Open mic

 I've also started playing open mics.  Well, I've done two so far, at the same place (the local "3@3 Real Ale and Craft Beer Cafe") which is very casual indeed -- just ten or so people in the upstairs loft, taking turns, with no amplification of any sort.

Me being me, I have a spreadsheet of songs that I'm considering, ranked according to how ready I am to play them.  Marjorie wants to join me at some point on vocals, so there's a separate tab for songs we're considering for that.

In forty years of playing guitar, I know my limitations pretty well, and so stay confined to songs that are built around strumming and chords.  The songs I've performed so far are:

• The Price I Pay (Billy Bragg)
• American Without Tears (Elvis Costello)
• Red Shoes (Elvis Costello)
• Strawberry Blonde (Ron Sexsmith)
• Up The Junction (Squeeze)

There's kind of a summer break happening (for some dumb reason, like people are spending their time vacationing with their families) and so when I'm not songwriting I've just been learning new songs.  There's certainly some I've worked on that I think are beyond my ability, but the best ones are always ones that tax my abilities a bit.  I quickly get sick of playing songs that don't, but it's probably best to go into an open mic night with songs that you're just a little bit sick of playing.  It's also worth noting that, unlike a lot of other performers these days, I decided I was going to only play songs from memory -- too often people play their songs just staring at their phones or IPads!

Over the last couple of days I've been excited to learn Nick Lowe's Cruel To Be Kind, which I had tried a few times in the past without success, but now is pretty much ready to go I think.  It's a perfect little pop song I think.  I also have another Nick song, two Kinks songs, an Aztec Camera one, one by Fountains Of Wayne, and a smattering of Elvis Costello songs.  I find it's a good thing to go in with a repertoire so you can try to fit the mood of the night!