Thoughts etc...

[johnny9fingers]

Will get picked up by Nikki and Mark (sax player and bassist) at 5am, that's nine hours. Setting up my No 2 Strat. Trying to get the intonation right. New strings (+1 spare set + spare top and fourth). Bag packed. Hardshell case for the ax. Remember to detune strings to slack for the flight. Euros....Our Leader (Martin, the drummer) has been doing sterling work organising all of this. We don't appreciate him enough. I have to remember that he does all the admin, poor love. We're lucky to have the gigs, apart from the fact that we're damn good given the limited palette of the form: wedding bands are about getting drunk folk dancing their asses off to recognisable tunes. It's all about groove and vibe.

Fifteen years ago I would have spurned ever doing 'covers' of any kind. I'd teach folk how to play songs, but....'covers' was for folk that couldn't write and couldn't compose and couldn't get on with other people enough to collaborate effectively. Not that I'm being snobbish about it now, though I was at the time.

Now, the most superior person I know, about fifteen years ago too (coincidence or what) suggested that I should concentrate on the 'craft' aspect of what I did, which was not to talk of technique, because although not flawless, my technical abilities are.....I'm pretty accomplished, though I'll never make a first-rank classical or flamenco player: but was about repertoire and the craft of learning.

Performing musicians are like actors: vast chunks of information have to be committed to memory to be regurgitated at the appropriate microsecond in the right way.
Sometimes my brain feels full, and I just can't cram that last (probably vital) bit in.....
 

Comments

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[e-compass-rosa.livejournal.com]

And get some sleep too. : )