Once again, the gig at Outres Market was a
little 'outre'. OK, I get it, that venue isn't for me. There were
sound problems, power outages, lots of clipping in the speakers, some
guy wanted to jam along on tenor sax and he was bad, let's see, what
else, the guys got a case of nerves or something, didn't play at their
best, missed cues, occasional 'deer in the headlights' stares, a
'headliner' with an attitude, a druggy
vibe in the venue itself (not that there's anything wrong with that),
and just like last time, I was anxious to get out of there soon after
the set was done. I didn't want to be around for the descent into
further bacchanalia when booze is abused, pipes are rife and words are
slurred. So I grabbed a tuktuk with Jelly and this guy Mitch and headed
back to town.
Mitch reported that there was some kind of music
jam at 'Snooky's' where there is a piano and a PA. He said that we
should go and support James (piano player) because he's been supportive
of us. So we popped in. I had a bass and guitar with me so I ended up
sitting in and backing up some of the musicians. I played a few of my
SE Asia tunes and they were extremely well received by the largely older
farang crowd. Hell, the tunes are about them, right....
'You see them walking down the avenue
She's twenty five, he's sixty two
And though it seems like they don't belong
There's something pulling and it's mighty strong
Same Same, everybody's in the game.
Same same, like a moth to the flame
He needs that honey, she needs that money
Same same....
I got to jam on piano, which I hadn't touched in the two months I've
been on the road, and that was GREAT! And it turns out that Snooky's is
the place where the Miss Sihanoukville event takes place in late March,
so I got a head start on that gig, met the owner, saw the layout, asked
a few questions. That one is gonna be a blast! Yep, I'm the new kid
(ahem) in town and people are really happy to have something different
happening... The way I see it, most musicians try really hard... too
hard, as if the idea was to knock the audience out with rhythm or speed
or volume. It feels like an assault more often than not, and I believe
it is based on a faulty premise... that you're supposed to impress folks
with a barrage. I think it's the opposite, leave space, play quietly
at times, change things up, make stuff up on the fly, be open to
surprises. Like Frank Sinatra says... 'Ya gotta swing, baby'.
Interestingly, after I had played some keys at Snooky's, the 'headliner
with an attitude' from the other venue came up to me all respectful and
nice. 'Nice to finally meet you, mate' (he's Aussie, good singer and
entertainer, notoriously mean to musicians he doesn't respect). I had
heard lots of tales of him being a total arrogant dick to a number of
folks, including friends of mine. I think he was impressed that I could
swing on the keyboard. interesting... Does this mean I can be an
arrogant dick too?
(don't answer, it's a rhetorical question)
Sorry for the lack of video or other documentation. (maybe I've just
been making up all this crap ho ho ho). I have a feeling the right
situation will open up and we'll roll some tape and upload. In the
meantime, another open mike tonight, more rehearsal today, a swim and a
stretch this morning, life is pretty sweet. Happy Year of the Snake.
(my year, in fact) sssssssss
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