"Physician heal thyself". There was a bit of that going on last Thursday. The Medicine Sessions fell on Valentines night, not the easiest night to find bands for, but it turned out fine in the end. We cobbled together the ever reliable Joe Power and made the decision to finally play at our own event, properly this time, plugged in, with a rehearsed set and a new Bass player. Personally, I'm not the most confident "front" member, not in the performance side of things, just in the self belief, being a long term sufferer of self doubt. After having a long run of very disheartening gigs, we gave up playing live altogether, our abilities and dare I say it, our egos, worse for wear. I've managed to resist playing to our 'home crowd' for a long time, just in case everything went tits up and I came away ready to bin all our songs and burn my guitar. Happily though, despite a few minor mistakes due to a couple of nerves, we were embraced heartily by the ever glorious Medicinners. They generously called for more and some even sang along to some of our songs. Our hearts and souls have been restored a little and the experience gave me a first hand account of the brilliant affect playing The Medicine Sessions has on a performer.
The night couldn't have opened more weirdly, with audience members starting to fill the room from 8.30 onwards, whilst we were still sound checking. A friend of ours was busy setting up a million mic's and his sound desk so that we could be recorded in live multi-track splendour. No pressure. By the time 9.30 came, the room was stuffed full and the great Joe Power launched into his history of love in verse through the Centuries, which included everything from ancient Irish dirges, Ted Hughes poetry, German Opera to Music Hall, Tom Waits and Rolling Stones. Joe inhabits his characters to the full and is a showman in every sense of the word, grabbing props from around the stage (a chair used as a jail, the microphone used as a lover). He works the space, using every square inch to sit, stand, wobble, gurn and kneel in. He is a rare bird indeed.
I will say, it's the hardest job in the world trying to edit your own video, as I am extremely aware that we've done all the songs a million times better at home.. but anyway, I had to choose one, so this is it... as for the live recording... well, the lead fell out of the laptop somewhere in the break, so the hour long set up was all in vain... just as well really... there will be plenty more times now to catch us... now the buzz is restored.
