Hello out there and welcome back.
The songs in this episode are a playlist of songs that Todd and I inflicted on an audience last Saturday night. I'll also include the few that I played solo.
Choosing songs for a gig whether originals or cover versions isn't easy. I went through a huge list in my head and in conversation with Toddo before we settled on the ones we eventually rehearsed and played. There were some that simply didn't work, some that we couldn't sing and of course plenty that I couldn't play. Add to that the fact that we were hoping to be relatively entertaining and the list grew and shrank on an almost daily basis. I have to recognise my mate Todd for putting up with me but also for rehearsing like there was no tomorrow. Kudos to you brother.
First up came a couple of Beatles tunes. Todd is one of the biggest Beatles fans I have ever known and he chose these. I'd played them both before at a New Year's Eve show back in the dim dark ages before the ANU ripped down one of the most awesome venues ever. Regardless, they were both a lot of fun to play as well as to work out how to manage them with just two acoustic guitars.
The Beatles – Piggies – https://youtu.be/t0nzZ8-kIf0
The Beatles – Two of Us – https://youtu.be/cLQox8e9688
Toddo chose the next one as well and it was new to me. I've never really listened to The Cure but I like this song so maybe I should spend some time with their back catalogue. It took us quite a while to find a key to play this in that we could both sing comfortably and in tune.
The Cure – Inbetween Days – https://youtu.be/scif2vfg1ug
A while ago I played my first solo show for some friends. I included a range of guest stars and Todd was there to help me perform the next track. So it made sense to reprise it. We did dump the guitar solo though because we were a bit worried about overstaying our welcome!
The Beatles - Hey Bulldog – https://youtu.be/M4vbJQ-MrKo
I've wanted to play the next song for absolutely ages. I figured though that without a piano and a bass guitar that it really wouldn't work. We tried it anyway and the fortunate thing was that, even though this was probably the hardest song for Todd to sing, it was the one he did the best. This one was tons of fun!
The Whitlams – You Sound Like Louis Burdett – https://youtu.be/03yeNNtSJco
Originally we were going to play When Love Comes To Town by U2 and BB King but when we rehearsed it, to be frank, it was a little bit dull. It needs a whole band I think. We arrived at a Johnny Cash song when I was showing Todd a different picking pattern. And of course, almost everyone knows the words to it.
Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues - https://youtu.be/89q3zN1Aa9Q
My last song for the evening with Toddo was by Green Day. He's a fan, I'm a fan and this song is one I always come back to. Learning the lyrics was interesting because a lot of them turned out to be not what either of us had been singing for years! Listen along with a lyrics sheet perhaps.
Green Day – The Grouch - https://youtu.be/p-LWwzbUXBc
It's almost a year to the day since I played this song at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. I wasn't going to play it at this show but I wanted to include an original and Todd encouraged me to do it as well. I think I might need to get around to getting a decent recording done.
Rob Marshall - One's Too Many - https://on.soundcloud.com/gVF5D
I've written about the next song here before. It really hits home with me on a number of levels. Again, if you get a chance to see the documentary about Glen Campbell and the album and tour around this song then it's time well spent.
Glen Campbell – A Better Place - https://youtu.be/YzrugsDTKpw
Having seen Billy Bragg recently I was determined to play one of his songs. Lots of them are relatively easy to play but I just can't sing them. I think I struggled with this one a bit, I probably had it in the wrong key, but it's a great song. As I said on the night, this one is for anyone who thinks that Putin is a Communist.
Billy Bragg – The World Turned Upside Down – https://youtu.be/SWRpl2S9iwk
This set was a support slot for George and the band as the main act so I wanted to get people singing along and energised. The chorus of this song is perfect for that and it seemed to work.
Redgum – Long Run – https://youtu.be/FLrJa-fKIvw
So there you have it. The songs we played…
I'd like to say a huge thanks to George and the band for having us along and including me in a few songs in their set too. And also to the people who were at the show, didn't throw things at us, and sang along even when we fooled them with a song we were NEVER going to be able to play. Todd and I have another show tentatively booked so watch this space for details and we'll get to learning a few more tunes.
Marty, mate, if you're reading this; much love to you brother.
Rock on,
The Woozle
Don't forget me
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like me..."
Lana Del Rey, Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard, 2022.
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