Compact rehearsals

A small room, four musicians and twenty years since the music in question’s been played at what one might charitably term “battle speed”. What had the potential to have been a process akin to extracting teeth with mole grips while simultaneously being kicked in the nuts actually turned out to be one of quite jolly fun.

I am now part of a venture which will remain nameless for a few more weeks (though the generally astute and venerable readers of this blog will undoubtedly piece together the fiendishly cryptic clues and work it out) until it gets announced officially. As long as my memory, right hand and available practice time hold together for me, I should be involved in playing keyboards, the odd bit of bass, guitar and singing here and there at some gigs later in the year. What fun!

As was commented on during today’s relaxed rehearsals, there are the people who will come and see the band who were originally fans, but there is also a whole slew of people who have never known any of us in any kind of musical context. The reactions of the latter to seeing us on stage should cause some not inconsiderable merriment among our ranks.

Not that I’ll be able to do much in the way of “rocking out” as I may have done in the past for two very good reasons.

1. I’m not the singer in this particular outfit. Being the singer (at least when I used to do it) meant that one could stare keenly in the other direction when loading and unloading of vans took place, producing a battered tambourine from a rucksack at the appropriate moment as if it had required some kind of effort. Moreover, it meant that one was relatively unencumbered on stage with tiresome things like instruments. This gives one free rein to leap about, shake one’s mane and otherwise indulge in ‘giving it the large one in a rock stylee’. (nb. this usually results in one’s singing coming out like the gasps of a bronchial marathon runner, so not necessarily a terribly good thing)
   
2. I’m going to be playing keyboard parts that are 20% simple, 70% moderate to complex and 10% holy crap. While playing the first 20%, I’m sure I could bounce around a bit, the 70% ranges from grooving on the spot to fairly vigorous head-nodding, but the last 10% are a carpal-tunnel syndrome sufferer’s nightmare. Not that I’m complaining, mind. I’m sure our first ‘all the band together’ rehearsal will be conspicuous for being let down the most by my good self, but that hasn’t deterred me from finding a good deal of fun in it all.

If the shrewd observer wishes to see a particularly fine example of me ‘rocking out’, then look no further than the first track in the set, on which I play bass and not keyboards. One of my old buddies in this venture says he can’t wait to see this happen, but may need to be carried off the stage as he’ll be in fits of hysterics. Charming, eh? ;-)

I’ll probably jot the occasional batch of rehearsal notes as we go on, for those interested.