# Open Mic Performance Video



## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

A friend recorded this on his iPad at an open mic in Keswick last Wednesday. Sound quality isn't amazing and my strings are well past their best-before date but I'm pretty happy with the set - the middle two tunes are new-ish-to-me, but I think they might be keepers with a bit more work.

If you have 15 minutes to kill, I would be happy to hear any constructive criticism.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Powderfinger: Nice dynamics in your strumming. I liked how you dialed down the volume at a couple of points. It adds some variety and focus in a song.

Nice picking on Closer to the Heart. Tough song choice! Hard to know what to do vocally. No one else sounds like Geddy Lee.

The U2 tune was my favourite. You played it in a style that was in your roundhouse, so it was easy to listen to, and had a nice groove. I'm not sure the break is worth it. Try skipping that, and see how you like it.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

DaddyDog said:


> Powderfinger: Nice dynamics in your strumming. I liked how you dialed down the volume at a couple of points. It adds some variety and focus in a song.
> 
> Nice picking on Closer to the Heart. Tough song choice! Hard to know what to do vocally. No one else sounds like Geddy Lee.
> 
> The U2 tune was my favourite. You played it in a style that was in your roundhouse, so it was easy to listen to, and had a nice groove. I'm not sure the break is worth it. Try skipping that, and see how you like it.


Thanks for the feedback! Dynamics have been something I've been working on for a while now so I'm glad you noticed! 

"Closer" is definitely tough vocally. Obviously, I don't try to sound like anyone but me, but even an octave down, that one is a bit of a trick (easier when I start the verse with the right chord ). Thanks for the kind words about the picking - I can play it better in my empty living room.  

Funnily enough, I only recently added the break to "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" because I felt it needed something more. At first I was doing a longer break - that is the condensed version. I'll keep workshopping it. I do love that tune - of the four, it's the only one that is on my performance A-list.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Sounds like Johnny Cash covering Neil.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Guncho said:


> Sounds like Johnny Cash covering Neil.


That's about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I played an Emmylou Harris song onetime and someone asked if it was a Tom Waits song.
Which I was OK with ..lol


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Someone once said I sounded like Clarence Carter when I was doing a Johnny Cash tune - I'll take that too!


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

bw66 said:


> I can play it better in my empty living room


My best performances are when I’m alone in the basement. I struggle with anxiety, and I’m impressed with your composure at an open mic.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

DaddyDog said:


> My best performances are when I’m alone in the basement. I struggle with anxiety, and I’m impressed with your composure at an open mic.


Thanks. Open mics are the hardest gigs. No warm up, no sound check, and usually sub-par sound. Often, you are playing material that you are less familiar with and just when you start to feel comfortable, you're done. That open mic is a pretty comfortable one for me - I've been going there for a while and I pretty much knew everyone in the room. I played at new one in Castlegar when I was on vacation and I was a wreck for the first two and a half songs - fortunately it was a slow night, so I got a slightly longer set and the last couple tunes were a bit more comfortable. I was never very comfortable performing until I got hired to host a weekly open mic - there is nothing like playing weekly to de-sensitize you to stagefright. On my occasional good days, nerves now make me a better performer.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Pretty good balance of voice and guitar considering the circumstances.

I loved Powder Finger, it’s an awesome song that many cover artists just don’t get but you obviously do. The NY cover band I was in always had the singer do the first line a cappella like a warning before the whole band entered. 

Closer To The Heart was also good and good for you for not trying to sound like Geddy, good tempo too, many covers start too slow. It’s a good song.

Venus? Holy crap, not sure I’ve ever heard it covered by a solo act. Love the song and have wanted to try it myself. Well done. Smart rhythm.

Still Haven’t Found was good but I think I would have approached it a little more urgently, faster perhaps, edgier. Maybe a little FX on the guitar? Whatever, probably better than I could do it, I find Bono vocals tough to handle. That said, your rhythm here as with the others was smooth and I could feel the downbeat. 

On the whole, a well delivered set, good pacing, interesting repertoire, and you look and sound very comfortable.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Mooh said:


> Pretty good balance of voice and guitar considering the circumstances.
> 
> I loved Powder Finger, it’s an awesome song that many cover artists just don’t get but you obviously do. The NY cover band I was in always had the singer do the first line a cappella like a warning before the whole band entered.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much!

When it comes to effects, I have dabbled, but I find that I tend to forget to turn them on - and then I forget to turn them off... 🙄 I should probably work on that.


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks so much for sharing, i could sit and listen to you sing and play around a camp fire. I could hear you relax and feel the music when you sang the U2 tune. Ive never sang and played so im excited for your accomplishment. Looking forward to hearing more.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Good work, Brian. My fave was the U2. You need a KapnKrunch song in the line-up tho'.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Sounds good, Brian! Open mics can be a challenging environment and you sounded pretty natural.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

KapnKrunch said:


> Good work, Brian. My fave was the U2. You need a KapnKrunch song in the line-up tho'.


You never know... one of these days, I might learn "When the Satellite Goes Down." I love performing songs by people I know.



jdto said:


> Sounds good, Brian! Open mics can be a challenging environment and you sounded pretty natural.


Thanks. As I said earlier, that particular open mic is a pretty comfortable one for me (and I wasn't conscious of the fact that it was being recorded  ).


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