So how many of us are guilty of doing this? We book tickets to see a band or a musician we really like, we find out what time they're on and then what do we do, either turn up late or sit outside drinking beer...all the time not knowing or hearing what's going down on stage.
Today I was in the car listening to 2 acts who supported Counting Crows on tour in the UK last month, one being Blind Pilot, the other being a solo artist, Saul Ashby. Whilst Blind Pilot played a set at Wembley I naively sat outside with a beer in my hand pondering the Crows choices for a setlist along with the majority of an 8,000 - 10,000 strong crowd...big mistake.
So then the Brixton gig got re-scheduled because Adam Duritz was ill and this time I made an effort to see the support act...Saul Ashby. The guy was amazing. For a solo artist, virtually, if not completely unknown to come on stage and play a solo acoustic set in front of I'd guess a crowd at that point in excess of 2,500, was simply awesome. Had I opted for the beer and chat outside I would have missed something quite special.
Why do we do it? I guess we have this in built notion that the act we have come to see, in this case Counting Crows is all we really want to see so whatever else is playing no matter how good it is, is just not worth seeing.
This got me thinking...the best way to get people in their seats early is for the "headline act" to open the show, play for a while, go off for an undisclosed amount of time, then come back and play a set. Then an arena/venue would be filled start to finish.
I thought I was being a pioneer and then, well turns out someone else had the same idea. Counting Crows are currently on a tour (with some odd name I am far too drunk right now to remember) with Augustana (who I know nothing of, yet!), and they're doing exactly that according to this update from Adam Duritz.
So it's a request/preach tonight. Next time you go to a gig, get in and see the support act(s). I learnt the hard way of what I was missing whilst having a beer outside...go support the lesser artists...more times than not they're awesome.
I am a bit drunk right now so I hope that all makes sense. Basically drink less. listen and drink more :-)
Showing posts with label Crows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crows. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Major breakthrough's and minor miracles
The title of my forthcoming album...I think not!!! You'll never see one of those from me... on the basis that some things are best left to those with real talent.
Anyhoo (I've always wanted to say that out loud and never done it)...I've owned a guitar for 8 months and been trying to teach myself how to play it. I go through frustrating parts where I feel like giving it up but then I have little breakthroughs which make me want to keep working at it.
The first was when I learnt properly how to play my first song, Walkaways (not the official video but I just found this and it's really cool) by Counting Crows from Recovering the Satellites, which is a short song with quite repetitive chords but something I've really struggled with is singing albeit badly with the guitar. I've found the concept of this totally alien to the point I actually almost gave up.
Early in June I was lucky to grab an hour or so with Greg Holden after his gig at Monkey Chews and over a few beers I said to him that I tried to sing and play and simply couldn't and I was so shocked to learn he couldn't either for the first 6 months. It made me feel a little less retarded, even if he was bending the truth to make me feel normal, which is possible.
So wind the clock forward a month and I've been trying to master his song Bar On A. I've got the chorus sorted and I play the bridge from the chorus into the verses brilliantly (IMHO) although I find the chords in the verses quite tricky at the moment. But there I was playing the chorus and all of a sudden bang, I started singing and it worked, to the point I did it again, and again and again....significant breakthrough, even if it's a tiny part of the song....it's still a result.
Anyways that's not a review of anything but my lack of talent, and perhaps a bit self-indulgent but I just felt it needed sharing with the world...oh and no I won't be youtubing or making a CD so please no requests...it would make you very very unwell.
Anyhoo (I've always wanted to say that out loud and never done it)...I've owned a guitar for 8 months and been trying to teach myself how to play it. I go through frustrating parts where I feel like giving it up but then I have little breakthroughs which make me want to keep working at it.
The first was when I learnt properly how to play my first song, Walkaways (not the official video but I just found this and it's really cool) by Counting Crows from Recovering the Satellites, which is a short song with quite repetitive chords but something I've really struggled with is singing albeit badly with the guitar. I've found the concept of this totally alien to the point I actually almost gave up.
Early in June I was lucky to grab an hour or so with Greg Holden after his gig at Monkey Chews and over a few beers I said to him that I tried to sing and play and simply couldn't and I was so shocked to learn he couldn't either for the first 6 months. It made me feel a little less retarded, even if he was bending the truth to make me feel normal, which is possible.
So wind the clock forward a month and I've been trying to master his song Bar On A. I've got the chorus sorted and I play the bridge from the chorus into the verses brilliantly (IMHO) although I find the chords in the verses quite tricky at the moment. But there I was playing the chorus and all of a sudden bang, I started singing and it worked, to the point I did it again, and again and again....significant breakthrough, even if it's a tiny part of the song....it's still a result.
Anyways that's not a review of anything but my lack of talent, and perhaps a bit self-indulgent but I just felt it needed sharing with the world...oh and no I won't be youtubing or making a CD so please no requests...it would make you very very unwell.
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