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Post by Joe Durnavich on Dec 18, 2007 23:50:41 GMT -4
Status Quo - otherwise known as Spinal Tap?
Well, if so, I guess Matchstick Men is from the Listen to the Flower People psychedelic incarnation of the band.
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reynoldbot
Jupiter
A paper-white mask of evil.
Posts: 790
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Post by reynoldbot on Dec 19, 2007 7:02:33 GMT -4
Let's keep this going. How many people here have played music live in front of an audience, and what is your best on-stage story?
I have quite a bit to choose from, but I'll use this one: I played for this impromptu group called Canta Slaus. We would essentially crash local concerts and somehow get whatever band was playing to let us on stage to play with them. Then we would break out our only song, a riotous cover of Ween's "Awesome Sound." During the performance we would attempt to destroy ourselves and whatever equipment we were playing (as well as any audience members we came in contact with) and the room was usually empty by the time we were finished. We upstaged the last performance of a legendary local punk band in Houston called Fatty and the Uglies (and they loved it).
Our best performance was made at the winter talent show at my high school. We told the teachers we would play "Deck the Halls" and we did for about ten seconds, but then we broke out into Awesome Sound. The singer was wearing tight stonewashed jeans, a leather jacket about ten sizes too small for him, a wizard hat, and a flannel trenchcoat. It was instant pandemonium as the entire school got out of their chairs and started throwing them, and the students had to be evacuated from the building. Somehow we were not expelled or even punished.
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Jason
Pluto
May all your hits be crits
Posts: 5,579
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Post by Jason on Dec 19, 2007 12:00:57 GMT -4
I've sung live in front of an audience quite often, but I haven't played an instrument in front of an audience since High School.
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Post by JayUtah on Dec 19, 2007 17:41:54 GMT -4
Way too many performances to count. My most profound and moving music performance experience was a performance of Beethoven's 9th symphony under the direction of Robert Shaw. Shaw is the Werhner von Braun of choral music.
Funniest experience was singing for money on the Champs Elysees in Paris in order to get some quick cash.
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Post by laurel on Dec 19, 2007 18:24:45 GMT -4
This wasn't onstage, but I did sing a Tracy Chapman song during a university lecture once. I didn't get any applause though.
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Post by Ginnie on Dec 19, 2007 21:26:15 GMT -4
My only regret in life is not playing in a band. My biggest performance was playing bass at a few parties - the biggest audience maybe forty? Jammed quite a few times...that's about it. I think its too late now to think about being in a band, I know a few musicians who do but the expenses and dedication go beyond what I'd be willing to give.
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Post by echnaton on Dec 20, 2007 0:33:24 GMT -4
I played hand bells in 8th grade, but my inability to keep time made me somewhat out of pace with everyone else. I also tried glee club but was transfered out before the bell rang to begin the first class. Since that time my performances have been limited to air guitar. But on the bright side, I've taught my kids to play too, so the family air guitar band is getting pretty good. At least my wife claps.
So no stories here.
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reynoldbot
Jupiter
A paper-white mask of evil.
Posts: 790
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Post by reynoldbot on Dec 20, 2007 5:16:58 GMT -4
This wasn't onstage, but I did sing a Tracy Chapman song during a university lecture once. I didn't get any applause though. I've had my fair share of embarrassing performances, some of which still make me shudder to think about.
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Post by wingerii on Dec 20, 2007 10:40:47 GMT -4
I've played piano since I was six. I've never "performed", per se, but the skill does come in handy if you find yourself at a house party with a piano. I can't stand Coldplay myself, but girls seem to love it...
Actually, I lie. I was the pianist in the school jazz band in grade eight. That was a lot of fun. I also played the flute in music class and various school bands in grades 7-9.
I'd love to learn to play a horn sometime, but that will probably have to wait until after I graduate. I think guitar would be fun to learn, as well, and given that I've mastered the Guitar Hero video games, I'm well on my way, right? Right?
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Jason
Pluto
May all your hits be crits
Posts: 5,579
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Post by Jason on Dec 20, 2007 11:48:54 GMT -4
I've mastered the Guitar Hero games as well, and I'm teaching myself to play guitar. The games are much easier.
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Post by nomuse on Dec 20, 2007 23:45:39 GMT -4
I choke up before a live audience. All my stuff is pre-recorded. Mostly theatrical underscore and transition music executed on MIDI keyboard and sequencer (and on that...just grabbed copies of GPO _and_ JABB at Gary Garritan's holiday sale. Can't wait for them to arrive so I can start playing with them!)
Oddly, tho, last show I did I was playing live. One scene was especially dragging (actress had no sense of timing) and I improvised a shaker riff and added it to the underscore; right there, live, from my portable keyboard as I was sitting in the back of the theater running the mics.
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Post by JayUtah on Dec 21, 2007 12:51:35 GMT -4
Coordinating recorded elements and live elements is, in my opinion, much more difficult than a straight-up live performance.
In a stadium show once we tried to coordinate the end of a recorded rendition of Star Spangled Banner with a B-1B fly-over. I was "directing" the choir, who was lip-synching to their pre-recorded singing. (Stadium shows almost never use live audio.) Then in my ear-bug I heard the USAF coordinator say the bomber had made its final turn too wide and and to slow down in order to S-turn back into the groove.
The original plan called for the "...home of the brave" to blend into gut-wrenching afterburner noise for which the B-1 is justly famous. Didn't happen. The recorded track ended when it ended, the crowd applauded, and the B-1 flew over anticlimactically as the choir left the stage. Bummer.
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reynoldbot
Jupiter
A paper-white mask of evil.
Posts: 790
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Post by reynoldbot on Dec 22, 2007 10:24:27 GMT -4
I've mastered the Guitar Hero games as well, and I'm teaching myself to play guitar. The games are much easier. Being someone who plays both guitar and bass, I actually find Guitar Hero much harder. It's just too different. I used to get really nervous when I played in front of audiences (mostly because we had never practiced enough) but I grew to love it and I relish the opportunity. I was so desperate to play onstage last year I joined a really really bad rock band and got roped into recording an EP with them. Not too fun, but it was good to be performing again.
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Post by Ginnie on Mar 29, 2008 13:42:49 GMT -4
Time for some more fun with lists!
I was going to start a separate thread for this but decided to keep it all under MUSIC TALK.
What albums have you heard in your life that are 'perfect' albums. That is, an Album (or CD nowadays) from an artist that have no filler or mediocre tracks on it.? The rarity where all the songs are either very good to excellent. I can't think of too many - there's usually one song on any album that is 'just okay', Anyway, here are a few that I can think of:
(oh, no Best of or LIve albums allowed)
The Clash - London Calling (double album) The Beatles - Abbey Road & Sgt. Pepper The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet & Exile on Main St. (double album) The Who - Tommy (double album) Alice Cooper - Killer Roxy Music - Roxy Music Yes - Close to the Edge Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II & Physical Graffiti (double album) Neil Young - After the Gold Rush Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Impossible Dream David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars & Diamond Dogs
Admittedly, mine are from a certain era (mostly seventies). I'm a bit surprised at how many double albums that I have listed. Your would expect a dud or two on those (that's why The Beatles White album never made the list, due to Revolution #9).
Oh, another thing. Some songs on these albums don't entirely stand up on their own - it is in the context of playing the full album that they are good. e.g. Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family on Diamond Dogs or Sergeant Fury on The Impossible Dream, or even some of the Tommy tracks.
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Post by BertL on Mar 29, 2008 16:16:42 GMT -4
Thanks for the bump!
Today, my parents bought me an acoustic guitar. It's a black one from Richmond, and it's symmetric. Thing is, I play the guitar left handed, and the guitar is for right handed persons. But that's not a big deal, I'm managing just fine. Plus, that way I can just steal a guitar and play the one when this one gets broken.
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