Osckilo's Live performence journey..........

[Ted]

Tharek,

It's great to see you in motion.  I agree with Nigel's advice.  Lots of people (including me) have suggested that you stop apologizing--that's what not to say.  But what great advice: Plan for what you will say as well what you want to project to the audience: "I am awesome and you will love this."  If you project that, your playing and singing will certainly confirm the expectation.

Now for a little relevant threadjacking:

A few weeks ago I played bass for a friend at a live performance.  He hadn't been performing at open mics, or in any public venue for years.  He tried to pull off a one-hour set.  It was a minor debacle.  He was nervous, his playing was clumsy, his banter was awkward (although he never apologized that I can recall).  Every song we did ran into trouble.  He even stopped in the middle of one long song and moved his capo when he realized it was one fret off.  But it was clear to me from my seat as one of his sidemen that the audience wanted him to succeed.  They clapped after we limped to the end of every song.  They really wanted him to relax and pull off the performance of which he was clearly capable.

If my friend had honed his set three songs at a time in front of open mic audiences--as you are doing--the whole event would have been completely different.

And for the finale, he let the lead guitarist--a seasoned pro--sing the vocals.

(I recorded this with the Micro BR with one of those possibly-counterfeit Sony mics.  The right and left channel sounded totally different.  I tried to tweak it with Audacity.)

Peaceful Easy Feeling

[OsCKilO]

This Sounds Great Ted!!!!

Bass is Killer!!!!!!!!!

And the vocals are something Special!!!!!


Awesome!!!!!!! Would have Been a Great set by the sound of this!!!!!!!





I Will stop saying sorry!!!!!
I promise!!!!!!!


Once again ..... Great performance Ted!!!

[Rata-tat-tat]

Tharek,

Hey man... thanks for posting your journey. I have to say I've learned something on this thread. I too am guilty of  saying "Sorry". As a matter of fact... I just did it last weekend during a performance and I lost my voice. My bandmates were there to help out; however, I still ended up apologizing after the song was over. My intentions were good; however, after reading this thread... I guess I never thought of the way an apology might come off during a live performance. I agree with everyone here. You are very musically talented... and should never have to appologize... even if you do make a mistake. Not everyone has the intestinal fortitude to get up in front of a group of strangers or even freinds for that matter to expose themselves musically. It's a true bearing of the soul... and you my friend deliver songs from that place most people are afraid to go. You put some heart into your playing and it shows. Me and the boys like to refer to soul bearing experience as... "Throwing Some Stank" on it.  Spoken like a true rocker eh... LOL Anyhow... thanks for the post keep on doin what you do. I'll stay tuned in.

V/R
Tod

[OsCKilO]

Tod


Thanks Bro!!! It  Means a Lot to me!!

You Should Post some of your Live stuff on this thread!



 " Stank" .....     Cool!!!!!!!!!!!  Lol







This weeks Open Mic was a Xmas get together....

Started Late.....   The 1" of snow (I know....) Brought London to a stand still...

Everyone was very late.....

I Got there First and had a fair Few Guiness before we started.....





Anyway...


Tony Has Kindly Updated the Open Mic Video........

And edited it to Just Show my efforts in the areas I needed to improve on from last week...

So you Dont Have to sit threw the Entire performance to reach this weeks Subject....

Stage Banter....

http://smf.snowboardmecca.com/index.php?topic=209.msg716#msg716


The Video is at the top of the page and replaces last weeks.....

Peace Guys



And Merry Christmas!!!!!!!


T(Osckilo)


Ps

Satch.......


a Hat Just for you!

[T.C. Elliott]

I'm gonna endorse what Nigel said. I have played out quite a bit in a cover band over the years and am now putting a band back together for the first time in a while. If I had to sing in front of people I'd be just as guilty of some of this as most. Maybe even more so. But I read this blog and it really is spot on.

You can read the whole thing here:
Showcase Guidelines

The pertinent parts are copied here. This blog is by Eric Beall who is an instructor at Berklee Music's online (and I guess real life) campus.

We are not simply in the music business. This is the entertainment business. Musicians do not simply compete with other musicians for opportunities and an audience. Music competes with television, movies, sports, video games, social networking, a dinner out, and anything else that fills the average person's time when not at work. If your musical performance is not more fun, or more interesting, or more emotionally satisfying than those other things, you will not be successful. Eventually, friends will get tired of coming out of a sense of duty. You will need to entertain them. Here's four tips as to how:

1. Ponder your pacing.
Every form of entertainment, from movies to theater to sports is focused on grabbing an audience's attention, holding it by raising the tension and the intensity, then releasing it at the end with a big climax. How then does a songwriter offer up three ballads in a row? When you think of the time and effort that goes into editing a feature film, how can a band get onstage and think to work out the set list on the spot? Broadway shows spend weeks in previews, just trying to fix those few moments where the energy lags. Any performer should put that same amount of thought into his or her set list, to grab hold of the crowd and not let go.

2. Practice at home.
If you can't play your guitar without looking at the frets, or the piano without looking at the keys, or remember the words or the chords to your song, there is a very simple solution available, and it works for everyone. Sit alone in your room and do it over and over again until you can do it perfectly. No one watches John Mayer or Alicia Keys and wonders if they might hit a wrong note. This is because at some point in their existence, they spent hour after hour learning to do what they do. There are no shortcuts and no excuses. Practice. In private.

3. Don't speak, unless or until you have something to say.
If you have a funny story, or a witty aside, or feel like saying something outrageous, by all means speak up. But remember, if you are awkward and uncomfortable and prone to mumbling things that can barely elicit a titter of laughter from a group of your friends, it's very easy to hide it. Just don't say anything. Know your set list, move immediately from one song to the next, and let the music speak for itself. No one ever complained that Bob Dylan didn't speak onstage. There's a power in silence. Use it.

4. Compete.
Put any two great performers together, whether it's Billy Joel and Elton John, or Tina Turner and Mick Jagger, or Jay-Z and Kanye, and you'll get a war. An entertaining war, but a battle nonetheless. Great performers take the stage as if they own it, are sure that they're the best band or artist on the bill, and will not stop until they have won the audience over. No audience has an obligation to listen attentively, or give you a chance to express your feelings. You have to grab the opportunity and make believers out of people. The music business is not a self-help group or an open forum for all interested parties. It's a jungle, with thousands of aspiring artists fighting desperately to cut through the clutter and reach an audience. Superstars understand that it is a world of "kill or be killed". You have to be ready to compete.

[OsCKilO]

Thanks Piggy Bro!!!!!!!!!

That is Awesome Advice!!!!!


Gonna have a Read on the link.....

The Compete section hits home....

I Had to Follow a comedy act on Monday.....  They were Awesome!!!!!
An Elvis Impersonator singing rage against the machine!

My stuff is very Different to Comedy Tunes..... 


I had to Pull "White Christmas" out from nowhere....  Lol

Needed a transition...







I pit the Banter Vid on YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qLNxZg_X74

[Tony W]

not too damn bad of quality for a cell phone recording Tharek!

The banter was much better than anything previous to this performance.

The white christmas bit had me rolling.

We muslims want peace.... and guinness! priceless

I enjoyed the banter, I never felt awkward for you, I recommend that you tune with the capo off, or at least on the right fret from now on though!

[OsCKilO]

Oh yeah....


Forgot to say.....

The Guy I was Talking to in the Vid...  Dave.... Is Gonna Play with me next week...

A friend of the Family and Awesome Guitarist!!!

Osckilo has two people in it again!!!

[Oldrottenhead]

im never gonna get up in front of an audience pigfarmer jr, but that was fascinating advice, i have made a mental note in case i ever change my mind.
 t loved the banter. i thought you where sing white christmas with a scottish accent lol.

[Ted]

The music business is not a self-help group ...

Whoever wrote that hasn't been to my monthly song circle.

Tharek's banter--particularly his references to his religion--had me wondering how that would have gone over on this side of the Atlantic.  Had it been in some parts of the country (such as Washington DC, where I lived for 10 years) I would have thought it nice that he could feel so comfortable with the audience.  Had it been in other parts of the country (perhaps in Arizona, where I live now) I would have felt uneasy wondering whether he'd just invited harassment from a local bigot.