Spent much of yesterday preparing for today's performance in the library. Mike Drew mentioned he'd like to perform 'Father Christmas' by the Kinks, a great song but full of really quick chord changes. Those are much easier to play as a riff, but the timing is complicated if we are to duplicate The Kinks' version because there are odd pauses of a beat or two here and there (or here but not there). Some parts are in 6/8 and the song has a very punk feeling that make it sound on the edge of collapse at any moment.
Secondly, Mike's playing it in A rather than C, with a capo, so I had to transpose his chord sheet for my keyboard. This is not too bad, my 'Snowflake' is in A too. I so rarely play in A, so it's something I need to do more of, but there are a few errors/anomalies in his printed version vs the Kinks version too... (like a missing chorus) this, plus a complex song and 24-hours solitary practice is going to make it all a bit musically dangerous. I've plunged in, and created a new sound for it which has a double-glockenspiel low down and a rock organ with a bit of distortion for the main part. This sounds great... I just fear chaos, that our chords as a small ensemble won't match each other.
I have had the rare opportunity to sing, to warm up this morning, and... disaster! My voice is so rusty and tight and weak, after only a week or two without singing. I've been singing warm ups for an hour and can barely scrape along. It's fortunate that 'Snoflake' is my only song today. I feel I need days or weeks to get back to where I was. In piano playing or painting, I can usually pause for a few weeks or months, and when I come back I seem to be magically better than before (this phenomenon is stalling in piano playing; time is cruel). This is not at all the case with singing. I need to sing often, every day or two days, yet my exercise and practice space is limited. I must try to find a solution.
John Miller has offered use of his mixer, and I prefer this. He's a great mixing engineer (as is Mike Aitchison) and it's a job I dislike. My personality is one of doing everything, but I'm learning to delegate.
A new outfit is ready, I will at least look the part. I need more headgear, perhaps the Santa Hat will work. This minor detail aside, all is now ready for the show.
