Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein
I agree it's the adrenalin.
It took me a long time to overcome it. I did it by (a) not taking myself too seriously and (b) being more fatalistic....
It's also good to vary your repertoire. One reason people ever like hearing me is that they don't have to sit through all the same tunes every time the see me go on stage. Originals, popular tunes, obscure old chestnut — it doesn't matter. Part of entertainment is the familiar, another part is the surprise.
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My friend, I was sitting at my table performing my obligatory hot cereal breakfast ritual when I read your thoughtful response to my dilemma. Being a bit bleary-eyed, well, much of the time, I mis-read your word "fatalist." As in, "I did it by being being more fantastic...." And I thought, good on ya, mate. There's a man who walks with pride - the punch line to a joke that would ring the nanny-bell here. I will tell it to you sometime.
And you are so right about the need to vary one's repertoire for the sake of the audience. My wife and I went to a concert last week where a solo, singer-songwriter performed all original material for 90 minutes.
It was a courageous, yeoman effort for an audience of 10-12. Thematically, her lyrical style focused on deep, dense introspection in a musical structure that featured no relief typically provided by a chorus. More like poetry set to music than lyrics, I thought.
Conversely, her guitar accompaniment for the most part was a I, IV V structure in each song. Most of the variety was provided only by a capo. My mind wandered after a few doppelganger songs, and I found myself focusing on her fingers, watching for the move on the neck I predicted in advance.
Again, it was a strong effort on her part. I just did not relate to the music. And that made the sameness all the more challenging for me. I learned a lot that night, frankly about what to avoid in my own sets.
Best
David