Stan Ashbee
Special to The Morning Star
It’s never too late to have a Cheeseburger Picnic!
Canadian folks need a little bit of cheer, “because sometimes the world can be a little bit of doom and gloom,” says Randy, Sunnyvale’s assistant trailer park supervisor and weekend trailer park supervisor.
Randy’s Cheeseburger Picnic brings a little bit of happiness to whatever area Patrick Roach is lucky enough to visit. Roach plays the shirtless character, Randy Bo-Bandy, in the Canadian trainwreck of a mockumentary, Trailer Park Boys. The over-the-top, foul-mouthed, but monumental franchise is set on the East Coast of Canada and has been a television series with numerous seasons on Showcase and Netflix and TPB has spawned a few big-screen films, live specials and touring shows. TPB also stars Mike Smith (Bubbles), John Paul Tremblay (Julian) and Robb Wells (Ricky).
Randy stops by the Status Nightclub in Vernon Friday, Oct. 20.
Fans, Roach says, can expect Sunnyvale Trailer Park’s beloved Randy on stage in all his glory with no shirt. “And I sure hope there’s some cheeseburgers. There better be some cheeseburgers or I’ll be an upset guy.”
Roach notes Randy tells a few jokes, sings a few songs and hosts a plethora of Cheeseburger Picnic party games with fan interaction.
According to Roach, fans at the live appearances always seem to know various quotes from the show.
“Sometimes they will tell me to ‘frig off,’ which is one of the quotes. And I know they’re just teasing. They’re just being happy go-lucky. But, they do interact. It just amazes me to see folks lining up to get in, to come out and hang out and have a little Cheeseburger Picnic.” Roach considers his fans both very supportive and enthusiastic.
Unfortunately, Randy lost the best damn trailer park supervisor in the world, Mr. Lahey, a few years ago. Jim Lahey was played by John Dunsworth and toured with Roach across Canada and abroad. “I’m surprised so many folks support me and Mr. Lahey,” says Roach, considering Randy and Lahey were the thorn-in-the-side of many of the interesting residents of the trailer park, including reprobates Ricky, Julian and Bubbles.
“Sometimes, a little bit of authority is needed. But on this Cheeseburger Picnic, you can’t get too drunk. You’ve got to pace yourself. It’s just meant to be fun because you want your neighbour to have fun too,” Roach adds.
Randy has been all over the world, has done live shows and has spoken to many fans. “I guess there’s people like us everywhere in the world. I feel bad for all the Rickys, that’s for sure. Ricky peed in my shoes once. You just can’t get that smell out. But, they also can tell there’s love in the trailer park. Even though sometimes everyone might have their differences and we live close together in our trailers, we try to live a good and happy life. And we all try to get along. When times are tough, we pull together. Sometimes your neighbours will feed ya. And hopefully everyone’s got a lot of cheeseburgers, because I love cheeseburgers.”
It also takes a brave soul to venture out during a Canadian fall, winter and spring, especially when you don’t wear a shirt, like Randy.
“Mr. Lahey and I did a lot of touring together. Back when ‘Trailer Park Boys’ was on a network named Showcase. It aired mainly in Canada at that time and fans had VCRs. They would tape it on VCR tapes and share it with friends and it spread that way. Back in the day, Mr. Lahey and I went to so many college and university campuses and did shows and we had driven across the Prairies in the freezing cold. One show was shut down in Saskatchewan because there was so much snow and we just couldn’t get out of there. We did the show, but the next one we couldn’t get out to make it. We got snowed in,” Roach recollects.
“It’s one of those things, but fingers crossed. We always make sure we’ve got good tires on our rental vehicle to tackle everything. It’s just too much fun getting out and seeing our fans and being able to tour. In the winter and spring months is when most of the time I get out on the road,” adds Roach. “Normally, we’re busy in the park and those guys with the cameras film us in the summer.”
Roach/Randy loves Canada and it’s been a while since the Cheeseburger Picnics have been out on the road. “The first time really touring by myself. In the past, it was mainly with Jim Lahey. I’m looking forward to getting back out there. It’s going to be fun.”
Fans can check out the second season of Trailer Park Boys: Jail, streaming soon on SwearNet.com.
“A lot of things are shown on that platform. You get to see a whole bunch of stuff we’ve done all over the years,” says Roach.
There’s also an official Bubbles movie in the works, according to Roach/Randy. “I was over in Europe with Bubbles. We were making a documentary about him starting his band. So there’s going to be a Bubbles movie. I help out in that. So that was pretty exciting.”
“You just never know what’s going to happen with the Trailer Park Boys,” Roach adds.
Randy’s Cheeseburger Picnic Western Canada Tour runs from Oct. 12 in Edmonton, AB to Oct. 26 in Victoria, B.C. The Winter Canada Tour leg kicks off in November. For more information and/or tickets visit The Diamond Mine Agency’s Facebook page or check local listings.
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