Skip to main content

Live vs. Studio?

It is often said about artists - particularly the mass-produced pop variety - that they simply can't reproduce the slick sound of the studio recordings when performing live. Be that as it may, I think singer-songwriters (which are not of the said category) have the power to really bring something special to a tune when performing it live. And I don't necessarily just mean through the atmosphere or intensity that is present at a concert, but through the manner in which they perform it - the instrumentation, the speed, the style etc. 

Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter, he sort-of shot to fame in the late 1990's when one of his songs was featured in Bazz Luhermann's remake of 'Romeo and Juliet'. He has had a mixed career since - got back into the charts about a decade later with a cover of Steve Earl's song 'Galway Girl'. His version has become a classic and continues to be heard in country discos in the west of Ireland!!

A song of Mundy's that I have strangely fallen in love with is called July. I suppose what is not unusual for a singer-songwriter is the raw sound of the studio version. The song features Mundy's lone vocal accompanied by an acoustic guitar and very sparse percussion. It ranges from being delicate to quite forced and painful at parts. His vocals are quite raw - very raw, in fact. It's one of those marmite records - you'll either love it or hate it. Have a listen and see for yourself.




Bored and searching the internet, I came across a live performance from Oxygen in 2008. He seemed to captivate the crowd with a re-invigorated version of the song. And this is not one of those standard festival performances that requires you to be under the influence of cheap vodka and various other illegal paraphernalia to be enjoyed. He transposed the song down a few tones and it suits his voice much better - he's also accompanied, not only by the crowd, but by an electric guitar and a fast but steady drum beat. It really adds a few layers to the track and makes it easier to listen to. A huge improvement? I think so.





I think this is fantastic - There's definitely potential for this to be re-released as a radio mix. It reminds me of some sort of stadium anthem - and there's no surprise that everyone is singing along.

I went to see David Gray perform live 2 years ago in Bray. He did exactly the same thing. Some of his songs tend to drag on using the same 2/3 chords- to the listener, sometimes quite monotonous. But at his live gig - he used a lot of electronic instruments to reshape a lot of his songs and in turn create an electro-folk sound. I was really impressed by it as it refreshed old songs that were possibly becoming slightly lacklustre.

Have you been to any gigs recently? Did you find that an artist put effort into making their songs different and unique for the show?

Gavin.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 'A Word'

"YOU support murdering children?"   It was a simple exchange. We were talking about faith in the modern world, and I foolishly dropped the 'A Word'. Hinting my feelings in relation to this controversial topic, I was immediately stopped in my tracks. My words had led to a judgement being made about my character and my personality. This headline from Waterford Whispers News summarises what has happened to the debate in Ireland: It's ironic, because since the debate has come into general public consideration in Ireland, it has almost become more of a taboo. A highly emotionally-charged debate, both sides will shoot the other down with provocative statements. People are afraid to open their mouths about it in case they are ridiculed for their views. This is exacerbated by the far-left and far-right musings on social media, suggesting that there is little or no middle-ground in this debate. Whatever side of the tracks you are on, or whether you have made ...
Post a Comment
Read more

@rtesecretpro - An account that should never have gotten legs

Recently a controversial Twitter account by the name of ' RTE Secret Producer ' has emerged. Its premise: a brave RTE staff member stands up against their employer and sets out to expose the hidden culture which prevails within the organisation. It sounds like a plot to a low-budget thriller. The account has spurred much debate and has riled up many of the anti-RTE cynics who inhabit our country. Moreover, some of the Irish media - in competition with RTE and unlike RTE, not subsidised by the license fee - are probably happy to have a go at their media nemesis. I have a few thoughts about this Twitter account... First of all  I have read Facebook comment after Facebook comment praising this mystery staffer for their bravery and for being the good Samaritan to expose the ' flawed ' organisation. Although when one examines the level of 'exposure' through the Twitter account, one notices that this secret producer's ramblings amount to little more th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Back On Air!

I had a short break last week from my show. I promised myself that it would be an opportunity to get some study done. In actual fact I spent a few hours dreaming about being on-air, staring at my pile of notes. No, not particularly productive. It's funny - when you've been doing a particular routine like a show for weeks and weeks on end and take a night off, you actually kind of miss it.  I'll be going back on air in about 24 hours (Who's counting?!!) and I cannot wait. There's a great rush when you're on air - in control of a station and listening to your favourite tunes. There's also a bit of fun in preparing for the show - I try to keep it balanced between entertainment content, reading out requests and throwing in an anecdote here or there. A funny thing about being Irish: I think I inadvertently mention the weather at least twice every show. In fairness, people care about it and  it is definitively the best conversation starter in my book!! ...
Post a Comment
Read more