Rain Won't Stop Me, Now!

Okay, I skipped karaoke last week because I didn't get finished with my friends in the city until nearly 10pm. that meant by the time I got to Mad Hatters it was midnight. I was hoping to continue my fun day but when I entered the Hat it was too crowded with unfamiliar faces and wouldn't you know it, I hit the wall with my tiredness. I crashed so hard that the next day, New Years Eve, I was pretty much bed ridden the whole day.

So, a week goes by and I recovered from whatever it was I had, I was ready to go out again. When I went out, the rain, or was it sleet? was falling. My Hyundai was an ice car. My need to go out overwhelmed my sense of reason. I figured because of the bad weather and the fact it was Tuesday, The Hat wouldn't be crowded. I was wrong. Word must have gotten out, that the Mad Hatter is the place to be to do karaoke on Tuesdays.

I walked in, planted my ass near someone I knew from another place and waited my turn. Yes, SHE was there. We looked across at each other a few times but my throat was still sore, so I didn't think it wise to have close contact with her. My sore throat prevented me from doing an exceptional job singing. though I've noticed that when I feel I don't do well, people praise me more.

I must be a lousy judge of my abilities.

Anyway, It was crowded, but since this host doesn't take "DJ breaks", I was able to get up there 3 times which is the ideal minimum times I like to be up there. 6 is usually the ideal maximum. Any less than three seems incomplete, and any more than six gets redundant.

Three songs is ideal in that I can to a "go to" song, this night it was "Tempted" by Squeeze. A song that's challenging or crowd pleasing i.e. "Young Americans" by David Bowie. and if a third song comes up I can do either a new song if I can find one, or a song that is not really in my abilities as a challenge. I found a new song "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis. My evening is set.

One reason I like going to the Mad Hatter is that the crowd is supportive even though there is a gong behind the bar that gets used every once in a while. I have yet to be gonged, though I might have deserved it sometimes.

So, I do my "go to" song "Tempted" by Squeeze. It's a little out of my normal range but I usually nail it. This night my voice was rough, but since I am used to the song, I can navigate the bumps relatively smoothly. The supportive crowd gave me a boost of confidence. The video is a favorite of mine I posted in previous blog entries. I can't get enough of the trashy blond dancing at the end near Paul Carrack.



The second song I did is one that I like to do every once in awhile. I prefer doing it in a bigger place complete with a wirefull microphone on a stand. I use both the wire and the stand as a dramatic prop especially with songs like "Young Americans." It's a song that's a mouthful with the words. It's in my vocal range but some of the non sequiturs in it makes it a challenge to sing especially with my voice being rough, though the falsetto parts were clear voiced.

That's why I don't need anyone to jump on stage to sing along with me. It's beyond a pet peeve of mine. Frat boys, Never interrupt someone who is singing, I don't want you. I don't need you. I am quite capable of handling it myself. Heck, I don't even want the girl I have a crush on the stage man, why would I want a lunkheaded frat boy singing off key to join me?

Anyway, I found a vintage Bowie clip from the Dick Cavett show on the YouTubes. I'm proud to say I hit the falsetto "Break Downnn and Cryhiiiii!" part better than Bowie but man I wish I could be as skinny as Bowie.

Yeah I know.

My shoulders are so huge I don't need the pads that the "Thin White Duke" needed.



So, I get a third chance to sing. Now, I found yet another song I haven't done before courtesy of my Ipod in shuffle mode. I love Oasis, They, like Guns and Roses had one superb album amongst other not so good albums. The album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is one of the best albums of the 90's. It has the song "Don't Look Back In Anger." I had not done it before. I heard it on my Ipod and thought it would make a ideal song for me to do. It starts exactly like John Lennon's "Imagine." and turns into a Beatles song. In other words it's an Oasis song.

I got distracted by some of the audience singing along, but here's the rub. They knew the song better than me. I was improvising the parts I didn't know but I eventually was able to figure the right way to do the song. My voice was cracking throughout and I cleared my throat many a time during the song. Next week if my voice is intact I'll redo the songs I have had problem with the last month or so.

Anyway, The video is the official one which features guitarist Noel Gallagher singing lead vocals. now, I get amused watching Liam Gallagher doing whatever he does whenever he's not singing. He's the Britpop version of Mike Love.