Re: [Harp-L] Why I play the blues



That is very witty and like all good jokes there is an element of truth there........ah the bikie gigs..I remember them well .....full throttle,full distortion and wail on the 9 hole bend for evaaah
Then tryin' to back the van out between the 30000$ Harleys.........with a huge mother.....r with a face full of tattoos and an attitude 'cos he has had to be the hen for the night.
Still the worst is getting booked to play a "corporate' and realising that all they want tis the Beatles and rock and roll(in 1999!) Christ they were all under 30!
This seagues into another subject: why doesn't anybody under say 40ish play modern music at their rite of passage ceremonies.I mean I was at a 21st the other night and I kid you not, the cover band played early Beatles ,Stones and the odd other song from the (gasp)eighties.No Britney no Oasis or whatever.In fact they had a packed dance floor until they tried something 'modern'.And 90% of the crowd were under 25.
In fact most of the Rite of Pasage Ceremonies I go to these days I feel that I am in a time warp or a kind of groundhog day........has there been no good 'party' music put out since the sixties/seventies.
Thats why I play the Blues...............
Rick in NZ
Why I play the blues:

I play the blues because I enjoy low paying gigs as opposed to
being in a tribute/wedding/coproate band and making real money like my horn players.
I play the blues because I enjoy playing to disinterested BBQ & NOLA foodies chomping
away as we are spewing great musical moments.
I play the blues because I enjoy being locked into a I IV V framework that is
a challenge to find anything fresh to say.
I play the blues because I enjoy some ex-jailbird w/ a harmonica gussing me all set long & then
his son saying he'll "shiv me in my ribs" if I don't let his 'Dad' play.
I play the blues because I enjoy educating some municipal soccer mom booker that the blues is not necessarily depressing and an antiquated genre.
I play the blues because I enjoy living next to a 1.5 million populated major metro area that is only
interested in Karoke & DJ's spinning.
I play the blues because I love to audition guitar players who play Hendrix & SRV blues.
I play the blues because I love to audition stand up bass players who play be-bop & don't know how to 'maul' an acosutic bass.
I play the blues because I enjoy drummers who are aging rockers who hit on the 1&3.
I play the blues because I enjoy being told by first tier festival promoters that they already have a harmonica act and there are already to many "white faces on the bill"
I play the blues because I enjoy requests for Sweet Home Chicago,The Blues is Alright and my favorite:
Mustang Sally.
I play the blues because even National players are rolling quaters just to make the next 9 hour drive to a poorly routed gig.
I play the blues because I love opening for do-rag clad,harley T- shirt ,flip flop wearing ,minstrel sounding blues rockers who shuffle at the same meter all night long and the audience LOVES it because they are one of them.


"The blues is a rough & tumble game & is just like scrimping & pimping in a competition for crumbs"
-james day



-- James Day & the Fish Fry "Jump Blues & Greasy Grooves" www.jameswday.com _______________________________________________ Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

Richard Hammersley Grantshouse, Scottish Borders http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Hammersley http://www.myspace.com/rhammersley http://www.myspace.com/magpiesittingdown




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Richard Marsh
Test Certifier No: 00050





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