I recently posted a clip of my son Tor playing bass in his school’s rock band, four years after taking up the guitar.
Well, that makes it four years for me too and to mark the occasion, I asked him to play bass on a collaboration with my trusty Trio+ and good friend Chris on lead guitar.
There’s still a steep learning curve every time I open Reaper. I learned how to use stretch markers for those bits that just come in a bit too early or late, but have yet to venture into the equalizer area of shaping sounds etc. It’s strictly cut/paste/panning and volume levels.
Obviously, this is not a live recording, but I enjoy visuals, so decided to shoot my own video, complete with homemade dress that I sewed with an old Singer sewing machine (found at the dump) and some of the 40-meter bolt of furniture fabric I picked up for £20 at a local auction. (It was supposed to be my festival wardrobe for when I went to Roskilde rock festival with my daughter but was much too hot that summer)
In the background you can see my father staring disapprovingly from a portrait my little sister painted, watching his aging son prance around in a dress miming dodgy guitar playing
Hi Brian,…and Tor ,Chris and of course Trio+
I thought it was a great performance ,…never expected a dress to look so good on you , or maybe it’s because your hairdresser is reincarnated,…and so your dad looks with due approval ,…I hope …A point of critique, your playpack/almost air guitar sometimes…that could be a little better…
but then that falls under mierenne*uken when I say that … so
Greetings
Hi Brian,
I saw the name of your topic and I wondered what it was, since I hadn’t heard this song. So I read the lyrics first, then watched the official video on YouTube, and only then turned to your video.
I liked your version of the original, all three of you are great fellows, super collab! And your dress fit perfectly into this slightly crazy song)
Thank you, I always enjoy watching and listening to you.
Leo
Haha, Leo, you should know better by now, never to listen to the original first
Always a pleasure to read your generous comments, or even better listen to your recordings.
Yes. a bit of a crazy world, but I’m making lemonade
You look after yourself and keep in touch
Priceless!!!
Here we go again, I just marvel at your creativity, the miming was up to scratch , the playing from your son on bass and Chris on guitar was pretty damn good and the Trio worked well; all in all a great fun performance
p.s. like the frock
I’ve been waiting most of the day to watch this, Brian. An entertaining production as always. It would have been great just as an audio but your mimed MTV video added a little extra. But shall steer clear of passing comment on the outfit and dance moves
Pass on the compliments to Tor and Chris … great performances all round. I liked the outro with the doubled up vocals, just the way you like as I recall, that style of overlapping of different lyrics.
Cheers @DarrellW
One of these days you’re going to click on one of my videos and realise “The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!” (metaphorically of course)
I’m smoking with mirrors
Regarder, mais pas toucher!
@DavidP Cheers mate. Hope you didn’t set your expectations too high!
I just thought to myself, I can’t just stand there doing nothing while Chris’ solo is going, and I didn’t know what notes he was playing in order to mime
You have a good memory- I’m pretty sure that would have been one of the songs I covered where Michael Stipe sang backing vocals. He’s great at that kind of thing.
We’re as ‘young’ as we feel
Coming back with a bang, no wonder you have been gone for so long now working on this piece! Awesome and entertaining as always, really likes those fx changing throughout the song. One thing next time you could do is perhaps trying to first record lead and bass and overlay your vox and rhythm guitar on top of other tracks so when you record a video you actually sing and play what is being played and sang just a thought oh and I loved your dressed, even the same colour as your walls! all the best!
Wow. Well Brian, that was entertaining as ever! Well done too to your band Tor and Chris. I enjoyed your interpretation of the song but not sure why you mimed the solo. Could you not just have played the rhythm? Perhaps you were thinking of old Top of the Pops shows.
I thought your production was great with the different fx. A great video and all this talk about Reaper and stretch markers is very impressive.
As for the dance moves and the dress, if you’re happy with your sexuality that’s great.
Hold me closer ___ dancer! Seamster for the man. Dig it. That’s all I’ve got for now.
This is BL being BL. I like the shift visually. I’m not sure what I’m getting musically from you on this. What does it matter, it’s the package and presentation, which was excellent and very entertaining. Hey, it’s a sonically collaborative bouillabaisse and I will kindly ask for another bowl full.
That’s what I usually do when I record with the Trio on my own. It wouldn’t really have worked on this one, because Chris and I were alternating rhythm on different sections, so there would be even longer ‘forced dancing’ periods
@sairfingers Sure, didn’t we all grow up on TOTP- and love to ‘catch people out’ when they weren’t miming correctly?
I’m not sure you’d get your time investment back from going down the DAW route at present. Your phone recordings of one man singing with his guitar are great for others to watch and the improv stuff is principally for our own indulgence/enjoyment. I found myself forced to use a DAW when I wanted to do collaborations with friends & family.
I was thinking about you though when I was putting this together. My footswitch controling the programmed amp settings is really handy, (much like for the Trio+). Would you not think of getting something similar for your Katana? Infinite sounds available with a touch of your toe? Save you a fortune on going down the pedal route (see vid below)
As for my dancing, dress and sexuality… well, Fred was right!
Thanks @CT I’m surprised how many of us strive to try and sound the same as other people, as opposed to different.
You’re quite right on the ‘musically’ front; most of my enjoyment was learning to play the whole thing along by myself, trying to figure out what sounds I’d like. I also had a go at a short solo, which I never do.
You want more?
Well, ok but we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here
@SgtColon
Thank you, kind Sir. Much appreciated.
Here are your shades
That was great Brian. I cracked up when you started dancing during the solo, was completely unexpected.
I totally agree about videos/visuals being better than just audio for a production. Makes it so much better. And hey, at the beginning you had me fooled that you were just playing air guitar, the cable was plugged in and everything.
At the end of the day, I just want to move some air around and link notes and chords together in a way that is interesting and fresh to me. Oh, and put on a little light show too once in a while. If I sound original or just like someone else is the furthest thing from my mind. It would be a happy coincidence either way.
You are on a really cool track and a great follow on the tubez. It’s a great treat for me every time you release a new video. You do you, brotha! Dig it!
,…never expected a dress to look so good on you 
, or maybe it’s because your hairdresser is reincarnated,…and so your dad looks with due approval ,…I hope …A point of critique, your playpack/almost air guitar sometimes…that could be a little better…
all the best!
