Nobody: How’s rehearsing for recording the videos going?
Me: oh…. you know…. pretty glad that radiators there to balance the tripod on….
Nobody: is that your desk lamp!?
Me: yes…. I’m ordering more lights.
Nobody: does it work?
Me: Mostly….
Nobody: well you needn’t have stayed up half the night worrying about it then hey…. what song are you working on
Me: Borrowing Trouble…. Yes I know. Ironic.
Nobody 😂🤣😂
Me: go away,
Ive been busking today in the glorious sunshine. I’ve been out a few times since the shops opened it’s still a bit quiet but the overall response has been positive. Locals have been coming up and saying it’s nice to hear ne again so that’s encouraging.
I’ve tried out my lockdown arrangements. I’m enjoying playing Death on Two Legs, Only You and 9-5.. Famous Last Words is in the wrong key for the High st as the lower vocals get lost in the general rumblings and noise of the street so I’ll have to revisit that one… not giving up on it yet. The Pretender, I’ve done once or twice but I’m not that comfortable yet and I’ve not yet played Rio on the street.
Then, at the end of lockdown I thought I’d have a go at The Greatest Show. It’s such a big song so I didn’t take it very seriously, just fiddled around with it. Then it started taking shape and I decided this week I’d go for it. I sang it today for the first time. It was a bit ragged if I’m honest, there’s a lot of words and the energy of the song just drags you along but I did it and I loved playing it.
The thing is, I never feel ready to play a new song , it’s always a leap of faith. Sometimes it works , sometimes not so much… I’m pleased with how today went.
So anyway I’m back home having a cup of tea… mmmmmm tea….
Well this weekend we hoped to be playing at Glastonbury at Crooners Corner. That was before lockdown. So here are some clips of me, standing on the tail lift of our converted truck, singing some of the songs I would have sung….
Fingers crossed for next year and hoping there still is a ‘Creative industry’ following lockdown….. 😘
I’ve got to be honest, when ever I take on a version of a song like this, Doris from Gavin and Stacey comes to mind singing Girlfriend in a coma…🤣😂. I wonder if I’ll play this on the street, if we ever get to play on the street again!
I think I’ll enjoy performing it., even if I do look like some old lady singing with a guitar!
So anyway, this is my work in progress, recorded flat in our horse truck.
With my Martin being in the shop for a repair, I’ve been using some of my other guitars. Yes, I have other guitars, who just has one!
I borrowed my husband’s Martin but the jack plug wasn’t working so I went back to my 3/4 Takamini … I played this one when I first started busking. It’s a lovely guitar but it’s not my Martin. So, the last couple of days I’ve been using my Takamine EN30C … the guitar I bought when I was 17.
I traded in a Yamaha jumbo and my dad loaned me the money to buy it. It’s the guitar I busked with acoustically on Spui strasse in Amsterdam. I played it in various bands, at music college, in front of the muted TV ( one of my favourite things) …. I thought it would be to fragile to take out on the street.
Well I have loved playing it. It’s been like taking out an aged relative expecting cream teas and a bit of snooze only to find them drinking shots and dancing on the table. Such a wonderful guitar❣️
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