Open Mic 005: Recording + After-Show Party & Chat

Richard_close2u · January 8, 2022, 4:17pm

Open Mic 005 - December 11 2021.

Richard_close2u · January 8, 2022, 4:18pm

Selected responses from the original Forum After-Show Party & Chat here: Open Mic 005 - After Show Party

TheMadman_tobyjenner:

Big thanks to @Rossco01 / Jason for floating the idea to do this at the start of the year, it’s been a fantastic experience. Thank you Adi for all the work behind the scenes on the Zoom and keeping the ball rolling at show time. Thank you David for both your MC performance (and Jason) but for taking on the co-ordination role, leading up to events. Thank you to everyone who has performed this year, felt those nerves and experienced the rush. Thank you to everyone who has joined the audience and added to the stress levels when we step up to that mic. No seriously the OMs would not have been the same without you all out there in the ether! Thank you Brian for being Brian. 'kin magic lah. Thank you to all on the Forum who have supported us. Wow what a friggin year its been. Magic !!

Cheers Toby 8)

brianlarsen:

Good to spend another fun evening with the open mic crowd-

What a variety of performances. Go give yourselves a medal, pour an extra large measure in that glass and pat yourselves on the back. esp. those in the audience, esp. those across the ponds…

Thanks all for being so patient and forgiving- a long wait for one short song! This was much more fun to prepare than the others, primarily because it was Chris and Geraldine who had suggested we learn. It was a pity my son Tor couldn’t join us for a flute solo on the night, but I was chuffed he wanted to. Much as I enjoy sharing music and thoughts with my forum friends, I’m still surprised that my guitar journey has brought me closer to both family and friends too.

When you have your editing scissors out Ade, feel free to snip liberally at the intro. Those pregnant silences while the missus was on the phone felt like an eternity. Murphy’s law strikes again. I’m also fully aware that the song itself breaks several forum rules and am happy for it not to be included in shared post. To quote Megadeth: What do you mean I don’t support your system? I go to court when I have to.

Richard_close2u · January 8, 2022, 4:20pm

Further comments from the original topic.

pikeamus:

It’s honestly amazing to me how hard it is to spot mistakes when there is singing going on over the top and the rhythm stays steady. I was sure my guitar mistakes yesterday were pretty bad, on the first track in particular. When I listened back this morning I was expecting the errors to be so obvious that I missed them on the first casual re-listen.

Really good work from everyone yesterday. Some favourites include Harvest Moon from Richard (I love that track and had to sing along), Bad Moon Rising from David (inspired choice to get us off with a bang) and Adrian’s closer from Pearl Jam, but honestly everyone should be proud of their performances.

A shame that you didn’t like the balance on that recording enough for it to make the youtube vid, Adrian. I can see why it bothered you but honestly I really enjoyed the performance anyway and thought it was a great way to finish the event.

Richard_close2u:

@ Sandra mainly as your comment and concern about performing is freshly made here … If you have not previously viewed, look back at OM1 and the livestream … as an A vs B comparison with the most recent.

I’m sure that the anxiety, the clams, the mis-steps, the flubbed chords, the forgotten lyrics, the variable tempo as adrenaline kicked in will be peppered somewhere across those recordings from most performers. And, as everyone continues to attest of their own performances, no-one believes to have truly nailed a top-drawer live take, everyone is always aware of their own errors. It may be that the errors are becoming smaller and less obvious for the casual viewer but in the minds of the performers they are still very much present in the conscience as you play.

Your video recordings tell all of us here that you are very ready and able to take a turn in the roster. For sure, you’ll be apprehensive, sweaty-palmed, wracked with pre-performance nerves. And then you’ll do it and you’ll be hyped. Plus you’ll be kicking yourself that it wasn’t as good as your rehearsal. Plus you’ll wonder if people noticed all the things that you know you did wrong. And, crucially, you’ll have done it. You’ll be a live performer, an Open Mic participant - and you’ll be hungry to do it again.

If you want a small sampler of the feeling - but only an approximation - do what others have done and record / upload some one-take songs. Strictly one-take. No stop & start agains.

This is for everyone still wondering about joining in.