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You can also post remembrances, photos, and any other memorabilia you would like to share. It would be great if this could become like an archive for the Paradox -- then and now.
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Greatest Ringmaster.......
For the Greatest Show on Earth. Master of Ceremonies **STEVE NOONAN** sorts out precious stage time, wishing this circus had at least 3 rings. A tough job, done with expertise and laughter.
Tony has a flickr site from the last reunion and has opened up a new file for this reunion if you are interested in putting your photos up all at once.
You know, hootmaster is a rough gig. He has to craft an entertaining show out of a bunch of discrete pieces, some of which can go next to each other and some of which can't. And he has to juggle and adjust as the thing goes long, as it inevitably does.
Everybody on the list has their own agenda and sets of worries, and Steve has to balance all that against making the thing move and keeping it fun. You have to be a diplomat, a cop, and a lawyer, all the while being an entertainer.
And with every on-the-fly adjustment, he has to go around to everybody involved, all of whom have their own agendas (agendae?) and sets of worries, and present it to them hoping that it's OK with them. You don't get much rest.
Thought I'd throw this up for Rik and everyone who wants to follow along. I may ramble a bit along the way, but I'll try and tie it up in a bow at the end.
The average acoustic musician has to manage the following:
1. Voice 2. 4-6 string for 1 or 2 instruments 3. Snappy on stage patter
The average sound tech has to manage:
1. Multiple cables. 2. Multiple Mics 3 Multiple connections 4. Multiple mix channels 5. Multiple amplifiers 6. Multiple speakers 7. ELECTRICITY 8. Thousands of solder joints (one bad one can take down a show) 9. Myriad mystery electronic Gnomes that are working to make a tough job even worse 10. Snappy back stage patter
If all goes well (and it usually does) the credit will go, as it should, to the musician every time!
If anything goes wrong the the blame will fall squarely on the shoulders of the sound tech every time!
Sometimes I have to stop and think about who really has the toughest job, the Artist, the Tech, or the Audience. Although it's up for debate, they are all interlocking forces that have to come together and work as one and that's when the real magic happens.
So...First point is technology is capable of getting us all in the end.
Second point and this is the important one....Sometimes a tech issue can force us back to the basics and can actually teach us all a valuable lesson.
Case in point...A bad mic cable kept Rik's Phaser from making that swishing sound and would you believe he discovered he didn't really need that special effect so much after all. Sometimes the Artist and the music pure and simple is the best approach.
Now that being said, I want to say THANK YOU to all involved in making this one of the two best weekends I've ever experienced. Accolades to all.
Just a bit about that last. The pedal that I couldn't get operational was a multitrack looper. It allows me to play three or four parts live, showing off the thing I actually do, which is play interlocking parts. I had composed three pieces of music on it especially for this show, and couldn't do them.
So I had to toss my entire setlist and think of something to do. Right there. Then. And I've only played as a single one other time in the last 20 years. A year and a half ago, on the same flatbed truck. You watched me make up Plan B right in front of you, in real time.
The real deal, for both the performer and the tech, is how well they handle the unexpected. The tech and the performer both have their respective lifetimes to prepare, but when the shit hits the fan, well there you are, aren't you?
There's a great line about improvising versus composing, and I wish I could remember where I heard it, but it boils down to this:
A composer can take an entire life time to come up with a minute's worth of music. An improvisor gets one minute.
One more thing. I can't do what I do without good techs. And without me, they have nothing to do. Teamwork
from Helen, Wrong, not next year, year after next......hopefully. You know, the tech just sits quietly doing his expert business and just not given enough credit, I for one am just realizing it just doesn't happen on his own. Best damn concert ever!
Daisy, large hound dog is mopping around, really sad. All her good friends who came to pet her and feed her part of their food have left. Tom , the cat, none of you saw, wished you were all mice, and he would have eaten you, except for Hanna and Ralph and us......burp..
"HootMeister?" Ya, ya. Boy, do I understand the rough gig part on that one. In between playing with what seemed to be a third of the musicians in San Francisco, I also ran Blues Jams at a few clubs in North Beach and the Haight. Fortunately, I got to learn first from some past masters at the run-the-jam game. Perry Welch and Fred Walk were amongst the best. Perry was the band leader (vocals and harp), Fred was his guitar player. They had a band called "Perry and the Pumpers" (which we used to call Elvin Bishop's "B-Team". Perry uses to be one of Elvin's roadie's, and Elvin first stole Johnnie V, guitar, and Fly, his bass player out of the band - then came back and took Melvin Seals, the B-3 player who replaced "Chuck Steaks" as well, adding insult to injury. He never could get Fred though.) Anyway, they used to hold forth every Sunday evening at Wumper's Old Man, 1330 Grant Ave. in North Beach in the early-mid '70's and I'd always try and find the time to be part of that experience. One night you'd be on stage with Boz Skaggs, or Elvin (a.k.a. "Mr. Personality", as I call him.) or else someone like that, and the next thing Fred would be giving "The Hook" to some poor player who didn't know they shouldn't be up on stage. It was never dull. Ever. Steve, from the accolades your receiving, I'd bet your bottom dollar (ha, ha.) you too are a past master at the unenviable task. Good going. Looking forward to the next time.
12 comments:
GREAT photo again, Rand!
Steve was amazing. We couldn't do it without him.
Tony has a flickr site from the last reunion and has opened up a new file for this reunion if you are interested in putting your photos up all at once.
You know, hootmaster is a rough gig. He has to craft an entertaining show out of a bunch of discrete pieces, some of which can go next to each other and some of which can't. And he has to juggle and adjust as the thing goes long, as it inevitably does.
Everybody on the list has their own agenda and sets of worries, and Steve has to balance all that against making the thing move and keeping it fun. You have to be a diplomat, a cop, and a lawyer, all the while being an entertainer.
And with every on-the-fly adjustment, he has to go around to everybody involved, all of whom have their own agendas (agendae?) and sets of worries, and present it to them hoping that it's OK with them. You don't get much rest.
Steve is a master.
I couldn't agree more, Steve can do that stage dance better and faster then anyone I've ever seen. Maybe it's those Paradox Shoes?
Technology is not always our friend
Thought I'd throw this up for Rik and everyone who wants to follow along. I may ramble a bit along the way, but I'll try and tie it up in a bow at the end.
The average acoustic musician has to manage the following:
1. Voice
2. 4-6 string for 1 or 2 instruments
3. Snappy on stage patter
The average sound tech has to manage:
1. Multiple cables.
2. Multiple Mics
3 Multiple connections
4. Multiple mix channels
5. Multiple amplifiers
6. Multiple speakers
7. ELECTRICITY
8. Thousands of solder joints (one bad one can take down a show)
9. Myriad mystery electronic Gnomes that are working to make a tough job even worse
10. Snappy back stage patter
If all goes well (and it usually does) the credit will go, as it should, to the musician every time!
If anything goes wrong the the blame will fall squarely on the shoulders of the sound tech every time!
Sometimes I have to stop and think about who really has the toughest job, the Artist, the Tech, or the Audience. Although it's up for debate, they are all interlocking forces that have to come together and work as one and that's when the real magic happens.
So...First point is technology is capable of getting us all in the end.
Second point and this is the important one....Sometimes a tech issue can force us back to the basics and can actually teach us all a valuable lesson.
Case in point...A bad mic cable kept Rik's Phaser from making that swishing sound and would you believe he discovered he didn't really need that special effect so much after all.
Sometimes the Artist and the music pure and simple is the best approach.
Now that being said, I want to say THANK YOU to all involved in making this one of the two best weekends I've ever experienced. Accolades to all.
Just a bit about that last. The pedal that I couldn't get operational was a multitrack looper. It allows me to play three or four parts live, showing off the thing I actually do, which is play interlocking parts. I had composed three pieces of music on it especially for this show, and couldn't do them.
So I had to toss my entire setlist and think of something to do. Right there. Then. And I've only played as a single one other time in the last 20 years. A year and a half ago, on the same flatbed truck. You watched me make up Plan B right in front of you, in real time.
The real deal, for both the performer and the tech, is how well they handle the unexpected. The tech and the performer both have their respective lifetimes to prepare, but when the shit hits the fan, well there you are, aren't you?
There's a great line about improvising versus composing, and I wish I could remember where I heard it, but it boils down to this:
A composer can take an entire life time to come up with a minute's worth of music. An improvisor gets one minute.
One more thing. I can't do what I do without good techs. And without me, they have nothing to do. Teamwork
RIK - GREAT work - that's what makes you a Professional - Good job - On The Spot - perfect - see you next year.
BURMA SHAVE!
from Helen,
Wrong, not next year, year after next......hopefully.
You know, the tech just sits quietly doing his expert business and just not given enough credit, I for one am just realizing it just doesn't happen on his own.
Best damn concert ever!
Daisy, large hound dog is mopping around, really sad. All her good friends who came to pet her and feed her part of their food have left. Tom , the cat, none of you saw, wished you were all mice, and he would have eaten you, except for Hanna and Ralph and us......burp..
"HootMeister?" Ya, ya. Boy, do I understand the rough gig part on that one. In between playing with what seemed to be a third of the musicians in San Francisco, I also ran Blues Jams at a few clubs in North Beach and the Haight. Fortunately, I got to learn first from some past masters at the run-the-jam game. Perry Welch and Fred Walk were amongst the best. Perry was the band leader (vocals and harp), Fred was his guitar player. They had a band called "Perry and the Pumpers" (which we used to call Elvin Bishop's "B-Team". Perry uses to be one of Elvin's roadie's, and Elvin first stole Johnnie V, guitar, and Fly, his bass player out of the band - then came back and took Melvin Seals, the B-3 player who replaced "Chuck Steaks" as well, adding insult to injury. He never could get Fred though.) Anyway, they used to hold forth every Sunday evening at Wumper's Old Man, 1330 Grant Ave. in North Beach in the early-mid '70's and I'd always try and find the time to be part of that experience. One night you'd be on stage with Boz Skaggs, or Elvin (a.k.a. "Mr. Personality", as I call him.) or else someone like that, and the next thing Fred would be giving "The Hook" to some poor player who didn't know they shouldn't be up on stage. It was never dull. Ever. Steve, from the accolades your receiving, I'd bet your bottom dollar (ha, ha.) you too are a past master at the unenviable task. Good going. Looking forward to the next time.
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