Our little community of musicians had another open mic at The Angel's Share in Hitchin. Playing outdoors in December is not ideal, but it was not as cold as some other times we have been there.
This time I took my Yamaha DD-65 electronic drums. I still needed a case for all the bits as I use a proper bass pedal and I take a stool. It is all pretty heavy. The Yamaha is not bad, but it has limited options for setting the volume of each pad and some are a bit quiet.
I was planning to be playing with the others in The Moonshots jazz group, with @daniellemurray and @purplesinger, but a couple of other people asked me to play with them too. Then I did a solo spot on ukulele.
I have just included some clips in the video (and using 3speak now it is working again). You can only see me now and again in the first one as there is just not room to fit everyone in shot. Then there is a bit of me with Brian doing Valerie. That is totally unrehearsed and I have to figure out something to fit the song. He did Golden Brown by The Strangers and I was not even going to attempt that as the timing is weird. I did a few with another guy too, but there is no video of that.
I end with my regular Christmas song. I was actually doing some jingle bells with my foot, but that is barely audible in the mix.
It was a fun evening with a few old friends there who I have not seen in a while. I hope to be playing more next year, but have no firm plans yet. The jazz stuff needs a lot more work.
Rock on!
▶️ 3Speak
Damn man, it looks cold, that couldn't have been good for the hands!
I love playing along with all I want for Christmas is you, metal style! It suits the uke!
We've had colder evenings there. Not so bad really.
It was a fun night wasn't it and not the coldest one we have had there by a fair bit. I can remember sitting there in a coat with a blanket and still being cold one time.
Making up something to play on drums for 'Valerie' isn't easy...it doesn't really lend itself very well to any basic drum beat does it? I don't know what I would have played for that to be honest.
I just have to keep learning. Doing a course now about variations on the 'money beat'. I need to play through more songs.
That drum machine is awesome, your focus clear as crystal, proper in the zone, and there's just something about a Ukulele the tones really resonate with me, and I always remember Somewhere over the rainbow Jason Sadang featured in Modern family, also another rendition in The Middle, where Brick sings on his graduation, both are in my minds eye as i write this.
Merry Yuletide friend
I have a selection of drums to use and that was my first proper set. It's limited, but fairly portable. The uke is easy to carry around too and I quite like playing it.
Merry Xmas.
Great job Mr steevc and what a great friends you have there
I do and some of them joined Hive. I hope you are finding some interesting people. Look for posts you like and leave some comments.
Okay Mr but mr can you follow me back
That's not how it works. I follow those I'm interested in. I wish you luck, but my time is limited. Find people with things in common.
Okay Mr