Tommy Emmanuel Live 21st July 2007

Hmm.

I had no idea at the beginning of this week that after booking out from Tekong I would actually be going to watch a live performance by Tommy Emmanuel himself live in the Esplanade Theatres. However, I must say that I did have prior knowledge of the performance, only to forget about it due to the rigors of NS life, which during the week included various physical activities and the almighty rifle range, which proved both boring due to the waiting and exciting due to me having never fired with a rifle before.

So, the performance.

Having bought the tickets last minute through SISTIC, I managed to get to The Esplanade (for future reference I always pronounce the word "esplanade" as "ess-plar-n-aid", rather than the psuedo-highbrow "ess-pler-nard") half an hour before the start of the concert, which commenced at 7;30pm in the evening.

I paid my former colleagues at Maestro Guitars a visit, and accompanied them down to the entrance, before making my way to a seat on the 1st level (that is, one level above the main seating area which is directly in front of the stage). Owing to me entering the place for the first time, I was expecting to be awestruck by the supposed beauty of the place. While the concert hall was indeed beautiful, I have to admit it was of a beauty belonging to a modern age that is trying too hard to capture the spirit of renaissance grandeur.

The stage was sparse, only bedecked with 2 guitars on their stands, a microphone stand, 2 stage monitors and a personal amp and effects unit plus a piano stool for the man himself to use where appropriate. Bathed in a sublime blue light, I was eager to see the man so hyped by my former colleagues at Maestro who somewhat idolised him, and constantly played his songs at work both on the guitar and on the workstation.

Finally after about 5 minutes after settling down in my chair, the lights dimmed and Tommy Emmanuel came onstage to raucious applause. I have to say that watching him come onstage in person, so comfortable and feeling at home, makes me envy such a veteran performer. I myself would always feel somewhat nervous and a little jittery.

Launching into a barrage of country-style licks, he moved from pure passion to pure speed and technical ability and back again. However, at times I felt that Tommy was showing too much flash, too much "here I am, I'm playing guitar at a gazillion beats per minute". Then again, I suppose that that is my mentality as a player to churn out notes at an "as-per-necessary" rate.

Tommy set's consisted of many of his trademark songs, many of which I only know by ear, not by name. However, what truly struck me about his performance was the way he carried himself, how he shifted his posture to and fro as the mood of his music weaved in and out, tapping his foot to the beat. His showmanship was impeccable, and he actually managed to make a mainly Singaporean crowd rise to the occasion and applaude him where his performanced merited it. I particularly applaude him for his innovative use of echo and reverb to add a deep punch to his sound, his percussive tricks and somewhat gimmicky flashy actions.

One can't fault Mr Emmanuel for such stage wizardry because it was never done in excess but rather it did balance out a performance which would have been rather bland if such eye candy wasn't present.

Overall I must say that I was very impressed with his performance and his choice to run over-time from the originally planned timing of 1 hr and 30 mins to a full 2 hrs and 30 mins. he came, he played and he conquered, but unfortunately I was not converted. Say rather that my eyes were opened to a new level of showmanship based on an individual's performance. Being a team player I know many such tricks would devastate a group unless rehearsed religiously, and I am grateful that I am able to catch the man who has captured the imagination of so many.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

4th week then a jam

Hmm.

How wonderful it is to book out and be able to jam with my band at long last since I enlisted (wow four weeks ago?). The biggest surprise is that Ark Analogy has only shown the slightest sign of rust, since our last performance, which was somewhat marred by a poor venue and frayed nerves.

Today's jam exceedingly well, after all I had given Merv and Boon adequate time to warm up, practise etc. I'm very grateful to them for their commitment and for giving me their time on a weekend to practise songs. Most of the songs went flawlessy from a rhythm point of view, but a large portion of the lead work was somewhat messy due to the acquisition of a brand new pedalboard to replace that travesty of a treasure chest my previous effort in making one myself was.

Sometimes I really have to give it to them because they have not asked for anything in return, and respectfully I have turned to them for advice and direction whenever I'm not sure where to turn to when writing a song. After all, as a band we're only as good as our collective output, and as long as the three of us are content with the output, I'm sure it's good enough for an audience which is not too fussy.

I tend to find it hard to pin down what sort of band we are. After all ,thus far we have covered genres ranging from chill-out pop, to jazzy rhythm, hard rock, blues rock and of course rock and roll. My latest contribution to the band has received the remark from Boon, being it sounding rather close to stuff by The Police. Which is kind of interesting, because I've so much music of various genres stuffed into my Ipod such that I'm soaking things in which may not be completely apparent to me.

Since entering tekong, I've listened to John Mayer, Micheal Buble, The Eagles, and so much more, rather than my rock staples namely AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy. I suppose one my have two opposing views of this situation, namely that I've either 1. matured to a point whereby I can incorporate any form of music into the band, and still make it listenable and enjoyable; or 2. somewhat left behind my true rock roots and chosen to "modernise" my sound.

Truth to tell, I personally feel that it is a little bit of both. I feel that yes, I have matured in a certain fashion musically. However, I have not exactly progressed in terms of technical ability, nor perhaps the ability to write better lyrics. Some of better lyrics still remain with older songs such as "Searchaway, Spring In Christchurch", "Healing of Time". I still hope to be able to write good lyrics without resorting to falling back on pain and hurt.

Anyway, by a long shot I'm satisfied with today's jam because the three of us have managed to create a rough version of our new song, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to continue working with them next week.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

reflection

Hmm.

Well this week was kind of strange and different for me. Firstly I had my graduation ceremony at NYP on Wednesday. Booked out early in the morning and managed to reach NYP at 10:15, only to find out that I forgot to bring a tie and the collar piece for my graduation gown.

Truth to tell, Wednesday was a bad day for me despite the fact that I could walk away with my diploma and tell the bad memories to fuck off for the very last time. I just so was tired of being around my ex-coursemates, I honestly could not share in the general joy that we would be receiving a qualification that alleviates us from O level holders to Diploma holders.

I suppose I'm still somewhat bitter about the unfairness over my the grade for the final semester's work. Instead of earning at least a B for my project, I was handed a C+, which in all honesty was a slap in the face by a lecturer who instead gave all the distinctions to the students whom were under his tutelage. I'm not bitter towards the individuals who received the honour and awards, but rather I feel that they too deserve their fair share of moonshine. I applaude their work and their dedication to their craft.

That said, I know it's all water under the bridge and nothing I say nor do can bring up my grade nor add that little bit of merit to my certificate. The best I can do is to soldier on with the task at hand and make the best of my time on Tekong. I suppose returning to Tekong after the forced smiles of graduation, trying my best to impress upon myself that happiness for happiness's sake is the best move, was a relief from the falseness of being courteous to the people who so alienated me and made the final year of my study in NYP so uncomfortable and unbearable.

I'm glad that at long last I can finally be confident that I will never have to sit in the same place with certain individuals whom I know I will ever speak to ever again. I am liberated, unchained from the labour of being politically-correct to those whom I previously had the obligation to help, support and provide knowledge to.

However, I still hold a few persons dear to my heart, as an inspiration and a means which I could remain sane throughout the final year. So here's a big thanks to Jool, Alvin, Jessie, Jace and a few good lecturers whom I could turn to in times of uncertainty especially when dealing with unsavoury characters.

Looking back on the 3 years, I know I have gained an immense amount of knowledge and I do not regret one bit of the sweat, blood and toil with which I have earned my Diploma. Only God knows how much more I deserve for my effort, and I pray that someday my skills and dedication can, in turn, be recognised and appreciated instead of being side-lined and over-looked by individuals who fail to see a bigger picture.

******

It's an odd sense of gaiety that envelopes me whenever I book out, and return to civilisation. Walking off the ferry somehow made my spirits lift up so high. Yet it's also kind of strange that I should feel both a sense of dread and yet a feeling of confidence when I book in because I know that my buddies are right there next to me whenever we go through any troubles or tasks or difficulties.

I thank God for those individuals who have made my time thus far so much less intolerable than I have imagined it would be.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy