Any Of You Performing Guys Ever Have A Day Like This?

West R Lee

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Well, I got the usual reminder call from my lady friend Fran who plays the Taylor and sings like an absolute angel. She and Mr. Waldron were playing one of the nursing homes and she wanted me to do a few songs.

I haven't talked with Mr. Waldron in a few weeks and hadn't picked up a guitar in that time period either. Anyway, we began to play like we always do....round robin....you do one, we join in.....then I do one.

I began doing this song and was pulling it off fairly well, for me......then from out of nowhere, a HUGE frog in my throat. I tried to clear my throat and continue, but had to stop and start over. One of the ladies there brought me some water. It worked until my next song........return of the frog!

After my initial frog song, Fran began to play and sing one of hers. Middle of the first verse, she completely forgets the lyrics, and never remembered them. A few songs later she did it again.

And poor Mr. Waldron, he'd been fighting a bad cold and congestion for a month and could barely sing. I watched him in amazement as it never slowed that 82 year old man down. As bad as he sounded, he just kept smiling and singing.

Anybody else ever have an outing like this? :oops:

West
 

dreadnut

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Fisherman's Friend cough drops are in my bag of tricks...

Sounds like the 82 yr. old guy had it right :D
 

dklsplace

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Anybody else ever have an outing like this?

Several times. My voice has been so ragged from a cold that I was sure it was painful to listen to.
 

RussD

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Gigs like those make it time for a sing-along!

Just a follow-up note on the nursing home gigs; after being inspired by you guys to play a local nursing home on a few weekends, my name was given to another charity (cat rescue) and a paying gig is the result. Thanks for the impetus toward good karma, guys!!

Anyone know the "Meow Mix" song? :)
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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West,

LOL. But at least you all got your share at the same gig, so odds are you won't each mess up and mar three gigs.

On the other hand, those kinds of things are interesting. I once saw Johnny Winter break a string during the solo for "Highway 61," and he just played around it. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't know, because you couldn't hear it.

When I was a kid, I saw Bob Shane break a string while singing the solo on a verse, and he just whipped the string away without any effect on the vocal, and hardly losing a strum. Then when Nick Reynolds was singing the next verse, Shane goes back to the instrument stand, swaps guitars, comes back in on the chorus, and promptly breaks the neck strap.

Another time I saw Shane break a string, and when Reynolds took the verse, he changed the string and tuned it up before the chorus started.
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Sorry to hear that he's kept up his low-down ways. I thought he'd gone straight after he got off heroin. What's wrong with all of these people getting into drugs? I'm surprised people still do it when the news is full of drug casualties.

But West raises an issue I've wondered about. Singers have to out there even if they are sick. So how do they do it? Especially with a cold. Altoids? Mints? And what about a runny nose?
 

dklsplace

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
But West raises an issue I've wondered about. Singers have to out there even if they are sick. So how do they do it? Especially with a cold. Altoids? Mints? And what about a runny nose?

Sucrets are great in a pinch. Gargling with warm salt water always works for me. If it's severe & runny nose is involved, nothing works in the short term like Alka Seltzer Plus cold.
 

West R Lee

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Good point Mark.

The past few months before I play in front of people, I actually stretch my fingers just to help them find their way over and across frets.

I watched a special on Celine Dion one night in which they showed her voice warm up at length before each and every show. I'm telling you......it was like physical excersize for her voice.....exhausting! Up and down the scale, over and over and over. I mean she went at it for like 15 or 20 minutes. Of course, it helps to have a voice to work with....no work neccesary here, but you get my point.

West
 
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You must be new at this. Crap just happens sometimes.
 

West R Lee

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Yep, I guess I am pretty new at it for an old guy. Played a couple of clubs back in the 70's, but had kept to myself for the past almost 30 years, Joined the nursing home circuit last summer, and have enjoyed it ever since. I've even managed to work in a few book store outings.

West
 
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