Wit & Wisdom Award - to honour the geniality of Brian Larsen

[Richard_close2u]

Original Forum thread here: Wit & Wisdom Award - to honour the geniality of Brian Larsen

Awarded September 19, 2020

Brian is a well liked and respected friend to so many in our community. He arrived as a raw beginner seeking help along the way as he learned to play the basic chords. Soon he penned and performed his first 3-chord song and has developed a unique, recognisable style.

His stock in trade is warmth, generosity and a mild, easy manner mixed in with some self-deprecating humour. Brian also has a canny knack of telling a story and has shared many tales of his younger years, his travels and the insight gained.

Here’s to you Brian!

[Richard_close2u]

Original responses from the original Forum thread.

@DavidP

I’ll drink to that … three cheers Brian. We are all the better for your presence … couldn’t have said it better than the citation does.

@Majik

Yes, well deserved indeed. I’m always amazed at Brian’s creativity; this community would be poorer without his contributions. Cheers, Keith

@glpguitar

As every month, this one is also a well deserved award! Congrats! I will never forget the song Justin also mentions in the newsletter 8)

@ToshS

I love it. A great choice. Congratulations Brian!

@brianlarsen

I saw this in the newsletter yesterday and was not quite sure how or when to respond.

I’d like to say I’m speechless, but the current crop of regular forumites would smell a rat…

I’ve offered more cents than sense these last couple of years for you to swallow that

The most appropriate word to describe how I feel is humbled. That and the other word, which eludes me- you know, the one that describes the warm fuzzy feeling you get in your belly when someone you really like pays you a compliment. Some people are so Machiavellian (in moderation):

I announce I am taking a step back from the forum. Richard and Lieven’s response? Hook him with the forum award and reel him back in. I can see right through you guys

Seriously, thank you all. I’ve missed the interaction more than I thought I would and even though I take a sneaky peak at the forum most days, it’s not quite the same. I never could have predicted that inviting my mum to come and live with us, would have unforeseeable consequences like a romantic holiday in Venice and receiving this forum award.

Life is weird, but wonderful.

Anyway, enough waffle. This is a guitar site.

I’m still trying to learn and play. I’m learning one song I really like with a bit of alt bass picking and a more complicated strumming pattern than I’m used to, and another short arpeggiated one, in which I don’t quite get the lyrics, so am taking the liberty of altering to my taste. I will probably share before I should.

I treated Hagar to a pimping beauty session at a friend’s house the other night and gave him a new set of strings. A fair bit of fiddling with a screwdriver on the bridge to get rid of nasty buzzing afterwards.

I bought my son a G&L L-2000 Tribute bass (natural) with the remainder of the booty from my old Vespa. I watched a YouTube video how to set up, adjusted the truss rod and lowered the action- yay!

If I answer all the inevitable congratulations individually, this little surprise will drag me closer to the I K posting mark (just kidding)

Looking forward to reporting to the great Guru himself! ;D

Thanks again. Brian

@TonyP

I’d like to add my congratulations Brian. I haven’t been around that long so our paths haven’t crossed that much but you have contributed to one or 2 of my posts which have been helpful. All the best to you & Hagar with your current project! Well done Mate. Cheers Tony.

@Rossco01

Congratulations sir…well deserved IMHO.

@mari

I’m very happy for you to receive this Forum Award, Brian, and I will definitely look forward to you sharing Wit & Wisdom from your lesson!

“Anyway, enough waffle. This is a guitar site. I’m still trying to learn and play.”

And yes Brian although you recognize that you clearly also recognize that it’s the people as much as the music. For the guitar bit, I’ve definitely seen you learn and grow as a musician in your time here. For the people bit, well you were one of the good guys before you ever got here.

Mari

@DarrellW

Brian, you’re a ‘one off’ ‘broke the mould’ an absolute gem of a geezer!!! Very well deserved, now get on with learning

@CT

A tip of the cap and glass to Mr. Geniality. Cheers, man. Well deserved!

@LievenDV

Well deserved Brian

I’ve been enjoying your presence here well enough so yeah, this recognition wis well in its right :).

@stuartw

Congratulations on this, although only having been on here a few months I’m sure you haven’t a clue who I am!!!

@batwoman

Witty, warm and wonderful you are Brian, our community is richer for you being here. You’re a mighty fine man with a diverse range of talents and goodness and I celebrate you. Congratulations. :-*

@sairfingers

Congratulations Brian, I’ve had many a chuckle when reading your posts. Our guitar journey is somewhat similar I think, apart from songwriting, which is something I haven’t managed and something you clearly have a bit of a talent for.

When can we expect DEAD2? A nice alternating baseline and you could call it the WalkingDEAD.

Enjoy your lesson with Justin and keep the wit and wisdom coming.

@TheMadman_tobyjenner

Brian is a typical Scouser despite the Nordic nom de plume. Like most of his breed he is warm hearted, only to willing to help and will always be up for a larf. It has been a pleasure following his journey and progress on the forum. From someone asking those often repeated first questions, to offering advice and guidance. All intertwined with his many AOVYP performances, most being video recordings. Now to me that speak volumes. It’s all well and good posting Audio only takes and hiding the anonymity of the edited fluffs and re-fluffs - hey but keep doing that folks - but to go straight for the YT jugular his a brave move and I admire Brian for is confidence taking that path.

Alright Lah. Yer doing grand. Well deserved my man.

Cheers, Toby 8)

@Alex6strings

You’ve always been a stadium superstar in my eyes Brian. 8)

To say that the sight of your name on a thread is like burley for us forumites is an understatement. If Brian’s in, I’m in!

I’ve only been around a couple of years I think, maybe a bit longer but in that time i’ve seen amazing things. One of which is your progress. Your playing, your songwriting, your musicianship - all have taken massive leaps in the short time I’ve been around. You may not see it like we do but believe me, you’re an inspiration to many including myself.

This aside, your mere presence here promotes a friendly, honest and intellectually stimulating experience for us all. For this Mr Geniality I thank you. Congratulations on this recognition award and enjoy your time with the Guru big J. 8)

@SS7

Yess! Well deserved! Brian’s cover of Space Oddity is still one of greatest things I’ve seen posted here.

@kontenda

Congratulations Brian, a well deserved reward. I have always enjoyed your contribution to the forum. Enjoy the lesson.

@Balamuthiahv

Nice Brian! Congratulations! Well deserved mate! Just don’t forget to keep rockin’!

@max_mue

Yeah! Well deserved, Brian \m/ Your comments on this forum always brighten my mood

@markd85

Congrats Brain. Very well deserved. Just want to say thanks. We had a little conversation a couple of months ago in the AVOYP area and you inspired me to post my first video. Thank you for the encouragement Mark

[Richard_close2u]

Condensed appreciation from @brianlarsen

@brianlarsen

@Richard_close2u Thank you. I’ll deal with you later.

@DavidP Cheers! I’m standing on the shoulders of giants

@Majik Thanks, mate. I’ve enjoyed following your road-case and am still looking forward to hooking up one day when life returns to normality…

@glpguitar THANK YOU VERY MUCH (or did you mean DEAD? )

@ToshS Ha, coulda just as easily been you, man. Mucho respect and gracias

@Tony Cheers, mate. It doesn’t matter when you arrived - you’re in the right place now This is a great place to share your guitar journey. Enjoy

@Rossco01

@Mari Thank you kindly. Looking forward to the next Krista collab

@DarrellW Thank you. I like being a rebel who doesn’t colour too far over the lines Though I haven’t commented much on your helter skelter problems I’ve followed them, enjoyed your music, and happy to see more optimism in your posts

@LievenDV I’m in awe of the way you and Richard steer this ship. Much gratitude for all you do, as well as this honour. Hope you’re happy in your new home!

@stuartw Hagar is a Hagstrom Viking guitar I bought recently after selling my scooter. (I’m half Danish) (It’s also an old comic strip I used to read)

@batwoman Ah, Maggie… you vibrate more positively than anyone else on the forum. Sometimes, I think I feel a weird pull to provide an evil counter-balance (Just joking!)

@sairfingers Aye… an odd sense of kindred spirit! Perhaps in a previous life; or maybe the next? Sequels, now there’s a thought ;D

@TheMadman_tobyjenner Haha, Toby, you slipped your comment in as I was typing the above You, my friend, are one of the stalwarts here- a true pillar of the community. If I were an envious person, your French life-style, mean hog, and musical chops would be firmly in my sights. You share your knowledge, insights and personal travails to a fault. My only niggle would be the high standard you set for sharing your music. Very little confidence required, once you realise there’s a soft-landing-pad-guarantee on the AVOYP runway.

@Alex6strings Haha, cheers mate! We’ve probably indulged in enough backslapping to last us a while now ;D You better get back to practising next Wednesday’s offering and I need to focus on my next too…

@SS7 Thank you- very generous. Space Oddity feels like ages ago and was an important time for me, progressing with barre chords.

@kontenda @max_mue @balamuthiahv Now there are three names that always bring a big smile to my face when I see them pop up on my screen (the former two far too seldom these days Hope you’re all keeping well and thanks again for the congrats

@Mark Nicest thing I’ve read for a while! Have some vibes for making me smile

[TheMadman_tobyjenner]

Finally I have an excuse to drop in my “You Rock O’Larsen” giffy doofer. Great to read this again Brian, well deserved my good friend. Hope you are enjoying the family gathering !

[batwoman]

Such a fitting award for the Larsen lad.