there was a chipmunk version of a smurf album And I was like, okay, that's cool.

I had friends that introduced me to some music, but yeah. Do you remember the mini pops? Maybe you're too young for the mini pops. Not mini pops, but I had the Smurfs and Chipmunks. So that was about it. But then at 15, I actually moved away. I had, and I had played a little bit of drums and guitar cause my family was super musical,

but I didn't make it into the family band. And then I moved away at 15 playing sports on a scholarship. And then which sport I just route all around athlete volleyball. You're like Dave Winfield, all the sports, this guy, you know, Dave Winfield was drafted into four professional leagues because he played basketball, of course he played baseball. That's what he ended up playing pro, but he, there was two different, oh no,

two different basketball leagues of football, NFL and uh, and yeah. And uh, of course major league baseball, he got drafted into four different leagues. But I'm not trying to put myself in that league. I just was your Winfield S. Okay. Well I was all right, but that is how I made friends playing sports. So I moved away at 15 to this high school and lived in dorm and stuff and that's when people started saying like Oh, you can play guitar and drums, but I just didn't really wasn't into it. That wasn't my thing

And then they were like, oh, can you play nirvana? Can you play green day? So that was like my and at first I was like, oh i'm not allowed to listen to that. I'm like, oh wait Mom and dad aren't here. And then I started hearing songs that weren't just three chords and I started hearing what Slash was doing and like you can do that on a guitar and I was like and then I just became obsessed and I think annoyed people with music but it was never something I was going to do for a living. Like my worst mark in school was music. Like, oh wow, yeah, I played some drums but then they put all the sheet music in front of me and I didn't know what that was.

You were going to be a neurosurgeon. I would need a neurosurgeon later on. And then I auditioned for the choir and I didn't make it. My voice wasn't good enough. In fact, the choir teacher was like, why are you doing that? I'm like, doing what? Like you sound like you've been smoking since you were two. I'm like, so, but that gritty voice would later play up,

end up helping me out a bit. That's Tom Wade style. Yeah, yeah. So, so yeah, I, music wasn't the thing I was gonna do for a living or anything like that. But you know, one thing I often say is everyone knows what they do, very few know why they do it. And for me, well, I'll give you examples of that. But one thing I often say is everyone knows what they do. Very few know why they do it. And for me, well, I'll give you examples of that. I say this often when we perform, I ask students,

if I meet young people, I'll ask them if they know who Steve Fognau is and nobody knows, but ask them who Terry Fox is. And every student knows who Terry Fox is. One of those two guys lost his leg in a fight with cancer and he he ran across the country, Canada, one leg. Everyone thinks that was Terry Fox, but it wasn't. No, it was Steve. Steve Fonio made it from coast to coast. Terry Fox didn't, but a lot of people questioned Steve's why, because some criminal stuff and the charity was,

my friend, I get a shout out. There's a great documentary on Steve Fonio that Alan's why is responsible for. And I mentioned Alan's why, because I got confirmation yesterday that Alan Zweig will be at my event, which is Saturday at Palma's kitchen. So that's TMLX 17 at noon. We'll get back to that, but it's such a small world story. And yes, you're absolutely a hundred percent right. Steve Fonio wasn't marketing friendly.

I want to say like He wasn't PR friendly. Yeah, so and that's the thing. So every every school has a picture of Terry Fox on the wall, right? Because his why was pure. People don't question things and he's a hero. So for me, it was my why. It wasn't about what. So for me, you know, at 17, you'd think you're, you know, invincible and me, my friend just got his license and living out in the country of, and flying down these icy roads, going way too fast. And we pulled out to pass one last car and before getting back to school

and we got hit by a semi truck. And the next while of my story is a story that I've been told because I don't remember getting hit by a semi truck. So you've no, so when you're 17 years old and you're in that car, so you're not driving the car, you're a passenger in this car. Yeah. And this semi hits the car, you have no,

like if I, right now you have no recollection of that crash. No, and I've learned a lot about the brain. So you have your temporary memory and your long-term memory, right? Short-term and long-term. So this conversation that we're having right now is currently in our short-term memory. If you got hit on the head really hard tonight,

you wouldn't remember today or yesterday. So it takes a couple days for things to get stored into your long-term memory. So I don't remember getting hit by a semi or that day or the day before. So my last memory is a few days before I'm sitting in class, right? So yeah, I've learned a lot about the brain, but what's your first memory post crash?

Well, it's, it's kind of blurry, but I'm missing about, you know, a month and a half, two months. Yeah. So, but you kind of get told your story. So, you know, there's parts of my story that I've heard from my siblings and parents. So they got the call and they said, we're sorry your son was in a bad accident.

You should come to the hospital, which was a few hours away. So my family's coming, not knowing what to expect. And, you know, they get there and they said, well, he actually had passed, but he was resuscitated and we'll put his head back together with titanium because I crushed the left side of my skull and so they're like yeah so I'm going to that surgery and that was the beginning of many surgeries and they said well they said I'd never wake up from my coma and as you can all tell you can

hear my voice I woke up one day. I was going to say spoiler alert you survived that crash. Yeah, but I but I when I woke up I didn't know who I was or my parents I you know they would tell me I'll be like you know there was all of that and they were going like what happened to you and they'd say do you know why you're in the hospital on Monday? I had no idea so they would tell me like you were in an accident you were hit by a semi and then I'd fall unconscious and wake up an hour later and ask all over again what happened, you know? And so I don't, so they would say like, I would be angry because friends weren't coming

to visit me, but they'd visit me the day before, you know? Like, it was just 50 first dates all over all the time. Right? Yeah, like you're like a goldfish, right? Yeah. So your head, I'm looking at that beautiful skull of yours. You got a plate in there? Oh, I see a scar now.

Okay. So you're going off every time you go through like a metal detector, do you go on? I'm okay, depending. If they use the wand, I'm in trouble. But I just had it rebuilt just a few years ago because I found out that the day of the accident, I got my file a little while ago

because I was having a lot of issues with my skull and a lot of pain and I found out that, yeah, they actually had students help rebuild it because they didn't think I'd wake up and I found a part of my skull was dropped on the ground during the surgery. Oh my God, so basically they said, this guy's done, so practice, you students can practice.

It's almost like a cadaver or whatever. Well, you gotta do it the first time I get it yes and but there was so I just had it rebuilt at the Mayo Clinic a few years ago they opened it up and they I can show you pictures if you want but right there was practice screws like the first time you go into drywall like so they were checking how hard to push but the metal was loose they had left a hole right through to my brain that they never covered so they rebuilt it and, I won't show you. Well, you never consider.

So, you know, you never consider that maybe they didn't do the best job and you need it redone or whatever. You know, it's like you had your uncle built the bathroom in your basement or something. And then maybe you get your buddy Murray comes by and says, okay, who did this? Because this is not to code. Yeah, is it all Murrays are just good fix up guys or what? No, I'm thinking of my buddy Murray, my good friend Murray, who I saw at the Bruce Springsteen concert

a couple of weeks ago, the best plumber in town. Shout out to Murray, he's a good guy. But he's a good guy. Whenever I have a sports, like Bruce Dobegin was just here You were to hockey book and I always get a note from Murray like if I don't catch him at an Indigo's Can you get me an autograph copy of his book Murray just loves the sports guys and he's saying he's been begging me to get Corey Hart in the basement which I'm still working on I have hope because I think I can get Corey Hart in the basement But Murray's gonna be like I think I'm gonna have to sit him right there for the Cory Hart episode. But, but Rob, so you

survived, but it was touch and go, right? Like this, like you said, they didn't think you'd make it. Yeah, yeah. So, and then, so things happen in later on, all of a sudden I've, you know, I was able to meet the first responder. It's well, I'm not even so this also, and I find that my friend of mine calls, he goes, I think I just met the guy that resuscitated you. And so I sat down with this guy and then you hear another piece of your story and he says a week before the accident, he just had a prompting in his heart to take a first responders course.

So he took this first responders course and then he was driving home from work one day and he heard this big crash And he pulls up and so I'm sitting talking with him and he goes Dude, like I ran up to you and you know You had no pulse and you weren't breathing and I was like so now I'm being told another piece of the story right and he said that like Like you could be cut wide open But if your heart's not beating you're not bleeding because your heart's blood's not pumping so you wouldn't notice you don't bleed out right right but he says I resuscitated you and I and I realized

your heart started beating again when all of a sudden blood started pouring out of your head and his wife was telling me that he was he had tried to hold my skull together so I wouldn't bleed out before the ambulance got there and said, he couldn't like move his arms for days because he had been using every muscle trying to prevent me from, oh my God. Yeah. That guy saved your life. Totally. Yeah. And he just took that first responder course. How long before this accident? He said like just recently, like a week before or so. And,

and then it'd get this so he he was telling me he they would phone the hospital like every day forever saying can somebody just tell me if that kid made it like but with privacy laws sorry we can't tell me so for years he didn't know if I made it and so when we sat down what an emotional conversation we had right I'm feeling secondhand getting the goosebumps right now. And this is a PSA take a first responder course because you're like, Oh, I've never needed one yet. Well,

maybe next week you're going to come across a 17 year old kid and you're going to hold his brain together. Yeah. And that ambulance comes. That was massive, you know, and then, and then here I am finally, you know, I get sent home and all this stuff and I'm in recovery and again you go from a six foot five guy playing sports to a guy getting bathed by his mom. And what's your identity?

And that's when I went through this really dark time, especially after high school where I'm like, who am I? What do I do? Had all these injuries, I was in so much pain and the painkillers, like there's so many directions I could take with this. Well, do they stick you on what? Do they stick? That's just it. The doc is gonna have all the details in it and people should see the documentary but as we run through the story is it like which they put you on Percocets like what do they stick you on?

Let's start with T3 like for the pain but there was this for this nerve damage this to fall asleep and but you start with T3 and then you get to percocet and then I and my doctor wanted to help me but you become tolerant and they keep up in your doses till I was at 240 percocet a month and 180 oxyneal and one oxyneal is the same strength as four percocet so and I could see be sitting here talking to you like this because you become tolerant right right so I'm just uh yeah then you're dealing with that side of things you're and yeah and but nobody knew my friends my family no one knew that I didn't want to be everybody was asking like how's your skull not how's your mind? That's a great point and they see that you lived

and they see that you're a miracle right that's a miraculous recovery Rob Nash God tapped you on the shoulder and spared you. And here you are, what a miracle, walking miracle. Yeah, absolutely. And here I am just trying to figure out what's next for my life. But man, I went to this dark place and people throw cliches at you trying to comfort you.

Some say it was fate, right? And you're talking God, the version that I got, you know, I had somebody come up and say, well, you better figure out what you're doing wrong because God is mad. So he spanked with the semi, right? I'm like, oh my gosh, now my anger is directed at God, right? And all of these things, but the most common thing people would say is everything happens for a reason. Right. And people say that with such great intentions. But since my accident, I met with tons of people in prison and hospitals and funerals. And even though people mean well, when they say that,

that statement does way more damage than good. Cause now I had to figure, okay, why did I get it by a semi? Is it cause I'm a bad kid or what? Like, so that just made me spiral. I do not want to be alive I was suicidal for two years and then somebody came up to me said the most amazing thing and it changed me Okay, so how so you're telling me you considered taking your own life. Yeah, like and again was this ideation? Like was there ever a plan in place? Like I'm just wondering how dark it got for you. I Wouldn't say a plan. It was just I'm just wondering how dark it got for you. I wouldn't say plan. It was just this constant laying down a night going why stay? You know the

what a lot of people don't know about mental health, you know when they talk about it like while it's selfish because you take your pain and give it to the world around you but the lie in your head is that the most selfless thing you could do is leave. Like you were a burden to your parents, you're a burden to your family, you're a burden to your friends. The world would be better without you. That's the lie in your head. Especially when you, you know, you just put your family through this and you think you're this burden, right? So I'm like, I don't want to be alive. So it was

constant that I was thinking this way. None of my friends would even believe it because you become the life of the party. That's who I was. I'm like, I don't want to be alive. So it was constant that I was thinking this way. None of my friends would even believe it because you become the life of the party. That's who I was. I'm like, oh, I wasn't affected by anything. But then this guy comes up and he says, you're trying to figure out the reason you were hit by a semi, right? And I was like, yeah.

He goes, I think I know the reason. And I was like, what is it? He goes, you got hit by a semi because you and your friends were going too fast on an icy road Shit happens. What are you gonna do with it? And that sounds simple, but it set me free I don't have to be mad at fate or God or you know And we're gonna we get to make decisions and sometimes those decisions will have consequences But that set me free. So my holy crap and then all of this, wow, I don't know why I got a second chance. I had done nothing to deserve it,

but now maybe I should do something with it because you know, we've all lost friends and family, you know, um, why did I get a second chance? I don't know, but I should do something with this. What could I do? And I remember I screamed at the sky, dude, I was like, like, what do you want from me? I'll do anything. Any prompting I feel, I will do. And I thought I'd hear a voice telling me to move to Africa and build a well,

and I would have done it, whatever I felt. But clear as day, I heard or felt, you know, you just feel there's something you're supposed to do. Take a first responders course, right? And what I just knew I was supposed to do was find the semi-driver that hit what I just knew I was supposed to do was find the semi driver that hit me and tell them I was alive.

And I was like, whoa. And it was pretty funny because I'd phoned the police. Like I didn't know where to start. I'm like, yo, can I get the phone number of the semi driver that ran me over? And the cops are like, no. I'm like, all right, but this conviction wouldn't leave me. And finally-

Well, they're afraid you're gonna kill the guy. Well, yeah, totally. Like, but I, but this conviction wouldn't leave me. And finally, they're afraid you're going to kill the guy. Well, yeah, totally. Like, but I talked to this finally one cop, I'm just saying to him, like, I think this guy needs to know I'm okay. So he goes, all right. He goes, he didn't get it from me, but here's his number. And I called this trucker from the U S answers the phone. And I was like, Hey, is this so-and-so?

And he got real quiet. He goes, yeah. I said, just felt that I should call you tell you I'm alive I made it, you know, and and he started crying. He said I'm sorry about your friend. And I said what friend? He goes the guy that died and crushed his skull and I was like, no, that's me same thing He didn't know right so the but the cool part of that story isn't what happened to him Like I think it helped him and set him free, but it was what happened to me I hung up the phone. I was like, whoa that felt good and I didn't have to move to another country did I had to make a phone

call but that was the first time where you know I said before like you have this lie in your head that says you're a burden and your life doesn't matter now all of a sudden felt like my life mattered to somebody other than me and that felt good and I wanted more of that So I was like How could I tell my there's got to be other people like me having those dark thoughts? Nobody talked to me about it. Maybe I should tell my story and I was like What's a good way to tell a story and I thought music would be great and that so that's my that was my long version of Telling you that's my why I didn't, it's not what I do play music.

It's my why to tell a story. Hey, goodbye. I guess I messed up again. Thought I'd change, but still I'm the way I am I know I'll always be the same And I accept the blame For the sorry state that I'm in Hey goodbye, there's no use in trying Cause if I stay, there's no end to the crying She deserves way more, so I'm walking out the door For once I'll be kind, and I'll make up her mind

She's so sick of me begging forgiveness Cause you and I, we both know I give this I'm dated, I'm hated, you're the only friend of mine Please kill me two hello, goodbye Hello, goodbye, Rob. Who am I listening to here? Uh, that would be my band and me trying to sing over top of them. Not bad though, hey? You know, it fits right in with Nickelback default like this this fits right in there this sounds amazing in the headphone. Thank you. I

wish we I could tell you that we sounded that that polished in the beginning the first time we did it. Did I skip some steps here? Okay so what's the name of your what was the name of your band? It was called Live on Arrival. Live on Arrival and again I want to hear about Live on Arrival, I want to hear about live on Live on arrival and I want to hear about the the record deal and everything that happened there, but This has got to be a radio hit in this country, right? Yeah, it did it got to number Three on the charts radio charts. I believe yeah, and it's a song I wrote about a homeless guy that I met on tour. It was a day I was just like, during the day I went to a soup kitchen and this guy told me a story and I was like, oh that's incredible.

I'm like, I should write a song about this guy's story. All right, give me the live on arrival tale here. I mean, again, we're hearing it in the headphones and it would sound, what is it, City? What's the name of the big New Rock station in Winnipeg City? Ninety two cities are power 97. But this this would they would play this and just just give us a taste of the rise and then what happens with live on arrival? Well, it started off we were a band and you know,

we did our started writing songs. We did our first show and the man we wanted to change the world and we did the first show and there was four people In the audience and I was like wait, where's the crowd? I want to change the world. Listen I'm gonna be moderating a panel discussion on Sunday with Gary top his name is and he was bringing bands to Toronto and one of the bands he brought to Toronto was the police Cuz he he liked their drummer from another band and they had I think approximately Depending who you listen to nine to fifteen people at their gig at the horseshoe, okay?

So the police had nine to fifteen people continue. Yeah. Well, I'm to be honest with you I'm glad there was now that I listened to our first album I'm okay with there was only four or ten people there because We weren't great yet, but we got a little better. We did three independent albums before getting signed and we got better over time, that's for sure. But it, man, I also got to see what it took to get a song in the top 10 in Canada.

And there's a lot of politics involved, a lot of money exchanged. Is there payola in this country? Not payola, well, no, not not different it's got a different form now yeah but they were well you saw a part of it in the documentary where there's yeah there's they throw certain parties and they I guess I should be careful with that and don't be too careful this is no no I just meant I don't mean to say it sound like a diddy party or anything that's what I meant I didn't even think that no but, but it's like all of a sudden you have a big launch party and they

fly out all the radio stations for this party and they got Loverboy to open for us at this so that we look like we're somehow bigger than Loverboy. I don't know what the... but it takes a lot of, you know, the right people to pull off getting a song. It has to be a good song, but still, like I feel... It's not enough just to have a good song. There's politics around it, and what the label and the record... For sure. Is there some, I don't know, some contra deal?

Who knows? Well, that's the thing is that what upsets me most about that is so many young artists walk up and they show me their music and they have, Hey, how do you get a song on the radio? And, and it's just like, you hear these, some of these bands and songs, and there's just so many great artists and so many great songs that'll never be heard. And it's a shame because yeah, it takes a lot to get a song on the radio. And, and all the brief piece of it that you saw in the documentary was, you know, they had, uh,

they flew out all these radio guys out to Vancouver and there's this big party and they said, okay, we're gonna introduce you, Rob, and you walk out on stage and all those radio guys are there and just give them a wave and come backstage. I'm like, sure. He's like, here he is, the man who came back from the dead, lead singer of Live on Arrival, Rob Nash.

And I walk out and they had all these sexy nurses dancing around me. And I was like, and I didn't even they had all these sexy nurses dancing around me and I was like and I didn't even know what was happening at first I'm like what and then I realized they were using my my accent as a gimmick and I was livid but yeah it was part of the game you know so it's all in the game but you did get a you did get a record deal did get a record deal. I did get a record deal, yeah. And yeah, I launched a... But I was fighting to write songs about stuff that really... That mattered to me, that song you just played, Hello Goodbye.

You're sitting with all the best producers and these co-writers are gonna help you make hits. And that was the first one they sat down and they said, like, what do you want to write a song about? And I said, well, I want to write about this homeless guy I met at a soup kitchen. And so I wrote the song you just played and that night the labels driving to my hotel and they're like hey that's cool that you got that off your chest Rob a song about a homeless dude but nobody

on the radio wants to hear about homeless people we need you to write hits you know but as you saw that we launched the album that's the song that broke so yeah yeah it was it was quite something and the guy's story And if you watch the music video Hello. Goodbye, you'll see his story of what happened to him And and by the way, we did a show for a bunch of the Addictions Foundations in Alberta a little while ago This guy walks up and he goes dude. I was in jail for 11 years and that song hello Goodbye, that was my jam that really helped me get through all my stuff and I know good for you and he goes now I'm out of jail he

goes I want to do something special with my life I'm like good for you I'm like what are you gonna do he goes I'm gonna make music videos I'm like oh cool man he goes yeah can I make a video for you I was thinking well you've been in jail for 11 years I don't know how good you're gonna be at making videos but he showed me some videos he had made on his phone and he does all my music videos including that one for hello goodbye we had a video and he did he was so good that if you go look at on any of my music videos that's his name is frenzy and he made the video for the song that inspired him well listen I have more of your music coming up in

this chat here so I wanted to get the live on arrival hit if you will and I do need a some closure so live on arrival was dead on arrival right like it's yeah that's why we chose the name yeah but it you walk away from this record deal am I right yeah so we were we had a few songs in the top ten and there was actually a key day we were playing with finger 11 in Edmonton. Shout out to Burlington. Yeah and yeah and there at the time their song paralyzed was number one in the US for seven weeks. Big jam. And they were man I remember them when they were the Rainbow Butt Monkeys. So do I bud. So and you could see they how much how long they had fought and how and everything like that and you know now their song, how long they had fought and everything like that.

And now their song was number one in the US. I'm like, dang, like how long have they been fighting? And they were still grinding, you know? And I was like, dude, how long is it going to take for us to, if possible? Because we had just scratched the surface of the music industry and I was like, man, are they even realizing they made it? They're number one in the US right and we opened for them And I remember looking the crowd and there was you could just tell when there's four guys standing there that are banned

Watching you and I saw these four guys looking up at me We were opening for finger 11, and I could see they were looking at me going dude you made it And I'm looking at finger 11 going dude you made it yeah, and it's so like it's if you're not careful, right? But it was after that show now We were looking at going to the US to do a showcase there and we were labels like yeah We're ready to bring you there and do the nurse party in the US and then I was offered a nine-month tour just going to schools and telling my story and I was thinking man. Well, I love crowd surfing.

I love playing in big crowds, but, and this would actually now be part of that why that I talked about before telling my story. And- That's kind of a remark, but listening to that story, and again, I've seen the docs, so there hasn't been any, you know, not to spoil anything, but the fact that you made that decision,

that you'd rather talk to, you know, high schools, like kids in schools, and share your story and essentially save lives that route rather than become Chad Kroger or whatever. Yeah. Well, you know, it was it was the best decision I made, you know, I you know, there's Hollywood teaches us to chase success and You know, there's Hollywood teaches us to chase success and But there's a great book called from success to significance that's when you take your success and do something with it to impact the world and You know Consider us success. Sure

We had some songs on the radio most of your let people listening won't even remember that because it was for a very small Portion we had scratched the surface, but it was success. I don't want to downplay it. A lot of bands would love you got on the radio. My friend. That's, that's, that's most bands with great music just can only dream of getting their songs spun on them. Totally. Yeah. So I, I'm grateful for that. And it was a bit of a platform and then yeah, offered this nine month tour and walked from my record deal to do it. And everyone thought I was crazy. And yeah, it was nine months, wasn't sure what to do. It was no pay to do the tour.

I owed money, right? Cause you know how record industry works, right? And- It's just a big, this is, as I've talked to many, I'm a big 90s alt rock, can con guy. So I have them down here and I find out, well, it's essentially a loan. Like they're gonna front you the money.

And then it's like, you go to these parties, get the drinks for the table, this, that, and never. And it's like, oh, that's all being billed back to you. They're not paying for that. You're paying for that. It's, the game's rigged. Well, yeah, well, I'll, I think my biggest, well, opening for Finger 11 there you

know we get that first chance to go to Edmonton and play for them and you're thinking what are you gonna get paid to play for 10,000 people or whatever it was and yeah like you well there's five band members and there's your flights or bus or hotel. You're the opening band. You're the opening band and you're thinking what do you get paid for that? Oh, you're getting the you're here for the exposure like these Finger 11 fans are gonna hear your band I think we got 375 bucks for that show and and it's still politics We were with the same booking agent label and all I went songs on the radio so you still have to qualify but

That that show was costing you a ton of money, but you do it because you're trying to win over its exposure You're winning over fans and stuff but that first time I went into a school and I was just like Sitting with me and my acoustic and telling a story and playing a song and I was like holy cow and it It was different I hated presentations and I was in school, but I was like man. Maybe I could do something cool with this and before uh Before getting the record deal as a radio dj. So I I could I was like, man, maybe I could do something cool with this. And before, uh, before getting the record deal as a radio DJ,

so I, I could, I was a storyteller. So, and I do lots of impersonation. So you got those pipes. I got pipes, but I also like, you know, I'm sitting in a class and they, I remember presentations of the don't do drugs presentations in schools. But for me, I'd like kick off doing all the family guy impressions, you know? And so it's like making it humorous and still talking but I never when I started that the nine months yeah and and then after nine months other schools started calling then reservations and then youth

detention centers and prisons and I all of a sudden I brought a guitarist back so it was no two acoustics and then a drummer and it was growing all the while I never talked about the fact that I was suicidal. My whole thing was just, hey, I had this accident, make every day count because you never know what could happen tomorrow. I was never, I had never told my family or my band that I had been suicidal.

Like, I'm not gonna say that to people. What would my band think? What would the students think of me? What would the staff think of me if I revealed this weakness, you know? So you saw it as a weakness. Yeah, well, suck it up, be a man, right? Suck it up, buttercup.

Yeah, so I was just like, make everyday count and try to keep it really just a heartfelt message, you know? And then one day, God called to a school here in Ontario and they said, we heard you're really effective. Can you come right away? They said, we lost a student. They took their life. And on this kid's note,

it revealed that they had a pact with a friend. Like, if you kill yourself, I'll kill myself. Suicide pact. And the principal says, we don't know who it is. We got a thousand students here. Can you come right away? What do you do in a moment like that? You say well our flights are this or hotels. It's like yeah We'll be right there. So we go there and now there's a thousand students sitting in front of me And I'm supposed to try to find this kid from stage somehow right and I knew I knew I had to say it for the first time

And my heart was just racing bro, I'm like Gotta say it. Oh Man, this is the end of the tour, you know, but I knew I had to and you know I get to this point of the of the show and I was like I Know somebody in this audience is thinking about taking their life. It's like, you're not alone. I was there once too.

And I just like braced for impact. But it was like, like 10,000 pounds off me. I was like, holy cow. That felt good. And then afterwards, I'm having conversations and yes, some are still asking for an autograph or a picture, but man, this vulnerability felt so good and people really started opening up and then this girl walked up and she pulled a note out of her pocket. And it's an old note wrinkled and she hands it to me with a smile on her face.

And I legit thought she wanted me to sign this paper. I was like, what's this? She goes, this is my suicide note. I was gonna kill myself this weekend. I was like, holy. And the principal and the counselor standing next to me and they walked off and she went to get the help that she needed.

I was like, what just happened? She had the note on her? And I was like, she didn't write that during the show. And then I talked with some police that, you know, they do a lot of teen prevention or suicide prevention among teens. And they said, yeah, very rarely is the note freshly written. People carry it with them for months, waiting for somebody to push them over the edge or for somebody to reach out and say, you know, you're not alone, say something that lets them feel like they're not that burden I was talking about. So then it was the next day, there's another thousand students in front of me and I was like, well, if the stats are true, like one in pre COVID one in five

teenagers had seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months, one in five. And that's pre COVID. Pre COVID. So I was like, what if I said it again? So the next show I was like, I know someone in this room is thinking about taking their life. You know, you're not alone. And it was a way easier the second time by the way. And then a young man gave me his note and I was like,

oh, this is now my focus. This is what I do. Yeah. These students are giving you their suicide note because they don't need them anymore. Yeah, I I got chills man. That's I Got a bunch of them on me right here. I carry them with me. This is this is how I write songs, bro That's not one like that but yeah And almost every one of them starts with the words a mom dad if you're reading this, you know My friend if you're reading this that's the name of the documentary

I'm just processing that these if these students are handing you they've they've written these notes and they plan to take their own life Yeah, and then they hear you and you relate to them because you tell you tell your story Yeah And I can't tell you how many times they they didn't have their note with them So when they get home they make a video on tik-tok on YouTube on Instagram of ripping up their note and they would just tag us in the video so now when we play our shows, there's a song called thief of colors and I wrote the song after I went to my first Narcotics Anonymous meeting where they teach you don't try to make it through a month or a week or a year, just say just for today,

I've got this. And while we play that song at shows, on the LED walls behind us, because now we do bring bigger shows when we bring like 10 schools together, but on the walls behind us, you see the lyrics being written, you see the music video, and you see just a compilation of all these kids that have made videos ripping up their notes, and then these kids look at the videos and go like, I wanna be like that girl. I wanna rip up my note.

And that's what we try to do is we try to show, look, not every story of addiction ends in an overdose. Not every story of mental health ends in a suicide. We need to balance the stories and show victories. Okay, man. Rob, I'm going to play another song. I want to ask you about. I I never saw myself divided But here I am, standing shattered all alone

You left me picking up the pieces But I don't know how to do this on my own The words I craved, I never heard you say Left to sit in to myself Break me, time and again I tried to walk with you by my side But you didn't strike me down Break me, cause you never heard me crying And so I swear This is your troubled child

Troubled child You mentioned that you were reaching out to Indigenous communities. Could you just maybe revisit that for a moment and tell me about that experience? Yeah, well, first time we got called to a reserve, like we walked in and it was some tension in the air. Not going to lie because it's like, okay, white boy. Like at that point, no one on our team was indigenous. My current bass player, she is, she's incredible.

But the first time we got called in, it was like, all right, what's the catch? You know, what'd you get paid to come here? Not just the elders, the chiefs, but the students are like, why are you here? You want to take a picture? Look what we did on this reserve. Because young people could smell bullshit a mile away, right? And obviously there's some- Photo op for Rob Nash.

Yeah. But they saw no cameras. And they saw that we were genuine. And we started doing a lot of work. And we got to a place where, you know, if you're indigenous you get to a certain amount of respect from the elders and the chiefs. They'll have a ceremony and give you your spirit name.

It's always different animals and they have different meanings. If you get called the bear, that means you're the protector and the healer. You'll probably be chief when you grow up. And some of the chiefs had a ceremony and they said, we've failed protecting our youth and you're helping us do that. And so they gave me my spirit name. They call me the bear chief, the chief of the bears.

And yeah, they don't call me Rob Nash, they call me bear chief. And it was once they saw it was genuine. And what I love about working with indigenous people more than anything is, in the West we will talk about mental health a little bit. We'll talk about physical health. We'll talk about emotional health. But we won't touch on spiritual health.

But the indigenous people are drumbeat as spiritual. So that's wide open. And you know, when I write my songs, I write the songs about the people that I've met. You know, that's what I do. And so I write the songs about the people that I've met. You know, that's what I do. And so I've written songs about these people. I, you know, I've written songs about what they've... There's only so much I'm going to tell my story. And there's a kid right now, you'll see him in the documentary that we met on a reserve

in northern Saskatchewan, you know, met him. He didn't have a suicide note. He had a book. He had written a hundred pages of things that he hated about himself and what his parents should do with his things after he took his life and met with him. He was 15. I was like, dude, are you glad I'm still here? And he goes, yeah. I'm like, somebody will say the same thing to you one day. I say, you got to keep going. Somebody needs your story. And, and this is, I'll sum up something real quick for you, but this is what happens all the time including recently at the airport here

Um this girl comes up or this this indigenous kid and he's like, I just looked at him like So let me guess you're like me you hurt deeply But you love deeply don't you? And he was like, yeah, I mean you hurt deeply but you can see when others are hurting He goes Yeah Like you hurt deeply but you can see when others are hurting he goes. Yeah I'm like, yeah, you have what I have and it sucks sometimes but you can help a lot of people with that Isn't it interesting? I said that you and I get diagnosed with depression, which is very real, but nobody gets diagnosed with empathy

Like there's something beautiful about your about your emotions Don't shut them off learn how to channel them. And like this just happened at the airport, this girl too, I was diagnosed with depression, I was suicidal thoughts. I was like, so do you dance, do you sing, do you paint? And she's like, I'm a dancer, how'd you know? There is a weird, after talking with hundreds of thousands of teenagers, there's a connection between the arts and mental illness, I'm convinced.

That's why we lose so many people like Kurt, Chris Cornell, Chester, Robin Williams? You think about, growing up, my friends would go through a tough day, they could wipe it off, keep walking. I couldn't. I would get to my room, bawl my eyes out, and I thought I was cursed with extra emotion. Why do I hurt so deeply? Why do I feel so deeply?

Until I realized I was a songwriter. That extra emotion that I had in me was meant to be channeled into a song Even if it's dark get it out Right and and and what we live in it like take this and shut it off And I'm not always against medication, but it's like there's this weird connection between the arts of mental illness They it's I think and the reason I'm so passionate is I think we're losing some of the most gifted people And the reason I'm so passionate is I think we're losing some of the most gifted people As a young man I somebody in my life was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I read a book which

essentially as echoes what you said there which drew a correlation between bipolar disorder and Creative output and brilliance and absolutely a correlation. You see this right here. I'm wearing a old-school pocket watch Yeah guy came up to me after a show and he says, you tell me I'm bipolar. Like okay. He goes, I've got Asperger's syndrome, like autism. It's like, okay. He goes, I was addicted to crack and cocaine. You tell me I'm not cursed that I'm gifted.

I'm like bipolar. I'm summing up a long conversation, but you experience the highs and lows of emotion, which you could, I said autism. When you focus on something, you're super focused as it and you're an addict addicts we think we're cursed because we can't stop that's not a curse that's a gift too I'm an all-in person I don't do anything half-assed when I started a band I was all-in I was committed I was dedicated and guess what when I got a hold of drugs I was all-in I was dedicated. So when I was talking about

Doing the shows for the Addictions foundations. I'm not here because I feel sorry for you guys. You're just all in people Point that at the wrong thing. It'll destroy you point at the right thing You'll excel at whatever you want like the guy that makes my music videos and you see these addicts go like you're right I'm an all-in person. Yeah, we just we're not quit like we just go all in right? So it's it's all these things. So it's you know, there's this kid in the documentary the indigenous kid I'm like learn how to channel it. I'm like, do you like music painting dancing poetry and he goes I love music What would you play if you could play an instrument? He goes guitar and he learned how to play guitar with five fingers and an elbow as you saw in the documentary

And now he's on tour with us playing guitar. You know this message is really resonating on the live stream live.torontomike.com I just popped in uh goosebumps during your stories chills uh J-ho says damn incredible Canada Kev says something I'm gonna say this to you now Rob. The world needs more Rob Nash's. Like what you're giving back, what you're doing talking with these kids. So give me a sense of like would you travel across the country speaking to high school kids and is it just high school kids? Do you ever go lower? We focus now low and lower. When we started this tour, you know which is

lower 12 years now, what the grade 12s were doing and struggling with is what the grade eights are going through and struggling with. When grade eights is now grade fives, like do recently we got called to two communities, one lost an eight year old, one lost a seven year old. You should be playing with Lego. I live with an eight year old. Okay. Yeah. Just how is that an option at eight years old? Right, so like we just did three shows at the Bell Center in Surrey and our charity We bus in all the kids we pay for the school buses if they need we do everything through our charity and stuff

But before you wander too far away from the song you just played Trouble Child Oh, yes, yes for anyone that's like in the industry and somebody just said there's got to be more people like you Rob Yeah, I want to explain Trouble Child please not everybody has to do what I do Okay, like but I went to speak at an alternative school. There's like 20 25 kids and five staff So if you don't know what an alternative school it's often those that feel like they're outcasts. That's how they describe it, right? They're kept off campus. I was called to speak at one, so I went there. And I just told them my story, and then they shared their stories with me.

And they all, within their stories, they wrote it. They all said, my whole life, I've been called a troubled child. And it was just, I could just hear a song forming in my head. So I said, what if I came back in a few weeks and we wrote a song together? They're like, seriously? So I came back 11 days later, but I was thinking, got home and when I write out a vision, okay, if I

write it out, I'm like, I look at it and I'm like, can I pull this off? And I say, yes, I can do this. Then I rip up that paper, throw it out and start over until I write out a vision where I know there is no way I could pull this off on my own. This is going to take something supernatural and a whole community to pull this off. So I pictured this, 11 days later I came back. I knew not all the kids would wanna write a song with me, but I said, who wants to write the words with me? Four of them raised their hands

because they loved writing poetry, cool. I said, who wants to learn drums? Who wants to learn guitar? Who wants to learn bass? Brought them to the Long McQuade and I called the Long McQuaid and I said, this is what I'm doing with these kids, you wanna help out and get them some instruments?

They're like, we're in. And we got people lined up to teach some lessons, right? I'm like, cool. But some of them are sitting back going, I'm gonna, you know, I'm not into music. I said, how about we make an album? I said, any of you kids ever wanna be the model on the front cover of an album?

And this girl's like, she raised her hand. She had never worn makeup, never worn a dress, but she said, I've always wanted to be a model. I'm like, cool. I said, who wants to learn how to do her hair and makeup for the photo shoot? This is all stuff that you do when you make an album, right? So I brought them all to the hair and makeup college

in their city, the hair and makeup college that they're like, we're in, we'd love to help these kids. So all the girls got makeovers, five of them got to learn hair and makeup college that they're like, we're in, we'd love to help these kids. So all the girls got makeovers. Five of them got to learn hair and makeup college for five days. The college offered one of them a $20,000 college scholarship to go there for college. We showed them the radio broadcast in college.

One got a $15,000 scholarship to go there. Showing them all the different parts of the thing. Some of them are sitting back, they're not included yet. I said, who's interested in photography? So we brought in photographers to show them how to do the photos and the whole process of making the album, learning drums, guitar and all that, and the makeovers, right? And our model on the front cover.

And there was just a few kids left that weren't included in the process. And I was like, who likes working with their filters on their pictures, on TikTok, on Instagram and all that? They raised their hand. So we, on Instagram and all that. They raised their hand. So we brought them to the company that designs our album covers. They designed the album cover.

So they were all a part of this process of making an album. So you say there's gotta be more people like me. To the one kid, they were inspired by the photographer. They weren't inspired by me. It took all the community of people gathering around them to write this song. And then at the end of the around them to write this song and then at the end of the year we had a party with them at the end of the year and they're like, dude, we want to hear our song, we want to hear it finished. I'm like, you want to hear it? So we flipped on the radio and we

had it all timed out. This is the new song by Rob Nash. He wrote this with the students at this alternative school and they're like, our songs on the radio. And by the way, our producers that we had when we had our big record deal, I happened to do a show in Vancouver, not far from that theater. I popped in, told them what I'm doing now and they are now on my team. They one does, they produce all my stuff free of charge because they're in. They're just, we love it. One plays guitar with me on stage.

The other one does my live mixing front of house. They're like, cause they're tired of industry, just being the same old, same old. They want to be as part of something that's not just successful, but significant. You're significant. You're doing important work here, Rob. I mean, I hope you take a moment, you know, to step back and just realize you're making a difference here. Like you inspired the heck out of me. I said to Jeff, I said like I knew I said I

guess we're gonna have to like zoom with this guy from Winnipeg or whatever but then I found out you had we had a little window and I literally like ask ask Jeff I moved people out of the calendar. I cleared the calendar I said I want Rob Nash in the basement. I want this story in person. Nothing beats in person. So I hope you know you're doing important work here. Well you are too and you're allowing people to share their stories. You know stories are so important to this world. You know like we can be inspired and you know I've had the debates. I was on one interview where the guy said he's like well Rob it's kind

of good that you were hit by that semi truck isn't it? And I was like no it's not good to get hit by a semi He goes but look what you've done with it. I said, but the semi didn't make me do this He goes, but if you could go back in time you do it all over again, wouldn't you? You're like, maybe I wouldn't get hit by this. No, I wouldn't the poor guy holding your brains intact Yeah, and he goes well, you're young You'll one day you'll realize you had to you had to go through this to think this way And I was like if you can convince me by the end of this interview that I had to get hit by a semi to think

This way I'll stop my tour. I'll sell my guitars. I'll get a semi license and I'll start running people over my next segment I was gonna try to convince you that that that semi saved your life That was gonna be my next argument here. We can learn from rock bottom, but we can learn from each other's stories, right? was gonna be my next argument here. We can learn from rock bottom, but we can learn from each other's stories, right? And I wanna ask, what I wanna ask you about, Robbie, is the ink, okay? So you're wearing a long, you're wearing a jacket,

but I can even see it leaking out. I can see the wrists, et cetera. There are names tattooed, like, I mean, what am I gonna get, a show here, okay? Yeah, yeah, let me start stripping for you. Okay, this is, I'm gonna play the music, the burlesque music. Bur-na-na-na-na.

Yeah, it started with, you know, I started getting, you know, like I said before, tagged in videos of people ripping up their notes and stuff like that. But the amount of young people that started tattooing the lyrics of our songs on their arms where they used to cut, that rocked me. Like that's a song that I wrote and now it's on somebody's arm. Something that's so, such a part of my life is a part of theirs. I'm's a song that I wrote and now it's on somebody's arm. So something that's so such a part of my life is a part of theirs. I'm like, how do I repay that? So yeah, if you go, you know, follow me online

or you watch the documentary tonight, I didn't know how to repay it. So I took all the names and all the signatures from the bottom of all the suicide notes and I tattooed them on my arms. Wow. Not doing any more. They are filled.

Your arms, no more space. There's no more space. But I also, I say it from stage that I'm not going to do anymore. I filled them up because I don't want anyone to give me a suicide note thinking I want my name on his arm. Oh, right. I never thought of that. But these, yeah, these are all the signatures and names of those kids.

And they are some of the most talented people I've met. And a lot of them are on our team. Well, now they're like they're in your heart, but they're on your, literally on your body for the rest of those kids and they are some of the most talented people I've met and a lot of them are on our team. Well now they're like they're in your heart but they're on your literally on your body for the rest of your life. Yeah and when COVID hit and we couldn't do our shows man schools and communities are just begging for help and I was like we couldn't do our shows we can bring students together so there's a film crew that I had worked with a little bit and I asked them. Hey People need to some stories of hope so I asked if they would Go around the country and find some of these kids. Where are they now? And That was the goal of the documentary. I did not want to be in the documentary I wanted it so they followed up in the documentary. You'll see they followed up with six of the people's names on my arms

Where are they now? Students that had handed me suicide arms. Where are they now? Students that handed me suicide notes, where are they now? And there's some incredible stories, but the film crew was like, dude, your story is what ties them all together. So we have to tell your story as well. And you've seen it, bro. But you know, um, two days before, like they recreated the accident scene where I had to

walk up on an actor's resuscitating me. They had the same vehicle that I was in that day like they recreated the scene in the same place and two days before we shot that scene and did my interview my dad passed away and yeah and it was tough and they were like should we reschedule I I'm like, no, let's just do it. It brought something really raw out of me. But yeah, if you watch that documentary tonight or whenever you do, you'll see some incredible stories of these young people where they are now. And you will then know what I said before that we are losing.

These are all kids that thought they had nothing to offer this world and they are rock stars. Okay, so I'm gonna actually play one more song, but I'm gonna remind the listeners that this documentary is called If You're Reading This... and remember the Rob Nash project, Get Two B's in Rob, okay? That's just how we're rolling here. This is the launching today, which is November 26, 2024, and this documentary explores Rob Nash's remarkable journey from going from suicidal to significant. And the instructions from your fearless host here on Toronto Mic'd is that you're going

to finish this conversation, you're going to watch the documentary when it launches tonight, if you're reading this, you're going to share this doc, you're going to share this awareness with someone who needs your help, and you're going to share this doc, you're going to share this awareness with someone who needs your help, and you're going to better understand the rising issue of suicide and mental health with today's youth in Canada. I got so many goose pimples when you showed me those suicide notes that these kids are handing you because they don't need the suicide note anymore. And then seeing your arms when you rolled up your sleeve, the names of all the children that you have saved. Rob Nash, you're inspiring the heck out of me and there's a song, we're going to play it for us on our way out here. The End So this is war, looking in front of me

Bodies have filled the streets, blood is beneath my feet So this is war, casting a shadow Where is the hero? Who is the hero? So this is war So this is freedom So this is freedom, so this is where we stand Is this the promised land? So this is war, so this is freedom Where is the God you trust somebody called your blood, it is killing me. Rob, tell me about this song, this new album, This Is War.

Yeah, you know, I've been given a few awards for the work that I do. I only accept them because it gives me a little more credibility for what I do. But I got one award and the other three guys getting the same award were all wearing their army fatigues, missing limbs. And I was thinking, what am I doing here? I just play music. In fact, one of the guys turned to me and he goes, he looked at me, a soldier, and he goes,

he goes, hello, I said hi. And he goes, I'll have another glass of champagne, please. I was like, oh, he thinks I'm a server. Oh! And I just went and got him champagne, but then they introduced me and they said, this guy is, the next guy's fighting a different kind of a war, a war against an invisible enemy called mental illness.

And right there I was like, oh, there's a song. And it turned out to be a whole album. A new album we wrote, 18 songs. It's called This Is War. There's moments in the album where you're on the front lines. There's moments you're in triage. There's moments you're looking for an ally. There's moments you're feeling victorious. but the whole album is this is war and in this song

you'll hear me say like, so this is freedom, this is the way we've created, then why are we losing so many people? Like we have lost as we started off comparing what we have in the West compared to my family in Belize, we've put our priorities in a long time and we're in a war and we are losing the war and it's time to fight back. Wow my friend let's shout out some of the services that have been supporting you in this endeavor. I was reading about Kids Help Phone. Yeah Kids Help Phone you know there's only so much we can do we work closely with schools CMHA and

Kids Help Phone is kids can just text NASH to 686868 and it goes to kids help phone so they can we can partner together with them and we are working on something massive right now together with our as we call it integrated youth services our mental health system is so broken that together with our friends at integrated youth services we're working on this massive cause fund we're thinking it might be called the Operation Overcome, where we are tired of young people having to wait six months for an appointment with a psychologist and they are building centers. We want to have like basically walk-in clinics for mental health so that there will be one within 30 minutes of 95% of youth in Canada.

What should we be doing Rob? This is a big question on the out here, but like Yes, we can we can watch your documentary. We can spread that message to to those who need it which is everybody by the way, but what Should we be doing what more can we do as you know citizens of this country? I'll tell you then I'll explain it through one very simple story. I think we make life way too complex. Every once in a while you're going to get a nudge in your gut. Something you're supposed to do that you don't know where it comes from and I'm not going

to tell you where it comes from. Whatever you think it's coming from. But every once in a while you feel like you're supposed to do something. One guy feels like he's supposed to take a first responders course. For me I felt I was supposed to find a bonus semi-driver. I'll tell you a quick story. I'm not a counselor, I'm not a psychologist. I'm trying to be the bridge between the hurting and the help. But I met some family friends there, son had his third attempt and they said would you meet with him when he gets out of the hospital? I said sure. I said he was only you know I'm not

a counselor but we sat down and this guy was like if I want to cut myself why do my parents care they're my arms if I want to cut if I want to get high it's my brain if I want to kill myself it's my life and I just looked at him and I said yeah but I think there's something special about you and he goes what do you mean I said are you ever sitting at a red light and somebody stands out to you and you don't know why, but you just noticed them. And he goes, yeah, that happens all the time. I said, yeah, I think you have a gift. And I think if we open our eyes, we all have that gift. So,

so let's go for a walk. We went for a walk and busy streets. And I said, so does anyone stand out to you in the crowds here? He goes what do you mean? I'm like did you notice anybody? He goes actually it's weird you're saying that because when we got out here I noticed that woman way over there across the street. I said the old woman with the walker? He goes yeah as soon as we got out here I noticed her. I'm like okay let's go find out why. So we walked across the street and he's like what are we doing? I'm like let's go find out why you noticed her. So we walked up to her and I said, Hey man, I said, is there anything we can do for you right now?

Immediately. She starts crying. She goes, are you serious? He said, yeah. She goes, I've been standing here for half hour. My shoes are untied and I'm afraid to take another step because I might fall and break my other hip. I just prayed that somebody would come and tie my shoes for me.

I tied one. He tied the other. And we got up. She was so grateful, it was like we bought her a house. And we walked away. And he was like, that was awesome. I'm like, yeah, man, and you saw it. He goes, yeah, I did. I said, let me ask you this. Do you want to cut yourself right now? He goes, not really. No. Like, do you want to get high? No. I'm like, do you want to kill yourself? He goes no I'm like why who you focused on he was her Yeah, I said those times when you're getting high you want to kill yourself you're cutting Let me guess you're at home alone in your room and he goes. Yeah, I said man

It's those moments you feel cursed, but maybe there's something out there You're supposed to notice somebody and there's something keeping you in your room so that you don't go out there and change the world. He's like holy his parents called me a few weeks later and they said what the hell do you say to our son? I was like uh why is everything okay? And they said every day before he goes to school he'll go and shovel the neighbor's driveway. I was like there so if you want advice, we make a life way too complex. Um, yeah, I just spoke at a thing in Toronto a few months ago and this guy was like, I wasn't even talking deeply, but you know, I told my story and he goes, I want to apologize. I don't know if you noticed, but I walked out during your thing.

I was like, that's okay. I said, did I, something say like trigger you or like, he goes, no, just while you were talking, I just felt that I was supposed to call's okay. I said, did I something say like trigger you or like he goes? No, just while you were talking I just felt I was supposed to call my old college roommate and I called him and I can't tell you what happened But I'll just tell you the timing of that call He needed it and I don't know the story, but that's my advice We make life way too complex You might be thinking of somebody right now listening to this, or if you just ask yourself the question, who haven't I talked to in a while that might need a phone call or a text? Again, you don't have to move to a

third-world country to do something significant. You can make a phone call and listen to those promptings. I'm a guy that has a unique perspective on life because I've died once already. When that happens, you just look at life differently. And every day I just, I try, I don't always succeed, but every day I say either I wanna learn something today or I wanna teach something. I wanna have an interaction with somebody that wasn't planned. I'm gonna do something significant before this day ends.

I'm going to do something significant before this day ends. Rob Nash, man, I'm so glad I got to meet you and I'm glad I got to watch the documentary. And I hope everybody listening take some time out of their busy day to check it out. It launches tonight at 9 p.m. If you're reading this, is there a specific website you want to direct people to? Yeah, if you want to go to robnash.ca, find out more about what we do. If you want to go on socials, it's robnash. Robnash.ca is if you want to find out more, you know, find out more about how we do it and everything we do and sponsors that allow us to continue to do this without charging. I was gonna ask about the funding, but like can somebody listening

contribute some money? Yeah, there's you can donate and that allows us to get to these kids that because there's just such a lack of... Well, there's another call to action I'm gonna throw in the list here. Go to Rob. So robn of. Well, there's another call to action. I'm going to throw in the list here. Go to Rob. So rob Nash dot C.A. Rob's got two B's. Either way, Rob Nash, don't see it goes to the right one. All right. Rob Nash dot C.A.

Give what you can. You're doing important work, Rob. I'm not going to tell you. I'm glad that Sammy hit you in your 17. Appreciate it. But you know what? That was a driving too fast on an icy highway shit happens but this shit that's happening now this is you buddy. Let me let me close with this how about this. Yeah. Everybody says everything happens for a reason that's what

we started with okay. This is my new perspective everything happens with potential. My accident had the potential to leave me angry, bitter, suicidal the rest of my life, but there's the potential you can take your story and turn it around. Tragedy can tear apart an individual, it can tear apart a family, it can tear apart a school, a business, a country. Tragedy has the potential to tear people apart, but it has the potential to bring people together. We have to make the decisions of what we're gonna do. Everything happens with potential. One person gets cancer and they look at life differently. They make every day count, they change their diet, the next person gets cancer and they get

bitter and angry. It's how we, the only thing we really get to determine is what we're gonna do with these tough days because we're all to face a tough day, we're all going to see trauma. It all happens with potential. What are you going to make out of it? And that brings us to the end of this 1587th show. I could do another 1587 shows. I won't do a show more important than this one, Rob. Thank you for this, man. You can go to Toronto Mike calm

To find out how to follow me find out about older episodes upcoming episodes Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery Palma pasta recycle my electronics dot CA Raymond James, Canada Meneris and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all tomorrow when Talia Challenger, I butchered her name a hundred times Rob. I can pronounce Rob Nash. Talia,

musician, broadcaster, she's my special guest. See you all then. So You