Listening To: Black Cherry : Goldfrapp

So - in case you haven’t worked it out yet (or you’re not one of our regular readers), I happen to think my partner (the divine IG) is pretty damn cool ! As such, I’m always happy to give the stuff which floats her boat and which I haven’t been exposed to previously at least the one go, if not making it a regular thing for me too. To date among other things, we’ve gone to the Spanish Club to do a bit of latin-dance and I plan on taking classes with her at some point soon when I get my act together. I’ve also accompanied her on several occasions as a spectator when she’s indulged in another of her passions - namely the ancient Japanese (i.e. 1950’s ?) art of Karaoke.

Now you may be thinking “Karaoke … eww… cheese-o-rama !” Yes, it can be. However as Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis showed in 2000’s Duets … it can also be classy, sexy and downright FUN ! “Sexy” is certainly a phrase I’d associate with IG normally, and this is without a doubt a factor she brings to her singing performances. Not only CAN my baby sing, and sing exceedingly well for all but the hardest numbers or ones she hasn’t tried before, but she also has a great stage presence. Enough of the Lisa-admiration society though … that’s not the primary purpose of this post.

Rather as I’ve already told you, I’m the kinda guy who likes to “give it a go”, especially if it’s something IG is into. Going along merely as a ’spectator’ just doesn’t cut it, so last weekend after a few glasses of wine and before we went to check out The Eastern in Bondi (a pub we’d never been to previously), I tried my hand at belting out a few tunes along to some of Lisa’s karaoke DVD’s. It was fun, it was hilarious, and we were extremely silly. I had a great time, though in my heart of hearts I *did* just quietly think I kinda sucked. Here’s the boy who’s shamelessly released an EP before. Though I didn’t actually sing on too many tunes on that one, thankgod *s*

Anyhoo … last night rolled around, and Thursday is always karaoke night at a certain Petesham pub IG and I have been frequenting for the purpose. Despite the suckiness of my weekend ‘at-home-performance’, or perhaps because of it, I decided I’d sing a tune or two last night. The last time … nay the ONLY time I’d previously attempted a public karaoke performance was back in 1998, in an Arab-owned Irish Pub in Uppsala, Sweden (try saying THAT three times quickly !). It was a group performance with two drunken lads from Northern Ireland, two Italians and a dude called Barnaby from Boulder Colorado, and I can’t even remember what we sang. ‘Twas one of those crazy ‘lads nights out’ basically.

So it was with a little trepidation that I took the stage - doubled by the inescapable knowledge my partners most recent ex (the only one I occasionally sense a glimmer of nostalgia / regret about) is a semi-professional singer who actually happens to run a karaoke night at Star City Casino, among other places. I know, I know - I think about everything on far too many levels, don’t I groovers ? ;) Anyhow, my first song was “Knocking on Heavens Door” - the only thing I can still play on guitar, having long since lost the skill to play anything else through years of non-practice. Now I must admit I got a bit of stage fright happening for that first number - leg trying to madly jiggle, trouble focusing on the words on the teleprompter despite knowing them by heart, sweaty palms; the whole thing. Nonetheless, to my surprise I don’t think I sucked too badly, despite it being the Dylan (slower) version instead of the G’n'R cover I’m used to.

After my first mini-ordeal finished, I had to stay on stage to do a duet with IG on “Love Shack”. Feeling a little better this time, still need a drink though. Other people go up next, including a solo or two from my partner, before my next song. I choose “Can You Dig It” by PWEI next … not only because I happen to love the song, but also because I’m interested in seeing what it will sound like karaoke-fied. Awful … I’m having to sing most of the bits which use samples in the original (and damn cool samples too), and the backing beat sounds cheesy instead of funky. Damn … I think that sucked, but mainly because of the song-choice. A few more people go up, then I get called to the stage again. I’m thinking it’s my final choice of the night … Sweet Child O’ Mine … but no, IG has pulled a bit of a shifty on me and put me down to do “Ice Ice Baby”. OMG ! I can’t rap for shit ! :)
I try to roll with it, with IG jumping up on stage to provide back-up dancing. Sweeet *g* I get in maybe one third of the words … ‘rollin in my 5.0 …. Ice Ice Baby’. It’s too fast for me … so I kinda suck again … but I feel strangely good about it all the same. After some more random singers and IG numbers, I finally get called up to do SCOM. My stagefright has almost entirely gone by this point, the leg is only trying to jiggle slightly, palms are dry and I’m not struggling to read the words … in fact I even sneak in a bit of improv on one of the ‘wo oh oh oh’s which noone notices but which gives me a warm inner glow.

The final verdict - yes, I still kinda sucked … but I did have a great time, and given regular practice I hope in due course my suckiness will reach a level where it is only barely perceptible. Guess what ? I’m planning to put that practice in … because now I’ve tried it, I think I shall be at least a semi-regular participant, and not just a spectator.

Proving once again gang, that it never hurts to try something new ! Have a great weekend, I’m off to Greenwood for a ‘boy’s night out’ with one of IG’s mates and some other lads. Let’s just hope there are no fights this time … this is the same guy who punched on with someone outside the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on the first ‘Summer Bay’ post !

Peace out y’all …