For this post I just want to concentrate on music and performance.
As a band we have had a couple of experiences recently that have been really great, that have made us feel very positive about our musical efforts and outpourings.
The first was the recording session in the church. Dave Shaw kindly let us record in his ”office”, and lent his expertise and knowledge of the space to make some amazing recordings.
The experience of hearing my voice in such a space did two things: One: to my body… I found myself standing straight, breathing properly, and projecting into the space, knowing that my voice would reverberate around that vaulted ceiling and come back to me. Hearing the recording, I can tell the difference between this and other recordings. Astonishing. I want to sing there again! I’m sure I walked taller for at least three days after!
Two: to my mind… I found my confidence growing, and my self esteem, and my pride in my band mates too. We sounded really good, we all left feeling boosted by the experience, with big smiles on our faces.
The second thing happened this Sunday. We were invited to do a private house gig. We haven’t done many of these, only a couple really. But this one was very special…
It took place in a large house, in the drawing room (not the sitting room sadly). There were about a dozen people there, in comfy chairs, all furnished with tea and cakes (very delicious cakes too). The programme included a very clever and funny poet, and an unaccompanied folk singer. We did four sets of four songs each, so about twenty minutes each set including the intros and banter, interspersed with the other performers, and a nice long relaxed interval for chatting at half time.
Anyway… after the first song received great applause and wonderful comments, I got a bit sweaty-palmed about the whole thing, and needed to take a deep breath. These people were listening very intently to all the lyrics I had written, every note sung and played, every harmony… That’s quite a lot of pressure. I’m not used to that sort of scrutiny. Once I got used to it though, it was brilliant to have our work received so well. People were complimenting me on the lyrics, and picking out particular lines they liked! It could have been a bit overwhelming, but I actually found it rather lovely to be appreciated in such a way. I think we will be asked back another time!
These two events have caused me to think back… we are approaching our tenth bandiversary (because that’s a real word, right?) in 2025 and we have come a long way. We have played some bloody awful gigs in unsuitable places. We have done well, and not so well. We turned up to open mic nights to do one or two songs, just to get out there. At some point in the ten years I remember saying to the guys “I’m not doing this shit any more, we are better than this” …and we are.
I think the events I’ve described above have created another shift for us. We write really good songs together and we sound good. Time to be even more selective about what we do with that.
As well as the above link to the first church recording on Soundcloud, we are also now on Bandcamp, where you can listen to all our recordings so far.
https://thesittingroom.bandcamp.com/
