Gigging with the Valjes
Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:13 pmHad my first gig with my newly acquired vintage Valje bongos.
It was at a little place called Amnesia in SF. A poet I know, Stephen Gray was the featured
artist and had a 30 minute slot at the open mic. So he was doing poetry and on some poems
he played guitar.
I was backing him up with and without the guitar, anyways I like poetry if it's from real serious
wordsmiths like this guy is, definitely not schoolgirl poems. I also like backing up poets as not only do
you need to match the beat they use, but also the emotional timbre of the poem and it's subject, and the poets voice,
and it's hardly ever rehearsed at all, very improvisational. Very "beatnik".
The Valjes sounded awesome, just the perfect old school sound, with kip and mule. They asked
me if I wanted a mic, nope, not in that little joint, these old drums had plenty of sound and cut right
through to the back of the room.
Anyways we were real tight, I think we sounded great, and well I must have done something right,
because after his slot another poet comes over and asks me if I'll back him up, so I said sure why not?
After that slot, another poet comes along and asks me if I wouldn't mind backing him up!....Sure, why not.
It's like I was the house bongo player!
Well I got 3 gigs for the price of one and three beers for the price of none, as the poets all bought me
a pint afterwards.
It was at a little place called Amnesia in SF. A poet I know, Stephen Gray was the featured
artist and had a 30 minute slot at the open mic. So he was doing poetry and on some poems
he played guitar.
I was backing him up with and without the guitar, anyways I like poetry if it's from real serious
wordsmiths like this guy is, definitely not schoolgirl poems. I also like backing up poets as not only do
you need to match the beat they use, but also the emotional timbre of the poem and it's subject, and the poets voice,
and it's hardly ever rehearsed at all, very improvisational. Very "beatnik".
The Valjes sounded awesome, just the perfect old school sound, with kip and mule. They asked
me if I wanted a mic, nope, not in that little joint, these old drums had plenty of sound and cut right
through to the back of the room.
Anyways we were real tight, I think we sounded great, and well I must have done something right,
because after his slot another poet comes over and asks me if I'll back him up, so I said sure why not?
After that slot, another poet comes along and asks me if I wouldn't mind backing him up!....Sure, why not.
It's like I was the house bongo player!
Well I got 3 gigs for the price of one and three beers for the price of none, as the poets all bought me
a pint afterwards.
