Thanks Rod,
You have to get out there and have a go mate.
It really doesn't matter if you only play one song and bow out gracefully, because it breaks the ice and people (in my limited experience) want you to succeed. On my second night at The Royal Oak a couple of young lads got up enough courage to have a go. One of them borrowed a guitar from Mike the organiser and the other was gioing to do just vocals. Mike introduced them and they started. The guitarist was pretty good and the lad doing vocals started well but nerves got the better of him and he clammed up. They stopped after just a few barres but everyone in the pub realised what an ordeal the vocalist was going through and we all gave them a big round of applause just for trying.
Anyway Rod, you are a far better player technically than me, especially with your lead playing and riffs so you would have no trouble. The hardest bit is just getting onto that stool in front of people you don't know and going for it.
As for Elaine's party this year! Well, I guess we are top of the bill and the other bands are just support :wink: :wink:
But seriously I'll have to plead with her to see if we can be the support acts. Can't see why she wouldn't let us play, after all we must be ten times better than last year! Perhaps if I offered to walk the dogs in the rain a few times that would clinch it for us.
Cheers Rod
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Excellent! Loved reading this post and the fine details. Makes me feel I was right there in the audience.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Well I just clocked up my 5th open mic so I'll share my latest thoughts.
My last two open mics have been real eye openers. Last week was really good because those wanting to have a go increased from about six to at least ten and Mike the organiser was having a real hard job fitting everyone in. The amazing thing is at these nights there is a wide age range of all the performers from us in our 50's and 40's to some real youngsters barely out of their teens.
Anyway got chatting to a guy called Neil who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ozzie Osbourne just slightly shorter. When he went on he did some fantastic improvised blues playing and as it turned out also played some incredible "Neil" Young songs too. Turned out like me he's a huge Neil Young fan. Magic stuff!
The youngsters went on last and basically stole the last half hour of the evening with a lot of quite modern stuff which I confess I didn't know. Just to watch these kids picking, bending strings getting harmonics and doing great vocals without any music sheets in front of them was quite humbling to a struggling strummer like me. I don't think I'll get that good if I live to be a hundred.
Mike the organiser was overcome at the end. It makes his night when everything starts going up a gear and really smokes so to speak. He pleaded over the mic for everyone to come back again. And, suprise surprise he got his wish!
Last night the pub was packed plus the youngster's built in fan club who made getting to access to the loos in the pub a bit of an assault course.
Neil(Ozzie) arrived with another mate and they played together on some more great Neil Young songs. Neil(Ozzie) played great lead work over his mate's incredible rythum work (Strangely his mate reminded me of Paul Simon) Must of been the beer!!
There was another guy who played some great loud acoustic folk songs and what a voice too. He worked so hard that the sweat was beginning to run and when he finished steam was rising off his head. I'm not kidding!
The youngsters did another great set plus the fan club doing vocals and playing a set of bongo drums.
Paul my mate from work went on and ripped into some Elvis. great stuff! and I grabbed a tamborine he'd brought in and backed him up. Haven't played those since I was about 12!!. He also did some Dylan too.
My turn was earlier and I had a go at "Sunny Afternoon" along with others I've played before. Got some good reaction on that one.
At the end of the night Mike was packing away his PA system when three guys who hadn't got on earlier plus the folk singer just got up unplugged and launched into "Rocket Man" what a version that was. Four acoustic guitars, one song and the whole pub just sat there in amazement with their coats half on.
So to some thoughts on last night! I know I've got a lot of practicing to do to get even half way as good as the others there. I'm beginning to question myself on the the style of songs and music I should play to my best advantage as I'm no longer happy just getting through it each night. My voice is not what it should be as it keeps changing key half way through a song(what's the cure for that anyone?). I've got to learn lyrics and chords for the songs "parrot fashion" so I don't need everything in front of me which causes me to turn away from the mic and the audience. That's going to take some doing!
Because all this is making me sound quite boring while I'm playing.
I still love these open mics and I'll keep giong even though it obvious that I'm the beginner there. But everyone of those other musician's there give me encouragement and advice. I'll get there in the end.
That's all for now folks.
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Great read Chris! Really enjoyed it. Keep it up and it gets better and better......
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace (Jimi Hendrix)
Thanks douglasa,
Glad people enjoy reading these posts.
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
