As has become customary, I am posting the videos of my last Open Mic soundchecks, recorded the day before yesterday’s Open Mic Testimonial to our dear moderator @Richard_close2u.
In the early days of our Open Mic adventures, I would do a AOVYP recording of the “set” after the event but realised this made me focus on the areas of snafus, having already watched the recording of the show. So from about OM5 onwards I decided that the final dress rehearsal would be the recording I posted after the show.
So here we go
Forever Young - working title at the OM “miss as many D chords as you can sir”
Soulshine - debut OM lead intro - memo to self wear gloves next time
I should add the chuntering at the start of Soulshine, was not due entirely due to the fact I’d been in the studio for about 3 hours and was losing the plot. But having called it a wrap, got my daughter to sign of levels and balance via YouTube, as part of the normal preparation, I decided to do the song again, without switch to the clean setting used on Forever Young as per the plan. So it was quicker to explain and add a bit of banter while recording, so feel free to ignore.
These recordings are to prove that, any lash ups in last night’s performance were down to nerves or general incompetence on the day ! In view of the comments on my vocal during the OM, from the above you’ll hear how much nerves. choked Mr Z little number.
These post have also previous gone out as Madman Diary Appendix but I am not sure where I am going with that this year.
I didn’t see the OM so not sure how they compare - but - that Forever Young performance in particular. Wow, you nailed it. Belted it out too, sounded great. Worthy of the stage I reckon.
Soulshine was great too, outshone by Forever Young though!
Two good songs to play and sing. I find it ironic that the idea of rehearsals and dry runs are to iron out all the goofs and fumbles, so it will be alright on the night. Guess one day in the future that might actually happen In the mean time I will keep recording the last day’s practice, so I have a record of how it should have been done.
Cracking stuff Toby. I need to pay tribute to the manner in which you shrug off your flubs, big kudos for that, all lesson to all that everyone makes them and keeping going is the thing to do.
Thank you Richard. 2 things I learnt Saturday night. Don’t make heartfelt speeches before you’re about to perform and avoid cyber attacks from Poland at all possible costs. Maybe I was too early with that jest about Denis Norden. Hey ho onwards and upwards.
You meant from Polish hackers Toby based in the UK honestly well done you pushed through regardless of bumps on the way and I think you did amazing both during the night and with your dry runs.
There is always something Toby - if not hackers then people unmuting and humming along to other performers, all fun
Always good to have a mad start to the week.
Enjoyed your set on Saturday, big man, but second helpings in peace and quiet allow more flavour-savouring.
Not a big Bobby D fan, but this is a good’un and you pull it off with panache
As for “fiddling with your dirty box”, well what can I say?
“Rien ne va plus!”
Ta for the befores and afters (and before the afters?? )
Something I mentioned to Richard when he was umming and ahing about having a song or not. Norden used to do a show called It Will Be Alright On The Night. It was a humorous take on, if it can go wrong it will go wrong.
Its still felt more like a cyber attack than a hack but I know you didn’t mean it. But don’t be staging DOS blitz for the next one ! And thanks for the comments on the takes.
Thanks Toby. Don’t think I ever heard that one. The think with Frank Muir was classic. I forget what it was called. They used to take popular quotes and then tell funny stories with the quote re-worded. I’ve never forgotten ‘mad bad and not to be knowed’ that became ‘Maud bored and not to be gnawed’
Cheers Brian, must admit I find the Zimmer a bit marmite and his voice irritating on a lot of songs. But that was one I have always liked, as I say though, the slow and not the one with straw and gingham. And as to the dirty box fiddling, well it was a good old bit of SR !
Glad you enjoyed them.
Marmite is a yeast extract a bit like Oz Vegimite. There are two schools of thought.
Love it.
Hate it.
So when some tag something as “marmite” it could be taken as one or the other or a bit of both.
Ahhh love a bit of Madman in the morning! Now the live performance was pretty spot on this time in fairness so I don’t think an awful lot of improvement needed. I think your vocals on the pre-recording (in particular Forever Young) benefit from you being a bit more relaxed. Just sound stronger and you can hold that note for a bit longer. Overall both songs really well played and sung.
Thanks Toby, my guess was on the money then. We have marmite in South Africa and I’m in the ‘not a lover’ group.
Unlike some of Dylan’s stuff that I can enjoy, but not all. Not suprising given the size of the catalog. Have you listened to World Gone Wrong? Quite like that one, which is perhaps not as well known as some of the others.
Thank you Robert, really appreciate that. But I guess having the right songs and the right motivation always helps. And a good dose of Chris Liepe’s Discover Your Voice helped a wee tad ! Well I should say a huge tad !
I’d have to agree with your analysis, as I was pretty happy with the overall OM performance. I just new I’d fluff the lead playing it live but the multiple missed D chords in FY were a mystery. Maybe its one of the hardest things of not having a rotational set and always bringing or trying to bring a new song or two. But, still, I think the self critique and post match assessment is key to seeing the areas of improvement.
In the mean time I will keep recording the last day’s practice, so I have a record of how it should have been done.
honestly well done you pushed through regardless of bumps on the way and I think you did amazing both during the night and with your dry runs.
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