Swingles/Clives Party/Solo Support Gig
Jan. 28th, 2008 01:05 amSaturday - quite a busy social one - int he arvo I went to the Phoenix Arts Centre to watcha pal singer songwriter Andy Griffiths doa set - met and lunched with Neil the Bass. Then did the town shopping which I haven't done in a long time - especially on a Saturday arvo - met people here & there and bought some fun things - eg 2ndhand books and DVDs.
As my evening gig was cancelled it meant I could go to see the accapella group The Swingle Singers at the University - some will remember the 70s incarnation of them doing a song between comdy sketches on shows like The Two Ronnies. Well they were pretty awesome - they have a beatbox singer now and what with radio mikes are more mobile for some chorography. A great night of harmonies and repetoire from Bach to Beatles to Chick Corea and Ravel and The Strasky & Hutch Theme - check them out on their myspace http://www.myspace.com/swinglesingers
After that it was off to Clive the Guitar's birthday party and was put into service in a jam session - luckily it involved bandmates from The Talking Fish and my jazz bands - I sang God Only Knows, Deja Blues, Unchain My Heart, Forget About You, & Carousell.
Came home and unwound to a DVD of Liberace's Valentine Party I picked up int he day which was hilarious.
Sunday - had a bad night sleep - too much excitement - indegestion - whatever - took things easy in the day as had solo gig in the evening opening for Americana singer Gretchen Peters and partner and aother support act Edwinda Hayes. I kinda got the slot as they wanted to borrow my keyboard I think.
My set was OK but I was a bit tired and hot in the lights and felt a little rusty (just how I felt - noone woulda noticed except for a complete mind spasm when i couldn't rememeber the 2nd line of Empty House Time Machine - doh! Realised I didnlt really want to sing the song to that audience)
Set - Coming In To Land, Lifespell, Bobby Caseys (low whistle) Empty House TM (abandoned!), Homecoming, Alien Salad Abduction, I Don't Know
The musicians were all nice people and the crowd was big - about 100 and I went down well - but in truth I have little overlap with the Americana genre - well almost none - I don't have a country music gene in me and good as the players were I scream for more interesting chords and more of them and more rhythmic changes. There is a world of difference between West Coast hippy influenced songs and Americana. - so the result was some nice comments but no sales. I got some money which was nice of the promoters.
As my evening gig was cancelled it meant I could go to see the accapella group The Swingle Singers at the University - some will remember the 70s incarnation of them doing a song between comdy sketches on shows like The Two Ronnies. Well they were pretty awesome - they have a beatbox singer now and what with radio mikes are more mobile for some chorography. A great night of harmonies and repetoire from Bach to Beatles to Chick Corea and Ravel and The Strasky & Hutch Theme - check them out on their myspace http://www.myspace.com/swinglesingers
After that it was off to Clive the Guitar's birthday party and was put into service in a jam session - luckily it involved bandmates from The Talking Fish and my jazz bands - I sang God Only Knows, Deja Blues, Unchain My Heart, Forget About You, & Carousell.
Came home and unwound to a DVD of Liberace's Valentine Party I picked up int he day which was hilarious.
Sunday - had a bad night sleep - too much excitement - indegestion - whatever - took things easy in the day as had solo gig in the evening opening for Americana singer Gretchen Peters and partner and aother support act Edwinda Hayes. I kinda got the slot as they wanted to borrow my keyboard I think.
My set was OK but I was a bit tired and hot in the lights and felt a little rusty (just how I felt - noone woulda noticed except for a complete mind spasm when i couldn't rememeber the 2nd line of Empty House Time Machine - doh! Realised I didnlt really want to sing the song to that audience)
Set - Coming In To Land, Lifespell, Bobby Caseys (low whistle) Empty House TM (abandoned!), Homecoming, Alien Salad Abduction, I Don't Know
The musicians were all nice people and the crowd was big - about 100 and I went down well - but in truth I have little overlap with the Americana genre - well almost none - I don't have a country music gene in me and good as the players were I scream for more interesting chords and more of them and more rhythmic changes. There is a world of difference between West Coast hippy influenced songs and Americana. - so the result was some nice comments but no sales. I got some money which was nice of the promoters.