Here I sit, procrastinating.
These guitar strings are still threatening to take my eyes out.
I have made about six cups of tea, and drunk three and a half.
I’ve been up to the town to buy luxury goods (Poundland, Wilko)
I’ve ordered some new clothes for the preview/gig night (that still counts as work, right?)
Tomorrow is the very last recording session.
It should be fairly straightforward as we know exactly how it should be… Dave “Ubiquitous” Sutherland on mandolin, Dan Whitehouse on electric bass… unless Dave’s double bass sounds so great we go with that instead. I have learned to hear differences… The electric bass is a low level rumble under the mandolin for the middle eight, warming it up and adding depth, you might not even notice it first listen (except I have now told you so you will). You can hear the attack on the double bass… the touch of Dave’s fingers on the strings. For one of the other songs, Crewe, I am just singing to the accompaniment of this bass (and the sounds of a train) and it sounds wonderful.
But for “Someone” I think it most likely to be the electric.
Are you wondering about the “Ubiquitous”?
Dave plays bass of all varieties, guitar, mandolin… I believe he also has a harp. If you make a round trip of Birmingham and the Black Country taking in a variety of folk nights, open mic nights and general giggery, Dave can be found either solo, or in attempted disguise (wearing a hat) with a selection of other bands. If you pick a selection of recordings from the area, you can look at sleeve notes and his name is there too. He’s a talented man who loves to play and write. He is modest and humble, and bloody brilliant. He’s been so supportive of this project, offering advice, musical and moral support all the way through. He has great knowledge, experience, and he wears really cool shoes. I have a bit of a musical crush I think. Don’t tell him, he’ll blush.
I think my procrastinating about the bush is my way of stretching this out. After tomorrow we have a session booked to put the whole piece together, so all the songs flow from one to the other in a way that makes sense. We also have a few rehearsals booked for the performance. Considering at the beginning of this project I had no intention of performing, and had a real hard time deciding whether I should perform, I’m now really looking forward to it!
What is the worst that can happen?
The performance isn’t the work as such, its a celebration of its completion, and the hard work that it has taken. I might forget my words, although I am trying very hard to learn them so that doesn’t happen. If it does, Dan will be there to help me out…. or I’ll just carry on doing something until I remember where I am. I think most people attending will forgive me.
I might not hit the right notes. It’s live. That’s probably quite likely, but unlike a recording, hopefully by the time anyone notices I will have moved on.
The sewing is very nearly finished too. I have a few adaptations to make, and then I need to attend to the ceiling in the gallery so that I can hang them properly. I need to get up there and poke about to see if I need a drill, rawlplugs, battens or just screw-in hooks… There are a few patchy bits of paint that I need to fix when the current exhibition comes dawn in the middle of June.
I think, on the whole, I’m in control… time will tell…
